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henry fuseli

January 25, 2016 Leave a Comment

My Art Bucket List

The Art Curator for Kids - My Art Bucket List - Credit - Steve Evans

I’ve had the great fortune of seeing a lot of incredibly amazing art in person with my high school/college travels to Europe and my recent travels to NYC, but there are still many artworks that I long to see. Here are the artworks that I haven’t met in person yet but absolutely need to before I die.

The Art Curator for Kids - My Art Bucket List - Credit - Steve Evans

Pablo Picasso’s Guernica

Pablo Picasso, Guernica, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid
Pablo Picasso, Guernica, 1937

In my mind, the most important and remarkable artwork ever made. Picasso is a genius, and I know that when I finally see this in person, I will cry like a baby and not be able to leave the museum.

Update! I got to see this artwork! It was devastatingly amazing. Click here to read more about my experience with Guernica. 

Portrait Statue of Shunjobo Chogen, early 13th century, Todaiji, Nara, Japan

Portrait Statue of Shunjobo Chogen, early 13th century, Todaiji, Nara, Japan
Portrait Statue of Shunjobo Chogen, early 13th century, Todaiji, Nara, Japan

This artwork took my breath away when I first saw it in Gardner’s Art through the Ages. It is haunting and simple, and I need to see it. The good news is that I may be going to Japan this year (squeee!) to visit my sister, so it may be a possibility! For some reason, it reminds me of Donatello’s Penitent Magdalene which nearly made me fall to my feet when I saw it in Florence. Read more about this art in my Art Around the World series.

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This Lesson is in The Curated Connections Library!

Find the full lesson from this post along with hundreds of other art teaching resources and trainings in the Curated Connections Library. Click here for more information about how to join or enter your email below for a free SPARKworks lesson from the membership!

Maori Meetinghouse and Haka

the Art Curator for Kids - Art Around the World - New Zealand - Maori Carving, Whakairo, Haka

I need to see a live haka performance. I love watching them on YouTube, and I need to experience that energy in person. I just saw this incredible video on Facebook today, and it inspired me to write this post. Read more about this art in my Art Around the World series.

Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

One of the Gopuram of Meenakshi Amman Temple at Madurai
Photo Credit: Nataraja

This temple contains approximately 33,000 sculptures. It’s mind-boggling to imagine it, and I need to see it for myself. Read more about this temple in my Art Around the World series.

Hagia Sophia

The Art Curator for Kids - My Art Bucket List - Hagia Sophia - Credit - Arild Vagen
Hagia Sophia, Photo Credit: Arild Vagen

One of my favorite places I have ever visited was the city of Ravenna in Italy which was once the capital of Byzantium. The Byzantine basilicas were out of this world. Hagia Sophia has such an amazing history from being a Christian church to a Muslim mosque. I’d love to see how all of that history can be seen in this one building.

The Art Curator for Kids - My Art Bucket List - Hagia Sophia - Credit - Steve Evans
Photo Credit: Steve Evans

Goya’s Third of May

776px-El_Tres_de_Mayo,_by_Francisco_de_Goya,_from_Prado_thin_black_margin
Francisco Goya, Third of May 1808, 1814

I love this painting. I want to stare at it for an hour.

Great Temple of Amun at Karnak

The Art Curator for Kids - My Art Bucket List - Aman Karnak

The 134 columns in the Hypostyle Hall in this temple complex are 66 feet high and 12 feet in diameter. I can’t even imagine. Want a great lesson on Ancient Egypt? I’ve got one in The Curated Connections Library!

Lascaux Cave

The Art Curator for Kids - My Art Bucket List - Lascaux - Credit - Jack Versloot
Lascaux Cave Painting Reproductions, Photo Credit: Jack Versloot

I want to stand in the place where artists painted on the wall 17,300 years ago and feel the way the air feels. Check out my video on Paleolithic art for more information.

Henry Fuseli’s The Nightmare

Henry Fuseli, The Nightmare, 1781, Detroit Institute of Arts

This so creepy cool. It’s in Detroit, and I get to see it in March this year!

Filed Under: Art and Artists
Tagged With: francisco goya, henry fuseli, pablo picasso

 

May 4, 2015 5 Comments

5 Artworks to Intrigue Your High Schooler

The Art Curator for Kids - 5 Artworks to Intrigue your High Schooler

Welcome back to my series where I curate groups of paintings around themes for use with your students. Each post, I will pick 5 artworks that you could start discussing today in your homeschool or classroom.

Also, check out this post on how to look at art with kids for tips on discussion artworks.

Note about the images in this series: Because of copyright law, I cannot include pictures of all the works discussed. Instead, I have included low-quality thumbnails for reference and commentary. For full versions of those works protected under the law, please click the link or picture to find the image. I couldn’t bear leaving them off the list just because I couldn’t post a pic! Also, click on the pictures to get a bigger copy to see all the details.

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What Do Kids Learn from Looking at Art Poster

Our students learn so much from looking at art. Use this poster in your classroom to remind them of all the skills they’re growing!

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What Do Kids Learn from Looking at Art Poster

Our students learn so much from looking at art. Use this poster in your classroom to remind them of all the skills they’re growing!

In this post, I selected artworks good for all ages. This time, I am focused on captivating the older set. I picked some works that are interesting, quirky, and sure to capture the imagination of your high school students. Let’s get started!

1. Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas, 1939


The Two Fridas, as well as much of the work of Frida Kahlo, is a great painting on which to practice your art interpretation skills. Her paintings are so personal, so real, and so cool. I don’t want you to read anything below until you have clicked the link and looked at the painting on your own (the same goes for your high schooler). Go through these discussion questions and think about it first. Promise?

Frida Kahlo, Two Fridas, 1939, click image to enlarge
Frida Kahlo, Two Fridas, 1939, click image to enlarge
Questions to ask: What’s going on in this painting? What do you see that makes you say that? Who are these women? What is their relationship? How are they dressed? Why are they dressed that way? How are the two women the same? How are they different? What is different about the hearts? What do you think that means? What is she holding (see the close-up shots in the link provided)? Why is she holding that? Why is she using scissors? What do the blood, veins, and heart symbolize? What emotions are present in this artwork? What do you see that makes you say that? How does her use of color contribute to the feeling of the painting? What do you think this artist is trying to say here; what is the meaning or message?

I’m hesitant to give you any information about this because your ideas are just as important as the “real meaning.” I’ll give you a bit to whet your appetite. Did you keep your promise and look/think first? I’m trusting you. Okay, this painting shows two elements of the artist and her mixed ancestry. One side displays her father’s German-Jewish descent, and the other side illustrates her mother’s Mexican roots. The real story shows her tumultuous relationship with the famous Mexican muralist, Diego Rivera. This link has a great roll-over activity showing key elements of the painting and highlights some of the elements of her relationship with Diego.

2. John Feodorov, Animal Spirit Channeling Device for the Contemporary Shaman, 1997


I hate linking to an “unofficial” source, but this link has the full image. I’m not sure why it is cropped in all the official sources.

John Feodorov, Animal Spirit Channeling Device for the Contemporary Shaman, 1997
John Feodorov, Animal Spirit Channeling Device for the Contemporary Shaman, 1997
Questions to ask: What is this? Describe what you see. What elements do you recognize? What to the feathers, bells, and animal fur remind you of? Why? What is the artist saying by putting those objects with a child’s toy? What is the meaning or message? What does the artwork say about contemporary culture? How does the title contribute to your understanding of the meaning?


Remember, your interpretation is just as valid as mine or the artists. Hopefully, when you ask your child about the feathers, bells, fur, and “shaman” in the title, they are reminded of American Indians, but if they don’t get there on their own, you might consider nudging them in that direction. This artwork has lots of connections to mass production in contemporary culture, convenience replacing meaning, cultural assimilation, etc.

This is what the artist had to say about it.

“Western culture likes to castrate the powerful, maybe because it doesn’t want to be less powerful than something else, that maybe it has to bring everything down to a level where…well, maybe it’s capitalism really, to where it’s a product, to where it’s something that can be controlled by purchase, controlled by owning it and by owning, even in art.”
– John Feodorov (source)

3. Nkisi Nkondi power figures made by the Kongo people of Western Africa

Nkisi Nkondi, Congo, c. 1880-1920
Nkisi Nkondi, Congo, c. 1880-1920, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA

Oh, the emotions of an adolescent! Sometimes you need to take a nail and hammer the crap out of it to get your feelings out. That’s kind of what’s happening here.

Questions to ask: Describe this sculpture including the facial expressions and pose. Mimic the facial expression and pose with your body. How does it feel? What emotions are present (both the emotion projected and the emotion of you, the viewer)? What is the significance of the opening in the stomach and the open mouth? What is the purpose of all of the nails in the sculpture? What do you see that makes you say that? Were the nails placed in by the artist or someone else? Why do you think that? Were the nails placed all at the same time or over a period of time? How do you think this sculpture was used by the people who made it? What was its function? Was this intended to be a work of art or not? Why do you think that?


The word nkondi comes from the word “to hunt.” The nkondi is a hunter–hunting down and attacking wrong-doers and enemies (wikipedia). This type of sculpture was used as a healer, protector, hunter, and provider of justice for the Kongo people. There were often holes in the stomach and mouth where medicine bundles were placed to give the sculpture its power. The nails hammered into the sculpture activate the powers and send the sculpture to perform his duty. Mirrors often covered the stomach hole and eyes to connect to a spiritual realm and provide a window to spy on the wrong-doers.

Check out this link for more great information about this type of sculpture. There are many many more sculptures like this. A Google image search for nkisi nkondi will give you lots of choices. Try compare and contrasting the works together for another great looking exercise.

4. Henry Fuseli, The Nightmare, 1781

Honestly, I’m not sure this needs any explanation at all. It’s just one of those artworks that always gets a “whoa!” reaction from anyone who sees it. I’m going to let you think about how to talk about this one on our own with your students. Share initial reactions, theorize about the meaning, and discuss the choices the artist made to intensify the meaning.

Henry Fuseli, The Nightmare, 1781, Detroit Institute of Arts
Henry Fuseli, The Nightmare, 1781, Detroit Institute of Arts


This painting is from the Romantic period in the art of the late 18th century and early 19th centuries. Don’t be fooled by the name, this art period is not about love and kisses and roses. Romantic artists were out to shock and engage the viewer with powerful imagery and emotions, explore elements of the subconscious, connect with other art forms (especially literature), captivate with exotic tales and locations, and mesmerize with the awe and power of nature. This painting sums all that up in one quirky and disturbingly delicious package; don’t you think?

5. Hugo Ball’s Sound Poetry, Karawane, 1916

Hugo Ball in cubist costume performing Karawane, 1916
Hugo Ball in cubist costume performing Karawane, 1916
“If you have serious ideas about life, If you make artistic discoveries and if all of a sudden your head begins to crackle with laughter, If you find all your ideas useless and ridiculous, know that IT IS DADA BEGINNING TO SPEAK TO YOU” Paris January 12, 1921 E. Varèse, Tr. Tzara, Ph. Soupault, Soubeyran, J. Rigaut, G. Ribemont-Dessaignes, M. Ray, F. Picabia, B. Péret, C. Pausaers, R.Hülsenbeeks, J. Evola, M. Ernst, P. Eluard, Suz. Duchamp, M. Duchamp, Crotti, G. Cantarelli, Marg. Buffet, Gab. Buffet, a. Breton, Baargeld, Arp., W. C. Arensberg, L. Aragon

This is Hugo Ball. He was a mover and a shaker in a short-lived art movement in the early 20th century called dada. Rumor has it they picked a random word out of the dictionary to name their group (check out the manifestos linked below for more info about what dada means. Spoiler alert: “DADA DOES NOT MEAN ANYTHING”). While the movement was short and seemingly silly, it began as a reaction against the horrors of World War I. They valued whimsy, irrationality, shock value, and spontaneity to counteract the serious undertones and themes of politics, war, media, language, civil rights, and technology. These artists tested the limits of art by integrating visual art, public gatherings and demonstrations, theatre, poetry, and even just pure sounds. That’s what is happening here with Hugo Ball’s Karawane. He put on this awesome costume and read his poem of nonsensical sounds and words in a cafe. I can’t find a recording of him doing it, but poets.org has a great audio recording of someone giving it a go.

Where do you begin talking about this one with your students? Let them take the lead. They probably are more comfortable with the silly of this than you are. In the past, I’ve made my college students create dada performances in class inspired by the Dada Manifesto by Tristan Tzara and the Dada Manifesto by Hugo Ball. It is great, creative fun. Your high schooler will kind of hate you for making you do it, but it’s fun to torture them a little sometimes; am I right?


Side note:
Although it started as an anti-war movement in Europe, once it hit America it became more about anti-art and questioning the value and purpose of art. Check out this “Ready-made” (That’s a fancy way of saying urinal.) by Marcel Duchamp to see where that went. Is art the idea, or is art the final product?

Dada. Dada, dada. Da. Da.

Thanks for reading! See more art-related posts on Art Class Curator. Which of these artworks did you like the most? Let me know in the comments if you tried out any of these artworks with your kids! What other artworks intrigue your older kids?

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Get the Full Lesson!

This Lesson is in The Curated Connections Library!

Find the full lesson from this post along with hundreds of other art teaching resources and trainings in the Curated Connections Library. Click here for more information about how to join or enter your email below for a free SPARKworks lesson from the membership!

This was originally posted on April 14, 2014.

Filed Under: Art and Artists
Tagged With: frida kahlo, henry fuseli, hugo ball, john feodorov, marcel duchamp

 

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