Your Space Portrait

THEME: IDENTITY
SUBJECT: VISUAL ART
ARTIST: GREER LANKTON
GRADE: recommended 6th-12th grade

OBJECTIVES

Students think about identity and sensitivity to others.
Students create a project to share more about their inner self.
Students think about the difference between who they are in the world and how they are inside.
Students reflect on how physical objects can represent their inner self.

KEY QUESTIONS

1. Do you collect anything? What does this collection say about you?
2. What does your room say about you as a person?
3. How do you define yourself? What objects that own match this definition? Which objects defy this definition?

VISUAL REFERENCES

1. It’s all about ME, Not You (1996), by Greer Lankton

ACTIVITY

What is the space you feel most at home in? What about the space makes you so comfortable? Take a series of photographs of this space. Try to have the photographs reflect you and what you love about the space. Think about the photographs as a self-portrait, but without you in the space. How will you display these photographs? Do the photographs become part of a sculpture? A photo series? A zine? Think about how you will show these photographs in a way that also reflects your identity and your space.

BONUS

If you do this project as a class, have the teacher hang up all the photos and try to guess which photograph belongs to which student.

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PENNSYLVANIA CORE STANDARDS
VISUAL ARTS

(9.1.6.A-9.1.12.A)
-know and use the elements and principles of each art form to create works in the arts and humanities

(9.1.6.B-9.1.12.B)
-recognize, know, use and demonstrate a variety of appropriate arts elements and principles to produce, review and revise original works in the arts

(9.1.6.D-9.1.12.D)
-use knowledge of varied styles within each art form through a performance or exhibition of unique work

(9.1.6.E-9.1.12.E)
-demonstrate the ability to define objects, express emotions, illustrate an action or relate an experience through creation of works in the arts