School of Education
Curriculum & Teaching
Prof. John Toth, Ph.D. / jtoth@hunter.cuny.edu
PRIME COMMUNICATION
BODY LANGUGE
for the post modern educator
- Body language communicates meaning and expression in the Arts.
- Introduce Art Literacy as modes of communication that can be compared to writing as literacy.
AIM: Understand how artists use the energy of line in bodies to create movement.
How do composers use duration to create qualities that effect dance movement. Understanding how body language communicates balance. Understand ways in which artists communicate meaning using interactive body language.
OBJECTIVE: Draw 12 gesture studies of small groups doing specific tasks. Paint one of the sketches.
LINE OF INQUIRY: How do artists use body language to create meaning and expression.
ART ELEMENT: Body Language, gesture, form, sign language, signals.
The Arts Standards for NY
The Arts Standard 1
performance:
Dance - Identify and demonstrate movement elements and skills (such as bend, twist, slide, skip, hop)
Music - sing songs and play instruments, maintaining tone quality.
Theater - use creative drama to communicate ideas and feelings.
Visual Arts - understand and use the elements and principles of art (line, color, texture, shape) to communicate their ideas.
art supplies - read articles
1:45
15
1. 1. Alberto Giacometti, “Annette”2. Frida Kahlo, “Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair"
3. Jacob Lawrence, “Pool Player"
4. Umberto Giacometti, “Unique Forms of Continuity in Space”
Rossiter and Mignot, “Washington and Lafayette at Mount Vernon”
Body Language Art Slideshow
Explore methods for investigating a work of art: describe, analyze, interpret, reflect and question.
Artistic Line of Inquiry: How do Kahlo, Giacometti
and Lawrence use body language and facial expression to communicate emotion,
ideas and symbolic meaning?
Henri Matisse. The Dance, 1911. o/c
DANCE
Cunningham / pedestrian gesture
DANCE
Urban Bush Women,
MUSIC
Claude Debussy, Claire De Lune
Miles Davis / Kind of Blue, So What
MUSIC / THEATER
Leonard Bernstein, West Side Story
Geraldine Morris / Persephone: Ashton's Rite of Spring
Pedogogical Considerations
Develop question strategies that
open ideas around multiple intelligences.
GESTURE DRAWING
OBJECTIVE: Art - Make gesture drawings of poses. Draw 12 gesture studies of small groups doing specific tasks (working, playing, sitting, dancing, etc.). Explore differenrs ways to draw lines. Consider drawing lines that are angular, zig-zag, swirly, geometric and flowing so as to effect mood or content.
CREATIVE ACTIVITY: 1
Paint one of the sketches.
DANCE ACTIVITY:
GROUP GESTURES
Dance - create 5 different linear / angular gestures in a group.
Theater - Write a dialogue for The Dance and enact.
Music - Use percussion instruments to create 3 different rhythms that accompany your 3 sketches.
2:15
2:45
3:00
30
15
15
SHAPES WITH ATTITUDE
OBJECTIVE: Draw a large circle that just fits inside the page. Students will take turns presenting a pose with a specific attitude. Sketch a pose with the feet on the bottom inside the circle. Rotate page and add another pose. Sketch and rotate 8 times. Place a meaningful object in the center that relates to the combined poses.
- Reflect on student generated artworks.
SAMPLE ACTIVITY: GROUP GESTURES
ART HISTORY
- Henri Matisse
SOCIAL STUDIES
- Jacob Lawrence & Lanston Hughes, Migration series. Artist and writer collaboration.
ART EDUCATION Practice and Theory. Lincoln Center Institute
Body Language
relaxed, anxious, working, playing, crawling, gripping, directing,
lesson plan: BodyLanguage2008.htm
survey: Survey01ArtsBodyLanguage2008.htm