We are surrounded by art objects all the time...you can't get away from art! It is everywhere! Cartoons, logos, billboards, magazines, television and Internet advertisements... we are bombarded by images constantly! Everything we use, from video games to books, shoes, jewelry, cell phones, and televisions, are all designed by artists! Anything man-made could loosely be defined as "Art" because a creative artist had to design it before it was made. However, there is a big difference between a fine art painting and the mass produced paintings you can find at Wal-Mart!
Today, 6th and 7th graders discussed the differences between Fine Art, Craft, and Mass Produced Art. We made a list on the board, and each student took turns thinking of art objects they had in their homes that were fine art, craft, or mass produced. One student's grandfather carved a wooden knife handle for him. Other students mentioned handmade quilts, furniture, drawings, paintings, and coffee mugs. A favorite object, mentioned in every class, was the mass produced X-box game system and flat screen t.v.!
Fine Art is an original, hand-made object created by an artist to express beauty, thoughts, or emotions. It is one of a kind! Usually, a fine art object is made to be enjoyed for its beauty or expression alone, and it is not used for anything other than display. Fine art can be in the form of a painting, sculpture, drawing, photograph, or a piece of music, a poem, a story, or a play. Fine art can also be a dance performance or a performance by an actor! Where can you make fine art? In Art class, of course!
Craft objects are also hand-made by an artist, but they are made to be used, or "functional." For many years, art forms such as pottery, furniture design, jewelry design, and textile design were considered more "crafty" and less "fine art." However, there are many "craft" artists who are now considered "fine" artists in today's society. For example, Pueblo potter Maria Martinez and furniture maker Sam Maloof are fine artists! This antique bean and corn mosaic from my husband's family was made from a pattern. It would be considered "crafty" even though it is made to hang on the wall because the person who made it didn't come up with the original idea. A fine artist can be inspired by others, but we like to be original!
Mass Produced art objects are made by machine and are not one of a kind. There could be thousands or millions of copies! These objects were designed by a creative artist, but the objects themselves are far from fine art or craft. We all have furniture, dishes, clothing, and technology in our homes that are mass produced.
Here are some snapshots I took of my son when we got baby chickens last spring...photography is also a fine art!
4. Tena Payne is a fine artist who used to be a corporate recruiter, working for such businesses as Southern Living and Crawford Broadcasting. She decided to change careers and start a business selling her clay work! Her business has grown, and now she employs other artists who follow her designs to make hundreds of plates, mugs, bowls, etc. to supply restaurants all over the country. She still sells her original pieces, but what kind of art would you call the ones created by her employees? Would they be fine art, craft, or mass produced? Absolutely Alabama Interview With Tena Payne
Next, we will be exploring how artists communicate through the language of art; The Elements and Principles of Design.
The Elements of Design are the basic building blocks of an artwork and they are:
After discussing the different types of art, we looked at several fine artists from our state. Students viewed short video clips and wrote down a few facts about each artist:
1. Larry Allen makes original pottery on a pottery wheel. He decorates his pots with the sgraffito method of carving into the clay. Mr. Allen created a "unity" design featuring stylized people with arms outstretched, holding hands, to communicate his desire for world peace after September 11, 2001. Absolutely Alabama Interview With Larry Allen
2. Ricky Trione is a blind painter from Fairhope, Alabama. He lost his eyesight due to an accident but never gave up on being an artist! Before he was blinded, Mr. Trione created a lot of black and white images with a pen. After he lost his sight, he began painting images that were very colorful and vivid! He has the ability to "see" images in his mind. He visits schools, sharing stories of his life and art with students.
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| Cahaba River Lily, artwork by Dori DeCamillis |
3. Dori DeCamillis is originally from Colorado, but she and her husband decided Alabama was the place to be and so they moved here! She owns the Red Dot Gallery in Homewood and is a fabulous painter. Her work has been shown in museums all over the country! When she moved to Alabama, she did a series of paintings about the uniqueness of our state.
4. Tena Payne is a fine artist who used to be a corporate recruiter, working for such businesses as Southern Living and Crawford Broadcasting. She decided to change careers and start a business selling her clay work! Her business has grown, and now she employs other artists who follow her designs to make hundreds of plates, mugs, bowls, etc. to supply restaurants all over the country. She still sells her original pieces, but what kind of art would you call the ones created by her employees? Would they be fine art, craft, or mass produced? Absolutely Alabama Interview With Tena PayneNext, we will be exploring how artists communicate through the language of art; The Elements and Principles of Design.
The Elements of Design are the basic building blocks of an artwork and they are:
Line
Color
Shape
Form
Texture
Value
Space
