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Picasso's Cubism with Cut Paper Collage
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NJ Standards/Objectives
Standard 1.1.A.1 (Aesthetics) All students will use aesthetic knowledge in the creation of and in response to visual art.
Compose simple works of art in response to stylized characteristics observed in the dance, music, theater, and visual art of various cultures and time periods.
Students will be able to recognize Pablo Picasso’s work, specifically Cubism pieces.
Students will be able to apply the idea of flattening objects (or viewing an object from multiple points of view at once) of Cubism to their own works of art using cut paper.
Photo Resources
http://abstractart.20m.com/Picasso-The_Guitar_Player-Analytic%20Cubism.jpg
(The Guitar, Picasso)
http://threes.com/cms/images/stories/art/picasso/picasso-tremusikanter.jpg (The Three Musicians, Picasso)
http://www.roland-collection.com/rolandcollection/images/stills/15-529.gif (another cubism piece by Picasso)
Procedure
1.Today we are going to discuss cubism and create our own cubism pieces. Has anyone ever heard of cubism? Can you guess what it means?
2.Cubism was an art movement started by two artists, Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque around 1907. The two artists started the movement after speaking to another artist friend of theirs name Paul Cezanne who said that artists should treat nature “in terms of the cylinder, sphere, and the cone.” What types of shapes are cylinders, spheres, and cones? (geometric)
3.In cubist artworks, the objects are broken up, examined, and put back together in an abstract (or unrealistic) form. Instead of showing an object from one point of view, the artist shows the object from multiple points of view to show the whole object. Often the different viewpoints intersect at odd or random angles – sometimes the picture doesn’t seem to make sense!
4.Now I’d like to look at some works by Pablo Picasso, one of the artists I mentioned earlier.
5.Here is a piece of work Picasso did, can you guess what this is a picture of? http://abstractart.20m.com/Picasso-The_Guitar_Player-Analytic%20Cubism.jpg The Guitar
6.What about this one? Do you know what this is a picture of? http://threes.com/cms/images/stories/art/picasso/picasso-tremusikanter.jpg The Three Musicians
7.http://www.roland-collection.com/rolandcollection/images/stills/15-529.gif
8.Now, I would like you to find three objects and create your own still life by placing the objects near each other on a table. Some examples of good objects to use: a book, baseball cap, ball, vase, fruit (no grapes, too small). Once you have your objects, please let me know so I can tell you the next step.
9.Let’s set up our work station: please get out a large piece of white paper, different colored construction paper, glue, a pencil, and scissors.
10.For our first step, we are going to draw the basic shape of one of our objects on a piece of construction paper (the color is your choice) and cut it out. Now turn the object, draw the shape and cut that shape out. Do this until you have cut out all of the sides of the object. Do not forget the bottom or the top. Now you may glue down the pieces in a way that you like. They can overlap. Suggestion: start with the background or table top as the first object so students have an easier start. Also, show examples of the initial steps. Remind students to make the shapes larger to use the whole paper.
11.We are going to continue drawing the shapes of the objects, cutting them out, and gluing them on our background paper until the paper is completely filled. Remember, you may place the objects where ever you’d like. The picture does not have to “make sense.” This is a form of abstract art and it does not have to look like what you see. Remember Picasso’s work – for the most part it looked like shapes.
Materials
construction paper, large paper for background (18x24 suggested), glue or glue stick, pencil, and scissors.
Tip
This might be a good lesson as a follow up to teaching the Elements of Design (specifically shape).
