Car Culture Teacher Guide.indd

The Heckscher Museum of Art
SPECIAL EXHIBITION
RESOURCE GUIDE FOR TEACHERS
April 27—August 11, 2013
WHAT’S INSIDE
About the Exhibition.......................................1
Artists in the Exhibition...................................1
Exhibition-Related Websites and Books.............2
Exhibition-Related Vocabulary..........................3
Pre- and Post-Visit Activity Ideas.....................4
Select Images................................................9
Also On View................................................16
Explore the Collection...................................17
Everything You Need @ www.heckscher.org.....18
2 Prime Avenue
Huntington, NY 11743
631.351.3250
www.heckscher.org
Education Department
631.351.3214
(Left to right, top to bottom): Jeff Brouws, Andrew Bush, Matthew
Cusick, Neil Scholl, Thaddeus Holownia, Neill Slaughter. See full
size images starting on page 9.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Car Culture: Art and the Automobile
This exhibition explores artistic response to the automobile, which transformed life in the
20th century, forever changing the appearance of our environment and our experience of
it. While some artists focus on images of the car itself, inspired by its alluring modernity
or its status as an icon or expression of personal identity, others create artwork from car
parts such as scrap metal and tires. Later artists comment on the automobile’s presence
in the landscape, seen in the roadside environment, the phenomenon of the road trip,
and ultimately the damage caused to the environment. The photographers, painters, and
sculptors included in this exhibition examine an aspect of our lives that is usually taken
for granted.
ARTISTS IN THE EXHIBITION
Ant Farm
Thomas F. Barrow
Florian Bohm
Jonathan Brand
Marilyn Bridges
Jeff Brouws
Edward Burtynsky
Andrew Bush
Ted Croner
Matthew Cusick
Alan D’Arcangelo
Don Eddy
Walker Evans
Andreas Feininger
Steve Fitch
Robert Flick
Antonio Frasconi
Robert Frank
Lee Friedlander
Paul Giovanopoulos
Robert Gniewek
Thaddeus Holownia
N. Jay Jaffe
Allan Kaprow
William Klein
Victor Landweber
Dorothea Lange
Roy Lichtenstein
Wyatt McSpadden
Arnold Odermatt
Robert Rauschenberg
Larry Rivers
Ed Ruscha
John Salt
Neil Scholl
Jason Seley
Stephen Shore
Neill Slaughter
Paul Staiger
Joseph Szabo
Stanley Twardowicz
Thomas Zimmerman
BMW Art Cars by Various Artists
-1-
EXHIBITION-RELATED WEBSITES AND BOOKS
Car Culture: Art and the Automobile
BOOKS
The Americans by Robert Frank, 1958
Automobile and Culture by Gerald Silk, 1984
Highway: America’s Endless Dream by Jeff Brouws, 1997
The Car: A History of the Automobile by Jonathan Glancey, 2008
Engines of Change: A History of the American Dream in Fifteen Cars by Paul Ingrassia, 2012
Art Cars and Wild Wheels by Harrod Blank, 2012 and 2001
FILM
Auto-Morphosis by Harrod Blank
WEBSITES
Dorothea Lange Life Magazine Photo Essay
http://books.google.com/books?id=I1QEAAAAMBAJ&q=Three+mormon+towns#v=twopage&q&f=true
Robert Frank’s “The Americans” on NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100688154
CBS News, The Corvette: An American Classic Renewed
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57564889/the-corvette-an-american-classic-renewed/
360° Gallery View of the Venice Guggenheim Rauschenberg: Gluts Exhibition
http://www.guggenheim-venice.it/exhibitions/virtual_tour/rauschenberg_4/rauschenberg.html
More photographs from Andrew Bush series Vectors
http://www.andrewbush.net/vectors%202-10-08/index.htm
Cadillac Ranch Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJur12g7iJk
BMW Art Cars Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TIQGy5fUQLA#!
-2-
EXHIBITION-RELATED VOCABULARY
Car Culture: Art and the Automobile
documentary photography: Photography used to chronicle significant and historical
events from a neutral viewpoint.
series: Two or more works of art exploring a similar theme, idea, or style.
scale: The relative size of an object or objects.
point of view: The perspective, or angle, from which a subject is shown.
style: The visual appearance of a work of art that relates to other works by the same
artist or from the same period, location, “school,” or art movement.
portrait: A work of art depicting a person or animal. A portrait can be two or three
dimensional and depict more than one figure.
landscape: A work of art depicting the outdoor environment.
sculpture: A three-dimensional work of art usually made by carving, chiseling, molding,
or using found objects.
found objects: Objects or products (often with a non-art function) that are used to
create works of art.
installation: Three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to
transform the experience and perception of a space.
realism: The depiction of subjects as they appear objectively without interpretation.
repetition: Recurring shape, color, or object within a work of art.
lithography: A printing process that uses a stone or metal plate with a completely
smooth surface. The design is etched, or scratched, into a wax coating and then
printed.
vanishing point: A point on the horizon where lines that recede from the picture plane
into the pictorial distance meet.
horizon line: The line where the sky and Earth appear to meet.
-3-
PRE- and POST-VISIT ACTIVITY IDEAS
Car Culture: Art and the Automobile
Grades K - 6
The Driver’s Side Perspective Drawing
MOTIVATION
Have students look at Untitled by Alan D’Arcangelo and
Oberdorf by Arnold Odermatt. What is similar about
these two landscapes? What is different? Imagine
you were in these works of art. Are you standing still?
Are you driving? Are you a passenger? Where may
each road lead? What do you see that makes you say
that? From what perspective, or point of view, are
you looking at each scene? What shape do the roads
make? Why do they make this shape? What are the
artists trying to tell us about the roads? Why do the
details get smaller as you move towards the horizon
line? The point of the triangle is called the vanishing
point. Why do you think it’s called a vanishing point?
Left: D’ARCANGELO, Alan (American, 1930–1998)
Untitled (Highway Series), 1965
Right: ODERMATT, Arnold (Swiss, b. 1925)
Oberdorf, 1973
PROCEDURE
Using the windshield template provided on the following page, have students create a perspective
landscape drawing.
1. First, students should draw a horizon line.
2. Then have them create a vanishing point on the horizon.
3. Connect the vanishing point to the two corners of the bottom of the windshield creating a
triangle.
4. Brainstorm where students are driving. Are they in a city? Are they in the future? Are they
in a forest?
5. Depending on what landscape each student chooses, have them draw details. Will near
details look the same as those farther away? Why or why not? What changes in the details?
Remind students that as they get closer to the vanishing point, details become smaller.
6. Use a variety of materials.
7. If desired, add a large steering wheel at the bottom left.
8. Share artworks with the class. Have students write about where they are in the work of art
and also what the destination will be.
EXTENSION
Instruct students to research a particular country or region and use the information gathered to
create location-specific drawings from a driver’s perspective. As regions change what changes
about the environment? What changes about the car? Hint: Steering wheel placement.
-4-
-5-
PRE- and POST-VISIT ACTIVITY IDEAS
Car Culture: Art and the Automobile
Grades 7 to12
Create your own Art Car
MOTIVATION
Have students look at Corvette # 2 by Paul Giovanopolous on page 7. What is similar about each
car in Corvette #2? From what angle or perspective is the viewer looking at each car? What
is different? Paul Giovanopoulos uses different colors, shapes and lines inspired by different
artists’ styles. Print out works of art in the styles Giovanopoulos is emulating. Have students
match each work of art to the corresponding car. How is each style unique? Giovanopoulos used
his own styles on some of the cars as well. How did he choose names for his own styles?
PROCEDURE:
Have students create their own art car drawings.
1. As a class, decide on a make and model of car and choose one point of view from which
everyone will work. Example: Chevrolet Corvette or Volkswagen Beetle.
2. Have each student sketch the outline of the car or have all students work from the same
outline.
3. Students should each research a style of art (art movements, artists, etc.) to inspire his or her
car. They can also create a new style to make a one-of-a-kind art car.
4. Using information gathered, add details to the body of the car.
5. Add color, lines, and shapes emulating the chosen or invented style.
6. Have students display the finished cars in a grid, similar to Corvette #2.
7. If desired, print out an example of a work of art in each student’s chosen style. Play another
matching game with the printed works of art and students’ finished art cars.
EXTENSION
Have students look at the BMW Art Cars on page 8. What is similar about each car? What
is different? How are these cars similar to Corvette #2 by Paul Giovanopolous? How are they
different? If the students could design their own Art Car, what would it look like and why?
What materials could be used? Have students create a 3D art car in the style they previously
drew. If students want to change the make or model of the car, or imagine a model, how could
the structure be modified and why? What details can be added? What can be taken away?
Example: Would a car designed by Andy Warhol look the same as a car designed by Pablo
Picasso? Why or why not? What would be similar? What would be different?
-6-
Style of Georges Braque
-7-
BMW Art Cars
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
15
14
Alexander Calder
Frank Stella
Roy Lichtenstein
Andy Warhol
Ernst Fuchs
Robert Rauschenberg
Ken Done
Michael Nelson Jagamara
-8-
9. Matazo Kayama
10. Cesar Manrique
11. A.R. Penck
12. Esther Mahlangu
13. Sandro Chia
14. David Hockney
15. Jenny Holzer
SELECT IMAGES
Car Culture: Art and the Automobile
BROUWS, Jeff (American, b. 1955)
Abandoned Gasoline Station No. 28, Little Lake, California, 1992
Archival pigment print, 6 1/2 x 9 in.
© Jeff Brouws. Courtesy Robert Mann Gallery, New York
-9-
SELECT IMAGES
Car Culture: Art and the Automobile
BUSH, Andrew (American, b. 1956)
Woman waiting to proceed south at Sunset and Highland Boulevards,
Los Angeles, at approximately 11:59 a.m. one day in February 1997
Chromogenic print, 30 x 37 3/4 in.
Courtesy Julie Saul Gallery
- 10 -
SELECT IMAGES
Car Culture: Art and the Automobile
CUSICK, Matthew (American, b. 1970)
Transamerican, 2004
Inlaid maps and acrylic on wood panel,
48 x 70 inches
Courtesy Pavel Zoubok Gallery
(Left: Detail)
- 11 -
SELECT IMAGES
Car Culture: Art and the Automobile
GIOVANOPOULOS, Paul (American, b. Greece, 1939)
Corvette #2, 2007
Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 43 1/2 in.
Courtesy of the Artist
- 12 -
SELECT IMAGES
Car Culture: Art and the Automobile
HOLOWNIA, Thaddeus (Canadian, b. England, 1949)
From the series Headlighting, 1974-1977
Toned silver gelatin contact print, 8 x 20 in. (printed from 8 x 20 in. paper negatives).
Collection of the artist, Courtesy Corkin Gallery, Toronto, Canada
- 13 -
SELECT IMAGES
Car Culture: Art and the Automobile
SCHOLL, Neil (American, b. 1929)
Midtown, New York City, 1972
Archival inkjet print on archival paper, 9 x 12 9/16 in.
Heckscher Museum of Art. Gift of the Artist
- 14 -
SELECT IMAGES
Car Culture: Art and the Automobile
SLAUGHTER, Neill (American, b. 1951)
Confluence, 1992-3
Oil on canvas, 36 x 60 in.
Collection of the Artist
- 15 -
ALSO ON VIEW
Scooters, Cranberry Pickers, and “Whirling Dervishes”:
Hal B. Fullerton’s Long Island
April 27 - August 4, 2013
Hal B. Fullerton (1857-1935) was a
photographer whose works document
life on Long Island in the early years of
the 20th century. As a special agent and
agriculturalist for the Long Island Rail Road,
Fullerton’s photographs were reproduced in
promotional material that encouraged tourism
and farming on the Island. Born in Ohio,
Fullerton worked in New York before moving
to Long Island, settling first in Brooklyn,
and then progressively east to Queens,
Huntington, East Setauket, and finally
Middle Island. In Suffolk County, Fullerton
and his wife established experimental farms
for the L.I.R.R., contributing to the area’s
agricultural development. His photographs
capture the picturesque, agrarian charm of
the Island.
Ongoing
This rotating Permanent Collection exhibition
includes paintings, drawings, and sculpture in a
wide range of styles, demonstrating the breadth and
depth of the Museum’s collection.
Top: Hal B. Fullerton (1857-1935), Sea Cliff – Schooner “Long Island”
on Grass at Inlet. Pigment print. From the Collection of the Suffolk
County Historical Society.
Bottom: George Grosz (American, b. Germany, 1893-1959), Eclipse of
the Sun, 1926. Oil on canvas.
- 16 -
EXPLORE THE COLLECTION @ www.heckscher.org
Your Key to the Museum’s Permanent Collection
Learn about
COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS.
George Grosz’s Eclipse of the Sun
and much more!
SEARCH THE COLLECTION of more than
2,200 works by artist, classification, or date.
See artwork that is
CURRENTLY ON VIEW.
Click thumbnails for
large images and detailed information.
Select works of art have Huey’s Kid-Friendly
Information. These guided questions are
designed for children to learn along with a
grown-up. Huey makes it fun for everyone to
look and learn together!
- 17 -
Everything you need
@
www.heckscher.org
SPECIAL EXHIBITION RESOURCE GUIDES for TEACHERS
Prepare your students before their Museum Discovery Program! Guides are developed
on a rolling basis and are available free of charge at www.heckscher.org. Guides may
include exhibition-specific information such as:
• Artist biographies
• Exhibition summaries
• Full-color artwork images
• Vocabulary words
• Pre- and post-visit activities
“KIDS CORNER”
The Museum displays artwork by young
artists in this online gallery.
HOW TO ENTER:
Please send a jpg of student artwork to
[email protected]. All entries must include
first name, title of the artwork, and artist’s age.
SHARE LESSONS and STUDENT ARTWORK
Have you taught your students a lesson inspired by an exhibition on view in the Museum?
Share it with us and fellow art teachers at www.heckscher.org.
Please send a description of your lesson along with jpg files of student work to [email protected].
All submissions must include teacher’s full name, school name, district, and grade level.
QUESTIONS?
2 Prime Avenue
Huntington, NY 11743
631.351.3250
www.heckscher.org
Call the Museum’s Education Department
631.351.3214 - Monday through Friday,
10:00 am - 5:00 pm, or e-mail
[email protected].
Education Department
631.351.3214
- 18 -