Represent! Expression Through Collage

Project Description

Robert Rauschenberg, Buffalo II, 1964.

A collage is a two-dimensional composition made of different materials attached to a surface. Artists use many different principles of design in a collage to express ideas. It's also one of the most accessible visual art mediums for young artists!

In this lesson, designed in collaboration with Joshua Powell, Visual & Performing Arts Coordinator at Southwood Academy of the Arts, students will explore these principles through the work of famous artists. Then, they will follow a step by step process to create a collage that represents something they have learned or read in school.

Suitable for grades 6-12. 

Image: Robert Rauschenberg, Buffalo II, 1964. 

Artistic Process

Create, Present

What's included

-Lesson Plan
-Lesson Slideshow
-Project Rubric
-Cardstock for collage backing
-Construction paper
-Gluesticks

What you will need

-Additional collage materials (optional)
-Scissors

Guiding Question

How can I use collage to represent something I've learned or read this year? How do collage artists use materials, layers, and other design principles to communicate ideas?

Standards Addressed

VA.CR IM.2.1 - I can use a variety of art media, techniques, and processes in my artwork.

VA.P IM.4.2 - I can describe the intended meaning of my work.
 

This resource also aligns with the following from the Profile of the SC Graduate:

World Class Skills: Creativity and innovation; Knowing how to learn; Critical thinking and problem solving
Life and Career Characteristics: Self-Direction; Work ethic; Global perspective

Interested In This Resource? 

Click here to request this resource.

About the Creator

Joshua Powell was born in Anderson, SC in 1980.  Powell works predominantly in sculpture with found wood and objects, but also paints in acrylic and ink.  He completed his BA at Anderson University in Art Education and later a M.Ed. at Southern Wesleyan University.  He has exhibited work at the Anderson Arts Center and the Belton Arts Center.  He has been teaching at the middle school level for 17 years and currently is a visual art instructor and yearbook advisor at Southwood Academy of the Arts and the Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator in Anderson School District Five.  He is the South Carolina Art Education Association’s Middle Level Art Educator of the Year recipient for 2014, Art Educator of the Year for 2017, current board President, and current board chair for Palmetto State Arts Education.

About the Governor's School's Outreach Programs

As a part of the Governor’s School’s mission to serve as a resource to teachers and students across the state, the Office of Outreach provides classroom resources and professional learning opportunities to enrich arts education in South Carolina. Learn more.