Class #3: Favorite Place Dioramas
Project Description:
During this lesson, students were introduced to a new form of artwork called interactive art. They explored how artists can create artwork meant to be touched and interacted with by viewers, which allows them to take part in the art experience. Students created their own interactive artworks, in the form of dioramas, that represented their favorite place or a very special place, real or imagined. In today's art exploration, students experimented with several materials and techniques to create an interactive artwork with both two- and three-dimensional visual elements.
Essential Understanding:
Artists and designers explore various media, materials, and techniques to create interactive works of art.
Objectives/Outcomes:
Students will be able to...
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Communicate personal experiences through art
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Combine 2D and 3D materials and techniques to create a diorama
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Create an environment and sculptural elements to make an interactive artwork
Skills:
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Visualize and depict a special place
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Manipulate a variety of materials
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Combine 2-D and 3-D materials/techniques
In this Community Connections class, students learned about creating interactive artwork. They continued their experimentation with a variety of materials and techniques from previous lessons. Given a cardboard shoebox, students transformed the interior and exterior using painting, drawing, pasting, and sculpting techniques. They used materials like paint, markers, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, cotton balls, and more to create the visual elements of their envisioned favorite place.
To begin, students brainstormed places that were special to them and what elements they could add to make their diorama feel like that place. One student and her aid thought about all of their favorite things and how they could integrate them. "You love to eat cheeze-its and you love to be outside at the park, so we'll try to make you sitting on a swing or in the grass eating cheeze-its." Another student was inspired by the cover of their video game disk case, which was a picture of some of his favorite Marvel superhero characters. "I want to make that color there. See, that's Iron Man and that's the Hulk."
After this self-reflection, they used several two-dimensional techniques to make the environment in their cardboard shoebox. Some students painted the walls, while others used glue to paste tissue paper all over the interior. The student who chose to use tissue paper pointed to all of the red pieces to show us she only wanted to use red inside her place. She brought her favorite cat stuffed animal with her to class, so she decided to make a home for it. Another student said his favorite activity was going to the movies and eating popcorn, so he created the environment of a movie theater with a huge screen.
Students painting the environments of their diorama. Some decided to only paint inside, while others spread their environment to the outside of the box as well. The student in the right-hand image is creating the background for the Marvel characters from their video game box.
Then, they sculpted the elements to go into their space, which brought their artworks to life. In the photos below you can see students combining different materials to create the interactive elements of their place. One student expressed how she loves Taylor Swift, so she created Taylor Swift by using yarn, popsicle sticks, fabric and clay. This student discovered that yellow yarn would be perfect for Taylor's hair, and the red net fabric would be a great concert outfit. To have Taylor standing up, she poked a hole in the stage (a shoebox lid) but Taylor fell over, so she solved the problem by adding hot glue. She was so excited about her creation and couldn't stop smiling about her Taylor Swift figure.
In the right-hand image below, another student created a playground with his mini-me made from pipe-cleaners. To have his person stand up, he decided to use green clay for shoes that stuck him to the ground.
In the videos below, students share their creations. In the first video, the student explains which Marvel characters they added to their diorama. In the second video, the student explains, "That's the Chuck e Cheese stage! See, that's the table next to the stage." Then he pondered how to create the Chuck e Cheese mascot.
My New Channel
The finished dioramas
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This student started by painting the walls green. He then used green clay to make objects that match the walls.
This student made her diorama personal by adding her favorite snack, cheez-its!
This student brought his marvel video game to class for inspiration. He created a diorama with his favorite superhero characters!
This student made her project personal by creating a concert by her favorite artist, Taylor Swift. She discovered that yellow feathers could be the shining lights on the stage.
This student made a playground by using mixed media. He used cotton balls for the clouds, and made it personal by making himself with pipe-cleaner.
This student brought her favorite stuffed animal cat and chose to make it a home. She created toys for her cat by attaching a feather to the end of a pipe-cleaner. She can interact with her art by playing with her stuffed animal.
This student wanted to make a restaurant but got stuck because he didn't know what else to include. Then all of a sudden it came to him, he wanted to create Chucky Cheese! He drew on the white piece of paper prizes.
This student drew on a piece of white paper to create a movie screen. He also painted the box black to make it feel like the lights are off.
