Aesthetics Lesson 03

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the warhol: resources & lessonsUnit Lesson Plans / Critical Thinking / Aesthetics / Lesson 3

2008 The Andy Warhol Museum, a museum of Carnegie Institute. All rights reserved.You may view and download the materials posted in this site for personal, informational, educational and non-commercial use only. The contents of this site may not bereproduced in any form beyond its original intent without the permission of The Andy Warhol Museum. except where noted, ownership of all material is The Andy WarholMuseum, Pittsburgh; Founding Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.


Aesthetics and Beauty

Overview:Students increase their understanding of the philosophical definition ofaesthetics in this lesson by using their own personal aesthetic experiencesas springboards. Students debate hypotheses about the nature of beauty ina group dialogue using artworks by Andy Warhol, Glenn Kaino, Rembrandt, oran artist of your choice.

Grades:6-12Subjects: Philosophy, Language Arts, Art History, Visual Arts

Pennsylvania State Standards:

Arts and Humanities

9.2. I. Identify, explain, and analyze philosophical beliefs as they relate to works in the arts.Critical Response9.3. E. Interpret and use various types of critical analysis in the arts and humanities.

Contextual criticism

Formal criticismIntuitive criticism

Aesthetic Response9.4.12. A. Evaluate an individuals philosophical statement on a work in the arts and its relationship to ones ownlife based on knowledge and experience.

Reading, Writing, Speaking, and ListeningSpeaking and Listening

1.6.11. A. Listen to others.

Ask clarifying questions.Synthesize information, ideas, and opinions to determine relevancy.

Learning Objectives and Cognitive Skills:

Students observe an artwork and answer writing prompts to document their personal aesthetic experience.In groups of two, students analyze a philosophical quote in relationship to an artwork.

Students synthesize existing philosophies and develop their own theories about aesthetics and beautythrough group dialogue.

Andy Warhol, Flowers, 1970, Published

Edition, screen print on paper, 36 x 36

in. AWF


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Aesthetics and Beauty

Procedure

1. Review the objects students have brought in and ex-

plore why they consider these objects to be not art.

2. View the PowerPoint Presentation Part 2

3. Use the Handout Aesthetics 3.1 while viewing AndyWarhols Electric Chairprint. (You may substitute Warhols

Flowers prints or his camouflaged Self-Portrait)Students should fill in the first three writing prompts tofoster their own personal aesthetic experience.

4. Pair Share Reflection: In groups of two discuss or both of the

following quotes. Do you agree with the opinion? How do theyrelate to the Electric Chairpainting (or other work)?

What a strange illusion it is to suppose that beauty is goodness.Leo Tolstoy

Art always serves beauty, and beauty is the joy of possessing form, and formis the key to organic life since no living thing can exist without it.

Boris Pasternak (1840 - 1921) English poet, critic, biographer

Group Dialogue: Use the following questions as prompts at the start of and during the dialogue:

1. Is Andy Warhols Electric Chair(or other work) beautiful? Why or why not?2. How do Warhols choices and treatment of the subject matter make the paintings beautiful or ugly?3. What do you think Warhols intention was with these works?

Was he trying to make the death penalty (or nother concept) seem beautiful or ugly?4. Do artworks always relay the meanings that the artist intended them to have?5. Do artworks have to be beautiful or pretty? Can something that is ugly be considered art?

6. Who decides what is beautiful or ugly?7. If an artwork makes someone feel sad or bad, can it still be considered good? Why?8. Do these paintings have value? What kind of value, aesthetic value or monetary?

Andy Warhol, Electric Chair, Published Edition, 137/250, 1971Screen print on paper 35 1/2 x 48 in. AWF


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Compare and contrast a Warhol work to one from the Carnegie Museum of Art. Revisit the questions above using the

two works to support or refute answers.

Possible pairings are:Warhols Electric Chairand Armchair, 17th century

Warhols camouflaged Self-Portraitand Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn Self-Portrait with Raised Sabre, 1634Warhols Flowers prints and Bow Porcelain Factory Bouquet of Flowers c. 1755For viewing see Image Gallery or print versions at the end of this document.

Adaptation:

For Higher Level Extension: Explain the three fields of philosophy

Metaphysics: the philosophy of being; the branch of philosophy concerned with the study of the nature of be-ing and beings, existence, time and space, and causality.

Epistemology: theory of knowledge; the branch of philosophy that studies the nature of knowledge, in particu-lar its foundations, scope, and validity.

Ethics: the study of moralitys effect on conduct.

Review Questions:

Questions to determine what is real and what exists (Metaphysics):

If this were a billboard instead of a work hung in a gallery would it be art?

Does Warhols use of photographic silkscreen make this work more realistic?Is this painting objective or subjective in relation to its subject, an electric chair?

Questions to determine what we can know as truth (Epistemology):

What do we learn about capital punishment in this piece?

What do we learn about Warhol?What would it mean if the original photograph for this painting was staged by Warhol instead of a documen-

tary photo?

Questions to determine what we think is good in ethics and in art (Values/Ethics)

What value does this artwork have?

Is this painting beautiful?What values would be reflected if this room was part of your school?What would be the ethical implications if a majority of Americans agreed to hang this painting in their liv

ing rooms?


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the warhol: resources & lessonsUnit Lesson Plans / Critical Thinking / Aesthetics / Lesson 3 / Handout 3.1


1. Take 3-6 minutes to really look at the artwork. Describe your intuitive response. What do you feel when you look

at the work? What are your first impressions? (Intuitive means: the act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the

use of rational processes; immediate cognition.)

2. Now focus on the formal elements and qualities of the artwork. Describe how the colors, lines, and shapes work

together creating composition, balance, tension, contrast, rhythm, and unity.

3. What are your perceptions of this artwork? Combine your answers above to interpret it. Analyze the expressive

qualities of the work along with your own knowledge and associations. This is your own aesthetic experience. (Per-ception means: to take in completely, the process of observation and the effect or product of perceiving combined

with preexisting knowledge or memory.)


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the warhol: resources & lessons


Unit Lesson Plans / Critical Thinking / Aesthetics / Lesson 3 / Handout 3.2

My personal perception about beauty after the classdiscussion:

My thougths about the intent of the artist(s):

I believe ___________________ about beauty and art.

Additional questions aboutbeauty and ugliness:

Additional questions about

the artists intentions:


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Andy Warhol, Electric Chair, Published Edition, 137/250, 1971 Screen print on paper 35 1/2 x 48 in. AWF

Armchair, 17th century36 x W: 25 1/4 x D: 20 7/8 inches (H: 91x W: 64 x D: 53 cm) Carnegie Museum of

Art, Gift of Baroness Cassel Van Doorn


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2008TheAndyWarhol

Museum,amuseumofCarnegieIns

titute.Allrightsreserved.

Youmayviewanddownloadthematerialspostedinthissiteforpersonal,informational,e

ducationalandnon-commercialuseonly.Theconte

ntsofthissitemaynotbereproducedinanyformb

eyonditsoriginalintentwithoutthe

permissionofTheAndyWarholMuse

um.exceptwherenoted,ownershipofallmaterialisTheAndyWarholMuseum,Pittsburgh;FoundingC

ollection,ContributionTheAndyWarholFoundationfortheVisualArts,Inc.

RembrandtHarmenszvanRijn,Self-PortraitwithRaisedSabre,

1634,

etchingwithtouchesof

burin,47/8x41/16in.,CarnegieMuseumof

Art,BequestofCharlesJ

.Rosenbloom,byexchange

AndyWarhol,Self-Po

rtrait,1986,acrylicandsilkscreenink

onlinen,

80x76in.AWF


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2008TheAndyWarhol

Museum,amuseumofCarnegieIns

titute.Allrightsreserved.

Youmayviewanddownloadthematerialspostedinthissiteforpersonal,informational,e

ducationalandnon-commercialuseonly.Theconte

ntsofthissitemaynotbereproducedinanyformb

eyonditsoriginalintentwithoutthe

permissionofTheAndyWarholMuse

um.exceptwherenoted,ownershipofallmaterialisTheAndyWarholMuseum,Pittsburgh;FoundingC

ollection,ContributionTheAndyWarholFoundationfortheVisualArts,Inc.

AndyWarhol,Flowers,19

70,PublishedEdition,screenprintonpaper,

36x36in.AWF

BowP

orcelainFactory,BouquetofFlowersc.1755,porcelain,91/4x7

1/2in

.,CarnegieMuseumofArt,AilsaM

ellonBruceCollection

Aesthetics Lesson 03

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