Kara Walker is an African-American contemporary artist that focuses on creating tension through relationships of power with the use of black silhouettes created out of paper. Her aesthetic comes from historical research on Victorian and English illustrations, to which she has appropriated and use to comment on contemporary issues surrounding American History, Black History and the multi-layered identity that comes with being an African American. Through her work, she creates stark contrast and juxtaposes violence and otherwise disturbing imagery with a sense of elegance through her original inspirations.
Link to full Art21 video: https://art21.org/artist/kara-walker/ Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/kara_walker_official/?hl=en |
Lesson Plan |
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A lesson plan to create based off of Kara Walker would be to have students work together to create an installation that engulfs and invites the viewer in, similar to how Kara Waker sometimes makes use of an entire room to create one full artwork that the viewer can experience and not just look at. Students can use mixed media supplies such as paint, paper or found objects, and display their artwork in a hallway corner or space that evokes tension between the environment and the element's of each student's design. Students can then have a small exhibition using effects such as lighting or even sound to add to the ambience and experience.
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