Surrealist Games-Teacher's Models (Part 1)

The images in this post are based off an assignment from my Theory and Practice class. With the assignment, we had to refer back to an article on "Surrealist Games" from blackboard and create 2 teacher models based on 2 of the surrealist games. The 2 I chose were 'Exquisite Corpse' and 'Other Ways of Making Text.' These images are only showing part 1 of the what I want to do with this project. I would love to take the 'E.C.' drawing I have and create an actual 3D model based on the subjects in the picture. This is also what I would like to do with my lesson plan for the assignment..create a 3D model based on a 2D drawing. This assignment will allow for communication between a group of students and will have children work with each others ideas in order to create the final piece(s).

"The Exquisite Corpse"

In this piece, I had a great deal of fun doing this. This drawing is an accumulation based on things that 2 of my friends and I came up with. Seeing how the drawing came out made me quite excited to see how the 3D model would turn out as well...will definitely have a surrealistic quality to it.

"Other Ways of Making Text"

In this piece, I found a magazine ad that caught my attention about witches in the 17th century. I took the book description, a critic's statement and an overview of the novel and cut up the words. I then placed the words in a hat and picked out one at a time. Whatever way they were chosen was the way I rearranged them back onto the page.

Exquisite Corpse: A Surrealist Game.

Surrealist games were created to basically go outside the boundaries of what we know as the "norm." The various games are used to help free the participant's imagination by allowing them to lose the control of normal art-making and allow them to tap more into their unconscious. When it comes to the purpose of the games, the majority is split in whether or not the games should just be used as a means of inspiration or if they can really be a starting point for the artist's finished product.

According to the article on surrealist games, one of the most popular/celebrated games is known as "Exquisite Corpse." This game is method that uses collaboration of people's thought to help create/complete the finished product.

As seen here in this example, one way this method can be done is by folding a piece of paper into sections and allow each participant to work in one of the sections. In the end, the product will most likely have a surrealistic feel to it.

I think this method alone would make for quite an interesting lesson plan for any age group of students. Not only are they allowed the freedom to just express themselves through drawing but this will also allow students to work in groups and collaborate to create a finished piece.

This lesson can also move away from the 2D world and move into a 3D type by incorporating the work of artist, Mike Kelley. Kelley is a contemporary artist whose work combines various found objects, drawings, performance..etc. In working with this, students could create smaller sculptures that later could be combined into a product of a small group or the entire class.

I feel that working either with 2D or 3D, this project/lesson would be a great to do early in a school year, especially with younger children, as it allows them to work with other students to complete a project. This will help them get to know fellow peers they might not know that well and start to see people who may have similar thoughts/ideas as they do. The drawings/sculpture could later be displayed in a hallway or display case so that more children around the school can be exposed to this method and in turn, possibly use it themselves.