Romare BeardenTomorrow I May Be Far Away, 1967

What kinds of media do you think the artist used?

How does overlapping create space?

What do you think the artist was trying to tell us?

Would this picture look the same if it was all done with paint?

Romare Bearden Collage

After being introduced to the Harlem Renaissance and it’s artists (such as

Romare Bearden) students will recreate a masterpiece

in the form of a collage

Students will be able to make better pieces of art after they can master shape, become influenced by artists of different cultures and time periods and learn more about criticizing art.

Objectives- Students will be able to

• 1. recognize collage as used in works of art.2. create a collage based on a masterpiece (preferably from the Harlem Renaissance).3. critique student art work.4. recognize and appreciate the work of Romare Bearden and other artists from the Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance

• The Harlem Renaissance refers to the flowering of African American cultural and intellectual life during the 1920s and 1930s in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, the movement impacted the cultural spectrum (literature, drama, music, visual art, dance). Artists and intellectuals found new ways to explore the historical experiences of black America and the contemporary experiences of black life in the urban North. Challenging racism, African-American artists and intellectuals rejected merely imitating the styles of Europeans and white Americans and instead celebrated black dignity and creativity. Asserting their freedom to express themselves on their own terms as artists and intellectuals, they explored their identities as black Americans, celebrating the black culture that had emerged out of slavery and their cultural ties to Africa.

Watch the video for more infoWhat was it? What is a Renaissance?

Know the artist: Romare Bearden• Romare Bearden was an  African-

American artist whose powerful works represented his life experiences. He grew up in Harlem, but spent most of his early childhood in Charlotte, NC where he was born in 1912.

• He used scrap materials such as torn paper and old photographs to create collages which delivered powerful messages about African-American life. His deep feelings for the African-American people, family, and memories of his childhood are reflected in his works. 

Mother and ChildThe Return of Maudell Sleet

Firebirds

Analyze this collage of Bearden’s called “The Conversation” What do you notice about the shapes? What is a collage?

Collage (From the French: coller, to stick) is regarded as a work of visual arts made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole.

Compare & Contrast: Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden

Jacob Lawrence’s “Barber Shop”

Romare Bearden’s “Conjunction”

Procedures:

1. Look through Art resources to choose a famous masterpiece painting to copy in collage technique.

• ·The masterpiece must have people in the painting.•   The masterpiece must be in color.

2. Once the masterpiece is chosen, draw it using contour line.• Use the entire size of the 12” x 18” tagboard.•    Pay attention to the direction of the masterpiece so that the

paper matches.

3. Store this drawing in your portfolio.

Art Theories

• There a three basic theories about how we judge our art and why we make it.

• Study these three concepts and be able to tell which theory your masterpiece best utilizes.

The Three Basic Art Theories

• The artist tries to imitate life, accurately (photographically) representing people and objects. The work may leave in all the details, even if they are unpleasant. Or it may idealize the scene, leaving out the unpleasant details as in some landscape paintings.

• The artist experiments with art forms-lines, shapes, colors, space and their relationships. The composition is more important than the subject matter or

theme.

The Three Basic Art Theories

• The artist conveys an indirect idea, a mood through the use of color and symbols, etc.. The image may not be recognizable or photographically accurate.

Here is a familiar example:

The Three Basic Art Theories

You have picked your Masterpiece

• What theory would your masterpiece fall under:

• Imitation

• Formalism

• Expressionism

• Why?

Decorative paper techniques

• Using tempera paint and watercolor paint, you will paint on 9” x 12” drawing paper, add texture to it and let it dry.

• This will serve as your collage paper for the background and other objects.

• Do NOT reproduce colors for the faces of people or other body parts – this will be recreated with magazines.

Note the colors of the masterpiece, reproduce one color at a time, using either tempera paint or watercolors.

I see a lot of reds and greens in this painting by Lois Mailou Jones, so those will be the first two colors that I focus on

Create your decorative paperSUPPLIES:

Tempera****Get a plastic tray, color(s) of paint needed for the first color, brush, texture tool, paper towel.

Watercolors**** paint strip, water basin, brush, paper towel.

PROCEDURES:• Create an area of color, filling the paper, and choose a

texture to reproduce. • Put your name on the edge, on the front.• Put the wet “painting” on the drying rack.• Begin the next color needed. Repeat this until all colors

are achieved.• AGAIN DO NO WORRY ABOUT THE COLORS ON THE FACE

OR BODIES – THIS WILL BE DONE THROUGH MAGAZINES• Place all dried “Paint Swatches” in your portfolio

Cutting and gluing with the decorative paper

• Choose the paint swatches that you painted for your background. Tear or cut small pieces to fit into the selected areas. Secure these pieces to the tagboard with white glue.

• Close observation of masterpiece is needed to recreate the space.

• Complete the background and move on to the middleground.• Overlap all collage pieces and do not leave any tagboard

showing.• Continue with creating your collage until all areas are covered,

excluding the face and other body parts you wish to use magazines to complete the work.

Completing your people with collage

• Look at the magazines for facial features and hands in the same position as your painted subjects. Cut the parts out that are needed.

• Hard to reproduce items such as shoes, purses, small animals, etc, may be cut from magazines.

• Cut or tear your magazine pieces and glue onto your tagboard. Use at least 4 sources to create the face.

• Throughout the project, you must be referring to the masterpiece for color, shape, space and details.

• Romare Bearden • Composition• 3 Artwork has utilized the space of the paper in an effective manner • 2 Artwork has somewhat utilized the space of the paper in an effective

manner • 1         Artwork has not utilized the space of the paper effectively • Representation of Picture• 3 Artwork has close resemblance to picture • 2 Artwork resembles picture • 1        Artwork has little resemblance to picture • Fragmentation of Figures• 3 Student has utilized 4 or more pieces to construct face/figure • 2        Student has utilized 3 pieces to construct face/figure • 1        Student has utilized less than 3 pieces to construct face/figure • Craftsmanship • 3 Surface is completely flat and contains no gaps in application of

paper • 2        Surface is mostly flat with minimal gaps in application of paper • 1 Work contains many gaps and unglued pieces of paper • Effort and Use of Class Time • 3 used class time provided and took suggestion well • 2  talkative and had to be reminded to get to work several times • 1 had to be reminded to work every class period, too talkative

Assessment: Name: ___________

Class: ____