HOME: Fantastic Four ("Head & Heart")

The goal of this HOME project is to establish a starting point for the artistic journey that you will take in Art 4 (and for some of you, Art 5). It has been designed to:

• REVIEW art production, interests & abilities, and ideas.
• STRUCTURE personal exploration and understanding of the art-making process.
• COMBAT the "blank canvas syndrome" that often plagues young artists.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Discover/strengthen an AWARENESS of what YOU want to make art ABOUT.
2. Explore VARIOUS MEDIA and PROCESSES, both 2 and 3D.
3. Investigate VARIOUS WAYS to express content.
4. PREPARE for the Art 4 summer assignment - and beyond.

DIRECTIONS:

STEP #1 - REFLECT. Your sketchbook/PLAY pages are a natural "seed bed" for your future ideas; look back through them in order to reflect on what you have been doing throughout the year.  Pay attention to patterns that emerge and that may help identify your potential artistic vision/voice. LOOK FOR/THINK ABOUT/DOCUMENT:​

• SUBJECT:  What have you depicted over and over? (portraits, animals, landscapes, abstraction/elements, etc.) 
• CONTENT:  What ideas/themes have emerged repeatedly?  
• MEDIUM: What materials do you enjoy using/want to further explore?
• FORM/PROCESS: What type of art/art processes (drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, mixed media, 2D, 3D, etc.) are you the most engaged with? 
• ENJOYMENT: Which pages were fun to make and kept you engaged in the process and the "flow" of making art? 
• CRITIQUE:  Which pages were  most successful (which were not)? Why? Was it the choice of SUBJECT? The expression of CONTENT? The use of MEDIUM? The specific  FORM/PROCESS?

STEP #2 - PLAN. After reflecting on the points documented in STEP #1, review your list and differentiate between "Head" and "Heart" ideas. ASK YOURSELF/THINK ABOUT/DOCUMENT:

1. What SUBJECT or MEDIUM/FORM/PROCESS did I do the most of and/or did I most enjoy? Document your answer - label as "HEART."
2. What CONTENT/IDEA/THEME has emerged repeatedly as something I am clearly interested in exploring? Document your answer - label as "HEAD."

​STEP #3 - MAKE. You will be making a total of 4 pieces to solve the "problem" of "HEAD" v. "HEART" (2 pieces for each). For example, if your "HEAD" answer was "identity," you will be making 2 works of art based on the content/idea/theme of identity. If your "HEART" answer was "landscape," you will be making 2 landscapes. 

Follow these criteria:

• Use DIFFERENT media in EACH work - AND at least ONE work must be 3D.
• "HEART" work should be explored more organically - dive right in, PLAY!
• "HEAD" work needs thinking and planning and research, etc. DO THAT.
• PLEASE NOTE:
  • While some of you may find that your HEAD/HEART "answers" are very different, others of you will find that there is a direct correlation. 
  • Craftsmanship is not a huge focus here but work should be presented in good condition (not folded, bent, broken, falling apart, etc.).
  • Work should be bigger than what you would do in your sketchbook.

HOW YOU WILL BE GRADED:

1. Meet the deadlines: HEAD = June 3rd/HEART = June 5th.
2. Complete 4 works total - 2 each, HEAD & HEART.
3. Work must relate directly to your chosen HEAD/HEART themes. Stay focused!
4. Use different media/processes - one work must be 3D.
5. Post photos on a "Fantastic Four" page on your website (make this); within the page, separate HEAD from HEART images and include a brief statement of each.