Ms. Hunter's Art Classes-WINTER 2005
Confronting Conflict Project

Representing conflict, be it in the form of histories of war, national strife or personal struggles, has preoccupied artists across the centuries. By recalling conflicts of the past, how can we better understand present conflicts? War and strife are typically depicted in terms of black and white, suggesting two sides engaged in oppositional struggle. This apparent opposition is the focus of this lesson.

The work of artists such as Kara Walker, Walton Ford, Shahzia Sikander will be used as the starting point to discuss how imagery informs our understanding of the past, specifically controversial, provocative, or factional issues and events.

Kara Walker's cut-outs and silhouettes reference the events of the antebellum South.
Walton Ford's paintings and prints recall 18th and 19th century naturalist images but subvert their traditional beauty with references to colonialism and eco-terrorism.
Shahzia Sikander's intimate and detailed miniature paintings reflect the ongoing conflict between Muslim and Hindu cultures.

You will explore how formal artistic elements such as contrast and symbolism can graphically portray how conflict is often seen as a relationship of opposites: right versus wrong, good versus evil, light versus dark, etc.

ASSIGNMENT:
Create an artwork that is based on issues of conflict- human vs. self; human vs. human; human vs. society; human vs. nature. Regardless of your approach, the content of your artwork should be clearly and strongly integrated with your life and cultural context.

MEDIA AND PROCESS:
Your choice of working individually or collaboratively.
Your choice of 2D or 3D, as well as, mixed media, however, painting should dominate.

CONSIDERATIONS:
-avoid taking a stance or side
-use of materials to connote idea, to correspond to content and form
-use the space around the subject matter to describe the subject
-portray conflict through formal artistic elements such as contrast and symbolism
-use of scale - the intimate, the human and the architectural

GUIDING QUESTIONS:
How is conflict different from and/or similar to war?

What is the difference between conflict in relation to our personal lives as compared to conflict on a national or international scale? What are examples of personal conflicts we have? What are the national or international conflicts we are aware of or perhaps involved in?

How do the stories about conflicts or wars change with the storyteller? Consider the statements, "History is told by the winners," "There are always three sides to every story."

1. INVESTIGATE

LOOKING AT CONFLICT

a. Brainstorm a list of personal, local, national and international conflicts of which you are aware.
The following may help you as you think about conflicts:
human vs. self; human vs. human; human vs. society; human vs. nature.

How do you have knowledge of these conflicts? Were you involved? Were you a witness? Did you read about it in the newspaper? Who is taking part in these conflicts? How are the opposing sides described or named? Who are the heroes or heroines in these events? Who are the villains?

b. Artists
Contemporary Artists- Kara Walker; Walton Ford; Shahzia Sikander; Sandy Skoglund
Art Historical- Goya; Japanese Guardian Figure

How does the art of Kara Walker, Walton Ford, and Shahzia Sikander reflect ideas of conflict and opposition? What conflicts do their images describe and how does their work change the discourse concerning these conflicts?

What is the history of silhouette art? How does the form and technique of the silhouette relate to ideas of conflict and opposition?

c. Media
Demonstrate and experiment with painting techniques.

d. Making connections to your life and cultural context

2. PLAN

Create a body of work by extending elements from previous work.
FORM, MEDIA, CONTENT
ie. continue to use your alter-ego


3. CREATE

4. EVALUATE
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