overview
Lesson 1 | Summary
Activity Pages
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lesson 1 | ode to a view
activity | ode to a landscape
| Time Period: |
Long-term project
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| Materials: |
Sketchbook/journal, writing and
drawing materials, 2D materials to be chosen by students but
may include paints, brushes, water media paper, book binding
materials (punch, needle and thread, ruler, Exacto knife,
heavy paper, matte/chip board and fabric for covers if desired),
photo equipment, found objects, various sculpture materials |
| Online Resources: |
Sewn
& accordion style book binding techniques |
| Art:21 Films: |
Structures
(Roni Horn segment) |
| Web Clips: |
Horn—"Some Thames" |
| Interviews: |
Horn—Water |
| Slideshow: |
Horn—Artwork
Survey |
Some landscapes have so captivated artists and writers of the past
that the individual can scarcely be thought of without also thinking
of a place he or she made famous. For Georgia
O'Keefe it was the rippling mesas of New Mexico, for Langston
Hughes the bustling streets of Harlem, and for Paul
Gaugain the colorful villages of Tahiti.
Roni Horn has more recently made Iceland
her muse, referring to the landscape there as a "quarry"
from which she draws inspiration. But Horn has also been enthralled
by particular waterscapes like the Thames River, the surface of
which she photographed many times for her piece “Some
Thames.” Show your students the Art:21 video segment about
Roni Horn and refer to her interview (see link above). Discuss how
Horn's work functions as an ode to particular landscapes, such as
Iceland and the Thames River. Why are these views important to her
personally? Why do artists and writers sometimes choose to focus
on one subject for long periods of time? What makes one landscape
or place more captivating than the thousands of others a person
sees in his or her lifetime? How can landscapes function as metaphors
or reflect emotions?
Have students choose a specific view or perspective of a favorite
landscape or place that holds significance for them. Ask them to
revisit this vista or landscape over several days, weeks or months
and to record their thoughts and ideas while they are there through
creative writing, photographs, sketches or drawings, found objects,
etc. With their recorded thoughts ask students to brainstorm a list
of words they would use to describe their place. Using these brainstormed
words ask students to write an ode or tribute to this space that
describes both the physical, emotive, and associative qualities
of the place.
After they have written their ode, ask students to illustrate their
writing using either a two-dimensional drawing, painting, or series
of photographs, or a three-dimensional sculpture, installation,
or video. Students may also want to incorporate the words that describe
their landscape into their piece, or may want to create a book including
their ode and other writings about the place with their photos,
drawings, collages, or painted illustrations. If students choose
to make a three-dimensional ode, they may also want to consider
photographing their piece in the context of the landscape as the
basis for a book that incorporates their written work. |
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