Lesson 3
Natural Selection
...An Art History based lesson
Project Description: Man verses nature, a topic that has been reviewed in other disciplines. English and American literature is known to carry the man verse nature theme for years, just as relevant as the human condition. The theme is usually about a man or woman who struggles against the elements of nature. This struggle leads to the questioning, journey, and discovery of spirituality. Nature’s spiritual discovery is not based upon specific gods, it is more about the personal journey and self-discovery while engulfed and consumed by nature’s elements. This lesson is focused upon teaching about the historical side of nature and it’s influences/attraction to mankind. Mankind is known to thrive off the dominance of a landscape.
Discussion Questions:
Activity 1: From the discussion questions respond to the questions in sketch journals. From those responses depict 3 of the replies in a storyboard style. Three to four frames for the storyline, similar to a cartoon strip.
Activity 2: In Essay form, compare and contrast an artist’s work to that of one created in nature. Example, compare DeCaires reef sculptures to the bowerbird’s nest. How do the styles differ? How were the pieces constructed?
Activity 3: In a short essay response, describe what elements and struggles were taking place in Thomas Cole’s Oxbow Lake, 1863. What was happening during that time period? Where there settlements? Was there an empire being depicted? How would you read the painting?
Artists
DeCaires Taylor J. (2012). Underwater sculpture by Jason deCaires Tarylor.
Environment: artificial reefs. Retrieved from http://www.underwatersculpture.com/pages/environment/artificial-reefs.htm
PBS. (2013). Bower Bird Blues. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/bower-bird-blues/introduction/2109/
Shilling, R. (n.d.) Land art. Retrieved from http://www.richardshilling.co.uk/.
Discussion Questions:
- What elements of nature have fought against you?
- Why do you think mankind has had to dominate the landscape? What examples can you provide that demonstrate a landscape being converted?
- Have you ever seen a fallen tree? Where was this tree?
- How do birds construct their nests? Are the nests for function or show?
- How do we build our empires? Are our empires for function or for show?
Activity 1: From the discussion questions respond to the questions in sketch journals. From those responses depict 3 of the replies in a storyboard style. Three to four frames for the storyline, similar to a cartoon strip.
Activity 2: In Essay form, compare and contrast an artist’s work to that of one created in nature. Example, compare DeCaires reef sculptures to the bowerbird’s nest. How do the styles differ? How were the pieces constructed?
Activity 3: In a short essay response, describe what elements and struggles were taking place in Thomas Cole’s Oxbow Lake, 1863. What was happening during that time period? Where there settlements? Was there an empire being depicted? How would you read the painting?
Artists
- Jason Taylor DeCaires
- Bower Birds
- Richard Shilling
- Thomas Cole
DeCaires Taylor J. (2012). Underwater sculpture by Jason deCaires Tarylor.
Environment: artificial reefs. Retrieved from http://www.underwatersculpture.com/pages/environment/artificial-reefs.htm
PBS. (2013). Bower Bird Blues. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/bower-bird-blues/introduction/2109/
Shilling, R. (n.d.) Land art. Retrieved from http://www.richardshilling.co.uk/.