Lesson 1: The Artist's Work
The Artist's Work lesson discusses the changing perception in the 20th and 21th century of what is considered artwork and art making as well as who the artist works for. There is also a focus on the artist as a worker performing services for a variety of entities and how that notion has developed over time.
What the student will learn and be able to do:
The student will have a heightened understanding of what is considered art and the making of art today verses the past. What types of tasks and roles the artist has assumed over the years is also a focal point of this lesson. Additionally, much of this lesson's objective will be to increase the student's understanding of who the artist has worked for in the past as well as who the artist currently performs services for and what kind of art related jobs/careers and salaries a working artist can expect to find in today's economy. After finishing this lesson, the student should be able to know where to go to seek out the type of art related job or opportunity they are interested in pursuing.
Essential Questions
Activity
The changing perception of the artist's work in western culture
Discuss the development of how the artist transitioned from working for the ruling classes
and the church, to working for corporations, institutions, investors and collectors, as well as their own self interests. The students will be led into a discussion using the following links to pertinent websites.
Links to explore and encourage discussion:
The Status of the Artist (a short reading that discusses the concept of patronage)
Art Patronage (This video discusses Leonardo da Vinci and art patronage during the Renaissance, it also discusses how an artist was required do many types of things besides making art.)
Metropolitan Museum of Art (This is a short video of Met director, Tom Campbell, discussing the
public museum and history. This should encourage a discussion of museums in today's society having
taken the place of the church and royalty as the leading patrons and venues for visual art in the last 150 years.)
NY Chelsea Art Galleries (This is a brief video about galleries and their place as a major art venue
today, as well as a place where collectors and investors may procure art.)
The Artist's Work
Discuss how each artist chooses to work.
Michelangelo video (Explore the other Michelangelo links on the page.)
Mary Cassatt video
Jackson Pollock video
Andy Warhol video (Discuss Warhol's redefining how an artist works as director or manager.)
Female Pop Artists Exhibit
Fiona Rae video
Miltos Manates (Discuss the Internet as a viable place for designers and artist to work, go to his
JacksonPollack.org link on his website, and explore his other website links as well.)
Work Ethic Exhibit PDF (Discuss how the artist works today, who does the work and how the
definition of what the artist's work actually is has changed dramatically in the 20th and 21st centuries.)
Commercial Art
Milton Glaser video (Discuss graphic/commercial artists as servicing government & industry. Click on
Glasner's poster link, as well as the To Inform and Delight link, playing the film is recommended.)
The History of Graphic Design (Peruse this very informative website, all eleven links are worth at
least viewing. Reading the first section of each link is recommended.)
Artist jobs, work and remuneration
Discuss the artist's roll as a worker and the numerous areas of employment the artist of today can work and the potential money an artist can make.
Links to explore and encourage discussion:
US Dept. of Labor (list of artist job descriptions and government stats pertaining to the working artist)
1000 Fans (article by wired Magazine founder Kevin Kelly about artist making a living off of 1000 fans)
The Bartering Artist Katherine Dolgy Ludwig's art
How Artists Make Money (5 min. NPR program)
Art Market (Fine art market Info)
Art Price (French art dealers/publishers 23 min. video)
Current Fine Art Market (Discuss Chubb Collectors current high-end art market outlook.)
Assignment- Write a short essay entitled:
How artist's work today is different from earlier periods
Over a weekend, or two to three day break, students will be asked to write a brief one to two page (400-600 word essay) on how they understand the artist's work today has changed from earlier periods. The paper is to assess their understanding of the unit thus far. Most importantly, the essay is to see if the student comprehends not just why the artist's work of today is for the most part different, but that it has changed from early historical periods. The assignment is also for the instructor to determine whether students have established a foundation for being able to grasp the next two lessons.
The Artist's Work lesson discusses the changing perception in the 20th and 21th century of what is considered artwork and art making as well as who the artist works for. There is also a focus on the artist as a worker performing services for a variety of entities and how that notion has developed over time.
What the student will learn and be able to do:
The student will have a heightened understanding of what is considered art and the making of art today verses the past. What types of tasks and roles the artist has assumed over the years is also a focal point of this lesson. Additionally, much of this lesson's objective will be to increase the student's understanding of who the artist has worked for in the past as well as who the artist currently performs services for and what kind of art related jobs/careers and salaries a working artist can expect to find in today's economy. After finishing this lesson, the student should be able to know where to go to seek out the type of art related job or opportunity they are interested in pursuing.
Essential Questions
- In what ways is the artist's work different from the past and why?
- In what ways is the artist's work the same as the past and why?
- What kind of jobs and remuneration can artists expect?
Activity
The changing perception of the artist's work in western culture
Discuss the development of how the artist transitioned from working for the ruling classes
and the church, to working for corporations, institutions, investors and collectors, as well as their own self interests. The students will be led into a discussion using the following links to pertinent websites.
Links to explore and encourage discussion:
The Status of the Artist (a short reading that discusses the concept of patronage)
Art Patronage (This video discusses Leonardo da Vinci and art patronage during the Renaissance, it also discusses how an artist was required do many types of things besides making art.)
Metropolitan Museum of Art (This is a short video of Met director, Tom Campbell, discussing the
public museum and history. This should encourage a discussion of museums in today's society having
taken the place of the church and royalty as the leading patrons and venues for visual art in the last 150 years.)
NY Chelsea Art Galleries (This is a brief video about galleries and their place as a major art venue
today, as well as a place where collectors and investors may procure art.)
The Artist's Work
Discuss how each artist chooses to work.
Michelangelo video (Explore the other Michelangelo links on the page.)
Mary Cassatt video
Jackson Pollock video
Andy Warhol video (Discuss Warhol's redefining how an artist works as director or manager.)
Female Pop Artists Exhibit
Fiona Rae video
Miltos Manates (Discuss the Internet as a viable place for designers and artist to work, go to his
JacksonPollack.org link on his website, and explore his other website links as well.)
Work Ethic Exhibit PDF (Discuss how the artist works today, who does the work and how the
definition of what the artist's work actually is has changed dramatically in the 20th and 21st centuries.)
Commercial Art
Milton Glaser video (Discuss graphic/commercial artists as servicing government & industry. Click on
Glasner's poster link, as well as the To Inform and Delight link, playing the film is recommended.)
The History of Graphic Design (Peruse this very informative website, all eleven links are worth at
least viewing. Reading the first section of each link is recommended.)
Artist jobs, work and remuneration
Discuss the artist's roll as a worker and the numerous areas of employment the artist of today can work and the potential money an artist can make.
Links to explore and encourage discussion:
US Dept. of Labor (list of artist job descriptions and government stats pertaining to the working artist)
1000 Fans (article by wired Magazine founder Kevin Kelly about artist making a living off of 1000 fans)
The Bartering Artist Katherine Dolgy Ludwig's art
How Artists Make Money (5 min. NPR program)
Art Market (Fine art market Info)
Art Price (French art dealers/publishers 23 min. video)
Current Fine Art Market (Discuss Chubb Collectors current high-end art market outlook.)
Assignment- Write a short essay entitled:
How artist's work today is different from earlier periods
Over a weekend, or two to three day break, students will be asked to write a brief one to two page (400-600 word essay) on how they understand the artist's work today has changed from earlier periods. The paper is to assess their understanding of the unit thus far. Most importantly, the essay is to see if the student comprehends not just why the artist's work of today is for the most part different, but that it has changed from early historical periods. The assignment is also for the instructor to determine whether students have established a foundation for being able to grasp the next two lessons.