Introduction

Picture this:

You are an art critic for Teen People Magazine and you want to show your teen readers that anyone can create art. All you need to know is how to hold a paintbrush and scribble. You don't even have to be neat. Drawing well is not a requirement. All you need is IMAGINATION!

The Quest

Why can these artists be considered great masters?
Kandinsky...... Chagall...... Rothko ....... Braque ........ Miro ...... Klee....... Pollack ......... Rauschenberg............Duchamp.............van gogh.............de koonig...........

The Process and Resources

Have you ever seen a modern painting in a museum and wondered why so many people were staring at it with amazement? My three year old brother could have painted that mess! That painting looks like someone puked all over it! Why would someone pay a million bucks for that piece of garbage? I wouldn't hang that in my doghouse. These statements may be going through your mind when you look at modern art. By the time that you have completed this Webquest, however, you too will have a new respect for the emotions and stories hidden within the canvases of modern art. You will be so moved by your discoveries that new visions will appear in your own mind, ready to be painted on a fresh white canvas!

Phase 1 - Background: Something for Everyone

-Choose an artist and discover what makes him/her tick.
-Design a poster with print-outs of 6 paintings (color).
-Write a review explaining how your artist's life influenced his wacko work.
-Paint your own modern art masterpiece!

• art.com - Thousands of famous photographs and paintings
• Museum of Modern Art - Gateway to the collections at the famous MOMA in NYC
• WebMuseum - Get biographical data and pictures of famous modern artists

Phase 2 - Looking Deeper from Different Perspectives

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Find six paintings created by your artist. Click on them and Bookmark them. You will later print the paintings on the color printer. Arrange them on poster board paper with their titles and dates.

2. Locate information about your Wacko Artist's life. Save and print the biography.

3. What was your artist's state of mind when he produced the masterpieces? Did he or she have any problems? Dysfunctional family? Drinking problem? Drug problem? Suicide? Divorce? Early death? Emotional problems?

4. Locate information that explains your Wacko Artist's unusual technique. Save and Print.

5. What messages or themes do you think your artist was trying to express about life? What emotions are being expressed?

6. Open a file under Claris Works and get ready to write the review for Teen Magazine.

7. After you answer the questions and write the review, print the newspaper column. Attach this to your poster.

8. Your final part of the Webquest is to let your creative juices flow. Get a piece of canvas board measuring about 15' by 20' and let your emotions flow with the paint. Plan a rough sketch in pencil and then paint in the unique style of your Wacky Artist. If you prefer, develop your own wacky style and become the next famous modern artist of the new millennium.

Phase 3 - Debating, Discussing, and Reaching Consensus

We will spend some time in class presenting our 'Teen People' reviews and showing off our posters and 'Works in Progress.'

Phase 4 - Real World Feedback

The next time that you visit a museum try to put your eyes inside the artist's mind. There's a secret hidden within every work of art!

Conclusion

Maybe one day you will be the next Picasso. Get out that canvas and get to work exploring your creative visions!