Kindergarten
Youtube Video Links -
History - youtu.be/LZ_Wov8snGo Demo -
Jackson Pollock, abstract expressionism
Jackson Pollock (PALL-uck) was born on January 28, 1912, in Cody, Wyoming. He studied to be a traditional artist until he decided he wanted more from art. He began trying out more expressive methods of painting, including splattering and dripping the paint on his canvas. He called these "action paintings" because they were all about HOW the artist made the work of art. In fact, this kind of art was about the act of painting just as much (if not more than) the work of art that resulted.
Pollock's most famous paintings, like "No.1, 1950 - Lavender Mist," were made by this new method of pouring paint (or dripping it or flicking it off paintbrushes) directly onto canvases. Pollock found that this worked best if he used very large canvases that he lay flat on the ground in his studio (a big old barn). Pollock would walk around, or even on the canvases, adding colors or even sand for texture, until he was satisfied with the result.
What he ended up with were very big paintings that seem both chaotic (like a big mess) and mesmerizing (you can't help looking at it). Part of the effectiveness of his art comes from its large scale. They can be very powerful as you look at them. Lots of people hated his art and thought it was a joke, but more people really liked it, and Pollock became very famous. Many other artists were influenced by this new way of making paintings and a whole new movement was started called "Abstract Expressionism." They are abstract because there is not really a subject you can see, and the way they are made is very expressive, so that the artists could get their feelings out from inside them into their art.
Pollock's most famous paintings, like "No.1, 1950 - Lavender Mist," were made by this new method of pouring paint (or dripping it or flicking it off paintbrushes) directly onto canvases. Pollock found that this worked best if he used very large canvases that he lay flat on the ground in his studio (a big old barn). Pollock would walk around, or even on the canvases, adding colors or even sand for texture, until he was satisfied with the result.
What he ended up with were very big paintings that seem both chaotic (like a big mess) and mesmerizing (you can't help looking at it). Part of the effectiveness of his art comes from its large scale. They can be very powerful as you look at them. Lots of people hated his art and thought it was a joke, but more people really liked it, and Pollock became very famous. Many other artists were influenced by this new way of making paintings and a whole new movement was started called "Abstract Expressionism." They are abstract because there is not really a subject you can see, and the way they are made is very expressive, so that the artists could get their feelings out from inside them into their art.
- Show the students the print of "Lavender Mist."
- Ask them to tell you where their eyes go first--normally this would be what we call the FOCAL POINT, but Pollock's lines go so many directions at once that there is nowhere for your eye to rest, and as a result, there is no real focal point.
- Ask them what they think Jackson Pollock was feeling when he created this picture. Was he happy? excited? scared? angry? etc. Have them point out reasons why they might think that. Is it because of the colors or the lines or something else?
- Have them imagine what Pollock looked like after he painted one of these large canvases. Remind them that he walked around flinging paint on the canvas on the ground. Describe how he would be covered with paint splatters all over his clothes, his face and hands, and especially his shoes!
The Project
Prep - 30 min (includes time to make sample)
Parent Help - try to have one parent per table of kids for this project
Print - Jackson Pollock, Mural
Materials
-shirt boxes or other boxes that are a good size
-marbles (in Kinder file cabinet drawer)
-5-6 different colors of bright tempera paint
-paint palettes
-9 x 12 white or black construction paper, 1 per student
-masking tape
-baby wipes (in Kinder file cabinet drawer)
Lesson
1. Show students print and ask them questions covered in the art history/print conversation above.
2. Show students your sample and explain what you did to create it: taped down paper in shirt box, dipped marbles in different colored paint, dropped marbles in box, rolled marbles around in box to make art!
Project
-fill paint palettes with 5-6 different colors of paint (one palette for each table)
-have students sit at their tables
-hand out 9 x 12 white paper and have them put their name on the back
-have a parent volunteer (hopefully one for each table of students) start with first kid at table and tape their paper in box
-students may choose 3 or more marbles to drop in box
-let student put marble in paint and drop in box, have them do this with all marbles and then help them to move box so that marbles roll around and paint paper
-have wipes ready to wipe students hands and wipe off marbles
-drop cleaned off marbles back in paint for next student
-move around the table until all students have marble painted
-put paintings aside to dry
*please clean out paint palettes and put all supplies away in art room
Parent Help - try to have one parent per table of kids for this project
Print - Jackson Pollock, Mural
Materials
-shirt boxes or other boxes that are a good size
-marbles (in Kinder file cabinet drawer)
-5-6 different colors of bright tempera paint
-paint palettes
-9 x 12 white or black construction paper, 1 per student
-masking tape
-baby wipes (in Kinder file cabinet drawer)
Lesson
1. Show students print and ask them questions covered in the art history/print conversation above.
2. Show students your sample and explain what you did to create it: taped down paper in shirt box, dipped marbles in different colored paint, dropped marbles in box, rolled marbles around in box to make art!
Project
-fill paint palettes with 5-6 different colors of paint (one palette for each table)
-have students sit at their tables
-hand out 9 x 12 white paper and have them put their name on the back
-have a parent volunteer (hopefully one for each table of students) start with first kid at table and tape their paper in box
-students may choose 3 or more marbles to drop in box
-let student put marble in paint and drop in box, have them do this with all marbles and then help them to move box so that marbles roll around and paint paper
-have wipes ready to wipe students hands and wipe off marbles
-drop cleaned off marbles back in paint for next student
-move around the table until all students have marble painted
-put paintings aside to dry
*please clean out paint palettes and put all supplies away in art room