Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

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

I'm so pleased that you're here.

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

I'm feeling very pleased about that because I love teaching this subject and because today we're looking at still life, which I think should be really interesting.

Our lesson is called "Building a collaborative still life," and it comes from the unit of work, Second sustained project: working from a theme changing perspectives.

So if you are ready with some energy, focus, and enthusiasm, we'll begin our lesson.

The outcome for today's lesson is: I can contribute to a collaborative still life arrangement.

We have some keywords in our lesson.

They are: communication, still life, and manipulate.

What do these words mean? Well, communication is sharing thoughts, feelings, and information clearly.

Still life: an artwork that shows objects arranged in a specific way, usually inanimate objects.

Manipulate: change, shape, or alter a material to create a new effect.

These are our keywords: communication, still life, and manipulate.

Let's look out and listen out for them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson is called "Building a collaborative still life," and it has two learning cycles: exploring still life and planning a collaboration, and then creating a collaborative artwork.

I'm looking forward to this.

Let's begin with exploring still life and planning a collaboration.

So what is a still life? Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think? Thanks for sharing.

Traditionally, still life is an artwork showing inanimate objects arranged in a deliberate way.

It can include natural or human-made objects, and the arrangement can be simple or complex.

Still life serves as a way for artists to explore composition, light, colour, and texture.

Pause the video and share with someone your impressions of the still life that we can see on the screen.

Thanks for sharing.

Still life as an art genre has deep roots in Western art history.

The Renaissance, 15th-16th century, still life emerged as a distinct genre in Italy and the Netherlands, celebrating wealth, trade, and the beauty of everyday objects.

The Dutch Golden Age, 17th century, still life artworks often depicted fruit, flowers, shells, and imported goods.

18th and 19th century Europe, French painters gave still life a domestic focus.

In the 20th century, still life painting was transformed by the avant-garde movements, including Cubism and Surrealism.

Common symbols used traditionally in still life include: skulls, a reminder of mortality; fruit could symbolise abundance or fertility; clocks: passage of time; flowers to represent beauty and fragility, food and drink: wealth, luxury, or domestic life; books: knowledge, culture.

In the 17th to 19th centuries, still life was influenced by trade and colonialism.

Objects from Asia, Africa, and the Americas often appeared in Western still life artworks, such as porcelain, spices, and textiles, but they were filtered through a Western gaze.

These items were stripped of their cultural, spiritual, or practical meaning.

For example, a spice that was sacred or medicinal in Asia was reduced to a decorative prop or a symbol of wealth in Europe.

Global objects were framed to fit Western ideas of beauty and taste.

Their original maker's voices and meanings were silenced.

In contrast, contemporary still life often pushes boundaries.

Contemporary still life often embraces a wider range of subject matter and styles.

Beyond traditional paint on canvas, artists may corporate photography, collage, sculpture, digital media and found objects.

Contemporary still life often uses unusual or found objects such as plastic, packaging, or technology, explores themes like consumerism, identity, the environment and culture, breaks away from realistic painting into abstract, digital, or 3D forms. Can be temporary or interactive rather than permanent.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? Still life can be created through drawing, photography, or sculpture.

Pause here and decide, is this 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.

Still life can be created through drawing, photography, or sculpture as it's about the arrangement and representation of objects, not the medium used.

How do you imagine a traditional still life could represent current environmental issues? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Alex: "I imagine it could include a globe to represent the world, an animal skull to suggest fragility of life, a candle to indicate time running out, and discarded bottles to show overconsumption." And here's another take on that from Jacob.

"I would include melting ice cubes, a plastic toy polar bear, and a clock to represent how time is running out for saving the planet." Many artists are known for their different approaches to still life, including: Lisa Milroy, who is celebrated for her still life paintings of everyday domestic objects, meticulously arranged into formal grid-like compositions; Awol Erizku, whose work explores Afrocentric identity and spirituality, often incorporating still life elements to convey cultural narratives; Mat Collishaw reimagines still life using photography, digital media, and installation, often incorporating themes of beauty, decay and consumerism.

What is a still life collaboration? Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think it is? Thanks for sharing.

It's a group arrangement made by multiple artists.

The paper structures, inspired by tree roots, were made by individual artists.

The individual sections were combined to create a collaborative abstract still life.

Let's have a check for understanding.

In a collaborative still life, how do artists' individual contributions combine? Is it A, each one is kept separate and not changed; B, they're judged to see whose part is the best; or C, they're blended into a single composition that reflects everyone's input? Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you chose answer C.

Indeed, they're blended into a single composition that reflects everyone's input.

So how do artists begin to collaborate? Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think? Thanks for sharing.

The first step is communication to share interests, inspirations, and goals so everyone understands what they want to explore.

Why is communication important in collaboration? Pause here and communicate this to somebody.

Thanks for doing that.

Good communication ensures that everyone understands the shared goal and how they can contribute to it.

When artists talk openly, they can explain their ideas, listen to others, and find ways to connect.

Artists might discuss materials or themes they care about.

The aim is to listen to each other, build on suggestions, and notice when a new idea excites the group.

By starting with clear communication, artists make sure the collaboration is balanced, creative, and respectful.

After agreeing on a concept, artists decide what materials to use, what size or format the work will take, how they will share the making process.

Before working on a collaborative still life, a starting point needs to be agreed upon.

Here's Jun: "I like the idea of natural forms as a starting point, as they're easily accessible for everyone." And Izzy: "We could look at decaying natural objects like skeletal leaves and dried flower heads.

We could recreate them in clay or paper and manipulate the paper into different structures and play around with surfaces and layering." I love these ideas.

And now it's time for your first task.

I would like you to plan an idea for a still life collaboration.

Discuss ideas and concepts, taking everyone's thoughts into account.

Decide upon the chosen idea as a group.

Discuss how to integrate individual contributions into a unified piece.

Set clear goals.

What do you want the collaboration to achieve? Pause here while you have a go at this task of planning an idea for a still life collaboration.

It's great to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task of planning an idea for a still life collaboration? There are many possible outcomes, including: "Is everyone in agreement that we should take inspiration from natural forms and use paper to create artworks from them? They could then be made into a collaborative still life." "We all agree on a plan for a contemporary, abstract paper still life.

We need to explore ways to compose the individual paper pieces to make a collaborative whole." Love that unity.

I hope you found that too.

And now we're on to our next learning cycle.

We are getting right into creating a collaborative still life.

Lucas, Sofia, and Jacob are discussing why they decided on using paper for the collaborative still life.

"Paper is versatile and can be cut, torn, folded, twisted, woven, pierced, or layered to represent natural forms." "Paper can be sculpted into simple 3D forms and placed on the still life." "Paper is very easy to obtain and can be free if recycled or if reused materials are utilised." Great thinking there.

Many types of paper could be used, including: old books, maps, packaging, used envelopes or scrap paper can be repurposed; newspapers and magazines, which are suitable for collage and sculptural forms. What does it mean to manipulate paper? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Manipulating paper means changing its shape, texture, or surface to create new effects.

For a collaborative artwork, this could include: folding to build 3D shapes; tearing for edges, shapes, or layered effects; weaving: interlacing strips of paper for texture, layering: building depth with multiple pieces; piercing: creating patterns or lace-like designs; stitching: sewing pieces together or stitching onto the surface.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? Manipulating paper is only about making it look realistic.

Pause here and decide, is that true or false? Well done if you selected false.

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.

Manipulating paper is as much about creativity and interpretation as it is about representation.

How could folded paper represent nature? Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think? Thanks for sharing.

Paper could be manipulated into accordion or fan folds to mimic ridges in cacti and layered leaves.

Folds could suggest blades of grass or mushroom gills.

How could twisted paper represent nature? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Paper could be manipulated into twisted forms, ideal for capturing gnarled, intertwining roots, or hanging vines.

How could coiled paper represent nature? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Paper could be manipulated into coils to suggest curling pods or tendril-like growths.

How else could paper be manipulated? Pause here while you consider this.

Thanks for your consideration.

Here's Sam: "I could tear strips of used packaging and pierce holes into it to create a textured, unique effect." What could pierced paper represent in nature? Pause here and share about this.

Thanks for sharing.

Paper could be manipulated with pierced holes to represent sea pods, coral, sponges, and fungi.

Holes can also suggest weathered, worn, or fragile organic surfaces.

What could woven paper represent in nature? Pause here while you share about this.

Thanks for sharing.

Paper could be manipulated through weaving to echo veins or parallel leaf structures like palm fronds.

Interlacing forms might suggest entwined growth, like vines and other climbing plants.

How could torn paper represent nature? Pause here while you consider this.

Paper could be manipulated to have irregular torn edges mimicking rough, natural textures like bark, petals, coral, and fungus.

What other ways could paper be manipulated? Pause here and share about this.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Izzy.

"I could use a sewing machine to stitch into newspaper.

I could add more layers using different types of paper." How could stitched paper represent nature? Pause here while you consider this.

Thanks for your consideration.

Paper could be stitched into to outline or emphasise the edges of natural form shapes.

Stitching could highlight delicate patterns or segmentation.

When creating collaborative still life, there are many ways to combine individual elements, including: attaching different manipulated papers to a frame, building up layers; adding three-dimensional forms and clusters to create interest; suspending the manipulated paper sections to a hook or to the wall, which might be inspired by hanging plants; building up multiple coil-shaped clusters of paper where the shape might be inspired by shells or rocks.

Paper is a popular material used by many artists, including: Gail Armstrong is an illustrator renowned for her three-dimensional paper sculptures.

Marryam Moma uses collage techniques to challenge societal norms. Her work aims to empower the black body, promoting self-love and inclusivity through the medium of paper collage.

Li Hongbo is renowned for his innovative paper sculptures that transform ordinary paper into flexible, lifelike forms. So we can see there are many artists working with paper.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Why might artists choose paper for a collaborative project? Is it A, it's heavy and hard to manipulate; B, it's flexible and easy to combine with other techniques; or C, it cannot be attached to other materials? Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected answer B.

Indeed, it's flexible and easy to combine with other techniques.

For the next part of the lesson, you'll need different types of paper, natural objects or images of them, scissors, sewing machines or needle and thread, hole punch, pins or tape.

So pause here while you gather together all the things that you'll need.

Good to be back with you.

Glad you have everything you need.

And now it's time for our next task.

First of all, I would like you to manipulate paper to reimagine a natural object.

Observe a natural object.

Choose an element of the natural object to reimagine using paper.

Consider shapes, patterns, and textures observed in the natural forms. Twist, coil, fold, pierce, weave, or layer paper to recreate an element of the natural form.

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

I'll see you when you're finished.

It's great to be back with you.

How did you get on with that part of your task, manipulating paper to reimagine a natural object? There are many possible outcomes, including some wonderful things like these.

Here's Sam: "I folded and coiled two types of paper to recreate a wasp nest.

I could make several of these to add to the collaboration." Love these.

Some more outcomes.

Here's Jun: "I stitched into newspaper using the sewing machine.

Once I'd sewn lines, I tore sections out.

It resembles the fragility of the skeletal leaf I found.

I could make large panels to form the main structure of the still life." And here's Aisha: "I trapped torn pieces of newspaper between tissue packaging paper to recreate a transparency of honesty seed heads.

I could make several of these to add to the still life." And next, I would like you to create a collaborative still life using the manipulated paper forms from Task A.

You could: attach different manipulated papers to a frame, building up layers; add three-dimensional forms and clusters to create interest; suspend the manipulated paper sections to a hook or to the wall; build up multiple coiled, shaped clusters of paper.

So pause here while you have a go at this part of your task of creating a collaborative still life using the manipulated paper forms from Task A.

I'll see you when you're finished.

Good to be back with you.

How did you get on with creating your collaborative still life? You might have created something wonderfully collaborative like this or like this.

Here's Jun: "We made panels inspired by skeletal leaves, which were added first to form the main structure of the still life.

The panels were pinned together." Maybe something like this.

Here's Aisha: "We made different sized pieces to represent honesty seed heads.

They were pinned to the newspaper panels." Love how this is building up.

And here's everyone.

"We are happy with our still life inspired by natural forms made entirely from manipulated paper.

It will give us lots of scope for further work going forward." Oh my, this is really, really something fantastic.

Pause here and share with someone your impressions of this collaborative still life made entirely from manipulated paper forms. Thanks for sharing.

In our lesson, "Building a collaborative still life," we've covered the following.

Strong communication within a group allows ideas to be shared, challenged, and developed, leading to richer and more dynamic creative outcomes.

In a collaborative still life, discussing concepts, manipulating paper, arranging objects together, and sharing viewpoints can help capture a composition that reflects everyone's input.

Well done, everyone, for joining in with this lesson and really was about joining in and being collaborative and communicating.

And I'm just so pleased with how this has gone.

I hope you've enjoyed this lesson.

I've really enjoyed teaching you.

I think collaboration is absolutely the way forwards in art and everything.

I look forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.