LESSON PLAN: Art Analysis Group Work
Submitted by Juliet Davis
International Academy of Design
Tampa, Florida | October 23, 2002
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Robert Mapplethorpe
Self Portrait, 1988
Robert Mapplethorpe
Lisa Lyon, 1982
Robert Mapplethorpe
Parrot Tulip, 1985
Andy Warhol, Race Riot, 1963.
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To The Instructor
In a very short period of time, this lesson teaches college students of all levels how to sophisticated levels
of critical thinking skills to analyze art, including description, analysis, interpretation, comparison and
contrast. The lesson can be used in a wide range of courses, from English Composition to art
history/theory courses and core curriculum courses. It is appropriate for people in any stage in their
academic programs. My students consistently cite it as one of the most exciting lessons they have learned,
and I hope other instructors enjoy using it as well.
Objective
Students will be able to describe, analyze, interpret, compare and contrast art photographs, considering both
form and content, and these critical thinking skills will enable them to 1) successfully interpret the art we
see in the museum field trip and 2) write their first paper involving high-level interpretation of visual
media.
Introduction and Rationale for Students
Great art makes us think in new ways—and understand our world from unusual perspectives. The ability to
analyze artistic form and content is not only an invaluable skill for students entering visually oriented
fields, but it also sharpens the critical thinking skills of students entering all disciplines. This assignment
requires students to be able to describe, analyze, interpret, compare and contrast art photographs and to
organize and articulate those findings in oral presentation.
Methods
1) Introduce lesson. Read lesson introduction.
2) Announce instructions. Let students know you will be giving them background on four art photographs
and that they should be thinking about which photographer’s work they are most interested in discussing.
Groups will be formed based on shared interests, and each group will make an oral presentation to the class
at the end of the lesson.
3) Distribute photocopies of the following photos to the class: Andy Warhol’s Race Riot; Robert
Mapplethorpe’s Lisa Lyon, Parrot Tulip, and Self Portrait 1988.
4) Introduce Andy Warhol and his work in general to the class, finally focusing on the work entitled Race
Riot. Without analyzing the work, give them general background on the race riots of the south and the day
the photo was taken. Let them know you are going to be asking them to describe the content of this work
and tell the class what the colors in the work represent (the red, white, and blue). I have received perhaps
23 different interpretations of this work and continue to hear new ones, so there is fertile ground here for
creative interpretations (for example, the blue stands for law enforcement/coldness/lack of oxygen; the red
represents blood/rage/lineage; the colors represent a reversed American flag; etc.). This part of the lesson
was inspired by a lesson in the textbook listed under “Suggested Readings”.
5) Introduce Robert Mapplethorpe and his work, as well as the censorship story about his work. Tell
students about his life, the fact that he died of AIDS, and the fact that many photos he created were
censored. Discuss his X and Y portfolios (nudes and flowers), letting them know that Mapplethorpe saw a
relationship between bodies and flowers). Let them know that each student group discussing Mapplethorpe
is going to be asked to describe all three Mapplethorpe photos, talk about what messages they believe
Mapplethorpe was communicating in them, discuss symbolism of specific elements in them, and compare
and contrast the photos with each other. Provide students with background on each one. (Review what the
word “symbolism” means.) Optional: Provide students with a picture of a Renaissance painting that
depicts momento mori and ask them to discuss it in relationship to the self portrait (students who like death
metal music and related imagery particularly enjoy that) and the parrot tulip.
Example of momento mori:
Pilippe de Champaigne (1602-1674),
Still life, or Vanitas (tulip, skull and hour glass)
6) Create groups. As students to vote on whether they would like to discuss the Warhol work or the
Mapplethorpe photos and form groups of 3-5 students each, based on their choices.
7) Repeat your instructions to each group (see discussions above). Let them know you will allow 15-20
minutes’ discussion time and that each person in the group will be expected to speak in the oral
presentation.
8) Visit the groups as they work. Ask students to discuss the photographs; then, visit each group to listen to
their ideas and ask thought-provoking questions.
9) Conduct each oral presentation, making sure to applaud the group when it’s done. Then, after each
presentation, engage the whole class in discussion of points, asking them questions and helping them make
connections. Because several groups will be analyzing the same photos, you will probably want to wait
until the very end to tie everyone’s ideas together.
10) Plan a field trip to a museum for the following week, as well as a writing assignment. This lesson is
ideally followed up with a field trip to a museum, during which students will be selecting a work of art to
write about in a paper (see “Art Analysis Paper” assignment).
Writing Assignment (Instructions to Students)
While you are on the field trip to the art museum, select one to three works of art to describe and analyze in
an essay that is five paragraphs or longer (including introduction and conclusion) and demonstrates the
analytical skills you have learned in class. When considering form, think about line, shape, color, light,
perspective, and other elements, as well as the principles acting on those elements, such as balance,
repetition, anomaly, etc. Consider the subject matter of the work as well. What is being represented? What
is the meaning being communicated? How are the elements of the composition working to communicate
that meaning? Do not merely describe the work; also interpret its meaning. Include in your essay a digital
image, if you can, of the work you are analyzing.
Some Suggested Writing Strategies:
You may use any organization strategy that you find effective—for example, classification, comparison and
contrast, persuasion, etc. You might want to select two or three works of art, devoting a body paragraph to
each one, and then comparing/contrasting them. Or, you might want to analyze a single work of art,
addressing a different aspect of it in each body paragraph--for example, one paragraph might address form
while another addresses content (though the two are often indivisible in a composition); or, one paragraph
might describe the work, while others might interpret meaning. These are merely suggestions; structure
your paper in a way that most effectively communicates your ideas.
Suggested Readings:
Sayre, Henry M. A World of Art, third edition. New York: Prentice Hall, 2000.
This book is available at Barnes and Noble and includes background on the artists and photographs used in
this lesson. See especially pages 16, 52, 87, and 49.