Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

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

And I'm really glad that you're here.

My name is Ms. Afzal, and I'll be your art teacher for this lesson, which I'm feeling really pleased about.

Today we're looking at collaboration.

Our lesson is called Developing Ideas Collaboratively Through Manipulating Source Material.

Hope that sounds interesting to you.

The lesson comes from the unit of work Second Sustained Project: Working From a Theme, Changing Perspectives.

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

The outcome for today's lesson is I can combine paper techniques and manipulate source materials.

We have some keywords in our lesson.

Let's go through them.

Respond, develop, combine, and reimagine.

What do these keywords mean? Well, respond is to react or engage with something.

Develop, to take an initial idea and expand, refine, or improve it over time.

Combine, bring together two or more techniques, materials, or ideas.

And reimagine, take an existing idea, artwork, or object and reinterpret it in a new, original way.

These are our keywords.

Let's look out for them.

Let's listen out for them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson is called Developing Ideas Collaboratively through Manipulating Source Material, and it has two learning cycles, combining techniques to develop new ideas and manipulating source material.

Let's begin with combining techniques to develop new ideas.

So what does it mean to respond to an existing artwork? Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think that means? Thanks for sharing.

Responding doesn't mean copying.

It's about looking closely, picking out details, and then reimagining them into something new.

How might this existing artwork inspire you to create something new? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

You may take inspiration from or respond to existing artworks by developing the same technique in a new way, combining or reimagining materials and techniques.

Pause the video and share with someone your impression of this artwork that we can see on the screen.

Thanks for sharing.

I love the shapes, the texture, and those materials used.

Artists sometimes focus on a section or detail from an existing artwork and use it as a starting point.

It's a beautiful shadow created there.

Even that could be a springboard to something new.

Let's have a check for understanding.

When responding to existing artworks, which approach is most appropriate? Is it a, copying the artwork using the same materials and composition, b, taking ideas from the artwork, such as techniques, colors, or themes and creating something original, or c, ignoring the original work and reimagining something completely unrelated.

Pause here while you decide which approach is most appropriate when responding to existing artworks.

Well done if you selected answer b.

Indeed, taking ideas from the artworks, such as techniques, colors, or themes and creating something original is a great response to existing artworks.

This artwork uses a combination of paper techniques.

Which techniques stand out to you? Pause here and share with somebody.

Thanks for sharing.

Such an array of techniques to choose from.

You might have said layering, stitching, weaving, twisting, piercing, coiling.

Combining techniques allows you to create richer textures and forms. Which techniques from the artwork could be combined? Pause here and share with somebody.

What do you think? Thanks for sharing.

Let's hear from Jacob.

"It could be interesting to pierce some of the larger shapes, like the honesty seed heads, and add layered papers behind the holes." Interesting idea.

And Izzy.

"Weaving papers could add texture and interest.

Some pieces could be pierced or stitched before being woven." Another great idea for combining techniques.

"The papers are all quite earthy and organic.

I like the idea of combining other papers, like maps or colored papers.

They could be twisted or layered." And Laura.

I'd be interested in combining new shapes with the twisted forms. It could result in unusual organic structures." Love all of these ideas.

Great combinations.

And Aisha.

"I like the idea of using the word seen within the still life.

I could collage words or trap words between layers of paper." And Alex.

"I'd like to suspend different types of paper through sticking or threading shapes together." These ideas just keep coming.

I love them.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false.

Once you learn one technique, combining it with others is unnecessary.

Pause here and decide.

Is this 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.

Combining techniques can allow you to create richer textures and forms. Many artists use paper technique combinations within their artwork, including: Movana Chen is an artist known for her "Body Container" series, where she knits shredded magazine paper into wearable artwork.

Her work exemplifies the innovative use of paper in textile art.

Lisa Kokin, who uses paper cutting, layering, and hand-stitched paper techniques to explore themes of identity and memory.

Samuel Mensah-Bonsu, who created a public artwork "Black Is Beautiful" using torn and shredded paper to stand for strength and survival in Black culture.

So these are just some of the artists using paper technique combinations within their artwork.

Paper has been at the center of collaborative making in many cultures.

Mexico, papel picado, decorative cut-paper banners used for festivals.

Families and communities often work together to create long garlands for celebrations.

China, traditional jianzhi, paper cutting.

Large-scale paper lanterns are made collaboratively by teams of makers for festivals.

West African, bark cloth and paper-like materials.

While not paper in the European sense, bark cloth traditions involve community making, where layers of beaten bark are stretched, stitched, and sometimes combined with other materials.

There is a lot of collaborative making taking place across many cultures with paper at the center.

And now it's time for your first task.

I would like you to collaborate to reimagine and combine different paper techniques.

Work in groups of two or three, ensuring everyone in the group creates their own sample.

You could cut or pierce the paper to reveal other papers beneath, weave manipulated paper, e.

g.

pierced or stitched strips, trap paper text or shapes between layers of translucent paper, create twisted paper forms, combining paper shapes.

Pause here while you have a go at this task of collaborating to reimagine and combine different paper techniques.

Enjoy your task, and I'll see you when you're finished.

It's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task of collaborating to reimagine and combine different paper manipulation techniques? There are many possible outcomes.

Perhaps you created something like this.

So we have strips of brown paper and map which were pierced.

And the pierced strips were woven together.

Love this combination of techniques.

And here we have newspaper which was twisted into forms and paper shapes were pierced.

And packaging material was cut into strips.

The packaging material was wrapped around the twisted newspaper shapes.

And then pierced segments were attached to the twisted forms, giving us a really interesting creation.

Here we can see newspaper was stitched on a sewing machine and sections were removed.

Honesty seed heads were recreated using tissue paper to trap segments of newspaper.

The honesty seed heads made from tissue paper were sewn onto the fragmented newspaper.

This has given the newspaper panel a completely different appearance, particularly when held up to the light.

Some wonderful examples of reimagining and combining different paper manipulation techniques.

I hope you enjoyed your task.

And now we're onto our next learning cycle, manipulating source material.

What does it mean to develop an artwork? Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think? Thanks for sharing.

Here's Aisha.

"To develop means to grow or expand an idea by making changes or adding new possibilities." And Jun.

"Yes, it's building on what you've already made, seeing which direction the work might take you." And Sam.

"I love this stage of a project as it's interesting to see how the work changes from an initial starting point." Developing work means taking an existing idea, sample, or artwork and pushing it further, making changes, improvements, or experiments to see how it can grow, not starting from scratch but building on what's already there.

Why is development important? Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think? Thanks for sharing.

Here's Sofia.

"Developing my artwork helps me find new directions that I didn't expect." And Andeep.

"It makes our work more personal and interesting, especially if we've been given the same theme." Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false.

Artists often develop work by reimagining sections of an existing artwork.

Pause here and decide.

Is this true or false? Well done if you said 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.

Artists can take a section, detail, or element from an existing artwork and create new work.

Ways to develop the paper samples include experimenting with mixed media combinations, changing the scale, making it bigger, smaller, or repeating sections, transforming 2D work into 3D structures or combining with another piece, focusing on detail by zooming in on one section and expanding it.

These are some of the ways to develop our paper samples.

What is meant by manipulating source material? Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think? Thanks for sharing.

It can mean taking your starting material and changing or reimagining it to explore new creative possibilities rather than copying it exactly.

Sections of the still life could be drawn.

Here's Sam.

"I made a charcoal drawing of the still life which reminds me of weather fronts on a map.

I'm going to research weather charts." Interesting.

Examples of how to manipulate source material include visual manipulation: cropping, zooming in, changing the scale, or altering perspective.

Material manipulation: tracing, collaging, redrawing, cutting, folding, layering, or stitching into something.

Color and tonal manipulation: shifting colors, high contrast versus low contrast, limited palette.

Conceptual manipulation: combining two or more different sources, abstracting the source by simplifying, exaggerating, or fragmenting.

These are some examples of how to manipulate source material.

Techniques to reimagine the source material include stitched, painted, folded, embellished paper combinations, photographing shadows, close-ups, text, shapes, or digital manipulation, exploring negative space through cyanotypes, dissolvable fabric, acetate layering, creating 3D forms. So many techniques to reimagine source material.

Some cultures explore paper techniques, including Japanese washi paper.

Washi paper, handmade textured paper, is often combined with fabric, wood, and thread in traditional and contemporary art.

Chigiri-e is a collage technique using torn washi paper with paint or ink.

Have you seen any examples of paper combinations in your community? Pause here and share with someone if you have.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Aisha.

"During Diwali, communities create and display paper lanterns, often decorated with foil, cellophane, tissue, and fabric." Jacob.

"For our local annual carnival, many costumes and floats use paper, card, and tissue combined with fabric and wire to make bold, colorful structures.

And Sam.

"When it's Chinese New Year, paper lanterns, paper dragons, and banners are displayed throughout my town." If a photo of a paper still life is cut up, rearranged, and painted over, what technique is being used? Is it a, observational drawing, b, linear perspective, or c, manipulating source material.

Pause here while you decide what technique is being used.

Well done if you chose answer c.

Indeed, it's the technique of manipulating source material.

Many artists use paper combinations in their artwork, including Joseph Grigely, who creates huge paper-note collages tracing everyday communication, capturing lived experience and disability through paper-based mixed media.

Hadieh Shafie, who creates sculptural paper works by tightly rolling and layering painted and inked scrolls into circular mosaic forms. Peter Callesen is known for his intricate cut-paper works where shapes are cut from a sheet and transformed into 3D sculptures, leaving the negative space as part of the composition.

So these are some artists who are using paper combinations in their artwork.

So inspiring.

And now it's time for your next task.

I would like you to reimagine the paper samples.

There are many possible outcomes, including: experiment with contrast.

Combine your paper with different materials to see how textures interact.

Explore Layering.

Overlap, stitch, or attach materials in different ways to build depth and complexity.

Think about transformation.

How can the different materials change the mood, strength, or meaning of your paper sample? So pause here while you have a go at this task of reimagining your paper samples.

Enjoy your task, and I'll see you when you're finished.

It's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task of reimagining the paper samples? Here's Sam.

"I reimagined the woven pierced map and brown paper strips by stitching into the pierced holes.

It resembles a journey someone might have taken on a map.

I folded it into a cylindrical form." Jacob.

"I made some oil pastel and watercolor artworks which I cut up and collaged into the spaces of the stitched newspaper.

I then painted the newspaper.

It looks completely reimagined." It really does.

I can barely see where we started from.

Here's Laura.

"The twisted paper forms with pierced paper segments were spray painted silver.

They were being reimagined into something quite futuristic looking.

They'd be perfect for a costume or creature." It really would.

And Jacob.

"I photographed the stitched paper and digitally edited it by layering it with a painting I made.

This totally changes the outcome, which I can explore further." Pause here and share with someone your impressions of Jacob's outcome.

Thanks for sharing.

And now I'd like you to share with each other where do you think Jacob could take this next.

What could be the next stage? Even more re-imagining and exploration.

Pause here and share some ideas.

Thanks for sharing.

In our lesson, Developing Ideas Collaboratively Through Manipulating Source Material, we've covered the following.

Artists often respond to their initial ideas by experimenting with different processes.

They might combine techniques, such as folding, cutting, or stitching, to see how these methods interact.

Through this process, they develop their work further.

By exploring mixed media, artists discover unexpected textures, forms, and possibilities that allow them to reimagine and transform their original starting point.

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

It was great to develop ideas, to explore, to manipulate source material, and to combine together some of these different techniques that we have been looking at.

I love what you've come up with.

I hope you're proud of what you've created.

I really enjoyed teaching you, and I'm looking forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.