Fifth Grade students are
extremely curious and interested in any type of art history; it seemed like the
right time to introduce them to two successful American artists who lived at
very different times. Chuck Close is a
contemporary artist who has been featured in books as well as on TV enjoying
success as a modern/abstract portrait painter while Grant Wood was a realist
who painted iconic scenes. These two
artists are radically different in their technique which makes them fascinating
to compare.
We began our investigation by
watching the video Dropping in on Grant Wood produced by Crystal
Productions. The animated character
Puffer takes us on a fun and informative journey learning about Grant Wood’s
life and introducing us to 6 pieces of his art work. We then read the book The Chuck Close
Facebook by Chuck Close which is an autobiography of his life and gives
fascinating examples of his painting style and works of art. Comparing the two artists gave us the
opportunity to compare and contrast their art styles, lifestyle, and works of
art. The children found this to be
fascinating.
After looking at the painting
American Gothic by Grant Wood we looked for clues to solve the puzzle of who
the man and woman in the painting were as well as repeated shapes and lines
used in the painting. Using this painting we brainstormed how we could reinvent the painting
using different characters and contemporary themes in our own version, my
students were able to come up with a wide variety of ideas. Using what we have learned about portraits
and drawing the face each student drew their version of American Gothic making
sure to overlap their characters in their version using the ideas that we had
brainstormed.
We then painted these pieces with
watercolor pencils, watercolors, and even oil pastels. The color and variety of textures that were
achieved were fantastic. Aren't these fantastic!!! I'm sure that my students would love to hear your thoughts.
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