Surrealism Unit
Students in Art Foundations explored the cultural art movement, Surrealism. Documenting the unconscious on paper by “pure automatism”, using juxtaposition as communication and how Surrealists viewed all art preceding the movement were concepts I fostered in my Surrealism unit. They learned that the main goal of this movement was to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind and used an automatic drawing session to exercise their Surrealist muscle. Additionally, students were introduced to pen and ink, which was a media favored by Surrealist artists. A fruitful and exciting way to practice pen and ink is with the game founded by Surrealist artist, Andre’ Breton, called Exquisite Corpse. The game was another tool Surreal artists used to break the cycle of conscious thinking. After a few rounds of the game, the class worked together on a 3D Exquisite Corpse interactive sculpture project. This offered students the chance to exercise their individual pen and ink skills, while furthering the collaborative aspect that made Surrealism unique.
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