Description
This lesson provides students with a starting point and methods for how to visually represent the social boundary of their choice. Following the introductory lesson on “Breaking Social Boundaries,” students will begin the initial phase of their collaborative project by selecting a social boundary to represent using Gum Bichromate Process from 1855. Students will use their prior experience with Photoshop to create a digital negative from an original black and white photograph.
Objectives
1. Students will understand how artists (contemporary and past) represent social boundaries using symbols, words, and actions to convey political and/or social beliefs.
2. Students will identify how representations of social boundaries can reveal a particular point of view, perspective, and/or bias.
3. Students will identify the various causes of social boundaries ranging from personal to international and global.
4. Students will understand the history of the Gum Bichromate process and its use and roll in 21st century art.
5.Students will create one contact print using a black and white photograph they have made, converted into a digital negative on transparency film and contact print using UV light source to create a Gum Bichromate print that represents a social boundary of their choice.
Materials and Preparations
An 8 x 10 black and white photograph printed by the student
A flatbed scanner
Computer with Photoshop, Aperture, or Lightroom
Social Barriers worksheet (See Introduction & Resources Page)
Reproductions of art historical and contemporary examples placed in their journal
A digital negative made using Photoshop printed on transparency film
Gum Arabic
Water-soluble pigments - Water Color paint in tube or liquid.
Brushes - Watercolor (flats or wash brushes; 1" and larger)
Paper - Watercolor or Printmaking paper
Contact Printer or glass and board for support
Defining Terms:
Alter or Alteration -to make different in some particular way, to modify the size, style or course of something.
Intervention- to come between disputing people, groups, to mediate, to occur incidentally so as to modify or hinder, to interfere with force or a threat of
force.
Manipulation- to manage or influence skillfully, to adapt or change to suit one's purpose or advantage.
Overview of the Process
Gum Bichromate (or dichromate) printing involves creating a working emulsion made of three components:
1. Gum Arabic
2. A dichromate (usually ammonium or potassium)
3. Pigment
The emulsion is spread on a support, such as paper, and allowed to dry. A negative is then laid over top the emulsion and exposed to a UV light source. Usually a contact printing device or a sheet of heavy glass to ensure even, constant contact is employed. The light source will harden the dichromate in proportion to the densities of your negative. After exposure, the paper is placed in a series of plain water baths and allowed to develop until the unhardened portions of the emulsion have dissipated.
Procedures
Day 1
1. The teacher will discuss the history of the process and the teacher will share examples by past students. See "Photo Exhibition Explores Social Boundaries" and the work of Christian Thompson, and other artist on the "Resource" page. /resources.html
2. The teacher will review how to scan and convert digital files into black and white negatives as well as how to format for printing. Students will share the examples of the process that they found and put into their journals.
3. Students will scan; size, invert, and format for printing there image and save to a class USB.
4. The teacher will print the digital negatives for "Day 2".
Day 2
1. The teacher will demonstrate the process for coating the watercolor paper from beginning to end.
2. Students will each coat two pieces of 9 X 12 precut watercolor papers.
3. Students will leave the watercolor paper inside the darkroom in paper safes to dry overnight.
4. Students will clean all brushes, tables, etc. used in class.
Day 3
1. The teacher will give students a handout, "Gum Process" (found on the resource page)/resources.html for students to follow while watching the demo as well as keep for reference on Day 4 and Day 5.
2. The teacher will demonstrate how to place the transparency on the paper in a contact printer then use the UV light source for exposure and follow by the processing of the print in water.
3. Any remaining time will be reserved to answer individual questions from the students.
Day 4
1. Student will be given their digital negatives.
2. The students will work in pairs sharing a contact printer or glass. Up to four of these may be placed in the UV box.
3. Using the handout, "Gum Process" they will collect their prepared watercolor paper from the darkroom and make their exposure, develop, and leave to dry at the end of the class period.
Day 5
1.Students will repeat the procedures on Day 4 using their second piece of watercolor paper.
Day 6
1. After Gum Bichromate prints are completed students can use experimental mixed media techniques to enhance their designs. It is advisable for student to practice a new technique on their practice prints before altering their final image. Mixed media techniques may include (but are not limited to) adding water color to Gel Medium and coating like a varnish, creating stencils and adding airbrush colors, decoupage lettering or magazine images, adding stitching, drawing on top of transfers with sharpie or oil pastel. These same techniques may be used to alter their collaborative peer’s work in the “Exchange and Critique Lesson”
Day 7
1. Students will complete their works by giving it a creative title that poetically describes the social boundary or subject of the work.
2. A class critique will take place where students will present their prints and talk about the social boundary they selected. They will discuss pros and cons of the process, difficulties and what they did toremedy them.
Day 8
1. In preparation for shipping their designs, students will select the image they are most satisfied with and document their finished works using a digital camera. The digital image will be a record of their works, because the student receiving the work will manipulate, alter, and intervene on the original artwork.
Day 9
1. Images will be mailed to peers in L.A.
2. Students will research and look at examples of the PhotoTransfer process using Gel Medium and Tea Tree Oil that are being used by students in L.A. to understand what they will be receiving.
Day 10
1. The Students will discuss in small groups their findings about Photo Transfers and collect examples for their journals.
Enduring Ideas
1. Ideas and values about people can be social boundaries.
2. As you grow through life your social boundaries change.
3. Social boundaries exist for various reasons in the physical, emotional, and cultural atmosphere in order to create a sense of belonging.
Essential Questions
1. What are some social boundaries facing students your age?
2. What social boundaries are helpful in culture and society?
3. How has your physical location (or the location of your childhood) created social boundaries?
Closure
Students will complete two Gum Bichromate prints that incorporate a variety of images addressing a social boundary of their choice. Students will give their works a creative descriptive title in preparation for the artistic exchange. This is one of two portions of their task; students will receive a grade for the assignment thus far. Upon completion and grading of their final design, prints will be sent to the collaborating teacher and students in Los Angeles; where another student will create a visual and written response to the work.
Assessment
Formative Assessments: Teacher will monitor progress in student’s journals as they gather research and examples. Students will receive evaluation for and of their participation in small group and class discussions. Teacher will informally assess and discuss student’s understanding of social boundaries and discuss methods of visual communication, connection of ideas and design techniques with each student.
Summative Assessment: Students will grade their individual projects based on the criteria and rubric. Teacher will grade the completed portion of this project. Teacher will re-grade the final work and assess how well the responding peer understood the message and intentions of the student's original ideas.
This lesson provides students with a starting point and methods for how to visually represent the social boundary of their choice. Following the introductory lesson on “Breaking Social Boundaries,” students will begin the initial phase of their collaborative project by selecting a social boundary to represent using Gum Bichromate Process from 1855. Students will use their prior experience with Photoshop to create a digital negative from an original black and white photograph.
Objectives
1. Students will understand how artists (contemporary and past) represent social boundaries using symbols, words, and actions to convey political and/or social beliefs.
2. Students will identify how representations of social boundaries can reveal a particular point of view, perspective, and/or bias.
3. Students will identify the various causes of social boundaries ranging from personal to international and global.
4. Students will understand the history of the Gum Bichromate process and its use and roll in 21st century art.
5.Students will create one contact print using a black and white photograph they have made, converted into a digital negative on transparency film and contact print using UV light source to create a Gum Bichromate print that represents a social boundary of their choice.
Materials and Preparations
An 8 x 10 black and white photograph printed by the student
A flatbed scanner
Computer with Photoshop, Aperture, or Lightroom
Social Barriers worksheet (See Introduction & Resources Page)
Reproductions of art historical and contemporary examples placed in their journal
A digital negative made using Photoshop printed on transparency film
Gum Arabic
Water-soluble pigments - Water Color paint in tube or liquid.
Brushes - Watercolor (flats or wash brushes; 1" and larger)
Paper - Watercolor or Printmaking paper
Contact Printer or glass and board for support
Defining Terms:
Alter or Alteration -to make different in some particular way, to modify the size, style or course of something.
Intervention- to come between disputing people, groups, to mediate, to occur incidentally so as to modify or hinder, to interfere with force or a threat of
force.
Manipulation- to manage or influence skillfully, to adapt or change to suit one's purpose or advantage.
Overview of the Process
Gum Bichromate (or dichromate) printing involves creating a working emulsion made of three components:
1. Gum Arabic
2. A dichromate (usually ammonium or potassium)
3. Pigment
The emulsion is spread on a support, such as paper, and allowed to dry. A negative is then laid over top the emulsion and exposed to a UV light source. Usually a contact printing device or a sheet of heavy glass to ensure even, constant contact is employed. The light source will harden the dichromate in proportion to the densities of your negative. After exposure, the paper is placed in a series of plain water baths and allowed to develop until the unhardened portions of the emulsion have dissipated.
Procedures
Day 1
1. The teacher will discuss the history of the process and the teacher will share examples by past students. See "Photo Exhibition Explores Social Boundaries" and the work of Christian Thompson, and other artist on the "Resource" page. /resources.html
2. The teacher will review how to scan and convert digital files into black and white negatives as well as how to format for printing. Students will share the examples of the process that they found and put into their journals.
3. Students will scan; size, invert, and format for printing there image and save to a class USB.
4. The teacher will print the digital negatives for "Day 2".
Day 2
1. The teacher will demonstrate the process for coating the watercolor paper from beginning to end.
2. Students will each coat two pieces of 9 X 12 precut watercolor papers.
3. Students will leave the watercolor paper inside the darkroom in paper safes to dry overnight.
4. Students will clean all brushes, tables, etc. used in class.
Day 3
1. The teacher will give students a handout, "Gum Process" (found on the resource page)/resources.html for students to follow while watching the demo as well as keep for reference on Day 4 and Day 5.
2. The teacher will demonstrate how to place the transparency on the paper in a contact printer then use the UV light source for exposure and follow by the processing of the print in water.
3. Any remaining time will be reserved to answer individual questions from the students.
Day 4
1. Student will be given their digital negatives.
2. The students will work in pairs sharing a contact printer or glass. Up to four of these may be placed in the UV box.
3. Using the handout, "Gum Process" they will collect their prepared watercolor paper from the darkroom and make their exposure, develop, and leave to dry at the end of the class period.
Day 5
1.Students will repeat the procedures on Day 4 using their second piece of watercolor paper.
Day 6
1. After Gum Bichromate prints are completed students can use experimental mixed media techniques to enhance their designs. It is advisable for student to practice a new technique on their practice prints before altering their final image. Mixed media techniques may include (but are not limited to) adding water color to Gel Medium and coating like a varnish, creating stencils and adding airbrush colors, decoupage lettering or magazine images, adding stitching, drawing on top of transfers with sharpie or oil pastel. These same techniques may be used to alter their collaborative peer’s work in the “Exchange and Critique Lesson”
Day 7
1. Students will complete their works by giving it a creative title that poetically describes the social boundary or subject of the work.
2. A class critique will take place where students will present their prints and talk about the social boundary they selected. They will discuss pros and cons of the process, difficulties and what they did toremedy them.
Day 8
1. In preparation for shipping their designs, students will select the image they are most satisfied with and document their finished works using a digital camera. The digital image will be a record of their works, because the student receiving the work will manipulate, alter, and intervene on the original artwork.
Day 9
1. Images will be mailed to peers in L.A.
2. Students will research and look at examples of the PhotoTransfer process using Gel Medium and Tea Tree Oil that are being used by students in L.A. to understand what they will be receiving.
Day 10
1. The Students will discuss in small groups their findings about Photo Transfers and collect examples for their journals.
Enduring Ideas
1. Ideas and values about people can be social boundaries.
2. As you grow through life your social boundaries change.
3. Social boundaries exist for various reasons in the physical, emotional, and cultural atmosphere in order to create a sense of belonging.
Essential Questions
1. What are some social boundaries facing students your age?
2. What social boundaries are helpful in culture and society?
3. How has your physical location (or the location of your childhood) created social boundaries?
Closure
Students will complete two Gum Bichromate prints that incorporate a variety of images addressing a social boundary of their choice. Students will give their works a creative descriptive title in preparation for the artistic exchange. This is one of two portions of their task; students will receive a grade for the assignment thus far. Upon completion and grading of their final design, prints will be sent to the collaborating teacher and students in Los Angeles; where another student will create a visual and written response to the work.
Assessment
Formative Assessments: Teacher will monitor progress in student’s journals as they gather research and examples. Students will receive evaluation for and of their participation in small group and class discussions. Teacher will informally assess and discuss student’s understanding of social boundaries and discuss methods of visual communication, connection of ideas and design techniques with each student.
Summative Assessment: Students will grade their individual projects based on the criteria and rubric. Teacher will grade the completed portion of this project. Teacher will re-grade the final work and assess how well the responding peer understood the message and intentions of the student's original ideas.