Yet Another Accordion Book

Upon receiving feedback on my original accordion book example, I decided to modify it and come up with a new, hopefully, better product. Most of the feedback I received was to include more pages to truly let my theme and concept come to life and speak through the artwork. With my new accordion book, I decided that I was going to address an issue that has always stuck with me. I decided to work with social acceptance and identity. The goal was to emphasize the fact that media controls society and our everyday choices, values, norms, etc. while also keeping each character unidentified. The identity is unknown soley for the fact that media has shaped alot of people and therefore individuals wear a mask to fit into society, not allowing their true identity to be shown.
The first four images in my accordion book emphasize the portray of women created by 'societial norms' Image one is a character based on Jessica Rabbit, the sex symbol from the movie 'Who Framed Rodger Rabbit' This emphasizes that sex sells and that the ideal woman be volumptious and 'Barbie' like. The second image is of a larger woman, wearing nothing but a bra and underwear. There are dotted lines covering her body to imply plastic surgery and the extremes women will encounter to feel beautiful and to have a beauty acceptable to society. The third image is of the rebellious female covered in tattoos. Although tattoos are being accepted more so today than ever before, women who have them are still negatively judged. The fourth image is a silhouette of a pregnant lady, emphasizing the housewife and motherly role women have always played. 
The back of the accordion book only has two images which are of men. I did half of the images for men than I did for women because I feel that society and the media puts more pressure on women than they do men. The first image is of a body builder. This is to portray that society expects men to be strong and able to protect not only themselves but their family and loved ones. The second image is of a business man. I portrayed him to be a white AND blue collar figure. White collar by being in a business suit and blue collar due to the fact that his suit is all blue, hence a literal reading of blue collar. This portrays the social status and the pressure to be able to provide for their families.
Below are the images from the newe accordion book.
Hope you enjoy it! :)

Front Cover

First 4 images

Last 2 images

Back Cover

Reflection Paper 1 - Art for the Exceptional Child

For our first day of field work in the Arts-2-Gether program, we focused primarily on ice breaker activities to help get to know one another. As students were arriving to the classroom, we played various games ranging from name games, role-playing games, and sound and movement manipulation games. This allowed for our students to become not only familiar with everyone in the art program but to also feel comfortable and want to participate in all of the activities.

           

After all the students had arrived and we completed all the ice breaker activities, we brought the students to the Samuel Dorsky Museum, located on the campus of SUNY New Paltz. Although the gallery is normally closed on Tuesdays, the gallery director opened its doors specifically for the students of the Arts-2-Gether program. From the expressions on the students faces, I would say they were all excited and were anticipating what they were about to see inside. Judy, in particular, was extremely eager when she ran inside the gallery and saw the giant bench made from a tree along the Hudson River adjacent to a hanging composition of the planets. I think Judy found it interesting to walk around and under the planet composition which is rare to be able to do in an art gallery, and look at the composition from various angles. When I asked her what she liked most about the mobile, she replied “They’re planets! I can name them all!”

Unfortunately before she could finish naming all of the planets, we were advised to take a seat as the gallery director informed us that were about to view the Hudson Valley Artist exhibit.

           

As the gallery director was informing us of the Hudson Valley Artists and the installation art in the back room, Judy’s focus was on the feel of the Tree Bench we were sitting on. The top of the wood was smooth and polished looking which contrasted the outskirts of the bench which was rough and textured. She kept asking me to feel the bench and asked me what I felt. After I responded to her about the glossy feeling of the top, she asked me if it made me feel cold as ice. I found it extremely interesting that she associated my response to ice and being cold.

           

After the gallery director was finished with her introduction and welcoming to the gallery, Judy quickly got up off of the bench and was eager to interact more with her peers than with the art work on display. After the gallery visit, I asked Judy what her favorite part about the day was. “The people” was her response.

Accordion Book

The Accordion Book is ment to help teach students some of the Modernist Elements and Principles of Design. The photos shown is my teacher example. I have included two different compositions; one front and one back. Both of these compositions were created by using the same steps which are found under the photo examples. It is important for the student to learn to consider their entire composition and how they present their artwork.

Front Cover of Accordion Book

Back Cover of Accordion Book

Front of Accordion Book

Back of Accordion Book

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Principles and Elements Panorama Abstract Art Book

(for information on constructing book, see Accordion Fold Books)

Materials:  Colored pencils, crayons, and/or markers

                 Glue Sticks

                 Magazine Cut-outs

                 Scraps of Paper

                 Scissors

• Choose a single shape. Draw and arrange three of these shapes to portray juxtaposition. Juxtaposition is when something is placed close together or side by side.

• Choose another simple shape. Draw ten of these shapes varying the proportions, color, size, etc. This will create contrast and emphasis.

• Pick out three (3) magazine cut-outs from the image pile at random.

• Pick out five (5) text cut-outs from the text pile at random.

• Experiment with the placement and interaction between text and image. After experimentation wit the placement, paste the cut-outs into place. Remember you can always layer the images!

• Using a different art medium, add lines that will enhance movement.

• Alter any image in your composition to appropriate its meaning.

• Add an environment to your new altered image. Use texture, color, etc.

• Consider the entire composition and add anything you feel is necessary to complete your artwork.  

A Free Art Curriculum

After reading the article Principles of Possibility: Considerations for a 21st- Century Art & Culture Curriculum by Olivia Gude, I have learned the most important foundation to a successful art curriculum is to not be limited within a particular structure or framework of teaching. Students need to explore and experiment freely with various art materials and techniques in order to learn and understand the art world. Students hold the voice of what is being taught inside the classroom, the changes to better their community, as well as their future. It is up to us, the art educators, to encourage our students to use their voice and express themselves freely, in ways they never knew they could which in turn, could potentially impact and make a difference in the world. By creating a free curriculum for our students, they can soon discover more about themselves, the person they want to be, and the people who they come into contact with. It provides a meaning of self-worth and appreciation for all of those who are culturally, ethnically, racially, spiritually, and so on, different from themselves. A free art curriculum will truly provide opportunities and an understanding that art is the universal visual language we all share.  

Surrealist Games

Surrealist Games allow students to use their creative subconscious in various ways they might not have known about. Rorschach Plots, for example, is a creative way to help students expand on what they see in an image, or in this case, an ink blot. Here are some Rorschach Plot examples.

 Ink Blot 1

 Ink Blot 2

Ink Blot 3

Students can also explore their creative subconscious by using language. Creating Dadaist Poems can be a good way to start a project without having the students write about something specific. I included a how-to video although there can be numerous accomodations to this project.