The Discovery, A Unit Plan Exploration and Manifestation of In Seven Weeks Recommended for and the First Amendment. Grades 10-12

The Pennsylvania State University School of Visual Arts, Art Education Professor Kim Powell Garrison Gunter COPYRIGHT NOTICE — SHARE OR BEWARE! — REMIX & COLLABORATE This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 543 Howard Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA. Contents Teaching Philosophy 5 My teaching philosophy in many ways parallels my art making philoso- phy. I believe that the three common methods of teaching art today are all important components in the scaffolding of a successful education in the arts.

About this Booklet 5 Unit Plan 7 Standards Met by Unit: 10 Lesson 1 / Week 1- Unit Overview 14 This first lesson will present the entire Unit’s goals to the class and provide students with a broad overview of the relevancy of street art and the value it holds in society.

Guided Lessons Grading Rubric 19

Gu i d e d Lessons Lesson 2 / Week 2- 22 The second Lesson will present the artist Shepard Fairey who is known for his Obey Giant Campaign. Lesson two’s assignment will be to bootleg the sticker project any real giant has a posse.

Lesson 3 / Week 3- Stencil Art 23 Stencil art and the work of Street Artist John Tsombikos who is in- ternationally known for his BORF campaign containing an image of a friend of his who committed suicide.

Lesson 4 / Week 4- Ex/ 25 Installation art is probably one of the most familiar forms of people encounter. Lesson four presents artists whose installation work is not commissioned yet often receives praise from the general public.

Lesson 5 / Week 5- Technology in Street Art 27 While Technology is rather new to Street art, projects like LED Throw- ies make this style one of the most exciting forms gaining the attention of both those within and outside the street art community.

Cu lminating Per f ormance Lesson 6 / Weeks 6-7 Final Projects: Implementing a street art campaign. 32 The final lesson for this Unit will allow students to take the informa- tion they have learned from the previous lessons to implement their own ideas for Street Art Activism.

Teaching Philosophy though, I think it is important to have students build upon the knowledge of others, to be in- My teaching philosophy in many ways parallels formed by the histories available to them. While my art making philosophy. I believe that the it is sometimes important to have students learn three common methods of teaching art today are the process of doing in a foundational way, it all important components in the scaffolding of a is also valuable to give them the opportunity to successful education in the arts. Self-expression, work off of existing knowledge to let them ex- DBAE, and the use of Visual Culture all help plore new ideas giving them a sense of ownership to inform the way I view the world through my for their work. I want my students to not only be art and therefore must be included in my teach- able to perform actions to support their under- ing practices. Each of these methods are woven standing of their art lessons, I want them to use amongst each other and I believe should be used their understanding to create their own indepen- together to help students gain a strong under- dent and meaningful work. standing of art today as well as historical repre- sentations of art. Abo u t this Boo k let

I have always been the sort of student who was This booklet contains a unit plan on Street Art interested in assisting my peers on projects or for High School students. The recommended with their understanding of their own work. grade level is between 10-12. I recommend this Throughout all of the various kinds of work and grade level for a number of reason including the art making I have done, the practice of teaching content of the work studied and the skills re- has always stood out as being the most satisfy- quired to complete the projects. As an educator ing. I love to produce bodies of work and there who believes that topics in art education should is always a theme that runs through my work that be adaptable to suit the needs of a dynamic range helps it to have a visually cohesive appearance. of students, I think that with some changes any My use of limitations and rules in my art making teacher in the arts could easily alter some of the practice has helped me to think of successful ways selected sources for this unit to suit the needs of to bring the artists process into the classroom. students in earlier grade levels.

I am most interested in giving students the op- Because the work of street artists is ever chang- portunity to use art as a means to explore their ing, have selected artists whose work is known understanding of themselves and their commu- by their contemporaries to be of the finest in its’ nity or the world. This sounds like a broad goal field. My recommendation for educators who but really it is an interest to help students un- are interested in using this unit in an urban set- derstand the way they understand things. Some- ting would be to change the artists whose work times the outcome may and often is a visual one, is studied to reflect notable contributors to the but understanding is not limited to one way of street arts movement locally wherever you are. thinking so many forms of art may be employed While the artists I’ve chosen are great examples, to resolve issues in students daily lives and no you may find that your students can identify media is unacceptable. There is something to more readily with artists whose work can actually learn from any media or method of solving ar- bee seen first hand on the streets or in galleries tistic problems and that is what I am most inter- near your school. ested in teaching students about. If you find this unit useful and have success in My preferred method for the process of this implementing it with a class, please let me know learning experience is a constructivist way of by sending me an email and some examples. working. Unlike traditional constructivists Aloha, Garrison Gunter Teaching Philosophy 5

Unit Plan Unit Rationale: The purpose of this unit is to show the connec- tions between art, culture and community. By Generative Topic providing examples of artists and issues that Street Art students can relate to, the intentions of this unit are to show students how important artwork is Unit Length: that not only comments on society but also can be Approx. 7 weeks seen within the public domain. Artists like Keith Grade Level: Haring became well known for their public works 10-12 of art, but much of his original work has been over shadowed by the influence it had on the pop Key concepts addressed in this unit: art world. This is a primary example of the kind Public Art and the 1st Amendment of understanding students should gain through this unit. Learning about the history of pop art- Other Generative topics that might precede and ists like Haring helps students make connections follow this unit: between social issues and the visual culture that Sub/Urban Culture and Skateboarding. Large surrounds them that often becomes transparent. Scale Public Art. Overarching Understanding Goals: References consulted: 1. What is a grass roots effort? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_Art 2. How does politics relate to art? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Types_of_graffiti 3. What is the public domain? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass roots 4. Who decides what is public and what is pri- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_amendment vate? (or does the First Amendment protect free http://www.pop.ac/index.html speech?) http://www.peelmagazine.com/home.html http://www.haring.com/index.html http://www.tourdelee.com/index.htm Unit-long Understanding Goals/Learning http://www.socialpest.com/ objectives: http://www.beautifulangle.homestead.com/ http://www.areyougeneric.org/ 1. What is Street Art? http://www.prdctvsm.com/ Students will understand that Street Art is an independently http://www.breakdownpress.org/stickers.html fashioned form of community art-making that usually has a http://www.instructables.com/ personal meaning or purpose. http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/astro.temple. edu/~ruby/wava/alex/index.html http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/cur- 2. Who makes Street Art? rent/1999/022599/FWIW.html Students will be able to identify key artists/organizations associ- http://www.huckgee.com/hucks_story.htm ated with the street art movement. http://laws.lp.findlaw.com/2nd/9590890.html http://www.turfizm.com/site-fl.html 3. What is the purpose of Street Art? http://www.ohashi-lab.bio.kyutech.ac.jp/~shin/CUS- Students will understand the importance of raising community TOM_DESIGNED_COLLECTION/ awareness about important unaddressed issues and the value of http://www.dozegreen.com/ grass roots efforts. http://www.obeygiant.com/ http://visualresistance.org/wordpress/2005/05/24/ 4. Where does Street Art happen? stencils-for-high-schools/ http://www.m-city.org/ Students will be able to identify key public spaces where street art http://warfire.org/WarFire.htm#The_Poles_Project_ is commonly found within and outside their own community. Street Art: Unit Plan 7 Performances of Understanding (Activities) Ongoing Assessment (e.g., formative and summative assessments such as reflection, guided discussions/feedback, rubrics, portfolio; and summative assessment, exams, papers) Introductory Performances/activities: Ongoing Assessment:

The history of Street Art, , Stenciling and Guided discussion and Blackbooks Paste-ups. Defining each of these terms, iden- tifying past and current artists like Keith Har- ing, Lee Quinones, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Barry McGee and Shepard Fairey.

Creative resourcing- art supplies, public and Collected examples- entries in blackbooks. private resources- what’s available to you?

Beginning a grass roots campaign: Finding a Student built rubric for grass roots campaign cause, implementing a process, creating rules and using a structure.

UG1/UG2/UG4

Guided Inquiry Performances: Ongoing Assessment:

Sticker Art Project (drawn and printed). Sticker entry into blackbooks and mail response bootlegging Andre the Giant has a Posse from OBEY from stickers sent to specified trading sources- GIANT- Shepard Fairey i.e. OBEY GIANT.

How to prepare artwork for stenciling Group crit and discussion- readability of design i.e. using contact shelf paper, cardboard. and implementation of it.

Installation Art Group crit and discussion- readability of design and implementation of it.

Rules (making your own) of Street Art A student made rubric like guide system for their discussing materials, spaces, sensitivity to com- final street art project. munity.

New Technology in Street Art: LED Throwies Quality of construction and functionality and creativity of construction.

Beyond the limits of technology- using technol- Guided discussion, research entries in black- ogy in uncommon places and thinking about book. Each student will propose a project that natural resources for power? uses technology in an innovative way. (UG1, UG2, etc.)

8 Street Art: Unit Plan Performances of Understanding (Activities) Ongoing Assessment Co n t i n u e d Co n t i n u e d

Culminating Performance(s) Ongoing Assessment:

Continuing an existing effort/starting a new ef- Peer reviews fort.

Knowing and understanding the 1st amendment. blackbook entries that illustrate the importance of the first amendment and common misconcep- tions of what it protects.

Art Activism Documentation and implementation of group street art project. Incl. photos, blackbook.

Getting the community involved through local Feedback from community members. interests and the fun factor.

Street Art: Unit Plan 9 Stan d ar d s Met by Unit : H. Identify, describe and analyze the work of Pennsylvania Artists in dance, music, theatre and 9.1.12 Production, Performance and Exhi- visual arts (most likely Philadelphia and Pitts- bition of Dance, Music, Theatre and Visual burgh artists). Arts. L. Identify, explain and analyze common themes, B. Recognize, know, use and demonstrate a va- forms and techniques from works in the arts riety of appropriate arts elements and principles (e.g., Copland and Graham’s Appalachian Spring and to produce, review and revise original works in Millet’s The Gleaners). the arts. i.e. paint • draw • craft • sculpt • print • design for environment, communication, multi- 9.3.12 Critical Response media. A. Explain and apply the critical examination E. Delineate a unifying theme through the processes of works in the arts and humanities. production of a work of art that reflects skills in •Compare and contrast media processes and techniques. •Analyze •Interpret F. Analyze works of arts influenced by experi- •Form and test hypotheses ences or historical and cultural events through •Evaluate/form judgments production, performance or exhibition. B. Determine and apply criteria to a person’s H. Incorporate the effective and safe use of ma- work and works of others in the arts (e.g., use vi- terials, equipment and tools into the production sual scanning techniques to critique the student’s of works in the arts at work and performance own use of sculptural space in comparison to spaces. Julio Gonzales’ use of space in Woman Combing • Evaluate the use and applications of materials. Her Hair). • Evaluate issues of cleanliness related to the arts. • Evaluate differences among selected physical 9.4.12 Aesthetic Response space/environment. • Evaluate the use and apply safe methods for A. Evaluate an individual’s philosophical state- storing materials in the arts. ment on a work in the arts and its relationship to one’s own life based on knowledge and experi- J. Analyze and evaluate the use of traditional and ence. contemporary technologies for producing, per- forming and exhibiting works in the arts or the B. Describe and analyze the effects that works in works of others. the arts have on groups, individuals and the cul- • Analyze traditional technologies (e.g., hand ture (e.g., Orson Welles’ 1938 radio broadcast, drawing, printing). War of the Worlds). • Analyze contemporary technologies (e.g., photographic tools, digital cameras, Photoshop, C. Compare and contrast the attributes of vari- Illustrator). ous audiences’ environments as they influence individual aesthetic response (e.g., viewing tradi- 9.2.12 Historical and Cultural Contexts tional Irish dance at county fair versus the perfor- mance of River Dance in a concert hall). A. Explain the historical, cultural and social context of an individual work in the arts.

E. Analyze how historical events and culture im- pact forms, techniques and purposes of works in the arts (e.g., Guernica, Ghost Bike)

10 Street Art: Unit Plan- Education Standards Notes

Street Art: Unit Plan- Education Standards 11 Discoverythe Street art is any art developed in public spaces — that is, “in the streets” — though the term usually refers to art of an illicit nature, as opposed to gov- ernment sponsored initiatives.

The term can include traditional graffiti artwork, , sticker art, wheat pasting and , street video projections, art intervention, and installation art. Typically, Street Art is used to distinguish contemporary public-space artwork from territorial graffiti, vandalism, and corporate art. the Wikipedia Lesson 1 / Wee k 1- Unit Ov er v iew be political and can relate to anything from local This first lesson will present the entire Unit’s community development issues to promoting goals to the class and provide students with a their own interests in public art. broad overview of the relevancy of street art and the value it holds in society. A Brief Overview of DEMSAFA

Understanding Goals addressed by this Creating a language of symbols not dissimilar to lesson: conventional commercial signage, street art often proposes to inform the public of certain issues OAG’s and is sometimes used as a vehicle of self promo- 1. What is a grass roots effort? tion for arts based campaigns. Similar to the 2. How does politics relate to art? reading of commercial advertising, this artwork 3. What is the public domain? also goes unnoticed or falls below the radar of 4. Who decides what is public and what is pri- many people. vate? (or does the First Amendment protect free speech?) Starting the Lesson: DAY ONE Learning objectives: What is Street Art? 1. What is Street Art? Students are asked to answer this question with Students will understand that Street Art is an independently their current understanding of street art. fashioned form of community art-making that usually has a personal meaning or purpose. Street art is artwork that is made in the public domain and meant for public consumption. It 2. Who makes Street Art? is a form of art that is free to view and own if Students will be able to identify key artists/organizations associ- presented in a way that supports consumption, ated with the street art movement. i.e. made on cardboard or other portable materi- als. The street art culture follows certain guide- 3. What is the purpose of Street Art? lines that relate to public and private property, Students will understand the importance of raising community vandalism and free speech. Through it’s more awareness about important unaddressed issues and the value of recent history, street art has gone from being grass roots efforts. an underground and antisocial to being so well accepted that there are magazines and hundreds 4. Where does Street Art happen? of websites that follow artists and their social Students will be able to identify key public spaces where street art campaigns. We may touch briefly on Italian is commonly found within and outside their own community. Street Painting which is one of the earlier forms of public art in western society. We will cover Materials Needed: different forms within the street art movement, Computer, digital projector, computer lab, note/ which is not necessarily a comprehensive scope of sketchbooks, writing materials, drawing materi- street art styles, that include stenciling, sticker- als. ing, cardboard and other 3D materials and finally technology in street art. Students should begin using sketchbooks to write notes about the artists and styles mentioned in We’ll look at some examples of Street Art made this introduction lesson. Students will be in- with the various media types we will be working formed that the main goal of this unit is for with in class as well as spray paint graffiti. groups to develop art campaigns to support a cause that interests them. This is not meant to

14 Street Art: Lesson One- Unit Overview DAY TWO money for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts sup- Who makes Street Art? porting the Boys and Girls Club of America. (not necessarily in order nor complete) Jean -Michel Basq u iat We will get more detailed as far as who the artists were, what their history is and how their artwork An Early entrepreneur in the is viewed today. More examples than the three New York “handmade T-shirt” presented will be available to allow for a more market, Basquiat began his thorough understanding while reserving some relationship with the street by artists for specific lessons to come. selling hand painted t-shirts on the streets of New York. Pro- Keith Haring jected into the spotlight by his appearances on public access tv The most identifiable street show in New York, Basquiat gained notoriety and artist in recent times is Keith after his participation in the group exhibition Haring who many people today “Times Square Show” in 1980 his works follow- know for his pop art style. Har- ing continued to gain momentum. Basquiat’s ing began creating the art he is work typifies historical references to graffiti best known for in the New York subway system which hail from roman and greek examples of where he drew with chalk on unused advertis- drawings that were graffito or scratched into the ing spots. His bold lines and socially/politically surface of walls. Working in a style that today charged messages were engaging and understand- could also be categorized as relating to the self able to a broad audience which quickly made taught art movement. In 1988 Basquiat over- Haring a notable figure in the 80’s pop art move- dosed on heroin just a year after the loss of his ment. friend Andy Warhol. Haring formed the Keith Haring Foundation which is dedicated to funding non profit efforts These three artists are considered the frontrun- to improve the lives of children and propel the ners of the New York street art scene, using the publics understanding of AIDS. Wikipedia, find other artists in the street art or public art genre who make socially engaged Lee Qu i ñ ones artworks by using stickers, stencils, cardboard, wood, paint, etc... Lee Quiñones is best known for his Graffiti work dur- Some other street artists: Shepard Fairey, Mark ing the same time period as Gonzales, Banksey and Josh MacPhee. For a more Haring in New York City. complete listing See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ Known as a frontline pro- Street_Artists ponent of the post-graffiti art movement which pushes to establish graffiti art styles as an im- portant component of contemporary art. The post-graffiti movement transitions graffiti from the sides of trains and the undersides of bridges to the canvas and subsequently the gallery and museum.

In 2005 Quiñones set out on a fund-raising bicycle tour from New York to Florida to raise

Street Art: Lesson One- Unit Overview 15 DAY THREE For their final assignment, students will be What materials are used to make street art? broken up into groups. Each group will have 4 people in it who have individual responsibilities. Street artists have typically used whatever medi- um they are comfortable with to get their mes- Creative Director: Responsible for overall look and sage out to the public. While many people would feel of the project. consider spray paint graffiti to be the most com- Concept Manager: Responsible for the big idea behind mon form of street art, there are other forms of the project. public art making with new forms being thought Graphic Designer: Responsible for making sure the up all the time. Creative Directors’ direction is maintained. Marketing Director: Responsible for ensuring the Stic k er Art - A stack of “Hello, My Name Is” project gains public awareness. stickers, or full size sheets of sticker printer pa- *Distribution: Everyone on each team is responsible for per, whatever your taste the crack-and-peel pub- distribution. lic art method is a great way to put your message Students will be given a chance to have a guided group discussion out there, big or small. Notable Artist- Shepard Fairey to decide on their choice of materials and role in their group.

Stenciling - Using a copier, Photoshop, or Il- Students will enter an open dialog forum during lustrator, artists begin by taking a photo or other these two days dedicated to discussing relevant image and knocking it down to just 2 colors, topics related to the unit’s goals. We’ll talk about black and white- or take pieces of an image and grass roots efforts and community activism. break them up to have a multi colored stencil- ei- ther way, the stencil can be used to easily replicate We’ll also go over issues of privacy and free an art project and you can produce your mul- speech and talk about safety and legality related to tiples on site or in the studio. Notable Artist- making and showing public works of art.

Mar k ers /Paint on Car d boar d or chipboar d - What materials would you like to use to create your own street Decide on using markers or paint on cardboard art campaign? cutouts or step it up with jigsaw cut chipboard or plywood. See http://whendogsfly.com/ for example. Like the materials you’ve heard about? Have something in mind already? Over the next few Wheat Pasting - This form of street art is rooted weeks we’ll be exploring different forms of art in the practices of bookmaking, papier-mâché, production that are commonly used by street art- and was/is used to adhere ads to walls. Like all of ists. The rest of this lesson will be a self guided the above forms of street art, wheat pasting is a inquiry into the world of street art. Using select great semi-permanent way of promoting a cause sources, browse and learn about artists whose and allows for much larger projects that can be work interests you. Choose a style of street art easily (carefully) removed with water. Notable Art- that appeals to you and find 4 other students who ist- Shepard Fairey are interested in the same style. Your group is responsible for developing a theme/topic that Ending the Lesson: you would like to explore. Consider how your DAY FOUR AND FIVE style can inform your message as we look at more in depth examples of street art from around the globe. Students will be given further information about their final projects and their responsibilities.

16 Street Art: Lesson One- Unit Overview Assessment of Student Learning:

Blackbook entries by students with examples of artists and styles.

Street Art: Lesson One- Unit Overview 17 The guided lessons in this u n i t are the process oriented skill building c o m p o n e n t in the u n i t. Guided Lessons for this u n i t i n c l u d e: Sticker Art Stencil Art Cardboard and other 3D styles Technology used in Street Art Gu i d e d Lessons Gra d ing Ru bric

In Progress Novice Intermediate advanced Criteria (n e c e s s a r y / u s e f u l s k i l l s f o r c o m p l e t i n g t h e p r o j e c t )

Resourcing Familiarity with the supplies Utilizes basic knowledge of the Student is able to redefine/al- Ability to fulfill the Intermediate Re- identified for the lesson. resources to successfully com- ter the resource to give it new quirement and uncommon use of plete the lesson. meaning. or use of uncommon resource for project.

Originality/ Thoughtful and engaging idea. Follows recommended guide- Pushes the boundaries of the Ability to fulfill the Intermediate Re- Concept lines for project projects guidelines quirement and/or is able to devel- op their own guidelines.

Craftsmanship Familiarity with the tools such Uses tools and supplies to- Exhibits an advanced under- Ability to fulfill the Intermediate as software, cutting tools, paint gether as recommended in the standing or skill in the use of Requirement and uses their skill , etc... project instructions. the projects tools and supplies. and knowledge to help others improve their work.

Message/ Basic understanding of se- Project shows a simple but Project is developed by creat- Ability to fulfill the Intermediate Functionality miotics and how images can well thought out message and ing a strong message that is in- Requirement and is able to help signify meaning. is clearly defined but may not terconnected with or uses the others to gain a better under- have a relationship that is com- resources and tools by focusing standing through feedback. pulsory to the tools and sup- in on the resources strengths. plies. Notes Guided Sticker art is a form of street art in which the mes- sage is conveyed by stickers. Sticker art is most no- ticeable in well-trafficked urban areas.

Stickers may promote a political agenda (such as the anti-war and anti- George W. Bush stickers below), comment on a policy or issue (such as the MIT sticker below), or comprise an avant-garde art campaign (see This Is A Heavy Product and Obey Giant). Sticker art has been created by pop.ac (formerly known as Art Collart), a Hamburg artist, in 1987. the Wikipedia Explorationsthe

Stencil graffiti makes use of a paper, card- board, or other media to create an image or text that is easily repro- ducible.

The desired design is cut out onto the piece of paper and then the image is transferred to a surface through the use of spray paint or roll-on paint.... Those who make and apply stencils have many motivations. For some, it is an easy method to produce a political message. Many artists appreciate the publicity that their artwork can receive. And some just want their work to be seen. the Wikipedia Installation art is art that the uses of sculptural materials and other media to modify the way we experience a par- ticular space.

Installation art is not necessarily confined to gallery spaces and can refer to any material intervention in everyday public or private spaces.

Installation art incorporates almost any media to create a visceral and/or conceptual experience in a particular environment. Materials used in contemporary installation art range from everyday and natural materials to new media such as video, sound, performance, computers and the internet. Some installations are site-specific in that they are designed to only exist in the space for which they were created. the Wikipedia Various techniques such as using projectors, LED throwies, and even pirate radio could all be consid- ered “electronic graffiti”. Other forms of electronic graffiti could include web site defacement or upload- ing and/or printing files from computers in stores.

In contrast, a non-destructive form of graffiti has also evolved in the electronic age. This new form manifests itself in computer graphics applications designed for the specific purpose of virtual vandal- ism. The rationale behind these applications ranges from creative expression to office stress relief. One example is “Graffiti Playdo”, which serves as an online virtual canvas accessible to graffitists world-wide. Another example is “Desktop Graffitist”, which enables computer users to spray paint their screen, including their desktop and any other open windows. the Wikipedia Lessons Gu i d e d Lessons Lesson Procedures: Weeks 2-5 Starting the Lesson

Guided lessons will take place during a 5 week period with one 1. The Lesson begins by probing the class to week reserved for each lesson. Some Lessons, such as the Sticker see who knows anything about sticker art. Art lesson below may take up less time to finalize so the lessons What do time line is a sliding time line. Students know about it? Have they ever made sticker art? What is sticker art? Where have they seen it? Do they know of any famous sticker art- Lesson 2 / Wee k 2- Stic k er Art ists? The second Lesson will present the artist Shepa- 2. Why do people make sticker art? Is all of it rd Fairey who is known for his Obey Giant Cam- legal? What are sticker artists trying to say with paign. Lesson two’s assignment will be to bootleg their art? the sticker project any real giant has a posse. Lesson Sequence: Understanding Goals addressed by this DAY ONE- HISTORY/RESEARCH lesson: 1. We will open class with a Q&A about sticker art OAG’s to find out more about what people know about 1. What is a grass roots effort? sticker art. 2. How does politics relate to art? 2. The instructor will ask students to call out ex- Learning objectives: amples of sticker art and artists they know- (some 2. Who makes Street Art? examples will be given if they can’t think of any) Students will be able to identify key artists/organizations associ- ated with the street art movement. 3. We will discuss one artist and his work. Shepard Fairey for instance is probably known 3. What is the purpose of Street Art? best for his OBEY GIANT campaign. Students will understand the importance of raising community awareness about important unaddressed issues and the value of Thought to be started by pop.ac a German art- grass roots efforts. ist who makes pop art “paintings” with stick- ers beginning in 1987. The street art form of Materials Needed: sticker art probably goes back further than that with skateboarders and musicians who have used

stickers to promote their favorite companies or Sticker paper from various sources, buying from bands. One of the more notable artists in the office supply, from the, markers, paint pens, sticker art movement is Shepard Fairey who is in- computer, printer. ternationally known for his depictions of Andre the Giant in his Obey Giant sticker campaign. References Consulted: http://www.obeygiant.com/main. The class will view and discuss various work from php?page=warning Shepard Fairey (digital projector and computer) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_art http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sticker_art DAY TWO- SKETCH UP/ BRAIN- http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/cur- rent/1999/022599/FWIW.html STORM 1. Students are presented with this assignment: “A friend of yours has been incarcerated for something they didn’t do. You want to help him/ 22 Street Art: Lesson Two- Sticker Art her but you don’t know what to do. You talk to 1. Students will make 40 copies of your sticker, some other friends and decide to go on a sticker some of which you will send to Shepard Fairey, campaign to spread the word about this problem. some that you will put into a sticker collection You decide to bootleg the Shepard Fairey OBEY pack which will include a copy from everyone in GIANT campaign to show your support for your the class. friend. Can you come up with a way to help fund your friends defense?” 2. Students will be informed that one of the goals for this class is to successfully implement a social 2. Students are asked to brainstorm and discuss awareness project through the use of unconven- some current issue that affect them locally. This tional means, be it sticker art, cardboard art or could be a global or community problem. Is other forms of public art while remaining con- this something they can change? Could a street scious of what constitutes vandalism. art project help them to raise awareness in their community about this? Assessment of Student Learning:

3. Students will spend time during the class Blackbooks, Stickers, correspondence with Obey sketching graphic art elements with text for their Giant and (optional)Peelz Magazine. sticker art project. Guided Lessons Rubric DAY THREE- REVIEW/APPROVAL The bootleg sticker assignment will be a assign- ment to create an any real giant has a posse sticker set- see http://www.obeygiant.com/main.php?page=bootlegs. Your sticker set will be a self portrait done in the same style as the obey giant stickers. Lesson 3 / Wee k 3- Stencil Art Stencil art and the work of Street Artist John 1. We’ll start by using a digital camera to shoot Tsombikos who is internationally known for his photos of everyone. BORF campaign containing an image of a friend of his who committed suicide. 2. Then we’ll print them out small and copy them and enlarge them to give them more of a Understanding Goals addressed by this graphic appearance. lesson: The final part of the sticker design will be to OAG’s write the pertinent information on the sticker 1. What is a grass roots effort? and then set up the stickers to copy on sheet 2. How does politics relate to art? stock. 4. Who decides what is public and what is pri- vate? (or does the First Amendment protect free This project will be fairly quick and the remain- speech?) der of the week will be dedicated to deciding on groups and investigating different methods of Learning objectives: street art production further. 2. Who makes Street Art? Students will be able to identify key artists/organizations associ- Ending the Lesson: ated with the street art movement. DAYS FOUR AND FIVE- ACTION While this is meant to be a creative exercise it is also meant to get your feet wet. Street Art: Lesson Three-Stencil Art 23 4. Where does Street Art happen? 3. We will discuss one artist and his work. John Students will be able to identify key public spaces where street art Tsombikos for instance is probably known is commonly found within and outside their own community. best for his BORF campaign.

Materials Needed: One of the more notable artists in the stencil art movement is John Tsombikos who is interna- Sticker Paper, Cardboard, printing ink, roll- tionally known for his political and social co- ers, Spray Paint and Spray Booth?, Computer, mentary that often surrounds the familiar image printer, adhesive spray, tagboard or other thin of a friend of his who committed suicide. John cardstock like material and pen knives. Tsombikos got into hot water with the law when police were tipped off by someone who heard/saw him painting. (more info as well) References Consulted: The class will view and discuss various work from We’ll review some of the artwork from http:// John Tsombikos (digital projector and computer) www.stencilrevolution.com and the tutorials that are available on this site. Students will choose DAY TWO- SKETCH UP/ BRAIN- a piece of art, an image from popular culture, STORM/USING ILLUSTRATOR etc... to turn into a stencil. Photoshop can be 1. Students are presented with this assignment: used to tune up the art and then each color set “You are fed up with the sight of lawns that will be printed out and glued onto board. The are dressed with the phrase stop! or Go! in an dark areas will be cut out of the board and the ongoing social battle to improve or rebuild your remaining areas will be the mask for the stencil. schools buildings. You must come up with real issues to address that can be stenciled onto paper Lesson Procedures: and taped over the existing signs” *note: permis- Starting the Lesson ion will be acquired by parents who have politi- 1. The Lesson begins by probing the class to see cally charged signs on their lawns to allow those who knows anything about stencil art. What do signs to be altered or covered. Students know about it? Have they ever made a stencil? What is stencil art? Where have they 2. Students are asked to brainstorm and discuss seen it? Do they know of any famous stencil art- some current issue that they think should be ad- ists? dressed by these signs. This could be a global or 2. Why do people make stencil art? Does it raise community problem. Is this something they can questions about vadalism? What are stencil art- change? Could a stencil art campaign help them ists trying to say with their art? to raise awareness in their community about this? Lesson Sequence: 3. Students will spend time during the class DAY ONE- HISTORY/RESEARCH brainstorming current issues and come up with 1. We will open class with a Q&A about stencil art phrases for their stencil art project. to find out more about what people know about stencil art. 4. We will go over basic typography and students will be given a demo and instructed on how to 2. The instructor will ask students to call out ex- use Illustrator and taught how to paste their amples of stencil art and artists they know- (some design onto a piece of board and cut out their examples will be given if they can’t think of any) stencil design with an x-acto blade.

24 Street Art: Lesson Three-Stencil Art DAY THREE- REVIEW/APPROVAL/ not commissioned yet often receives praise from SETTING IT UP the general public. The stencil assignment will be an assignment to create a political or social awareness campaign Understanding Goals addressed by this that addresses something important to each stu- lesson: dent. OAG’s 1. Students should have 10 phrases that focus on 3. What is the public domain? local/global issues. Once you have your phrases, 4. Who decides what is public and what is pri- you may seek approval and then decide which one vate? (or does the First Amendment protect free you will use. speech?) 2. You must choose the location where you would like your work to be placed and see whether any Learning objectives: other students have chosen similar topics. 1. What is Street Art? Students will understand that Street Art is an independently The final part of the stencil design will be to use fashioned form of community art-making that usually has a illustrator to create your sign in simple black and personal meaning or purpose. white- using a typeface that can be easily cut out. 3. What is the purpose of Street Art? Ending the Lesson: Students will understand the importance of raising community DAYS FOUR AND FIVE- ACTION awareness about important unaddressed issues and the value of grass roots efforts. Each stencil design must be cut and ready to paint by the 5th day. Signs will be painted (sten- 4. Where does Street Art happen? ciled) on day 5 in the spray booth. Students will be able to identify key public spaces where street art is commonly found within and outside their own community. 1. Students will make 20 copies of their stencil, some of which you will be placed in town on front lawns, some that you will put into a your Materials Needed: portfolio which will include a other oversized Cardstock for printing, glue, tape, markers, works and one copy from everyone in the class. Computer, Photoshop, Illustrator, Printer.

Assessment of Student Learning: References Consulted: Blackbooks, photo documentation of Stencils in http://www.ohashi-lab.bio.kyutech.ac.jp/~shin/ place. CUSTOM_DESIGNED_COLLECTION/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_installation Guided Lessons Rubric http://www.woostercollective.com/ http://www.truthtag.com/ http://sprinklebrigade.com/ http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/serra/index. html http://www.oldenburgvanbruggen.com/ Lesson 4 / Wee k 4- Ex/Installation Art Installation art is probably one of the most famil- Lesson Procedures: iar forms of public art people encounter. Lesson Starting the Lesson four presents artists whose installation work is 1. The Lesson begins by probing the class to see

Street Art: Lesson Four- Installation Art 25 who knows anything about installation art. What DAY TWO- SKETCH UP/ BRAIN- do Students know about it? Have they ever made STORM any form of public installation art? What is 1. Students are presented with this assignment: public installation art? Where have they seen it? “It’s time to make a piece for yourself that show- Do they know of any famous installation artists? cases your own artistic style and simply show How about any known street installation artists? us what you got!” Select a template from Skin 2. Why do people make installation art? Is all of Tanaka’s site and using photoshop, illustrator or it legal? What are installation artists trying to say using conventional methods like drawing with with their art? Do these Pieces interact with the markers or painting create your character. You environment and the public in a different way will be making 2 of the same character, the same than the previous forms of street art we’ve looked way, one to place publicly and one to keep or at? trade. 5 pts. Extra Credit- if you would like to make 4 total, you can turn in 2 of them for extra Lesson Sequence: credit. DAY ONE- HISTORY/RESEARCH 1. We will open class with a Q&A about installa- 2. This project is all about self expression within tion art to find out more about what people know the boundaries of the template you choose. You about this form of public art. may choose to add on to the basic template as well but you must maintain the original template for 2. The instructor will ask students to call out ex- the foundation of your design. amples of installation art and artists they know- (not limited to street artists, i.e. Claes Olden- 3. Students will spend time during the class se- burg, Richard Serra, other examples will be given lecting their template and work on sketching up if they can’t think of any) ideas for their final work. All work done MUST be done by hand with pencils over the printed 3. We will discuss one artist and his work. Shin template. If we have time, we will look over Tanaka is a graphic designer who makes “toys” finished ideas that are ready for the production that are constructed from cut out paper tem- phase. plates. We’ll look at some of Shin’s work which is largely considered collaborative since Shin only DAY THREE- REVIEW/APPROVAL makes one of each and then releases the template The 3D installation project will be placed any- for others to download and create as their own place you choose within the school, keep in mind work. that since your work will be placed in a public place there is always a chance that it will be stolen Shin Tanaka does not have much in the way of or destroyed. This is part of the risk you take as a published information available and while we public installation artist. will stick to his templates for our project, we’ll also look at some other great examples of public 1. Once approved, it is assumed that you will have installation art for both arts sake and social com- received feedback from your fellow classmates as mentary. well. Your work will always change and grow so if your design changes from the approved sketch, The class will view and discuss various work from go with it. Begin your final piece either on the Shin, Truth and the Sprinkle Brigade (digital computer or using markers or both. projector and computer) 2. Final designs will be printed and constructed or for marker/paint artists, print your template either with the included interior lines or with 26 Street Art: Lesson Four- Installation Art just the cut and fold lines. It’s best to work on all Assessment of Student Learning: 2 or 4 of your pieces at once before building, i.e. paint or design all then construct. Blackbooks, Critiques

Guided Lessons Rubric

Once your pieces are finished you must find a Lesson 5 / Wee k 5- Technology in place to install one of them. Days 4 and 5 will be Street Art dedicated to completing your pieces and install- While Technology is rather new to Street art, ing and documenting their placement. projects like LED Throwies make this style one of the most exciting forms gaining the attention of This project will be fairly quick and the remain- both those within and outside the street art com- der of the week will be dedicated to deciding on munity. groups and investigating different methods of street art production further. Understanding Goals addressed by this Ending the Lesson: lesson: DAYS FOUR AND FIVE- ACTION OAG’s Finish your projects by day 5 so that you can 1. What is a grass roots effort? place them and document their placement. It’s a 2. How does politics relate to art? good idea to check back to see if your piece is still 4. Who decides what is public and what is pri- there after a few days and also capture photos of vate? (or does the First Amendment protect free people looking at or interacting with your work. speech?)

1. Work on finishing your pieces Learning objectives: 1. What is Street Art? 2. Further discussion will take place about final Students will understand that Street Art is an independently project ideas, groups should get together to dis- fashioned form of community art-making that usually has a cuss final ideas. We have one more form of street personal meaning or purpose. art to explore so don’t forget to include that as a possible project- or consider combining styles to 3. What is the purpose of Street Art? make a unique street art piece. Students will understand the importance of raising community awareness about important unaddressed issues and the value of 3. With finished pieces on day 5, we will have an grass roots efforts. open critique of everyone’s work. Artists will discuss their original intentions and whether 4. Where does Street Art happen? they feel the completed piece represents the ini- Students will be able to identify key public spaces where street art tial concept or whether it goes beyond it. is commonly found within and outside their own community.

4. Critical response in your blackbook: We may Materials Needed: not get to critique all pieces but you must write in LED’s, Magnets, 3v Batteries, tape, everyone’s black book something you like about their piece and something you might change or something you don’t understand/like. All criti- References Consulted: cism in the blackbook should be considered con- http://woostercollective.com/ structive and should be written as such. http://graffitiresearchlab.com/ http://www.instructables.com/tag/Graffiti/LED/

Street Art: Lesson Five- Technology 27 http://research.eyebeam.org/ licensing and the benefits of opensource initia- http://www.opensource.org/ tives. http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/ The class will view and discuss various projects Lesson Procedures: from EYEBEAM (digital projector and com- Starting the Lesson puter) 1. The Lesson begins by probing the class to see who has played with or seen any form of public DAY TWO- SKETCH UP/ BRAIN- art that incorporates technology like LED’s. What STORM do students know about it? Have they ever made 1. You’ve seen the Graffiti Research Labs projects throwies or anything else with electronics, etc..? and you’re familiar with some forms of technol- Does this new form of street art have the same ogy. Using Throwies or an LCD projector and advantages or disadvantages as the forms we’ve computer, come up with a piece of techno-graf- talked about so far? Has anyone ever heard of fiti that encourages public interaction and input. EYEBEAM or the Graffiti Research Labs in New If you have any knowledge of programming, can York City? you build an application that would let people send sms or mms messages to a system that could 2. What is the motivation behind Throwies or project the message, etc... other forms of electronic street art? Is all of it legal? Is it just art for arts sake or are there op- 2. Students will get into their groups to begin portunities for bigger messages? brainstorming for this project. Students are asked to brainstorm and discuss some current is- Lesson Sequence: sue that affect them locally that pertain to night- DAY ONE- HISTORY/RESEARCH time. Could a street art project help you to raise 1. We will open class with a Q&A about technol- awareness in your community about this? Are ogy in street art from throwies to digital projec- there places in your community that are poorly tions. Does anybody in class know any program- lit that should have improved lighting? Is there ming languages? Has anyone played with LED anyplace that people gather at night that would lights or other simple electronic devices? allow you to create an interactive projection piece? 2. The instructor will show students a video of the Graffiti Research Labs FREE BORF project at 3. Students will spend time during the class dis- the Astor Place square. Students will also be cussing and writing up ideas in their blackbooks. asked to call out examples of how electronics could be used to make street art. DAY THREE- REVIEW/APPROVAL Each group should have decided on an idea to 3. We will discuss the Graffiti Research Labs and move forward with. This will be their first op- their ongoing projects. Because this use of tech- portunity to work as a group using their defined nology is still an emerging form of street art, so roles. part of this lesson will be dedicated to exploring the future use of technology. 1. Each Groups Marketing Director will present their idea and receive feedback from the rest of EYEBEAM and the Graffiti Research Labs are the class. dedicated to inventing and promoting open- source or open copyright art and technology 2. For this project we may try to organize into projects that support virtual and real interactive two main groups so we’ll hold a vote to see about environments. We’ll discuss creative commons consolidating energy and work on 2 larger impact 28 Street Art: Lesson Five- Technology projects. It would be great to have a LED project and a Projection project.

The next stage of the techno-graffiti project will be to write up a plan of attack for getting your project up and running. Script out the process of building your technology system, program- ming software or whatever else you need to do. For programming we’ll use the coding language Ruby. We’ll have a demo on how your script should look.

Ending the Lesson: DAYS FOUR AND FIVE- ACTION The success of this project is rooted in your groups ability to delegate responsibility properly which may also mean that everyone has to do things like build throwies or figure out how to power a projector from a portable power source.

1. Everyone should be working off of their script at this point. Remember that your script can change but make those changes in the script, don’t just stray from your plan, this will be help- ful to reviewing your project at the end.

2. At the beginning of day 5 we will review the progress of both groups and determine whether we need to go over our projected time budget or whether we can finish on time.

Assessment of Student Learning:

Blackbooks, Group Scripts, Documentation of project in action- video or still.

Guided Lessons Rubric

Street Art: Lesson Five- Technology 29 Explorationthe Installations such as Banksy’s “Boadicea” utilize art intervention while the artist Truth uses painted blocks and attaches them to walls to integrate into the existing building’s architecture.

Street installations are a growing trend within the “street art” movement. Whereas conventional street art/graffiti is done on surfaces/walls “street installations” use 3-D objects/space to interface with the urban environment . Like graffiti, it is non-permission based and once the object/sculpture is in- stalled it is left there by the artist. the Wikipedia Cu lminating Per f ormance References Consulted: Weeks 6-7 Any of the previous references mentioned so far.

Culminating Performances will take place dur- Lesson Procedures: ing a 2 week period and should be established as IMPORTANT: No p r o j e c t s c a n b e implemented t h a t h a v e t h e more of a workshop format. As the final lesson p o t e n t i a l o f b e i n g i l l e g a l o r t h a t m a y e n d a n g e r a g r o u p o r in the Unit, students will need to continually t h e p u b l i c . Al l g r o u p p r o j e c t s m u s t b e c l e a r e d a n d p e r m i s - evaluate their own progress to ensure successful s i o n m u s t b e o b t a i n e d f o r w o r k s t h a t t a k e p l a c e o n p u b l i c completion of their projects. p r o p e r t y .

Lesson 6 / Wee k s 6-7 Final Projects : Starting the Lesson Implementing a street art campaign . 1. Each group will have the first few days of the The final lesson for this Unit will allow students lesson to brainstorm with each other and the to take the information they have learned from class while developing their campaign idea. Each the previous lessons to implement their own group should try to work on a different idea with ideas for Street Art Activism. different materials if possible. There is a limited supply of some resources like the throwies. It’s Understanding Goals addressed by this important to remember to include connections lesson: to the overarching goals of the unit. A Street art campaign without a clear message is difficult to OAG’s defend, writing up a clear plan that either spe- Individuals will use the Overarching Under- cifically identifies community or global issues standing Goals they feel are relevent to their can help to ensure greater receptiveness upon project and write about them in their blackbook. final completion of the project. That said, if your project is all about art for art’s sake then it Learning objectives: is equally important to have a clear message and 1. What is Street Art? approach so that your work has defined boundar- Students will understand that Street Art is an independently ies that can be identified throughout the various fashioned form of community art-making that usually has a pieces that are created. personal meaning or purpose. 2. Each group’s marketing Director will present 3. What is the purpose of Street Art? their groups project idea when ready. Students will understand the importance of raising community awareness about important unaddressed issues and the value of 3. With the amount of time available for this grass roots efforts. project, the work should reflect the time spent. Groups will be required to show photo docu- 4. Where does Street Art happen? mentation of the location they are interested in Students will be able to identify key public spaces where street art using as well as a plan for how and when they will is commonly found within and outside their own community. build and implement their campaign.

Materials Needed: Materials will be determined by the various proj- ects students undertake. The supplies needed may be similar to the previous projects and any new materials may need to be resourced by stu- dents directly.

32 Street Art: Lesson Six- Final Projects Lesson Sequence: on groups periodically. For projects that need to DAY ONE- HISTORY/RESEARCH be implemented quickly and at a specific loca- 1. Brainstorming activist ideas. We will also tion, arrangements can be made to have the class review past and current art activism like Graffiti participate or you can document your actions Research Labs, EYEBEAM, Ghost Bike, Save Huck and When with a video camera and still cameras. Dogs Fly. 3. Technology projects that need to take place 2. Each Group will research an activist project after dark should arrange to get together after and present it to the class during the middle of class during the week or weekend and attempt to the week. The presentation should pertain to the offer a time that others might see/experience the groups final project interest but does not need to project in action. be formal. It should contain information about the topic, rules, materials and format of the Assessment of Student Learning: project presented. All project evidence should be turned in for final DAY TWO- HISTORY/RESEARCH grading. This includes blackbooks, artworks and continued... documentation of activism in action. 1. Continue research on past and current proj- Guided Lessons Rubric. ects. Final Group Critique. 2. Students will spend time during the class dis- cussing and writing up ideas in their blackbooks.

DAYS THREE AND FOUR- REVIEW/ APPROVAL 1. Each Groups Marketing Director (or anybody else delegated to present) will present their re- search, with the other group members presenting a portion of research as well.

2. Groups will include notes and feedback in their blackbooks during the presentations.

Ending the Lesson: DAYS FIVE—EIGHT- ACTION Building and finalizing projects.

1. Everyone should be working on their script at this point. Write up how you will work on your project and delegate tasks to group members.

2. Be sure to document your projects as you complete your pieces of art and surrender them to the public domain. Students are welcome to request additional guidance if they run into problems and the instructor will be checking in

Street Art: Lesson Six- Final Projects 33 Notes Notes

For more information or to send feedback to the developer of this unit, please send an email with the following sub- ject line: STREET ART UNIT PLAN to: Garrison Gunter at [email protected]. To view other education related material from this artist please visit http://www.education.garrisongunter.com/ This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 543 Howard Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.