Kristina Latraverse
Objective: Students will be introduced to the Feldman
model of art criticism and learn how to describe a painting.
Students will learn the definitions of power, audience and
portraiture by studying the works of Kehinde Wiley and
referenced historical works.
NSSS
 VA.68.C.3 The processes of critiquing works of art lead to development
of critical-thinking skills transferable to other contexts.
 VA.68.H.2 The arts reflect and document cultural trends and historical
events, and help explain how new directions in the arts have emerged.
Procedure
The history of portraiture will be explained and the historical
works of Frans Hals will be shown as an example. Students
will be introduced to the works of Kehinde Wiley, a portrait
artist, who paints portraits of people in positions of
physical power who would ordinary not be painted in a
portrait.
Pre-Planning
 Students will begin by answering a pre-planning question
in their sketchbook
 Question: What is the difference between a portrait and a
“selfie”?
Procedure
 Students will work in groups and use technology (smart phones and computers) to
write down the definition and examples of portraiture, audience, and power.
Table 1 &2: Portraiture: A representation of a particular individual
Table 3& 4: Audience: the group of spectators at a public event; listeners or
viewers collectively, as in attendance at a theater or concert
Table 5 & 6: Power: the possession of control or command over others; authority;
ascendancy
Table 7 & 8: Write your own definition of a “selfie.”
 Students will be shown a video of Kehinde Wiley where he discusses his artistic
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process and how he selects his models
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq8Yr-Se7mc
Each group will present their definitions and examples and relate it to the work of
Kehinde Wiley as shown in his video.
Each table will be given a large photograph/image of a Wiley portrait.
Working in cooperative learning groups students will make a list of “what they see”
in a work by Wiley. A minimum of twenty observations should be listed.
Working in the same groups, students will repeat the process of describing work but
this time look at a historical work which Wiley used as reference.
Students will compare and contrast Wiley’s work with the historical portraits he
modeled his work after.
Students will create a side-by-side list of the descriptions of each and a list of the
similarities and difference.
Reflection & Assessment
• Students will complete this lesson by answering a reflective question in their
sketchbook.
Question: How did each artist convey power in their portrait?
Statement of Origin
This lesson resulted from the reading of Olivia Gude’s, Principles of Possibility:
Considerations for a 21st Century Art & Culture Curriculum. Gude highlights
the importance of investigating community themes in art education because it
teaches shared social experiences (Gude, 2007). Using elements and prompts that
are generational provide rich source materials and excellent opportunities for peer
discussion. In this lesson students are given an opportunity to discuss the social
role of power, question who has it and identify different kinds of power. Tackling
social issues activates higher levels of thinking and forces students to question
themes and social norms that they may have not previously questioned.
Community themes also provide a unique opportunity to reach beyond the school
and extend projects into the community.
 Objective: This lesson is designed to further the student’s
art criticism and appreciation knowledge. Students will use
the first step of the Feldman model, to describe the work of
Frank Romero. Students will learn how color plays a role in
conveying emotion in a work.
NSSS
 VA.68.C.3 The processes of critiquing works of art lead to development
of critical-thinking skills transferable to other contexts.
 VA.68.H.2 The arts reflect and document cultural trends and historical
events, and help explain how new directions in the arts have emerged.
Students select
one of the two
works.
Procedure
 Students will be introduced to the works of Frank Romero, a Los Angeles based
artists who whose highly charged works bring important cultural issues to
lights. Students will be introduced to color theory and use it as part of the
descriptive process of art criticism.
Preplanning
 Students will begin by answering a pre-planning question in their sketchbook
Question: What color would be used to convey anger?
What color would be used to convey love?
 A color wheel will be placed on the document camera and students will
raise their hand and say an emotion that goes with each color.
 Using colored pencils students will make a color swatch of each color
and list the emotions that they express.
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Blue: Peace, tranquility, cold, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence,
conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, sky, water, technology, depression, appetite
suppressant
Reds: Excitement, energy, passion, love, desire, speed, strength, power, heat, aggression, danger,
fire, blood, war, violence, all things intense and passionate, Pink: caring, tenderness, calm, love
Yellow: joy, happiness, betrayal, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer,
gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, jealousy
Orange: Energy, balance, enthusiasm, warmth, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant, demanding of
attention.
Green: Nature, environment, healthy, good luck, renewal, youth, spring, generosity, fertility,
jealousy, inexperience, envy, misfortune, vigor.
Brown: Earth, stability, hearth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance
Planning
 Students will be introduced to the works of Frank Romero.
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Student will be shown two images.
Students will watch a short video in which Frank Romero
discusses his work and talks about his artistic process. This video
helps students gain a greater understanding of his works.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyOE_UmsL6w
Each student will select one of two works by artist Frank Romero.
Using knowledge gained in the previous lesson students will
make a list, describing the painting they selected. Students must
also list colors used and the emotions each color represents in
the work.
Students will turn a list of 25 descriptions and 5 colors used and
their symbols.
Assessment
 Students will be graded on class participation and
completion of the assignment.
Statement of Origin
This lesson was inspired by the Feldman model of
art appreciation and criticism. Description is the
first step of the process and I feel that it is one of the
most important. Teaching students how to describe
a work increases their visual literacy and reinforces
art terminology. Having the ability to actively look at
a work enables them to gain the tools to more
critically view the world around them. Additionally,
describing and understanding multiculturalism is an
important facet to both education and the art world
(Feldman, 1994).
Objective: Students will access prior knowledge gained in
previous lessons and build upon it to further their
understanding of the art criticism process. Students will be
able to define and explain balance, harmony and color.
Students will identify and describe the works of Kerry
James Marshall and learn how to analysis them using the
Feldman model.
NGSSS:
 VA.68.C.3 The processes of critiquing works of art lead to
development of critical-thinking skills transferable to other
contexts.
 VA.68.C.1 Cognition and reflection are required to
appreciate, interpret, and create with artistic intent.
 VA.68.H.2 The arts reflect and document cultural trends
and historical events, and help explain how new directions
in the arts have emerged.
Procedure
 Students will be introduced to the works of Kerry James
Marshall. Marshall’s work is drawn from African American
popular culture and visually engages the viewer through
his use of culturally charged subject matter, vivid colors
and narrative depictions. Students will be shown his work
and asked to respond to it.
Pre-Planning
 Students will begin by answering a pre-planning question
in their sketchbook
Question: Why is balance important in a piece of art?
 As a group, a class discussion will be lead showing how
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Marshall uses balance, harmony and color in his work.
Students will write down their own definition of balance,
harmony and color.
Students will watch a short video about Kerry James
Marshall and the theme of identity.
http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/kerry-james-marshall
Students will select one of three works by Marshall to
complete their assignment.
Planning
 Students will begin as they have in previous lesson by
making a list, describing the work which they selected.
 Each student should list 25 descriptive phrases about the
work.
 Students should list 5-8 colors Marshall uses and what it
symbolizes. Students should use their sketchbook for
reference.
 Students will write down how Marshall uses harmony and
balance in his piece.
Application
 Students will write their first critic using a two paragraph
model. The first paragraph should focus on description,
the second on color, balance and harmony.
Assessment
 Students will grade their own work based on a rubric given
prior to the lesson.
 The student’s completed rubric will be stapled to their
writing.
 Using the same rubric the teacher will grade their writing
and give feedback.
Students will…
1.
Describe
2.
List
3.
Harmony
4.
Balance
5.
Write
Statement of Origin
The works of Kerry James Marshall were first
introduced to me while taking ARE 4352, Art in
Secondary School, at the University of Central Florida.
This lesson was created as a result of reading
Feldman’s, Practical Art Appreciation and Criticism and
viewing the works of Marshall. Marshall was selected
for this lesson because his works are visually engaging
and tell a narrative story that students can relate to.
Marshall’s works posses both strong cultural content
and formal components which make them ideal for
teaching the importance of both.
Objective: Students will learn and understand the role of
media in our lives. Students will begin to understand
the power of advertising and how it should be critically
evaluated not simply accepted. The Feldman model will
be used to analyze advertisements, teaching students
that criticism and critical observing is not limited to
works of art.
NSSS
 VA.68.C.3 The processes of critiquing works of art lead
to development of critical-thinking skills transferable to
other contexts.
Can you trust
everything you see
in print or read
online?
Pre-Planning
 Students will begin by answering a pre-planning question in their
sketchbook
Question: What is the purpose of advertising?
Discussion
 As a class, students will discuss the sketchbook question.
 The answers will be written on the board/document camera.
 As a class, they will create one general definition of advertising.
 The question, “Is all advertising truthful?” will be asked.
 Students will be shown the two advertisements about smoking. One at
a time.
 In their sketchbook students will repeat the procedures from the
previous lessons.
 Write down 25 descriptive phrases describing ad #1
 Write what colors are used and what they symbolize.
 As a class we will discuss their descriptive phrases/color symbolism and
create a “word web” on the document camera.
The second ad will be displayed; we will compare and contrast the two
advertisements which highlights:
Differences
One ad is a public service announcement, one
is selling a product
One is a graphic while the other is a photograph
Colors
Similarities
They are both about teeth/dentists and smoking
Both use similarly aged people
 In a group discussion will be held discussing the two ads and the
message each is conveying.
Assignment
 Students will work in cooperative learning groups and go through magazine
ads and write a critic about the advertisement (2 paragraphs).Each seat will
have an individual assignment to ensure proper distribution of work.
 Seat 1: Descriptive Writer
 Seat 2: Color Writer
 Seat 3: Paragraph Writer
 Seat 4: “Questions to Ask”, writer
Assessment
 Students will turn in their ad and their critique stapled together.
Statement of Origin
 In today’s’ face paced, technology driven society everyone in bombarded with a
plethora of advertisements, some we are aware of, others are subconscious. It is
important to make students aware of the advertisements and their purpose.
These two ad were selected because they show how advertising can be
deceptive and how our society changes. These ads show students the
importance of questioning and critically thinking about what they see. The
continuous use of the Feldman model lays a foundation for looking not just at
art, but the world around them. Through the repeated use of the Feldman
model, critically looking at images and advertisements should become second
nature, creating students with greater visual literacy.