Lesson video

Hello everyone.

How are you today?

I hope you're feeling great.

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

I'm feeling great about that because I love teaching art and especially because today's topic is something that I'm very passionate about.

We're going to be looking at discovery and identity.

The title of our lesson is "Art as Self-Discovery.

" Yes, we're gonna be adventurers, we're gonna be discoverers.

We are gonna be discovering the self through art.

The lesson comes from the unit of work, "Art for Life: Expression and Belonging.

" I'm looking forward to us finding out a little bit more about ourselves through this lesson, through our discovery.

If you are all set for that, if you have got some enthusiasm, some openness and willingness, then we will begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can reflect on my identity and choose imagery to create an assemblage.

Yes, we are gonna be creating our own assemblages today.

It's exciting.

We have some keywords in our lesson today: identity, culture, and assemblage.

Let's find out what these words mean.

Identity, this means the characteristics that determine who someone is.

Who are you, what is your identity, your characteristics?

Culture: the ideas, customs, and social behavior of a particular people or society.

And assemblage, this is a three-dimensional artistic technique where objects are combined to create a unique artwork.

These are our keywords: identity, culture, and assemblage.

Let's look out and listen out for them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson is called "Art as Self-Discovery.

" It consists of two learning cycles: "Art as a Tool to Express Emotion and Identity," and "Exploring Identity Through Assemblage.

" Let's begin with looking at "Art as a Tool to Express Emotion and Identity.

" Art is a way to explore and express our identity, including emotions, culture, memories, and experiences.

Andeep and Sofia are discussing the lesson.

"I think this lesson will help me "to discover more about my identity," says Andeep.

"I've never considered using my memories to make art.

" And Sophia, "It'll be interesting to use our emotions, "culture, and personal experiences in a creative way.

" Really interesting to hear from them.

What about you?

Pause the video, have you ever used your identity, your emotions, culture, and personal experiences to create artwork?

Pause the video and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

This is one of my favorite themes in artwork is identity and culture.

So a question for you, what is identity?

Pause the video and share with someone.

What do you think it is?

What does it mean, identity?

Thanks for sharing your responses.

I wonder if you had some of these ideas: your personality, your dreams, your family, your interests, your heritage, your memories, and your culture.

All of these can be part of what is your identity.

Pause the video and share someone, which of these different categories of identity are you perhaps most interested in exploring?

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

I'm really interested in artwork that explores heritage and culture.

Sam and Izzy are discussing their personalities.

Sam: "I have quite an outgoing personality, "which I express through my bold fashion sense.

"I can be a bit loud at times.

" That's fine, Sam.

And Izzy: "My friends describe me "as a friendly and approachable person "with a happy personality.

"I do smile a lot.

" So lovely.

Okay, what about you?

What are some things that people might use to describe your personality or how might you describe your personality?

And maybe we can just reflect on this one ourselves.

Pause the video while you do this.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false: the clothes we wear, the music we like, and the art we make can be part of our identity?

Pause the video 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 the video while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this: identity includes how we express ourselves in everyday choices and creativity.

Many artists use art to explore their identity, emotions, culture, memories, and experiences.

Wangechi Mutu explores identity, culture, and the body through her mixed media art.

Gonkar Gyatso merges icons from global pop culture with his identity to create sculptures.

And Hannah Hoch used collage to create surreal collages reflecting self-exploration.

Pause the video and share with someone, do you know any other artists who use art to explore their identity, emotions, culture, memories, and experiences.

Pause the video and share about this.

Thanks for sharing any other artists you know of?

When artists express their identity in their work, they might include: personal objects or symbols, colors, patterns or materials which reflect their culture, their journey, struggles, or dreams, memories, and experiences.

Memories play a key role in shaping who we are as they help us understand our past, influence how we view ourselves, and guide how we express our identity.

Found objects can be used in an assemblage to represent memories such as small items, trinkets, tickets, or photographs.

Pause the video and share with someone, what memories can you imagine these objects on the screen might be representing?

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

I wonder if perhaps they're heirlooms or maybe were worn on a special occasion.

What could this artwork be expressing about the artist's identity?

Pause the video and share with someone.

Here's Aisha, "I think the artist who made this could be a calm, "nature-loving person.

"The color blue might even represent sadness.

" Yeah, thanks for sharing that, Aisha.

And I think this image has been created using a technique called cyanotype, which is a very early photographic technique, which uses sunlight to capture images.

A really fun thing to explore if you get the chance.

And how about this artwork?

What could this artwork be expressing about the artist's identity?

Pause a video and share with someone.

Here's Jacob, "There are references to fashion "such as a mannequin, needle and thread, and pattern paper.

"They might like to visit London or even live there "as I can see landmark buildings," Some really careful observation of this artwork from Jacob there.

Let's have a check for understanding.

What does identity in art usually refer to?

Is it: a, the materials the artist uses, b, the way an artist signs their name, or c, the artist's personality, culture, experiences, and beliefs?

Pause the video while you decide what identity and art usually refers to.

Well done if you selected answer c.

Indeed, the artist's personality, culture, experiences and beliefs is what identity and art usually refers to.

And now it's time for your first task.

I would like you to write down or record five things that reflect your inner emotions and/or identity.

It could include: a place that is special to you, a favorite object or item of clothing, an interest or hobby, a color or symbol that reflects your emotion, a memory, culture, or tradition that matters to you.

So pause here while you write down or record five things that reflect your inner emotions and/or your identity.

I'll see you when you're finished.

All right, it's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with writing down or recording five things that reflect your inner emotions and/or your identity?

It could look like this.

Here's Laura, "I enjoy watching dance shows.

" Fun.

"I collect bags and vintage clothes.

"My interests are the cadets and board games.

"The color green reflects my calm personality.

"And Christmas is a tradition that means a lot to me.

" Loved hearing those.

Here's Lucas, "Japan is a place that I have visited "and I love the culture.

" Same, it's my favorite country to have visited.

"My favorite object is my first camera.

"Music is my main interest and helps me to feel relaxed.

"The color purple represents my creativity.

"And a memory of getting my first wheelchair is special.

" So lovely to hear those.

And next, I'd like you to consider and discuss how you could represent one aspect of your identity through art.

It might look like: drawings, paintings, or clay models of objects, collaged images to represent memories, a print, drawing, or collaged map to represent places visited.

And here are some considerations.

Laura: "I'm not sure of how to represent "my interest in cadets, "which is a big part of my identity.

"Maybe I could use the lion from the badge.

" Izzy's suggestion, "You could make a camouflage pattern "or include a toy soldier to symbolize being a cadet.

" So pause here while you have a go at considering and discussing how you could represent one aspect of your identity through art.

So how did you get on with that part of your task, considering and discussing how you could represent one aspect of your identity through art.

It might look like, this is Alex, "I could represent the Welsh culture with the daffodil "as my heritage is Welsh.

"Daffodils are also yellow, "which would reflect my happy personality.

" Love that.

Such a beautiful flower.

Or perhaps it could look like this.

Here's Lucas, "I could make an origami crane "to represent my holiday to Japan and the culture.

"I could use paper with traditional Japanese prints.

" Lovely idea.

And Laura, "I could express my love of dance through collage "like the artist Hannah Hoch.

"I could replace the faces of vintage dancer images "with Christmas baubles "to show how important Christmas is to me.

" I love that mixing of two passions there.

And now onto our next learning cycle: "Exploring Identity Through Assemblage.

" Assemblage is an art technique where photos, objects, and artworks are collected and combined to create a three-dimensional artwork.

Assemblages might include items that represent culture, memories, or symbols, allowing artists to express who they are in a visual, powerful way.

Andeep and Sofia are discussing assemblage.

"Does an assemblage have to be three-dimensional?

" "I think so because it's made by combining objects "so it will be 3D.

"3D artworks can be seen from different angles, "unlike a flat drawing or a collage.

" Let's have a check for understanding, what is three-dimensional art?

Is it: a, art that has height, width, and depth, and can be viewed from different angles, b, art that is only shown on a computer screen, or c, art that is drawn onto flat paper?

Pause the video while you decide what is three-dimensional art.

Well done if you selected answer a.

Indeed, three-dimensional art is art that has height, width, and depth, and can be viewed from different angles.

Many artists create assemblages to express their identity, emotions, culture, memories, and experiences.

Some examples include: Rina Banerjee, who uses bright materials and found objects to explore migration, femininity, and identity.

Piotr Nathan, who works with mixed media, installation, and layered materials to explore memory, trauma, and personal history.

And Simon McKeown, who explores identity using digital art, sculpture, and mixed media.

We can see there are a number of artists exploring identity through assemblage.

There are many ways to construct an assemblage.

It might be: a themed box, on an old vinyl record, within an old book, a shadow box, on a canvas or board, or a sculpture built from found objects.

Check for understanding.

True or false, assemblage art can only be a free standing sculpture?

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

Well done if you selected false.

And now I'd let you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause the video while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this: assemblage art can be constructed using a wide range of materials, including books, vinyl records, canvas, and boxes.

Mark-making can be applied within an assemblage to create layering.

The marks interact with objects, as well as with surfaces, increasing the visual complexity.

so we can create marks using oil pastel and watercolor paint, as in this image.

Mark-making using different lines, dots, patterns, and textures in an artwork can be a powerful way to express identity within an assemblage.

It can capture personal, emotional, and even cultural layers.

Mark-making and color could be added to an assemblage to express further elements of the artist's identity.

Artists who use mark-making include: Ian Cook, known professionally as Popbangcolour, who is a contemporary British artist and paints with remote-controlled cars, car tires, and toy car wheels.

Dame Sonia Boyce, who incorporates mark-making into her assemblages.

Alex is planning an assemblage to express his identity.

"I'm going to use a cardboard box to contain my assemblage.

"It'll be easy to cut and hang things "from the different panels.

" Great thinking.

"I want to express my emotions using paint "on all surfaces of the box.

"I'll choose the colors carefully.

" Anyone guess what color do you think Alex is gonna use?

Yes, you've guessed it.

Yellow.

"Firstly, I'll paint a shoebox using yellow paint.

"I'll choose yellow to reflect my happy personality "and represent a daffodil flower, "which is a big part of my identity.

"I would then brush on green and orange sections of paint.

"I want to show that even though I'm happy, "other emotions are a part of my identity too.

"I'll then use the end of a paint brush "to scratch into the paint.

"This will show how there are many layers to my identity.

" Love how Alex is really carefully thinking this all through.

And now it's time for your task.

I would like you to make an assemblage within shoebox or container to reflect your identity.

So first of all, gather and assemble your chosen items.

You might: review and incorporate your responses from Task A, add items to reflect your identity to all surfaces of the box, use the box lid as a door or window, having objects on the inside only, add features such as photographs or collage to the box which reflect your identity.

You could use mark-making techniques and color to further express your identity.

And it might look like: painting, scratching, or drawing on objects to transform them, making expressive marks on a surface to reflect your emotions, using certain marks to reflect cultural traditions or symbols from your background.

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

I'll see you when you're finished.

It's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with making an assemblage within a shoebox or container to reflect your identity?

There are many possibilities and it might have looked like this.

Wow.

Love this.

Here's Alex, "I've included a daffodil to symbolize the Welsh culture.

"I added pencils and paintbrushes as I love art.

"Drawn and cut-out wings symbolize my interest in angels.

"I used mark-making in the background "with my name in street art style.

" I love this combination.

It's really working.

And here's Laura.

This is wonderful too.

"I suspended baubles from the top of the box "to replace the heads of the dancers.

"I've included a dice as I love board games.

"There's a female toy soldier "and a green theme as I'm a cadet.

"I used a doll's handbag as I collect bags.

" Really, really effective, Laura.

And here's Lucas, "I decided to suspend the origami crane "from the top of the box.

" Nice touch.

"I expressed my love of music through music notes "and rhythmic paint marks.

"I like photography, so I added a camera photo "and some old negatives.

" Just super.

And I hope you've enjoyed creating your assemblages as well that reflect your identity.

In our lesson "Art as Self-Discovery," we've covered the following: art can be used as a tool for expressing inner emotions and identity.

By combining found objects and images, artists can express their identity imaginatively whilst problem-solving, as they arrange and construct their assemblage.

Assemblage encourages personal expression and gives each artist a chance to share their own voice in a unique way.

I've loved this lesson and it's one of my favorite topics, is identity, self-discovery.

And I think what you've come up with is terrific.

I hope you've enjoyed this lesson, finding out perhaps a little bit more about yourselves and each other.

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

Until then, stay creative.