overview
Lesson 1 | Summary
Activity Pages
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lesson 1 | remaking myths
activity | symbols & artifacts
Shahzia Sikander and Fred
Wilson construct new narratives from recognized cultural
forms and traditional techniques. Learning the art of miniature
painting as a student in art school in Pakistan, Shahzia Sikander’s
paintings and installations represent contemporary perspectives
of the world rendered with traditional techniques and tools.
Addressing conceptions and stereotypes long held between Hindus
and Muslims, as well as the East and the West. Sikander’s
imagery includes goddesses, soldiers, demons, and saviors who intermingle
with contemporary political figures and personal portraits. These
images re-imagine the icons and symbols that have long represented
these often contentious cultures. Have students read Sikander’s
interviews (see links above) and explore her use of the goddess
figure in paintings such as “Hood's
Red Rider #2” and “Fleshy
Weapons” Then have students read literary descriptions
of different Hindu goddesses in mythology (see links above). How
do the Hindu myths that include gods and goddesses inform Sikanders’
imagery and how does Sikander’s imagery inform student's understanding
or interpretation of Hindu myths? What does Sikander mean when she
speaks of using miniature paintings to “break tradition, make
meaning, question”?
Fred Wilson’s artistic practice spans a wide range of materials,
methods, and sites. Known for his work creating new exhibition contexts
for the display of art and artifacts found in museum collections,
Wilson also creates sculptural work by juxtaposing cultural objects
and kitch items to address controversial histories, specifically
the representation of African-American identity in America. His
provocative installations not only juxtapose disparate kinds of
objects, but address controversial ideas about race, racism, and
cultural identity. These installations and sculptures lead viewers
to recognize that changes in context create changes in meaning.
As a class have students read Wilson’s transcript and view
a selection of his work in his artwork survey (see links above).
Look at images such as “Funny,”
“By
Degree,” and “Puppet.”
Prepare students for what they will see by introducing Wilson's
work as related to an investigation of the representation of race
and racism. Discuss how these sculptural works connect disparate
or seemingly unrelated objects to re-imagine their relationships
to each other and to the viewer. Encourage to students to have a
frank discussion about how these images make them feel and how Wilson's
work draws attention to specific ideas and issues both from the
past as well as present-day society.
What materials has Wilson used? What artistic processes has Wilson
used to create the work? What choices has Wilson made in the creation
of the work? Inspect each of the objects that Wilson has included
in these works. Describe each separate element, the history of its
creation and use, and the way would be interpreted today as a discreet
object. Next, consider the sculpture as Wilson intended for viewers
to see it, as a whole. How does the meaning change when the elements
described above are brought together as one piece of artwork? What
new narratives and interpretive possibilities emerge?
In the context of this series of works, discuss Wilson's statement,
"All these representations that I grew up with are telling
me who I am, whether I realize it or not. And so putting them all
out and having them talk to each other is my way of taking control
of who I am: what is me and what is something that the rest of the
world has said that I am?"
After analyzing these works, ask students to create a collage based
on a mythological, historical, or contemporary figure of their choosing.
Ask students to redesign this figure using one or more of Wilson
and Sikander's methods such as changing the context in which we
are accustomed to see the figure, or juxtaposing the figure with
new elements or other characters to suggest a new attributes and
stories. |
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