Lesson Plan Big Idea 7th Grade
Students will learn that art and advertising can be used to convey specific messages that influence consumers in multiple ways. Students will learn that marketing and advertisement use visual cues to convey messages that guide consumer knowledge and sway opinion. These visual cues have great psychological and psychobiological human responses when viewed and all should become familiar with them, let alone our student children at any development level they are.
3 Artists of Influence
Banksy
“Shoeshine for Ronald”
Banksy
Life sized, fiberglass, mixed media, performance art
2013
Set up at McDonald locations throughout NYC for a month, the piece is a great example of cultural jamming. This work absolutely questions the desired public opinion McDonald’s desires to have in multiple ways. A servant shines extremely emphasized clown shoes as Ronald seems to judge the quality and disappointment of the job at hand. This work speaks in numerous ways including perhaps corporate worship, workplace conditions, or even the relationship McDonald’s food has on society unhealthily.
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Discussion questions:
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“How is Ronald treating this person?”
“Why do you think his shoes are even larger than the typical clown shoe?”
Ad Jam #1
Banksy
Digital Media
Banksy started as a street artist in Bristol, England, and is now well known for his political activism “graffiti” art. Using satire and sometimes dark humor, he secretly adds his work around the globe to public exteriors that have become very well known. His identity remains anonymous, which adds mystery and intrigue to his artwork. He predominantly uses stencils in his work for more detail and recognition of meaning in his message. Using stencils originally was used due to the speed and ability to use them to quickly make work and to not get caught graffitiing. His work is recognized today and highly sought after.
Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada
“Rebel without a lung”
Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada
Altered NYC billboard.
1994
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Discssion Questions:
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“Why do you think the artist chose to paint the individual on the billboard the way he did?”
“Do you think it is COOL to have no lung like the text says?” “Why?”
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"Reflection"
Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada
Street Mural
44m x 52m
2019
Discusson Questions:
"How does this advocate against child labor and trafficing?"
" Why does size matter in this case?"
Jorge Rodriguez was an immigrant exiled from Cuba and traveled to America at a very young age. He is very well known for his enormous portrait paintings reaching as large as 70 feet painted outside on grounds and side buildings incorporating the texture, shape, and forms of the canvass he paints upon. His early subvertisements included changing well-recognized company logos, dispelling marketing and common messages the ads typically conveyed. He evolved his artwork to his more recognized work from there.
The Yes Men
"The ENDURAsphere"
The Yes Men
Fabric, Inflatable Suit
2010
Commenting on the ridiculous response to terrorism, The Yes Men, Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno, designed a special suit to be presented to the European Parliament representing themselves as a company called Global Security Response. The suit guarantees comfort when terrorism occurs, though only available to those who can afford them. The defensive orb presented was a hoax to highlight social issue. As an agent of positive change, this artwork provides subvertisment to many social problems, especially as serious as the art was taken as a solution and desired by members of the European Parliament. Some questions from Parliament during the presentation included:
Q: Is it easy to swim with this suit if you must escape by river or sea?
A: Well, this is just a prototype, but the actual suit will be completely floatable, buoyant, and it's able to dive underwater as well to a depth, I think, of 30 feet.
Q: In Germany, in Cologne, we have problems with men touching women. Is this a solution for these problems?
A: I think that would be like throwing a nuclear bomb at a village to obliterate it. Um, I think there are probably other solutions to that problem.
Q: Do we have to wear it all the time? I'm thinking of human reproduction.
A: That's up to the user … if you feel safe at home, of course, take it off.
Q: Can this thing help us in the refugee crisis in Europe?
A: Uh, it's not really meant to help with the refugee crisis. I'm not sure how it might. I mean unless you fear refugees.
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