LPHS Mixed Media: Personal Narrative Collage

We began the project by looking at the season one Art 21: Identity episode followed by a series of individual and group "Close Reads" of Outsider Collage artists such as Henry Darger, Tony Fitzpatrick, Holli Schorno, and Jose Felipe Consalvos to name a few. The students were then charged with developing their own collages based on the project guidelines and the artist(s) that inspired them.

I developed a project handout format for the Mixed Media art students to begin associating SHoM language with routine lesson procedures in the classroom as they develop their individual artistic processes and styles. I aligned the habits with various lesson procedures in the instructional handout so that the students can more easily associate their work processes with the habits while making, reflecting and self-evaluating. The project handout and the rubric have been uploaded to Google Docs. I have included an excerpt of each here:

Concept: (Express, Understand Art World: Domain & Communities) Choose a topic or theme that is of interest to you, and that is important or relevant to you in your life at this time. Your chosen theme/topic should say something about you and/or your personality and interests. Your theme could be related to any or all of the following categories: Personal, political, social, spiritual and everything in between!

from procedure section:

• Begin planning your collage on large paper. (Observe, Stretch & Explore, Engage & Persist) You may alter the size/shape of the background paper, but your final collage may not be smaller than 9” x12” in size. It may be orientated either landscape or portrait.
• When finished, choose 4 Studio Habits to reflect on including Understand Art World: Domain & Communities. Consider process, content and technique! (Reflect: Question & Explain and Evaluate)

Media Use & Technique: Develop Craft Engage & Persist Stretch & Explore	*Little/no attempt to use mixed media processes (1 medium only) to create collage *Composition not considered	*Applies at least 2 mixed media processes to create collage *Composition needs improvements	*Adequately applies 3 mixed media materials, processes to collage *Evaluates composition for improvements	*Successfully applies 3 or more mixed media materials, processes to collage *Critically evaluates composition for improvements and makes adjustments	_____
• My work looks polished and well crafted because • When I ran into difficulty, the way I solved the problem was • I tried something I had never done before when I

I was very pleased with the results. I have found it to be very difficult to teach "sophisticated" collage composition techniques to high school students. This group exceeded my expectations with both product and their thoughtful reflections on the process and connections between their ideas and contemporary artists and techniques. They all really loved this experience!

Completed Mixed Media Portrait Series

The mixed media students are still getting acclimated to the language. For the final portrait series reflection the students were to reflect on the original two habits that they addressed during the in-progress ink reflection, although they were to discuss them based on the completed pieces. Students were to then choose two additional, different habits to reflect on. I found that many of the students were still addressing the frustrations with the ink in the Develop Craft and Engage & Persist areas. I have yet to analyze all reflections more closely to determine any similarities/differences/overlap with reflecting on habits a second time and/or any trends with the additional two (or more) habits students chose for reflection. Some of the finished portrait series and the habits (in the order each student reflected on them):

Envision, Reflect:Evaluate, Develop Craft, Engage & Persist, Observe, Stretch & Explore, Understand Art World (Lauren references her father, who is a watercolor painter, in this habit)

Develop Craft, Engage & Persist, Envision, Express, Stretch & Explore

Envision, Stretch & Explore, Express, Develop Craft

Develop Craft, Engage & Persist, Stretch & Explore, Reflect: Question & Explain and Evaluate

Stretch & Explore, Develop Craft, Express, Engage & Persist