Charles Mcgee June 4 to September 24, 2011 Teacher’S Guide

2 Centuries, 3 Decades, 28 Works by Charles McGee June 4 to September 24, 2011 Teacher’s Guide

www.marshallfredericks.org (989) 964-7125

2 Centuries, 3 Decades, 28 Works by Charles McGee The word I would use if asked to portray Charles McGee in a single word is prodigious. Both his personality (character and intellect) and his art (sculpture, painting, drawing, and assemblage) are extraordinary and impres- sive. McGee came to Michigan at age ten from a humble childhood in South Carolina and has lived and worked in Detroit for seventy-seven years. Those first ten years shaped the texture and content of who Charles McGee is to- day. His accomplishments as an artist and a human being, as an educator and a gallery owner, present an ency- clopedic journey from modesty to greatness. At age eighty-five in 2009, Charles McGee celebrated his life’s work with a retrospective exhibition at Eastern Michigan University, a body of work that spanned nearly sixty years. In the exhibition catalogue Energy: Charles McGee at Eighty-five, his collage Celebration (2007) is referred to by exhibition curator Julie R. Myers as “one of his greatest masterpieces”. For the last several months, Charles has worked in his Detroit studio to complete the most recent of his “greatest masterpieces,” Play Patterns II, one of his largest ever three-dimensional pieces (at 10’ x 20’), for the exhibition, 2 Centuries, 3 Decades, 28 Works by Charles McGee. In early 2010, shortly after I invited Charles to exhibit his work at the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, he made his first visit to the museum. When we walked into the larger of the two temporary exhibition galleries, he said “I will create a piece for that wall,” gesturing to the largest flat surface in the gallery. Play Patterns II, a mixed- media collage on enamel, was finished in May 2011, four weeks before the opening of 2 Centuries, 3 Decades, 28 Works by Charles McGee. It is my hope that following the exhibition this historically significant assemblage will find its way to an American museum or private collection. In light of his major retrospective at Eastern Michigan University and the mounting of an abbreviated version of that show at Center Galleries at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit less than two years ago, I wanted the focus of this exhibition to be on the second half of Charles’s career, thus the title 2 Centuries, 3 Decades, 28 Works by Charles McGee. In 1980, Charles McGee was fifty-six years of age. During the last thirty years he has produced thousands of drawings and hundreds of paintings and sculptures; taught adult art classes at the Birming- ham Bloomfield Art Center for eleven years; been included in numerous solo and group exhibitions in this country and abroad; completed seventeen public art commissions; and awarded the first Kresge Foundation Eminent Artist Award in 2009. For this exhibition I selected a range of work in multiple media (assemblage, collage, drawing, painting, sculpture, stoneware) from private and public collections and from the artist’s studio, all created in the last three decades. The twenty-eight works in this exhibition represent the exceptional scope of Charles McGee’s oeuvre.

Marilyn L. Wheaton Director, Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum

2 Information on the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum Location: The Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum is located on the campus of Saginaw Valley State Univer- sity in the Arbury Fine Arts Center, 7400 Bay Rd., University Center, MI 48710. Contact Information: Phone…………..… (989)964-7125 Fax………………… (989)964-7221 Email………………. [email protected] Website………...… www.marshallfredericks.org

The Collection: The Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum Collection features a unique collection of hundreds of works that span the career of Marshall M. Fredericks (1908-1998), a traditional figurative public sculptor, who remained active in his metro-Detroit studios until days before his death at age 90. He is known nationally and internationally for his monumental figurative sculpture, public memorials, public fountains, portraits, animals and whimsical animal figures. Main Gallery The Main Gallery features a unique collection of hundreds of works that span the career of Marshall M. Fredericks (1908‐1998), a traditional figurative sculptor, who remained active in his metro Detroit studios until days before his death at 90. He is known nationally and internationally for his monumental figurative sculpture, public memorials, public fountains, portraits, animals and whimsical animal figures. The Main Gallery includes about 200 works, mostly plaster models, which span a 70‐year career of sculpting. The museum holdings include plaster models, cast and carved sculptures, medals, jewelry, miniatures, drawings, photos, site models, molds, armatures, tools, machinery and archival materials. Main Gallery highlights include: Christ on the Cross in Indian River, Michigan; the Fountain of Eternal Life in Cleveland, Ohio; The Expanding Universe Fountain at the State Department in Washing- ton, D.C.; the Freedom of the Human Spirit in Flushing Meadow Park, New York City; the Leaping Gazelle for The Levi Barbour Fountain at Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan; The Spirit of Detroit at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center in Detroit; and The Ford Empire and Harlequin Reliefs at Ford Auditorium in Detroit. The Sculptor’s Studio The Sculptor’s Studio displays a permanent exhibit of objects and artifacts from Fredericks’ studio. After his death in 1998, his entire collection of archives, artwork, studio tools, equipment and some personal items became part of the museum’s collection. These items are arranged in a sequence that explains the casting process. A large di- dactic panel on the lost‐wax and sand‐casting methods further explains the casting process. Visitors also can view a kiosk of original images of Fredericks’ studio interior and exterior, the Sculpture Garden and an extended version of the video “The Magic of Marshall Fredericks: The Poet Lord Byron.” The Sculptor’s Studio furthers the mission of the museum and fulfills Fredericks’ wish of educating visitors about the process of fine art casting.

3 Temporary Exhibition Galleries The Temporary Exhibition Galleries feature changing exhibitions of national, regional and international artists and showcase works from the museum collection. Its first exhibition was Cranbrook Fundamentals, which opened Octo- ber 11, 2003, and closed March 20, 2004. Past exhibitions are listed below.

 Contemporary American Sculpture from the Collection of the Flint Institute of Arts (April 30, 2004 to April 30, 2005)  Prints by Sculptors: From the Collection of the Flint Institute of Arts (April 30 to August 28, 2004)  Visiting Scholar & Artist Series: Paul Rotterdam: Drawings (October 8, 2004, to January 22, 2005), in conjunction with the Dow Visiting Artist Series  The Preacher and His Congregation: From the Collection of the Flint Institute of Arts, Photographs by James Per- ry Walker (February 7 to March 19, 2005), in conjunction with Black History Month  Marshall M. Fredericks, (1908‐1998), (April 15 to August 28, 2005)  The Armature Revealed: From the Collection of the Marshall Fredericks Sculpture Museum (June 10 to Septem- ber 24, 2005)  Nature Transformed: Wood Art from the Bohlen Collection (October 14, 2005 to April 30, 2006)  Marshall M. Fredericks: Selected Works from the Collection (June 1 to January 19, 2007)  Cultural Reflections, Inuit Art from the Collections of the Dennos Museum Center (February 2 to May 19, 2007)  Pewabic Pottery: Patronage, Private Residences, Public Buildings, Sacred Spaces, (June 1 to September 29, 2007)  David Hostetler: Wood and Bronze Sculptures, (October 12, 2007 to January 26, 2008)  Street Sense: A 20 year retrospective of Tyree Guyton and the Heidelberg Project, (Feb. 8 to May 24, 2008)  Regional Biennial Juried Sculpture Exhibition, (June 13 to Sept. 20, 2008)  Tangents and Waves: The Art of David Barr and Diane Carr, (Oct. 3, 2008 to Jan. 31, 2009)  Thayer and Thayer, Paintings and Sculpture, (Feb. 7 to May 29, 2009)  The Softness of Iron: Welded Sculptures by Orna Ben-Ami, (June 12 to September 19, 2009)  Breaking the Mold: Contemporary Chinese and Japanese Ceramic Sculpture and Textile Extensions: Quilts in a New Context, (October 2, 2009 to January 28, 2010)  Sketches to Sculptures: Rendered Reality, Sixty Years with Marshall M. Fredericks, (February 12 to June 12, 2010)  Artists Portray Artists: Selections From the Kresge Art Museum (October 1, 2010 to Jan. 29, 2011)  Art in Architecture: The Collaborative Spirit of the Interwar Period in Detroit (February 5 to May 28, 2011)

Visit our website at www.marshallfredericks.org to view photos and videos of past and current exhibitions. Sculpture Garden School groups can include a Sculpture Garden tour as part of their visit. There are approximately two dozen of Fred- ericks’ sculptures on campus; most of them are close to the museum.

Admission: Admission to the Museum is free to walk-in visitors.

Tour Information: Museum tours can be scheduled by calling 989-964-7096. Arrangements for tours should be made 4 weeks in advance.

4 What is an Artist’s Statement? Artists write about why they make their artwork. There are many reasons for doing artwork. Some of the reasons and influences of doing their art comes from experiences they have had in life, their culture, where they live, the time period in which they live, people or things that influence them, other artists, art movement styles, things they enjoy seeing, media they like to work with and methods they like to use to make art. Question: Ask your students to write a short statement of why they like to do art. Think of the many reasons and influences of why artists make art above. Have them explain why.

Charles McGee’s Art Statement is below. Have your students read it or read it to them and discuss what it means.

Charles McGee Art Statement “Over the time expanse of more than 76 years, I have tried visually to answer the question: What is art? The deeper the probe the more resolute and clear the answer became that all or everything animate and inanimate is art; a series of matter in the form of line, shape, value, texture and color arranged in a signa- ture position which speaks of its time. I stand in constant awe and respect for the logic and vast intelli- gence that manifests in nature’s order. It is from within these broad parameters that my creative imagery finds its form. All animate and inanimate matter acts in the service and replenishment of nature equally. Therefore, I humbly stand before life like an empty pitcher before a full fountain. The system of opposites which governs universal order is the source of energy which fuels all of my creative offerings. Play Patterns II, created expressly for this exhibition, speaks passionately for the strength inherent in the equation of togetherness of all things in cosmic order.”

Charles McGee

5 Charles McGee’s Artwork Influences

There are many things that influence artists and what they create. For example, the time period in which they live, the geographical location in which they live, the social-cultural background in which they’ve lived, art historical influences, and life experiences they have had. Below are excerpts from a biographical article on Charles McGee.

Excerpts from Charles McGee Biography on www.Answers.com page by Ed Decker: http://www.answers.com/topic/charles-mcgee

Born: December 15, 1924, in Clemson, SC.

Education: Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts (now the Center for Creative Studies), 1947-57; Escuela Massana, 1968; Barcelona School of Graphics, 1968.

Life’s Work McGee developed a strong interest in nature during his early youth on a farm in South Carolina, which would later come out in his artwork. He was fascinated with all types of animals and insects, and his communion with the natu- ral world was perhaps more intense since he did not begin going to school until he was ten years old. Sandra Yolles wrote in ARTnews, "It was like nature really had been his [McGee's] classroom and those were his ABCs."

After his family moved to Detroit in the 1930s, McGee began revealing his talents as an artist while attending grade school. As a young adult, he became a factory worker and gained a familiarity with machinery that served him well in later years when he began making sculptures that required metal pieces and welding. Further broaden- ing his artistic perspective was the experience he gained as a mapmaker for the government. The various grids, symbols, and linear structures he worked with as a cartographer became key components of his later artistic creations.

McGee received education in art for a decade during the 1940s and 1950s at the Society of Arts and Crafts in Michigan, which is now called the Center for Creative Studies. "The formal education made him a fine craftsman, able to compose, draw and paint with the ease of someone with a master's degree," wrote Marsha Miro in the De- troit Free Press. This education, combined with the child's eye that remained fresh in McGee, steered him toward the work that would make his mark in the art world.

In the 1970s McGee made a shift into more avant-garde work, incorporating geometric abstractions and devising minimalist sculptures. He began experimenting more with color, using color itself to make a statement through changing tones. His light-based sensitivity was greatly influenced by a 1986 trip he took to Mexico, where the De- troit Institute of Arts had organized a Diego Rivera retrospective. While there he strolled the towns and their central districts, finding that "the light was very individual and informative," according to Glen Mannisto (Detroit Metro Times).

McGee's manipulation of color and geometric shapes is evocatively displayed in Noah's Ark, a series of mixed- media creations begun by the artist in 1980. Begun as mural-size paintings and later turned into sculptures utiliz- ing cutouts of foam-core board and cut aluminum, these works are complex yet primal. They demonstrate both playfulness and sexuality in their juxtaposition of various shapes. Numerous African images are incorporated into them, and the pieces reveal a balance of elements that in many ways symbolizes the balance of nature itself. The series also reveals a childlike hope that the creatures of the world can coexist in harmony. Leading off the series was Noah's Ark: Genesis, which the artist created in 1984. This massive piece consists of four five-by-ten foot panels that feature Egyptian-styled black female figures wrapped by a coiling snake. The figures are on a surface with a variety of animal figures, depicting Noah's ark as a haven during the great flood.

-Ed Decker

6 Noah’s Ark: Friends c. 1984-85 Mixed media and collage on masonite board 96 1/4” x 48”

Description: A young smiling girl with blue eyes kneels in the center of the image area with both arms raised and holding a pair of birds with her right hand and a mole-like creature in the left hand. Other animals, some very abstract, are also found in the composition. They are snakes, worms, a hog, and others. Her hair is real corn braids. Above her, sail- like canvas with grommets and ropes are adhered to the surface. Her dress is fishing net material. Some plastic alphabets are adhered to the surface over her dress area. In this work, McGee combines drawing, painting, and collage into one artwork.

Q & A The title of this work recalls the Christian Biblical story of Noah’s Ark. Research this story with your class and discuss it. Then examine the art and relate the story to it.

Discuss these questions: Name the colors you see in this artwork. Greys, black, orange, red, Does this remind you of a color or black and white movie overall? It almost looks black and white except for the reds, oranges and blue. Is this low- key or high-key colors? Low-key colors are darker value and high-key are brighter value colors. This is mostly low key colors. The more intense colors are red and orange.

Have the students discuss why he might have used mostly grey colors in this artwork.

What materials does he use to give a sense of sailing? Netting for the dress, canvas like the sails on a ship, rope like that found on a sailing vessel.

What can you recognize in this artwork? Snakes, a person, 4-legged animals, worms, birds, zig zags, exit sign

Art Activity Have the students create a collage artwork. Select objects and things to adhere to a surface that might relate to a theme of theirs. Select a variety of materials like cloth, plastic netting, paper, etc.

Facts: From the middle 1800s to the early 1900s Victorian Hair wreaths were popular. Hair from a deceased person was gathered and saved and then woven into a wreath form. Non-wreath forms were used also made. The wreath form was open at the top (resembling a horseshoe) to allow for the deceased to rise to heaven. This also was a memorial for family members and heirloom that was passed down from generation to generation. The hair was woven and shaped with rods and thin wire into intricate flower-like forms and other forms. The different color hairs pro- vided color variety and different values. Shadow boxes were created for these because it was a relief sculptural form protected within the shadow box frame. Sometimes friends or groups donated hair and made them for special projects. Google “Victorian Hair Wreaths” to see images.

7 Q & A What is hydrostone? A very hard and durable plaster.

What is a ritual? An established or prescribed procedure for a religious or other rite. (Dictionary.com)

Do artists make artwork for ritual purposes? Yes. Have students name some rituals like anniversaries, birthdays, religious related rituals, dressing yourself daily, etc.

Visit the Art21 Website to learn more about the use of ritual in art making at: http://www.pbs.org/art21/education/ritual/ lesson3.html

The following paragraph was taken from the Art21 website. View videos on the three artists listed below and learn about how they use ritual in art making.

Many of the artists featured in Art in the Twenty-First Century discuss their working process and the routines and rituals they make part of their art. Janine Antoni makes repetition and ritual one of the central themes of her work in the interest of “bringing you back to the making, the meaning of the making.” Gabriel Orozco takes walks as part of his practice of making art outside of a formal or fixed studio. Bruce Nauman diligently records daily activities on his ranch in New Mexico and reflects on them as a form of meditation and an art practice.

Afterwards have a discussion with your students about how these artists use rituals in their art making.

Name some of the imagery that can be seen in McGee’s artwork. Worms, 4 legged animals with spots, birds, circles, lines, spirals, zig zag lines, bugs, and snakes.

Why do you think he used these images? Because he may be Ritual Icon #1 aware of them in his environment. Another reason could be that 1993 these mean something to him. Have students discuss this. See Painted hydrostone page 6 for more information. 67” x 35” x 22 1/2” Related Research: Description: This work resembles an index fin- You can find linear primitive drawings from ancient and primitive ger pointing upward. Its surface is like fiber- cultures that relate to this artwork style. glass or hard plastic. Primitive linear forms are drawn on the surface with black sharpie-like Artists that relate in style are: Keith Haring, Jean-Michel pen. The imagery is abstracted and primitive in Basquiat, Jaune Quick-to-see-Smith, and Emmi Whitehorse, style. The drawn images overlap each other Aborigional art, Meso and South American art and graffiti art and create a netting-like layer over a light valued blue-green color. A dark band around the base area also shares the same imagery. Art Activity Some of the imagery relates to Noah’s Ark: Ritual Icon Art Project Friends and Noah’s Ark: Time Modules. The tip Have your students create a non-objective form in paper maché and a low center band are the only areas with and then paint and draw imagery on the surface. The imagery no imagery. There is a base with a raised should be derived from their personal life. Have them do prelimi- edge . A layer of sand conceals the clamps nary drawings of these and then redraw them on the artwork. holding it to the base.

8 Noah’s Ark: Time Modules 1987 Oil marker on masonite board 24” x 36”

Description: A black oil marker drawing on a white gessoed or painted surface. Some pencil lines are visible. Recognizable images include snakes, worms, spirals, zig zags, parallel lines, dots, bug-like forms, etc. There is only black and white for color within the drawing and the neutral col- or of the masonite around the drawing edges.

Q & A What is line? Line is a continuous moving dot. Can you see line in this artwork? Yes. Have your students look at the lines. Notice how McGee creates a white space around some of the line work in front of a dark area. This makes the line visible instead of merging into the background.

When you look at the artwork at a whole is the black and white areas balanced? Yes. Explain this.

Can you see a rectangular form in the composition? Yes, it stretches from left to right with angled edges.

Does the rectangular box look like it’s in front or behind the drawn objects? It looks like it’s behind. How does McGee make thinks look like they are behind something. He uses an art technique called overlapping. He draws imagery on top of another image or shape.

Have you ever looked at the clouds and seen animals or different things you recognize. Well if you look at this artwork do you see things that remind you of anything? Yes , I see an animal form as a whole, or other creatures. Ask the students to give you their thoughts on what they see in this artwork.

Art Activity Using only a white sheet of paper and black marker, have the students do abstract line drawings of shapes, lines, dots, and some recognizable imagery that is not true to real life. Have them overlap the shapes over other shapes. Ask them to create solid black and white areas within the drawing. Remind them that there must balance overall. Use dots and parallel lines to create middle values and textural areas.

9 Celebration 2007 Enamel, paper and fabric collage 60” x 84”

Description: A rectangular canvas with an under -painting of yellow and orange linear layered lace-like imagery. The linear imagery relates to the drawing in Noah’s Ark: Time Modules and Ritual Icon #1. Darker valued layered images are central and contained on the art. Some of the images are very abstracted human forms in dance-like positions. Tex- tures define different shapes. On these forms, McGee uses textiles with various designs for the shapes to create actual and implied texture.

Q & A What is value? The lightness or darkness of a color. What colors display different values? Yellow, orange, black.

How does McGee create the lace-like imagery? By painting layers of different colors over one another. Each layer is not solid and under layers are visible. When you stand a distance away, it merges into a textural area of yellow and orange values.

Can you see what figures are in the foreground and background with the central human forms? Have the students discuss this.

What is abstraction? Abstraction is altering or changing of representational imagery, but with the imagery still recognizable. Have students look closely at the abstracted human forms. And discuss how they are abstracted.

What is texture? Texture refers to the surface quality, actual or implied. How does McGee create texture on the forms? He collaged fabrics directly to the surface. Examine the different textures created on the forms. He also creates texture by painting layers of line work over other layers.

How can artists create textures on two-dimensional art? They can adhere a real textural object to the surface or paint or draw implied textures. In this case, McGee has done both.

What do you think the title of the work “Celebration” means? The figures dance in a joyous fashion in the composition. Have the students respond to the question.

Art Activity Have students create an abstract artwork using both actual texture and implied texture. Do a demonstration of various ways to create implied texture. You can get scraps of fabrics, potato sack netting, plastic netting, etc. and use these for the actual textures. Remind them of the visual elements such as line, texture, value, color, and shape when they are creating their design.

10 Top: Original drawing for Play Patterns II on tracing paper, 11” x 22 1/4”

Bottom: Play Patterns II 2010-2011 Enamel, fabric, and mixed media on Dibond 120” x 240”

11 Charles McGee working on Play Patterns II, in his Detroit studio.

12 Charles McGee and an assistant working on Play Patterns II in his Detroit Studio.

13 The History of Play Patterns II. In early 2010, shortly after Marilyn Wheaton, director of the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, invited Charles to exhibit his work at the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, he made his first visit to the museum. When he walked into the larger of the two temporary exhibition galleries, he said “I will create a piece for that wall,” gesturing to the largest flat surface in the gallery. Play Patterns II, a mixed-media collage on enamel, was finished in May 2011, four weeks before the opening of 2 Centuries, 3 Decades, 28 Works by Charles McGee.

While in the process of creating Play Patterns II, McGee was hospitalized due to a stroke. Many friends and students assisted him with finishing this artwork in time for the exhibition. The friends and students are Linda Allen, Christina Haylett and Sarah Kalikow. McGee was grateful for their voluntary assistance.

Description Play Patterns II consists of four 5’ x 10’ panels that are aligned upright (10’ high) next to each other to create a 20’ wide by 10’ high painting. Like Celebration, Play Patterns II has a painted textural-like background. Some primitive- like forms can be seen in blue, orange and lavender over a neutral background. Darker-valued figures and animals are layered over the top of the textural background. Textures define some of the different figures and animals. On these forms, McGee uses textiles with various designs for the shapes to create actual and implied texture. He also uses solid dark colors like a silhouette to define the figures faces, arms, legs, feet, and snakes. On page 11 an image of the original drawing for the painting is above the image of the painting. Contrast and compare the two.

Q & A Contrast and compare the human figures in Celebration and Play Patterns II. What is the difference? There are abstracted forms in both paintings. However, the human figures are more true to life in Play Patterns II.

What do you think the name of the painting means? Look at the images and let your students discuss what they see and what they think is happening in this artwork. The four figures to the right seem to be trying to grasp or hold the two snakes. The single figure to the left holds some kind of object. Perhaps this is some type of ritual. Some small birds and a dog appear with the human figures. These images echo the imagery in some of his past work.. This is a narrative, a story that is told with images.

Why did McGee paint the snakes as if he was looking at them from above? They are more recognizable then from seeing them at a side angle. “Twisted perspective” is a method ancient artists would use to make forms more recognizable and identifiable.

What culture(s) can you compare McGee’s artwork to? Aboriginal people. In fact you can find Aboriginal artwork that relates in imagery to some of McGee’s art. Also African artwork. His abstractions relate to abstractions in Afri- can art.

Many of McGee’s artworks include snake forms. Why do you think he might use snakes in his art? In Aboriginal art they represent mother earth. In other cultures snakes can mean deceit, fertility, guardians, poison, and vindictive. Look up the symbolism on what you see in his artwork.

McGee uses blues and oranges in the background. What is significant about these colors? They are complementary colors. Complementary colors are opposite each other on a color wheel. When placed side by side they become vi- brant.

Art Activity Explain to your students what a narrative is. Then have your students create an artwork that tells a story. Post all the finished works for the class to see. Have the students try to guess what the story is in each artwork. Then have the artist tell them the story they narrated in their artwork.

14 Glossary

Abstract: recognizable imagery greatly altered or changed from reality Background: the part of an image represented as being at maximum distance from the frontal plane Balance: The equal distribution of weight or force (actual or implied) among the visual or compositional elements. Also an equal state of tension through imbalance of elements. Collage: A picture or design achieved by adhering two-dimensional elements such as photographs, drawings, news- paper, cloth, wallpaper, etc. to a surface. You can also adhere three-dimensional objects to a surface thereby creating a “relief”. The word collage (in French coller) means “to paste”. Color: hue Complementary colors: Colors opposite to each other on the color wheel. Foreground: The ground or parts situated, or represented as situated, in the front; the portion of a scene nearest to the viewer ( opposed to background). High-Key Colors: having medium to light values Low-Key Colors: having medium to dark values Line: a moving dot or point Narrative: A story that is told with images. Non-objective: having no recognizable imagery to what we know in real life; also called non-representational Overlapping: A device an artist uses to show depth. Paper maché: A substance made of pulped paper or paper pulp mixed with glue and other materials or of layers of paper glued and pressed together, molded when moist to form various articles, and becoming hard and strong when dry. Plaster: A white powdery mixture of lime and sand that forms a paste when combined with water. Plaster hardens when it dries. Shape: An area within a composition that has boundaries that separate it from what surrounds it, making it dis- tinct. Texture: The surface character of an object, actual or implied. Actual texture: impasto-thick application of medium to create actual texture on a surface; tactile Visual or implied texture: illusion of an actual texture; trompe l’oeil (fool the eye) is a term do describe realistic ren- dering art form Twisted perspective: method of drawing frontal imagery with a side view Two-dimensional: having length and width Value: The lightness or darkness of a hue/color.

Resources: Dictionary.com; Note: Other resources are noted within the guide. Photo credits: Michelle Andonian, Geoffe Haney, Adam Baudoux, The Detroit News Archives