Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

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

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

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

Today we are looking at taking the individual path.

Yes, you're going solo, as well as thinking about collaboration.

Our lesson is called Taking the Individual Path, Responding to Collaborative Work.

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

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

The outcome for today's lesson is I can use collaborative work as a stimulus to develop new ideas and make a visual response.

We have some keywords in our lesson.

Interdisciplinary, approach, and innovative.

What do these keywords mean? Well, interdisciplinary is combining ideas or techniques from different subjects or specialisms. Approach, the way you plan, think, and create your work.

And innovative, creating something new, original, or groundbreaking.

Sounds exciting.

These are our key words: interdisciplinary, approach, and innovative.

Let's look and listen out for them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

And let's skip ahead to the end of our lesson and let's have a look at what's some possible outcomes for today might include.

Pause here while you take in these outcomes.

Thanks for taking a good look at those.

Our lesson is called Taking the Individual Path, Responding to Collaborative Work.

And it has two learning cycles, respond to the work emotionally and conceptually, and next, respond to the work visually.

Let's begin with respond to the work emotionally and conceptually.

Where do new ideas come from? Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think? Where do your new ideas come from? Thanks for sharing.

Let's hear from Sofia.

"Ideas come from looking, thinking, and responding to what you see, hear, or do." And Jacob.

"You need to explore associations, questions, or connections to spark new ideas." How can your teachers, peers, and family help you generate new ideas? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Often, we want our ideas to be innovative or original, exciting and personal, achievable, challenging, good for our exam results.

That's always helpful.

What challenges stop you from feeling confident in your ideas? Pause here and share this with someone nearby.

Thanks for sharing.

Sometimes we might feel lacking in inspiration.

Anyone ever had that feeling? Afraid of failure.

Yeah, I know that one.

Overwhelmed by choices.

Worried about our technical skills.

Concerned about the timeframe.

It's important to acknowledge these feelings.

We all feel these ways at times.

There are lots of ways to manage these feelings so that you can get started and feel motivated.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false.

It's okay to feel overwhelmed at the start of a project.

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.

By anticipating these problems and using practical solutions, you can help yourself navigate the creative process and feel more confident.

When you start a project, you need a source or stimulus.

Your stimulus can come from anywhere.

It could be a word, still life, an object, an image, a smell, or a memory.

The students have worked to create a collaborative still life, and this is their stimulus.

How could you respond visually to your collaborative work? Pause here and share with someone how you could do this.

Thanks for sharing.

What ideas might come from analyzing the collaborative process? Pause here and share with somebody.

What do you think? Thanks for sharing.

Here's Aisha.

"I've never worked like this before.

I usually enjoy digital graphics techniques, so sewing paper was totally new." Love that openness to something new.

Here's Izzy.

"I really like sewing and constructing things, so working in this way suited me.

Although it was interesting to make something without a set purpose.

I'm used to design." What styles and processes do you usually work with? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Working with others can help you develop projects that are more interdisciplinary.

You can experience different approaches, combine ideas or techniques from different subjects or specialisms, develop broader and more varied connections.

Let's have a check for understanding.

An example of a textile student working in an interdisciplinary way could be: a, creating a traditional quilt using only fabric and thread, b, designing a dress inspired by historical fashion, c, combining textile techniques with digital printing and environmental science to create sustainable fabrics, or d, sewing a garment using patterns from a fashion magazine.

Pause here while you decide which of these is an example of a textile student working in an interdisciplinary way.

Well done if you selected answer c.

Indeed, combining textile techniques with digital printing and environmental science to create sustainable fabrics is a great example of a textile student working in an interdisciplinary way.

There are many activities that can help you to develop ideas together.

Collaborative word association.

This activity involves sitting in a circle or back to back while looking at the artwork, each student saying a word inspired by the collaborative still life and the next student building on it.

This process can lead to unexpected connections and ideas.

Lucas and Izzy are making associations using the collaborative still life as a stimulus.

Let's see what they have to say.

So Lucas begins with newspaper.

Izzy's response is print.

Next up, typography, layers.

Sustainability, recycling.

Eco-friendly, textures.

Natural, organic.

Summer, festivals.

Oh, love that.

Shows, characters.

Costumes, theater.

Oh my, that was fun.

They reflect on possible ideas in response to the stimulus.

Lucas, "I could explore sustainable packaging design." And Izzy, "I'm drawn to recycled costumes and layered textures for theater." The association game helped them find creative links.

They could repeat the process with new partners to explore the possibilities.

There are many activities that can help you to develop ideas together.

Object personification.

Personify the objects, e.

g.

if the flower were a person, what would they be like? Consider projects based on the personalities.

This process helps you think about how objects can take on human qualities and is useful for creating visual connections.

More activities to help you develop ideas together include cultural connections.

You should observe the collaborative work closely, reimagine the collaborative still life through the lens of a different culture, time period, or artistic movement, explore cultural influences and art historical references in response to the work.

The process of creating cultural connections might look like asking questions.

What would this still life look like in Ancient Egypt? How might a surrealist painter interpret this? Remember, the goal is to understand other times and cultures, not just copy styles without purpose.

It's about how context influences meaning.

Activities to help you develop ideas together.

Storytelling.

You could create a short story about the collaborative stimuli.

Use this story as inspiration for a response.

This process encourages you to think about narrative and how the visual language can tell a story or represent characters, events, or themes.

Examples of artists responding to stimuli.

Giorgio Morandi responds to everyday objects like bottles by creating subtle, meditative still life paintings that explore ordinary quiet beauty.

Lubaina Himid responds to historical and cultural objects by incorporating them into her paintings and installations, reimagining their significance within the context of Black identity and history.

Claudia Andujar responds to the physical structures and landscapes of the Amazon rainforest by documenting the lives of the Yanomami people, blending photography with environmental activism.

Do Ho Suh responds to architectural structures by creating fabric replicas of homes and buildings, exploring themes of memory, displacement, and identity.

So here are some examples of artists responding to stimuli.

And let's take a look at some examples of cultural artifacts that respond to stimuli.

The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China.

When they were originally created, they were painted a bright array of reds, purples, and greens, which are believed to have matched the colors of the clothing worn by the Qin soldiers themselves.

Sedna, an Inuit carving of the sea goddess, often made from soapstone or ivory, reflects Inuit mythology and the Arctic environment.

The Kalachakra Mandala, or a Tibetan Buddhist mandala representing the wheel of time, is used in meditation and as a guide to enlightenment.

And now it's time for your first task.

I would like you to respond to the collaborative work using the techniques in this lesson to develop new ideas.

You could try collaborative word association, object personification, cultural connections, storytelling.

Record your ideas.

Pause here while you have a go at this task.

I'll see you when you're finished.

It's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task, responding to the collaborative work using the techniques in this lesson to develop new ideas? This is one possible example.

You might have explored multiple activities and recorded your ideas as a mind map, a list, visual sketches or roughs, verbally through recording equipment, a format of your choice.

Next, I'd like you to review your ideas to select areas of interest.

You could highlight keywords or themes, develop ideas further with notes or sketches, write or verbally record a paragraph to explain your new ideas.

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

Great to be back with you.

How did it get on with reviewing your ideas to select areas of interest? Perhaps your review of ideas look something like this.

Well done for having a go at this task.

And now we're onto our next learning cycle, respond to the work visually.

A visual response is more than simply a copy or a study.

There isn't a single correct way to approach it.

Consider which materials suit the source and what media appeals to you.

Izzy wants to make an initial response.

She highlights organic, twisting, and texture as keywords, finds part of the collaborative still life that reflect her idea, selects a section and makes an initial response using drawing.

When making your initial response, interrogate the visual qualities.

Consider cropping, angles, and viewpoints.

Focus on making one first piece rather than worrying about where you'll go next.

Just one thing at a time.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false.

Every idea should be interdisciplinary and original.

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.

Your ideas come from you, and you are unique.

Follow your own path and have confidence.

You'll make something interdisciplinary naturally because your ideas will be varied and personal.

Lucas looks at his source to find areas of interest.

He explores some of the negative spaces.

Then he begins to draw directly from the source.

"I like the newspaper, the rough shapes, and the stitching." Ideas often emerge as you're working.

"As I started drawing, I found I wanted to make new shapes and text in response to what was intriguing.

I liked the text, and the holes, and the way it was cut through." Be open to these ideas as they form.

"I immediately realized I could be more playful with the shapes and the words.

This response uses collage and pen and re-interprets the shapes and lines I observed." Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false.

You should always keep in mind where you'll go next with your developing work.

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.

At the initial stages of idea development, focus on looking and exploring the visual qualities.

Let your ideas develop naturally and don't worry about the project that will follow.

Just stay in the now.

And now it's time for your next task.

I would like you to make a visual response to your stimuli.

Use appropriate materials and techniques to explore the visual qualities of your stimuli.

You could sketch sections, consider angles and viewpoints, photograph spaces or shadows, zoom in on key areas, combine disciplines for an interdisciplinary approach.

So pause here while you have a go at this task, making a visual response to your stimuli.

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

Great to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task of making a visual response to your stimuli? You might have made something like this.

Oh my, intriguing.

Let's hear from Andeep.

"I cast shadows from the collaborative still life and photographed closeup sections against a wall." I love this.

So for the next part of your task, I'd like you to annotate or record your reflections.

You could write brief bullet points, record your ideas with recording equipment, use keywords, highlight or sketch over your work to explain your reflections.

So pause here while you have a go at this next stage of your task, annotating or recording your reflections.

I'll see you when you're finished.

It's great to be back with you.

How did you get on with annotating or recording your reflections? You might have made something like this and said, here's Lucas.

"I recorded my reflections underneath my work through annotations.

I tried to be brief and to the point." You might have made something like this and said, here's Andeep.

"I drew over the contact sheet with notes to explain my thoughts.

Quick crosses and ticks show that I'm reviewing and selecting, and brief notes to explain my understanding of what works and why.

Super simple." I like that.

It's often helpful to keep things simple.

And I'd like you to share your work and your reflections with someone and for you each to share your reflections on the reflections.

Pause here while you do this.

Thanks for sharing.

In our lesson, Taking the Individual Path, Responding to Collaborative Work, we've covered the following.

Artists can analyze collaborative works to see how they align or contrast with their own styles.

Collaborative works can serve as a source of inspiration to help you develop innovative approaches to consider.

Artists might feel motivated to explore new ideas, techniques, or themes based on what they observe.

Exposure to collaborative work can help you to explore interdisciplinary approaches.

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

It was great to take the individual path and to explore where you might go next based on the collaborative work that you've engaged in.

It's so great to come together and work collaboratively, and then also just as wonderful to then take off ourselves and find out where we land.

I hope you've enjoyed this lesson.

I've really enjoyed teaching you.

And I'm looking forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.