Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

How are you today? Hope you're doing really well.

My name is Miss Afzal and I am your art teacher for today.

Our lesson is called "Art in Response to Events," and it comes from the unit of work "Art Movements." I hope you have some interest and enthusiasm and focus, and if you have all of that, I think we are all set to begin exploring art in response to events.

The outcome for our lesson today is: I can use shape, line, and motifs to create an emotional response to a political or social event.

We have some keywords in our lesson today.

Let's go through each of them.

So, we have "political events," "social events," and "motif." Let's find out what they each mean.

Political events are events that often involve countries, governments, or world leaders.

Social events are events that affect people's lives, cultures, or communities around the world.

And a motif is a repeated image or symbol which creates a pattern.

These are our keywords: "political events," "social events," and "motif." Our lesson today is called "Art in Response to Events," and it has three learning cycles.

Let's find out what they are.

Firstly, we have art that responds to events; next, responses to political events; and then responses to social events.

Let's begin with art that responds to events.

So, why do artists create work? Pause the video.

Share with someone nearby: Why do you think artists create work? Thanks for sharing your ideas.

Let's hear some.

"I think artists make work to express an idea or make a memory about something they care about." Lovely idea.

And another response: "Artists seem to make work because they have something to say and want to share it with others." I wonder if these ideas were similar or different to your own.

Artists from across art movements and throughout history have made art for many reasons.

One of these reasons is to respond to events.

Art provides a unique lens through which artists can both examine and react to events.

There are many different forms of events that can impact communities, including political events, digital events, environmental events.

And as well, social events, economic events.

Two that have great impact on artists and art movements are political and social events, two of our keywords.

Political events often involve countries, governments, or world leaders.

They can change how countries work together or affect laws and decisions that impact people all around the world.

Events can range from elections of new leaders to times of war and conflict.

Here's Jacob: "In school, we may react to external political events through activities such as fundraising for countries or communities in need.

A political event that happens in my school is the election of a new school council." Pause the video and share with someone nearby: Is there a political event that has been reacted to in your school, through, perhaps, fundraising or some other kind of activity? Thanks for sharing your ideas.

Wow, this is a pretty engaging artwork.

Artists examine and respond to political events in many different ways, including documenting events and expressing opinions through their artwork.

Jacob created an abstract expressionist-style painting in response to a political event, and here it is.

Pause the video and share with someone nearby: What do you think Jacob was trying to express in this painting? Thanks for sharing your ideas.

Let's hear from Jacob.

"I wanted to express the chaos caused by conflict and so used expressive gestures and bright, clashing colours." Thanks for sharing with us, Jacob.

Yeah, I can really see those bold, chaotic movements, gestures, and then these colours coming right up against, sort of almost smashing up against, each other.

Let's have a check for understanding: Name one way in which artists can examine and respond to political events.

Pause the video and share your answer with someone nearby.

You may have said something like this: Documenting events, memorialising victims, expressing opinions.

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

These are some of the ways in which artists can examine and respond to political events.

Social events are those that affect people's lives, cultures, or communities around the world.

They can change how people think, behave, or treat each other.

Events include those relating to human rights, equality, and cultural identity.

Here's Sam: "In school, social events could include societies and clubs that ensure fair treatment to all, such as anti-bullying ones.

It could also include cultural celebrations that we celebrate in class or as a whole school." Hmm.

I love hearing about social events.

I invite you to pause here and have a think of what are some social events that have taken place in your school? Could be a club, a society, or something else that brings perhaps a wider school population together.

Pause the video and share.

Thanks for sharing.

I was at an Eid celebration at a school recently, which was very joyful and really brought the school community together, those that regularly celebrate Eid and those who are new to the celebration.

In response to social events, artists and art movements can be a powerful voice for marginalised groups and to help fight for justice.

What issue might this artist have been trying to express in their drawing of scales? Pause the video and discuss this with someone nearby.

In response to social events, Sam created a drawing of a pair of scales using a fine liner.

Let's see what Sam has to say: "I wanted to respond to issues of inequality in my local community and chose to communicate this through the image of a pair of balancing scales." I wonder if you had a sense that that's what this artwork might be about, something around creating balance, equality, and issues of inequality.

Check for understanding: True or false? Artists can be a powerful voice for marginalised groups.

Pause the video and decide if this is true or false.

And perhaps say a little more about why you've chosen your answer as well.

Well done if you selected true.

Artists and art movements can be a powerful voice for marginalised groups and help fight for justice.

It's time for your first task.

I'd like you to explore different political and social events that may have happened in your school, local, or wider community.

You could consider these options.

So, in your school, for example, some political events could be school council elections, debates and current issues, campaigns for changes at school.

Wonder if you've been involved in any of these.

Social events at school could be mental health awareness, anti-bullying campaigns, equality and inclusion campaigns, and debates.

What about within the local community? Political events could be local council elections, local community debates on local issues such as housing, education, or public safety.

And social events within the local community could be issues and awareness of public safety, issues around public transport, maybe even looking at the lack of recreational activities for young people.

So pause the video here and have a discussion around some of the different political and social events that have happened in your school, local, or wider community.

I'll see you when you're finished.

It's good to be back with you.

How did you get on exploring different political and social events that may have happened in your school, local, or wider community? You may have included and discussed: Political events in your school, the new election of school council, campaigns for better meals in schools, fundraising for countries experiencing political turmoil.

Social events in your school may have been raising the profile of anti-bullying, school council project into evaluating equality and inclusion of pupils at the school.

Sounds like some really fantastic events there.

I hope you enjoyed exploring the political and social events in your school or local community.

And now let's look at responses to political events.

Political events such as wars and conflicts have had a significant impact on many art movements.

For example, Dada emerged as a response to the First World War in 1916 and continued into the mid-1920s.

Abstract Expressionism emerged as a response to the Second World War.

Check for understanding: Which movement responded to the First World War? Pause the video and tell someone nearby.

The Dada movement responded to the events of the First World War.

Dada and Abstract Expressionism responded to the chaos and trauma of these political events using varied techniques.

Here's a Dada-inspired collage, and here's an Abstract Expressionist-inspired painting.

Pause the video and tell someone nearby your impressions of these two artworks.

How are they similar, and how are they different? Thanks for sharing.

They both embraced unconventional techniques and spontaneity, with the process and intention of the art being more important than the final artwork itself.

Dada artists used unconventional materials and techniques such as collage, photomontage, ready-mades, and found objects to create art that was anti-war.

Abstract Expressionism abandoned traditional techniques and subjects and instead used dynamic brushstrokes, bold colours, abstract shapes, and forms to express emotional turmoil.

I think that's really quite clear from this painting.

Check for understanding: What did both Dada and Abstract Expressionism embrace? A, the use of traditional methods; B, the use of realistic images; C, the use of unconventional techniques.

Pause video while you select your answer.

Well done if you selected C.

Indeed, they both embrace the use of unconventional techniques.

Michael Corinne West, 1908 to 1991, was an American artist with European heritage and well known for her role in Abstract Expressionism.

Born Corinne Michelle in the late 1930s, she, like other women artists at the time, chose a more masculine first name as a response to the marginalisation of women in the art world.

She also dressed in menswear.

After the Second World War, West's work became more intense and emotionally charged, responding to the fear and frustration of the age.

Check for understanding: Complete the sentence: After the Second World War, West's work responded to the ______ and frustration of the age.

Pause the video and fill in the missing word.

So let's see.

How did you complete the sentence? Perhaps like this: After the Second World War, West's work responded to the fear and frustration of the age.

Mark Rothko, 1903 to 1970, was an American painter known for his color-field abstraction.

Born in Russia, now Latvia, and raised in the United States, he created large compositions of soft-edged rectangles of colour.

His work aimed to create deep emotional responses to his artworks.

In response to the Second World War, his art entered a phase where he experimented with mythological themes to express tragedy.

I can definitely say that I had a deep emotional response to Mark Rothko's artworks.

Sitting in a room surrounded by his paintings is quite an emotional experience, and one I would recommend if you have the chance to see his work.

This pupil has created an emotional response to the social event of anti-bullying using elements of Abstract Expressionism.

What types of gestures and shapes has this pupil used? Pause the video and share with someone nearby.

Perhaps you said something like this: "I think the pupil has used strong, straight, and zigzag gestures and lines." Yep, it's really clear in that image.

And now it's time for your next task.

I would like you to create an emotional response to an event using characteristics of the Abstract Expressionist movement.

So choose an event that you explored in task A, and then consider the shapes and gestures that would best express your emotion towards this event.

And Sam says, "Negative emotions can be associated with sharp, jagged, scribbled marks and angular shapes.

Positive emotions can be associated with curved and flowing lines and softer, rounded shapes." Really helpful, Sam.

Thank you.

Okay, so let's take a pause here while you go off and create your emotional response to an event using characteristics of the Abstract Expressionist movement.

I'll see you when you're finished.

It's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with creating your emotional response to an event using characteristics of the Abstract Expressionist movement? So first of all, you were choosing an event.

You may have chosen political events in school, like a new election of school council, campaigns for better meals in schools, fundraising for countries experiencing political turmoil.

Or perhaps you chose a social event in school, raising the profile of anti-bullying, school council project into evaluating equality and inclusion for pupils at the school.

So hopefully, you've also considered the shapes and gestures that you might like to use.

And now for the next part of your task, I would like you to use paint or your pastels to arrange the marks and shapes into a composition that reflects the type of event.

So, "For a positive emotional response, shapes and gestures could flow naturally from one another to be composed in an ordered way." Or, "If the emotional response is a negative one, the composition could be quite chaotic and layered." So pause the video while you have a go at this part of your task, arranging the marks and shapes into a composition that reflects the type of event.

You may have created something like this to reflect your event.

Thanks for having a go at this task.

And now we're onto the final learning cycle: responses to social events.

A social event that has had a lasting impact on artists and art movements is the Windrush Generation.

The Windrush Generation refers to the Caribbean migrants that travelled to Britain between 1948 and 1973, following the end of the Second World War.

Pause the video and share with someone nearby: Do you know where the term "Windrush," the "Windrush Generation," comes from? Thanks for sharing.

Let's find out some more.

The arrival of the Empire Windrush ship in 1948 is often seen as the start of the Windrush Generation.

Perhaps this is what you've already shared.

The ship brought 1,027 passengers to help rebuild cities and towns that had been destroyed during the war.

Of these, 802 were from the Caribbean.

Although an exciting period for some families, others experienced discrimination and racism.

Here's Lucas: "Some families were excluded from shops, restaurants, and skilled jobs." And Laura: "Landlords would also often refuse to rent properties to them." So a really mixed time.

Some newness, some excitement, but a lot of harm and discrimination and racism that was experienced by many.

Check for understanding: What did some Caribbean families that were part of the Windrush Generation experience? Pause the video and share with someone.

Discrimination and racism, is very sadly, the answer to that question.

The Caribbean Artists Movement, CAM, formed in 1966 as a response to this discrimination.

The movement was fundamental in helping define a newly formed Black British identity.

And we can see on the timeline there the time of the Windrush Generation, and then when the CAM was formed, 1966 to 1972.

The group of poets, writers, artists, filmmakers, and critics were concerned about the marginalisation of Caribbean artists and wanted to provide opportunities for them to meet.

Why do you think providing opportunities to meet would help address this issue of marginalisation? Pause the video and share with someone nearby.

Jacob says, "I think meeting would allow them to share and discuss their artistic practises and ideas and help raise the profile of their work." Thanks for sharing, Jacob.

Complete the sentence: The artists in the Caribbean Art Movement were concerned with the ______ of Caribbean artists.

Pause the video and fill in the missing word with someone nearby.

Thanks for sharing.

Perhaps you filled in the sentence with this word: The artists in the Caribbean Art Movement were concerned with the marginalisation of Caribbean artists.

Aubrey Williams, 1926 to 1990, was a Guyanese-born British painter who moved to the United Kingdom in 1952 and became an influential member of the Caribbean Artists Movement.

And we can see Guyana on the map there, in between Venezuela and Suriname.

Aubrey Williams was inspired by Abstract Expressionism and blended these colours and gestures with imagery inspired by the indigenous peoples of the Americas.

So we can see an illustration of a Native Guyanese bone symbol and an Abstract Expressionist-inspired painting.

Williams became associated with the Warrau, a First Nations people, while working in North Guyana and began using symbols from their culture in his artwork, such as native Guyanese bone-like glyphs.

Check for understanding: What North Guyanese people influenced Williams? Was it the Arawak, Carib, Warrau, or Taino? Pause the video while you decide.

Well done if you selected the Warrau.

Williams used symbols from Warrau culture in his artwork.

Althea McNish, 1924 to 2020, was a British textile designer and artist.

Renowned for her bold and innovative work, McNish was born in Trinidad and Tobago.

Which we can see on the map on our screen.

She moved to the UK in 1951 and was one of the first Black women to gain recognition in the design world.

Her work includes vibrant, expressive lines and patterns.

She blends Caribbean influences, especially tropical plants, with modernist design principles.

One of McNish's most well-known designs, "Golden Harvest," 1959, includes a sugar cane motif.

A motif is a repeated image or symbol that creates a pattern, one of our keywords, remember.

Check for understanding: What is a repeated image used to create a pattern called? Is it an emblem, a motif, a symbol, or a sign? Pause the video while you decide.

Well done if you selected motif.

McNish was inspired to include this motif when she saw wheat fields for the first time during a trip in the English countryside.

The wheat sheaf in wheat fields reminded her of sugarcane plantations in Trinidad.

You can see the similarity there as we look at those two images.

Inspired by McNish, Jacob has created a motif that reflects his school identity.

"As a pupil at Oak National Academy, he chose to create a stylized silhouette of an acorn." Love that, Jacob.

Now it's time for your next task.

I would like you to create a motif that represents your heritage to add to your emotional response from task B.

So, first of all, design and create a motif.

You could make a simple stencil and cut the motif out of coloured card, magazines or newspapers, different materials, and then create copies of the motif and layer them over your work from task B.

So pause the video while you have a go at this two-stage task.

First of all, design and create your motif.

And next, create copies of your motif and layer them over your work from task B.

Pause the video while you have a go at this task.

I'll see you when you're finished.

Great to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task, designing, creating your motif, and layering it over the work you produced earlier? These are looking great.

Well done, everyone.

Super job of designing and creating today.

In our lesson, "Art in Response to Events," we've covered the following: Artists from across history have made art as a response to events, two that have a great impact on political and social events.

Art movements respond in different ways, including being a powerful voice for marginalised groups and to help fight for justice.

Many art movements responded to political and social events emotively, using different techniques, materials, and motifs.

Well done, everyone, for creating your own responses to political and social events within your arena and for experimenting with different techniques, materials, and motifs.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson.

I enjoyed teaching you, and I'll see you again soon.

Stay creative until then.