Working in a Series

Last week, we looked at the work of Carrie Mae Weems.  We used the activity Mirrors and Windows to view a selection of photographs from her Kitchen Table Series.

What is a Series?

 Series - a group or a number of related or similar things, events, etc...arranged or occurring in order or succession; sequence.

Why would an ARTIST choose to work in a series or make a series of work?

The Impressionist artist Claude Monet created many series of art.  Often his series studied daylight in nature.  One of his most famous series is Waterlilies.  There are approximately 250 paintings in this series. (We have a few waterlily paintings in our St. Louis Art Museum!)


Here are a few examples of other artists that have created a series of work.  

Photography is a natural way create a series of work as we saw in Carrie Mae Weems' art.

Printmaking is also a great way to explore an idea, shapes, an image, colors, or a technique.
Artist Ellie Malin works in a series.  As you look at her work, see if you can identify a theme.

Penelope Umbrico is an artist / photographer.  She is best known for collecting images found using search engines and websites.  You will notice in her series of work, repetition and a unifying theme within her work.

What do you think she searched for on the computer to come up with this work?

You had homework!  Someone at home was to email me an image of a kitchen table or a space where you gather.  This will be our theme for an art piece inspired by the work of artist Penelope Umbrico.  Imagine a hundred tables side by side in a photo mosaic!  As we view one another's photos, we will make connections.  We will find that we have experiences in common.   And we will gain perspectives into someone else's experience or story.

Many of you have explored an idea, a theme, character, or concept and may not have realized it.

Will working in a series be the best way for you to express and idea?

By creating a series of work, what might you learn about your ideas?   

Will one idea lead to another?

By working in a series will you improve your artistic skills?