This lesson is suitable for students in : Secondary 2
Artwork title: What pushes you to the edge?
Name of artist: Maisarah Kamal
Possible Guiding Questions for discussing art
- What do you see in these artworks? Describe the different lines you see.
- Why do you think the artist has chosen to study lines? Consider Singapore’s pace of life, what types of lines would you use to describe this pace?
- How can lines be used to convey emotions? What types of lines would you use for sadness, happiness, anger, disappointment, excitement etc?
- How else can we convey a similar artistic intent in another medium?
Possible lesson ideas for making art
I have always been reminded that life is temporary, but often I submerge myself in the present, the city lights, the beauty, exterior and interior, what is often known as, the beauty of life. I feel that our pace in Singapore is terrifying, in the sense that, we never slow down. My mind is constantly in the process of completing the “ to-do” list. I often feel agitated and in constant panic as deadlines are always present.
I am inspired by abstract expressionism as well as works by artists such as Valerie Ng. The artists manage to convey and capture a myriad of expressions just by using lines. The objective of this lesson is for students to express themselves using the different thickness and variety of lines, created with Chinese ink.
The lessons can be done in a span of 2 weeks, in which, the first week, the teacher will instruct and demonstrate how to work with Chinese ink. Students can be experimental with it, exploring Chinese ink with different painting tools (brushes, twigs, sticks, rope, straw etc).
In week 2, using these materials, students are to use a variety of lines to express how they feel about life as a student/young person in Singapore.
Teachers would need to prepare the following materials:
- Toothpick
- Rope
- Straws
- Chinese Ink
- Twigs
- Rice paper
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