When we had to start out the school year in a virtual setting, I was inspired to come up with a project that I wouldn’t typically be able to implement in the classroom. Several projects I assigned students that semester involved items and places in their homes. Not all my students were in their homes during class time; some were in safe learning centers, so this assignment allowed them to adapt to the setting they were in and use the materials available to them.
We began by looking at installation art, which involves artists creating scenes in various types of locations. Some artworks are permanent, while others are temporary. We discussed how artists document and preserve their installation work using cameras.
Next, I shared images of the installations of Sandy Skoglund, one of my studentsʼ favorite artists. We discussed how Skoglund uses home settings in most of her work to create vibrant and eye-catching fictional scenes. We also talked about why someone might choose to create installation art and the challenges and limitations one might face when creating on-site.
After our discussion, I told students that they would be creating their own installation in their home or learning center. I told them that our installations would not be on a large scale like Skoglundʼs, and that we would create miniature scenes inspired by her work.
I asked students to walk around their environment and look for a bookshelf. Most students were able to find some kind of bookshelf or some type of ledge or shelf. I wanted students to be able to work with whatever was available to them and encouraged them to check with me to see if the location would work if they werenʼt sure. I asked them to clear a space about the size of a large or thick book—anywhere from 5 to 8" (13 to 20 cm). I explained that this would be the location for their installation.
Students brainstormed ideas for installations that they could create inside that space. I told them to think of small scenes from a story. We discussed various fairy tales and storybook scenes. I told them they could use a scene from a book or movie, or they could be totally original and create their own scene.
Students mapped out ideas in their sketchbooks. I asked them to come up with at least three thumbnail sketches to share with their classmates during a critique.
We discussed what kinds of items they could use in their scenes based on what was available to them in their learning setting.
After the critique, students got to work creating the mini-installations on their bookshelves. I asked them to document their progress with a camera to help me learn about their process. Students used small toys, found objects, and all kinds of things they discovered in their learning setting. It got them excited to play in a scene while they were creating.
Studentsʼ designs simply astonished me. The ideas and concepts they explored throughout the process were quite unique, and no two installations were alike. As they shared their process, other classmates gained further inspiration and kept adding on to their mini-installations throughout the year. They continued to share their work as their scenes evolved.
Every installation was unique because each of my students is unique. They were able to explore ideas that they had an interest in and themes that engaged them. From building the scene to documenting the process, students gained a lot from the experience of creating an installation.
Leigh Drake Ed.S., is a visual arts teacher at Old Donation School in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Leigh.Drake@VBSchools.com
Connecting: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
Art teachers share new and exciting art-making experiences in and outside the art room. Young students collaborate to paint a hanging cardboard butterfly installation, elementary students use everyday objects to create illuminating bookshelf dioramas, middle-school students use 3D-scanning technology to print lifelike portraits, high-school students address contemporary issues while creating in an outdoor classroom, and more.
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