McKean

Enduring Idea:
Storytelling or Narrative

Rationale:
Through his work, McKean combines images, text, and symbols into surrealist images. Surrealist work often places ordinary objects in unusual juxtopositions to create new meaning. Students should learn about how images, text, and symbols can work together to tell a narrative story. Is there a common language of symbols in art? How do Surrealists and other artists use dream imagery to express an idea?

Artist:
[|Dave McKean] Dave McKean is a contemporary Illustrator and Artist who uses ideas similar to surrealism. The theme of dreams prevails through much of his work.

Sample Images:
[|Content] [|Travels] [|Pray For Us] [|Wolves] [|Sandman]

Key Concepts:
Cultures tell stories that promote the values of that group. Symbols vary by individual and by cultural background. Symbolism is often used in the arts and literature to convey meanings without explicitly showing or stating the meaning. Surrealists in the early 20'th century were influenced by the writings of psychoanalyists. They took the ideas of the unconsious mind and dream symbolism and used them to make very personal works of art.

Essential Questions:
What are some folk stories that are commonly known in your culture? What symbols do they use? What lessons do they teach? What are some frequently used symbols in Surrealist art? How do symbols help express things that literal representation cannot?

Unit Objectives:
Explore the history of Surrealism and compare the work of Dave McKean as a contemporary conterpart. Learn basic tools of Adobe Photoshop. Combine traditional and computer media to create a symbolic work of art.

Lesson Time:
14 class periods of 47 minutes

SOLs:
AII.4 The student will use technology to create and manipulate images. AII.6 The student will use historical subject matter and symbols as inspiration to produce works of art. AII.13 The student will identify works of art and artistic developments that relate to historical time periods and locations. AII.16 The student will describe distinguishing features in works of art that may be used to differenetiate among a variety of historical periods and cultural contexts. AII.19 The student will describe symbols present in works of art in relation to historical meaning.

Lesson Instructions:

 * Day 1**: Introduce students to Surrealism through a Power-point and class discussion of major artists and works
 * Discuss the influence of Psychoanalysts.
 * Discuss dreams and dream symbolism


 * Day 2**: Introduce students to the works of Dave McKean through showing clips from the movie Mirrormask and chosen excerpts from his website
 * Discuss McKean's connections to Surrealism
 * Discuss the common theme of dreams and possible symbolism


 * Homework: Discussion and journaling activity: Students will express in their sketchbooks their thoughts on the following questions:
 * What symbols do you see recurring in the images we have seen (both Surrealism and McKean;s work)?
 * What might these symbols mean?
 * What symbols might you use to express something in your life?


 * Days 3-5**: Using your journal as a springboard, create thumbnail sketches that depict a dreamlike image. This can be an actual dream or a symbolic representation about you. Create drawings or sketches to go with your dream images


 * Homework: Take digital photographs of people or scenes that fit into your dream image.


 * Days 6-8**: Teach basic tools in Photoshop


 * Days 9-13**: Scan your drawings and sketches into Photoshop and combine them with your digital photographs and computer images to create a digital collage


 * Day 14**: Add completed images to the class blog along with a story that goes along with your image. Students will view and comment on each others' posts.

Grading Criteria:
The image must contain images that are traditionally drawn or painted, photographs, and digital editing or drawing Knowledge of Photoshop tools must be evident through the way the different images are blended together to form a single cohesive picture. The final image must reflect the thought process done in your journal, and should be surreal is some way. The final image must reflect that the time given for this assignment was well spent. (ie: you are always working in class when time is given and homework assignments are completed on time.

Resources
Here is a Powerpoint I made on Surrealism for a clay lesson I do with Art II. I would probably expand it significantly for this unit, but it's a starting point. [|Dave McKean]'s portfolio [|Neil Gaiman]'s blog (author who often works with Dave McKean [|Mirrormask]

//Laura's Notes:// //I have see so many bad examples of computer manipulated images, that it is inspiring to see the way McKean has integrated collage, photography, and painting together so that it is nearly impossible to tell where one ends and the others begin. McKean focuses a lot on dreams and fantasy, and how dream-like images represent things in the waking world. The movie [|Mirrormask] that he directed is about just that. A young girl is distressed because her mother is hospitalized for a life threatening surgery, just after they have had a nasty fight. She fears that the last words her mother will have heard from her are "I hate you". She then goes to sleep and in her dreams, she fights against a dark/mirror version of herself in an effort to save a queen (her mother) from her evil self.//