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?

Perspectives, Experiences, and Stories

Artists allow us to gain perspectives and viewpoints beyond of ourselves.

*How can artists help us to understand another person's story?
*Why is it important to care for or about other people?
*What can we learn from another person's experience?

These are a selection of photographs called, The Kitchen Table Series, 1990,  from artist Carrie Mae Weems.

What are some events that happen around a kitchen table?



We are going to do an activity called Mirrors and Windows.

If you see something in a photo that looks familiar to your own life, it would be a mirror.
If you see something in a photo that doesn't look familiar to your own life, you would say it's a window.

When you look at each photo, decide if it's a mirror or window.
Raise your hand and explain why.

Many of you connected with an artist you have never met.  Many of you saw into the experiences of another person.  Through our discussion, many of you realized you have had similar experiences.  Even though we are all individuals, we have more in common than we realize.

A little bit of this + a little of that

Today we are going to have 3 micro-lessons rather than a mini-lesson.

Peer Conferring Sheet

Mid class you will confer with another artists.  Staple this inside the last page in your assessment book.  

Jaz Gloss Tempera Paint
A new medium to explore.  Located away from traditional Tempera paint, Gloss paint will be stored in the marked container.  9 bottles are to be returned to the container at the end of class.  This is the only paint to be used with the plastic trays.

Works well on paper, clay or wood.  Notice the shiny quality.

Transparency Film Drawings
Create a drawing on paper.  Add color, pattern and detail.

Staple a Transparency film on top of your drawing.

Draw on the Transparency Film with Dry Erase Marker

*How could you incorporate this technique into Stop Motion Studio