overview
Lesson 1 | Summary
Activity Pages
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lesson 1 | remaking myths
language arts | grades 9-12
Artists are storytellers. While some visually narrate real or fictional
events in their artwork, others are inspired by myths, religious
stories, folklore, and scientific principles that seek to describe
the mysteries of our world. This lesson will explore how artists
draw from and reinterpret historical events, biblical stories, and
cultural stereotypes to create contemporary stories and characters.
activities
The following activities can be implemented individually or collectively
as a longer unit of study.
Retelling Stories
In this activity, students explore the mythological, biblical,
and historical sources that inspire Kiki Smith’s
work. Through discussion and journal entries, students reflect on
their own understanding of Smith’s re-telling of traditional
stories.
Building
a World
This activity presents the work of Trenton
Doyle Hancock and Matthew Ritchie
who construct real and imagined universes based on information systems
and visual narratives of their own creation. Students will research
and design a series of visual icons inspired by myths and cosmological
elements from different cultures to create their own representations
of a fictitious or real universe.
Symbols & Artifacts
This activity is inspired by the work of Shahzia
Sikander and Fred Wilson who construct
new narratives from recognized cultural forms to confront stereotypes
and oppression. Students will identify a mythological, historical,
or contemporary figure and redesign their persona.
Myth
Making
Each of the artists featured in this lesson are visual storytellers
who interpret stories that have influenced and inspired them. This
activity suggests a number of ways to involve students in writing
their own myths based on personal experience and creative interpretation
of visual and literary sources.
objectives
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Students will explore
how artists are inspired by world myths, religious stories,
historical events, etc. and use these sources to create contemporary
stories and characters. |
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Students will look
at the work of visual artists who integrate Biblical, mythological,
or historical narratives into their work. |
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Students will read a range of
myths from different cultures. |
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Students will write their own
mythological stories that derive from personal history, existing
mythological stories and characters, and works of contemporary
art. |
critical questions
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What is a myth? |
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How are myths created
and disseminated? |
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What are examples of contemporary
myths and mythological stories? |
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When does the word myth connote
negative associations and when does it connote positive associations?
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How do myths relate to the cultures
that create and disseminate them? |
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What does it mean to make a myth
or story contemporary? |
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How is reinterpretation different
from plagiarism? |
reflection & evaluation
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Are students familiar
with a range of contemporary visual artists who integrate
mythological, historical, and/or religious stories into their
work? |
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Have students looked
at a range of artistic interpretations of world myths, religious
stories, and historical events? |
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Have students read a selection
of myths from different cultures? |
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Have students written their own
mythological story that derives from another work of art or
myth? |
national standards: language arts
| #1 |
Read print & non-print texts |
| #3 |
Comprehend, interpret, evaluate & appreciate
texts |
| #4 |
Communication strategies |
| #5 |
Writing strategies |
| #12 |
Use spoken, written & visual language in
tandem |
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Find out how this lesson plan correlates to
your state’s education standards by following the link
to PBS’s TeacherSource. |
going further
This lesson can be combined with others to create an extended unit
or course of study that explores the narrative impulse in visual
art including:
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about this lesson
This lesson was written by Thi
Bui, Visual Art and Social Studies Teacher,
High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology, Brooklyn, NY and
Jessica Hamlin, Art:21's
Director of Education and Outreach. Additional contributors include Lisa
Charde, Art:21 Intern. The lesson was first
published on this Web site September 2003, and was revised September of
2005. For questions and/or comments, please contact curriculum@art21.org
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