Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

How are you today? I hope you're feeling really good.

My name is Ms. Afzal, and I'll be your art teacher for this lesson.

I'm feeling really excited about that because I love teaching art and because today, we're looking at something that I find incredibly interesting, which is inside and outside.

Hmm, well, I wonder, you might be thinking, "What does that mean?" Well, we're looking at inside and outside in fine art.

This lesson comes from the unit of work "Foundation workshops," so we can tell already this is something quite foundational, thinking about perspective, thinking about all the different ways that it means to be inside and outside.

So, we are gonna explore this together.

I hope you're feeling ready for that and excited and maybe curious.

If you are, then I think it's time for us to begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can review the range of ways artists have been inspired by inside and outside.

We have some keywords in our lesson today.

Let's go through them.

Space, threshold, barrier, and framing.

What do these words mean? Space is the area around, between, and within objects.

It can be physical, like a room, or it can be visual.

Threshold is a point of change, a space between two different areas.

Barrier, things that block, separate, or divide spaces, people, or ideas.

And framing, how an artist chooses to surround or crop a subject in an artwork.

These are our keywords.

Let's look and listen out for them.

Our lesson is called "Inside and outside in fine art," and it has three learning cycles.

Artists spotlight: inside and outside, Visual deconstruction: inside and outside, and Personal connection in art: inside and outside.

Let's begin with Artists spotlight: inside and outside.

So, why do you think the theme of inside and outside can be a powerful topic in art? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

There are many ways and reasons why inside and outside can generate ideas and further themes in art.

Artists explore inside and outside in many different ways, using varied techniques and approaches.

We will be getting into all of this.

Some of the ways artists use inside and outside in art include inside and outside spaces, thresholds between private and public spaces, internal feeling or anatomy and external bodies, physical and psychological boundaries and barriers.

Some artists examine inside and outside through recording interior and exterior spaces.

Artists might include a view into or out of a space.

How does this make us think differently about the space we can't fully see? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

The windows in this work can act as a threshold, a point of change between the two spaces.

It's a way for artists to tell us about the change of spaces.

Check for understanding.

Which is the most likely way a window is used as a threshold in an artwork? Is it A, a barrier to separate time periods, B, a border between inside and outside areas, C, a tool for measuring perspective, D, a way to add more colour.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected B.

Artists depicting inside and outside spaces in their work include: The Singh Twins examine inside and outside in "Art Matters: The Pool of Life" 2008, which depicts the inside of a theatre with many external elements, including outer space.

Njideka Akunyili Crosby merges the outside with glimpses of the inside world by using the threshold of an open doorway in her "Still You Bloom in This Land of No Gardens" 2021.

And Jennifer O'Connell uses light and glass doors to acknowledge the threshold between inside and outside in her work "Birdwatching." For some artists, the theme of inside and outside opens up opportunities to talk about the threshold between personal and public life and spaces.

What could be the threshold between these spaces in this artwork? Pause here while you decide.

Thanks for sharing.

A threshold means the point of entry, like a doorway, but in art, it can be any boundary or point of transition between two spaces.

Can you think of any other things that could work as a threshold? Pause here and decide.

Thanks for sharing.

I wonder what you came up with.

Maybe you talked about cameras, maybe even phones.

Camera on a phone could act as a threshold from one space to another.

Check for understanding.

What does threshold mean in art? A, a specific type of material used in sculpture, B, a tool used to measure distances in a painting, C, any boundary or point of change between two areas, or D, only the entrance to a building, like a front door.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected option C, any boundary or point of change between two areas is a threshold.

Which of these thresholds tells us more about public and private life? Pause here while you decide.

The first image shows physical thresholds, but the spaces aren't clearly defined.

In the second image, the phone acts as a threshold, suggesting how private spaces can be shared.

How can mobile phones bring the outside world into your home? Pause here and discuss this.

Here's Aisha, "Yeah, we've always got our phones on us.

It's like our way of staying connected to everything, even when we're just at home." Alex, "Most people post the best bits of their lives, so it can make me feel like I have to compare my real life to their best bits." And Jun, "My phone sometimes stresses me out because I never really get a proper break from it." I hear you Jun, absolutely.

Goodness, it's nice to take a break from our phones.

Artists depicting the threshold between private and public spaces include: Ariana Papademetropoulos uses a torn paper layer to blur the line between private domestic spaces and imagined, mythic landscapes in her work "Do you Believe in Life after Love" 2018.

Gordon Matta-Clark examined the physical barrier between inside and outside by presenting actual external walls of buildings in his work "Bingo" 1974.

And Raqib Shaw's intricate paintings blend fantasy with real-life struggles, creating vivid narratives about personal and political borders.

Inside and outside can be about ourselves and our bodies.

This could be physical appearance, internal anatomy, internal emotions and external expressions of these.

Can you think of any other interpretations? Pause here while you do this.

Thanks for reflecting on that.

Artists reviewing inside and outside using the body include: "Anatomy" by Monika Wytoga shows us a surreal image of ocean scenes underneath the skin of her subject.

Gabz Grzegorz Domaradzki's "Botched Creature" 2001-3 are a series of fragmented images showing both the external body and internal anatomy of the subject.

And Alexandra Levasseur examines inside and outside by replacing the faces of her subject with landscapes in her "Body of Land" series.

Artists can examine barriers and boundaries they experience in the world.

These can be physical barriers or political barriers.

What barriers do you think artists could examine? Pause here and share about this.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Jacob, "It might explore how people with living disabilities face barriers in everyday life." Really good point.

Alex, "Social pressures could create invisible barriers to people being themselves." Oh, another good one.

And Sofia, "Borders between countries can stop people from moving freely." All really great ideas there about how different barriers could be examined in art.

And did you think of any different ideas, I wonder? Check for understanding.

Which of the following best examines what artists might explore when examining physical and political barriers? Is it A, challenges like disability access or restricted freedom, B, how art can be used to decorate public buildings, C, the difference between painting and sculpture, or D, the use of bright and dark colours to show emotion.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected answer A.

Artists exploring barriers and boundaries in their work include: Timothy Bair highlights barriers to accessibility in his work "Thin Skin" 2020, including framing to further enhance the idea of restrictions.

Damian Le Bas examines borders and barriers in his work "Back To The Future! Safe European Home" 1938.

Richard Bell examined barriers and borders in his work "Embassy" 2013-onward, a recreation of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, often installed in public art settings, blurring activism and art.

Artists may also use inside and outside as a subject in art to explore reality versus social media, friendships and relationships, travel and exploration, internal workings of outside machinery, and five senses help us to understand the world outside our bodies.

And now it's time for your first task.

I would like you to select two or three artists or specific artworks and compare them.

Consider these questions: In what ways are the artworks visually similar or different? Subject, colour, tone, shape, style, composition, and materials.

What themes, symbols, or ideas do the artworks explore? Are there any connections between them? So pause here while you have a go at this task.

All right, great to be back with you.

You may have said something like this, here's Andeep, "Damian Le Bas adds imagery of faces onto a map of Europe in his work.

It feels crowded with all the land covered.

However, Monika Wytoga's image allows us to see inside a person's skin to reveal an ocean scene." And Laura, "Yes, but they both use visible boundaries, either the edge of the skin or the coastline.

One side of each boundary goes into the water, one the water of a map, and the other into underwater scenes." Great observation.

Here's another way of showing it.

So there's Damian Le Bas about land, ownership, and movement of Romani people, making use of imagery we know in the form of maps, collage, hand drawing, and writing.

And Monika Wytoga makes art about the rich world inside of us, imagery of a person, we can see his muscles as well as fish and jellyfish, and uses acrylic paint.

And what they have in common is that both works explore a boundary between water and something else.

And now it's time for our next learning cycle, Visual deconstruction: inside and outside.

What is the first thing you notice about this artwork? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

We'll be exploring this further later on.

Artists use various techniques to communicate in their work: the elements of art, line, tone, colour, pattern, shape, form, texture, composition, space and perspective, materials and techniques, imagery and subject.

We can deconstruct these techniques to understand the work more deeply.

Check for understanding.

True or false? Artists only use patterns, shapes, and composition to communicate meaning in their work.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false, and now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Perhaps you said something like this: WHile patterns, shapes, and composition are important, artists also use other elements like colour, texture, materials, symbolism, and context to communicate meaning.

So how are the elements of art used in this work? High contrast is used between the back and foreground.

The shapes and forms are natural in the foreground with geometric seen more in the background.

Pink is a complementary colour to the green background.

Leading lines to show perspective draw attention to the centre.

And effort has been put into removing the texture of the paint, and patterns have not been used.

Lucas and Izzy are thinking about the meaning of framing in art.

"Initially, we think about the frames around an artwork." "Yes, then we thought about the visual devices artists can use to create a framing effect, like the curtain." Nice spot.

How has framing been used in this work? Pause the video and share with someone.

Well, we can see geometric shapes create vertical frames around the central subject matter.

The highlight of paler tone at the top creates a tonal framing device, drawing our eye down to the centre.

Let's check for understanding.

Which is the most accurate statement about framing in visual art? A, choosing the best colour palette for the background, B, drawing outlines around the subject to make it look neater, C, using elements within the art to guide the viewer's focus, D, using only a picture frame to display the artwork.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected answer C, using elements within the art to guide the viewer's focus.

And now it's time for your next task.

I would like you to select one artwork and deconstruct it.

Describe what you can see in the artwork, the elements of art, line, tone, colour, pattern, shape, form, texture, composition, space and perspective, materials and techniques, imagery and subject.

How the artist has used these techniques to communicate with the audience.

You might record this as an idea shower around an image of an artwork, write it as a paragraph, or create an audio or film recording of your ideas.

So pause here while you have a go at this task.

I'll see you when you're finished.

How did you get on with that task? You may have said something like this: The imagery is slightly abstracted as an unusual viewpoint for a skull has been used.

The textures of the drawing create detail.

High contrast tone seen in the details of the skull to draw attention to internal cavities.

The dark tone seems to create a partial frame at the top and lower sides.

The pink background acts as a framing device, drawing us into the image.

And monochromatic imagery with warm backdrop.

And here's another artwork.

You may have said something like this: Dark tone creates framing around the top of the image.

Light tone focused us on the window and reflections on the floor.

Subtle silhouettes can be seen in the window.

The composition is drawing our attention into the centre.

Textures using oil pastel and pen drawing add detail and interest.

And dark, warm colours have been used inside, with cooler ones outside.

And now we're onto our final learning cycle, Personal connection in art: inside and outside.

How can looking at an artist's work help us develop our own work? Pause here and share about this.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Aisha, "Art with similar themes can develop my ideas more than similar techniques or imagery." Sam, "I'll look at techniques and compositions and try to apply them to my theme." And Jun, "Work that has similar imagery can inspire, even if the idea is different." Check for understanding.

Fill the gap.

We can look at other artists' work to gain inspiration through techniques, imagery, and, helping to develop and enrich our own creative ideas.

Pause here while you fill in the gap.

Well done if you filled the gap with the word themes.

We can look at other artists' work to gain inspiration through techniques, imagery, and themes, helping to develop and enrich our own creative ideas.

What deeper meanings around the theme of inside and outside are being communicated in this work? And do you think everyone would come up with the same meanings? Pause here and share your reflections on these questions.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Sam, "This work inspires my theme of inside and outside as I will create two images using objects and natural forms." Lucas, "I'm inspired by the archway that looks like a window.

I want to create windows into all the places my family live." Love it.

And Izzy, "I'm looking into faith, so will create an image of my baptism.

I want to frame it using the aisle and arches of the church." Can you think of other theme interpretations? Pause here while you do this.

Thanks for sharing.

Check for understanding.

True or false? We all interpret and understand artwork differently, so how art inspires us is unique to each person.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected true, and now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this: Art doesn't have one single meaning.

Our experiences, emotions, and backgrounds shape how we see and connect with artwork.

What inspires one person might feel completely different to someone else.

And now it's time for your final task.

I would like you to select one artwork and use the questions below to consider your personal connection.

What themes, symbols, or ideas does this art explore? Are there any symbols, imagery, or connections between them that help create a narrative or show meaning? Which techniques, processes, or creative decisions in this artwork inspire you? And how might you use them in your own work? You might record this as an idea shower around an image of an artwork, write it as a paragraph, or create an audio or film recording of your ideas.

Pause here while you have a go at this task.

I'll see you when you're finished.

Okay, it's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task? Let's take a look.

So the theme: mind and body.

This unexpected view of a skull creates an ambiguous image that connects well to my theme of mind and body as the skull represents the link between the two.

I like the use of black and white with just one accent colour.

For my work, I want to create detailed, close-up drawings of skulls and then develop these near-abstract sketches into lino prints.

I plan to print them on different surfaces that symbolise the mind.

Love that idea.

And let's take a look at this one.

The theme is belonging.

This work shows a barrier between the inside and outside, using the window and tone.

The two faint silhouettes looking in the empty room and the map lines all make me feel like there's a sense of separation.

It feels like the piece is about being far from home.

Maybe the figures had to leave.

In my own work, I'm going to use layers of maps and newspaper cuttings in the background.

On top, I'll add images of broken windows to show the idea of being separated from the inside and outside.

In our lesson, "Inside and outside in fine art," we've covered the following.

Artists can represent physical and psychological boundaries and barriers through interior and exterior spaces.

Artists might use framing, perspective, and scale to connect or separate inside and outside spaces.

Artwork can explore the relationship between personal, private spaces and wider, public, or natural settings.

Some artists explore the threshold between external appearance and internal experience.

Well done, everyone, for joining in with this lesson.

It was so interesting to explore inside and outside in fine art together with you.

There's so much to this when we get into it, and I love how you got really into this, into the inside and outside.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson.

I really enjoyed teaching you, and I hope I'll get to see you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.