Albers Squares

Do

Teacher-facing slide. Use before class to open any lesson materials you will need. This slide can be skipped when presenting to students.

Notes

This slide includes quick links to today’s lesson materials.

Say

Today we’re going to explore geometric abstract art and experiment with how color, shape, placement, and the order of our choices can change a piece of artwork. Welcome to Expedition 2: Coding to Create. In this expedition, we’re going to explore how artists and computer programmers can both use a series of choices and steps to create something new. Today we’ll start by making art with physical materials before moving into digital coding in the next lesson.

Do

Teacher-facing divider slide to help gauge lesson pacing and highlight the main parts of the lesson: Warm Up (5–7 min), Whole Group Instruction (10–15 min), Activity (25–30 min), and Closing (5 min). This slide can be skipped when presenting to students.

Say

Look at these four images. They show the same subject, but the colors and lighting are different. Think about how each one makes you feel. Choose one image and write one or two words that describe the feeling or mood it gives you. Then take about 90 seconds to make a quick sketch using just one to three colors that you think communicate that feeling. When you’re finished, turn to someone near you. Share the feeling you chose and explain how your colors connect to it.

Do

Give students approximately 90 seconds to sketch and write, followed by brief partner sharing. Emphasize that there is no single correct emotional meaning for a color; students may experience the same colors differently. Rouen Cathedral, Facade and the Tour d'Albane. Grey Weather, 1894, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen Rouen Cathedral, Facade (sunset), harmonie in gold and blue, 1892–1894. Musée Marmottan Monet Paris, France Rouen Cathedral, Facade 1, 1892–1894. Pola Museum of Art, Hakone, Japan Rouen Cathedral, West Façade, Sunlight, 1894. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., USA Rouen Cathedral By Claude Monet - Oeuvre du Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10370773 By Claude Monet - Unknown source, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2327225 By Claude Monet - http://www.nga.gov, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4220707 By Claude Monet - Claude Monet, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2327252

Say

Here are some words that people sometimes associate with different colors. Compare these ideas with your own choices. Did any match? Did you use a color differently? Artists can use color to influence how an artwork feels, but these connections aren’t rules. Our experiences and interpretations can change what colors mean to us. A lot of artists will draw the same thing at different times of day, and in different colors to see how our perception of it changes. Claude Monet, a famous impressionist painter, painted the Rouen Cathedral more than thirty times. https://www.swiftpublisher.com/useful-articles/psychology-of-colors?srsltid=AfmBOop2K3xXWxyUUPFIzpdyuMcn-9t6-Jg4qfuU3SvSLQ2eNv0JGdrC

Do

Invite 2–3 students to share a color and the feeling they associated with it. Use the color wheel as a discussion support rather than presenting the associations as universal.

Say

Today we’ll explore geometric abstract art, look closely at how artists use color and shapes, and then make our own paper artwork inspired by Josef Albers. As we create, we’re also going to pay attention to the order of the steps we use.

Say

This is called geometric abstract art. Instead of trying to make a realistic picture of a person, place, or object, artists use simple geometric shapes, colors, and arrangements to create a composition. You already worked with abstraction in our last expedition. Remember, abstraction means simplifying something by focusing on certain features and leaving out others. Here, artists can take that even further—the shapes and colors do not have to represent a recognizable object at all.

Do

Point out the use of squares in the Albers example and circular forms in the Kandinsky example. Ask students for one quick observation about what the two artworks have in common.

Say

One artist who spent a lot of time experimenting with simple shapes and color was Josef Albers. He created more than 1,000 paintings in a series called Homage to the Square. The basic idea stayed similar—squares placed inside other squares—but he kept changing the colors and their relationships. He was interested in what happened when he made small changes. Look across these examples. What changes, and what stays the same?

Do

Invite 2–3 observations. Listen for differences in color, contrast, size, placement, or mood while the square-based structure remains similar.

Say

Albers also experimented with where shapes were placed and how they appeared to layer over one another. Think about one of these questions, get an answer in your head, then hold up that number and share with someone else near you that is holding the same number.

Do

Give students a few seconds of individual think time and have them hold the number up of which question they want to discuss. Then take responses to the three prompts. Accept multiple interpretations. Reinforce that geometric abstract artwork can suggest ideas or images to a viewer without literally representing them.

Say

Imagine that we wanted to recreate this artwork using pieces of paper. Would you start with the smallest square in the middle, or would you start with the largest square on the outside? Show your choice with a finger vote. Now think about why. If one piece covers another piece, could changing the order change what we see in the finished artwork? Artists often have to make decisions in a particular sequence. The order of those steps can affect the result. That idea is going to become very important when we start coding.

Do

Conduct the finger vote shown on the slide. Ask one student from each choice to explain their reasoning. Use the discussion to establish the idea of sequence without needing a lengthy formal introduction to algorithms yet. Drawing order: square = 1, red circle = 2, yellow circle = 3, green circle = 4

Say

Today you’ll also experiment with two different kinds of materials. An opaque material blocks light, so you cannot see through it. Construction paper is an example. A translucent material lets some light pass through, so you can partly see what is underneath. Tissue paper is an example. If I layer translucent paper over another color, what do you predict might happen?

Do

Show students actual examples of the opaque and translucent materials they will use, if available. Layer two pieces briefly so students can see the effect. Explain your classroom procedure for distribution of construction paper squares, tissue paper squares, sticky notes, glue, and scissors.

Say

Your challenge is to create your own artwork inspired by Homage to the Square. Use at least four paper squares and at least three different sizes. Before you glue anything, experiment. Change the colors. Change which sizes go on top. Try opaque and translucent materials. Move the shapes around. Once you find an arrangement you like, pay attention to the order you will assemble it. Number your pieces so you can remember what comes first, second, third, and so on. You will need this number order later. Then glue them down in that order. Your goal isn’t to copy Albers exactly. Use his idea as a starting point and make your own choices.

Do

Distribute construction paper, tissue paper, sticky notes, scissors, and glue. Encourage students to experiment before gluing. Circulate and ask: What happens if you switch these two layers? What changes when the translucent paper moves? Which color do you want viewers to notice first? What would happen if you changed your first step? Could someone follow the numbers on your pieces to recreate your layering order? Students may work with a partner to test arrangements and discuss choices, but each student should create their own composition. Give students a 5-minute warning before the end of work time.

Say

Let’s bring together some of the ideas we explored today. Color can help communicate or influence a feeling. Geometric abstract artists like Albers and Kandinsky use simple shapes and colors rather than realistic images. We also experimented with opaque and translucent materials and saw that layering them in different ways can change what we see. But there’s another big idea I want you to remember: the order of our choices matters. Changing the sequence of layers can change the final artwork.

Say

Before we finish: when it comes to working with translucent materials, do you love it or cut it? Show your choice.Tomorrow we’re going to work with some of these same ideas, but instead of physically layering pieces of paper, we’ll tell a computer what shapes to create and in what order using drag-and-drop code blocks. Today, you created a sequence of steps with paper. Tomorrow, we’ll turn that kind of step-by-step thinking into code.

Do

Use the hand signals on the slide for a quick class response. Invite 1–2 students to briefly explain why they liked or disliked working with translucent materials. Preview that devices will be needed for the next lesson if applicable to classroom routines.