Car Art in America Today: Expression, Creativity, and Recycling
Mike Srsen, Allegra Fullerton, Angela Loomis, Derek Marshall, Kristina Weinketz
Age Level: High School
Length of Time: 2 Class Periods
AZ Visual Arts Standards: 1AV-P2. Demonstrate extensive
knowledge of skills and techniques in at least one visual art form PO 1. Explain
the skills and techniques necessary to complete an artwork in one visual art
form 1AV-P3. Reflect on and articulate reasons for artistic decisions PO 1.
State reasons for making artistic decisions PO 2. Evaluate the success or areas
for improvement seen in the artwork PO 3. Justify the evaluation of the artwork
2AV-P1. Analyze and interpret how elements of time and place influence the visual
characteristics, content, purpose and message of works of art PO 1. Determine
the factors responsible for influencing works of art PO 2. Analyze the ways
in which a work of art expresses a point of view of the time and place in which
it was created 2AV-P2. Describe the function and meaning of specific art objects
within varied cultures, times and places PO 2. Compare and contrast the function
or meaning of similar art images/objects of various cultures and times PO 3.
Compare images used today, from various times and cultures, for purposes and
meanings other than originally intended 2AV-P3. Analyze and interpret how technological
and scientific advances in the visual arts and other disciplines (e.g., humanities,
science, mathematics) influence the creation of work PO 1. Classify technological
and scientific advancements within a given time period PO 2. Identify artworks
relevant to those technological and scientific advancements PO 3. Debate the
significance of the advancements as they influence the creation of works PO
4. Predict possible influences of future advancements in technology and science
on the creation of artwork PO 5. Defend one’s own hypothesis based on current
and historical trends within art 2AV-P4. Identify and evaluate the role of the
visual arts and artists in business, industry, technology and the community
PO 1. Identify the roles of artists in business, industry, technology and the
community PO 2. Evaluate the roles of artists in business, industry, technology
and the community PO 3. Identify the roles of the visual arts in business, industry,
technology and the community PO 4. Evaluate the roles of the visual arts in
business, industry, technology and the community 2AV-P5. Analyze contemporary
art issues and influences on own work and that of others PO 1. Identify contemporary
issues that exist in art (e.g., through schools, museums, galleries, Internet
access and art critics) PO 2. Recognize influences of contemporary art issues
in their collected body of artworks PO 3. Articulate the influences of contemporary
art issues in their collected body of work 3AV-P2. Compare and explain the power
of the visual arts to communicate universal concepts (e.g., love, birth, death,
truth, fear) throughout time and across cultures PO 1. Identify the characteristics
of the visual arts to communicate universal concepts throughout time and across
cultures PO 2. Use the characteristics of universal concepts to explain a particular
artwork PO 3. Compare the power of the visual arts to communicate universal
concepts 3AV-P3. Identify intentions of those creating artworks, compare the
implications of the various purposes, and justify analysis of purposes in particular
works PO 1. Identify and analyze an artist’s intentions in an artwork PO
2. Justify the analysis of the artist’s intention PO 3. Compare the implications
of the intent of various artworks 3AV-P4. Compare the materials, technologies,
media, and processes of the visual arts with those of other arts disciplines
and subject areas to create and analyze artworks PO 1. Identify connections
(material, technologies, media, and processes) in the visual arts with other
arts disciplines and subject areas PO 2. Analyze artworks to determine connections
(material, technologies, media, and processes) between disciplines PO 3. Analyze
the use of material, technologies, media, and processes among other disciplines
in the creation of works of art 3AV-P5. Analyze and interpret the effectiveness
of contemporary artistic expressions in at least one visual art form, school,
or style PO 1. Interpret the artistic expressions in at least one contemporary
visual art form, school/movement, or style (e.g., art form, painting; school/movement,
Abstract Expressionism; style, action painting [Jackson Pollock], color field
painting [Rothko]) PO 2. Analyze the effectiveness of contemporary artistic
expressions in at least one visual art form, school/movement, or style
Objectives: Students will engage issues including consumerism,
recycling and waste, and personal expression. Students will learn to appreciate
cars as something more than means of transportation (e.g., cultural icons, forms
of personal expression).
Day One: Functioning Cars
Introduction: Word Association Game (5 Minutes)
– When shown an image of a car, students will be prompted to respond with
1-2 word immediate reactions to the cars.Matching Game (10 Minutes) –
Students will be given a mixture of cards with photos of various people and
different types of cars, then prompted to match who drives which car. Students
must justify their selections by explaining their reasoning.
Custom Cars: Discussion with students (10 Minutes) about their
own cars, their friends’ cars, and the current trend of car customization.
Images of modified cars such as El Caminos and Honda Civics will be used to
aid in discussion.
Questions:
Do you know anyone who has a customized car? What is it? Describe.
What ways do people personalize their cars through customization?
Do you think custom cars are an art form? Do the people who make them think so?
Art Cars – Informative lecture, using photos
as examples. (5 Minutes)
[Art Cars have been created all over the world, from Columbia to the U.S. for
various cultural reasons. Due to the publicness of cars, they are a handy form
of expression. The history of art cars goes back to the 1930's when painted
flames were first used. This continues through the 1960's where abstract patterns
were implemented to murals in the 1970's. People went to junkyards and created
crazy cars out of pieces they found, all outside the realm of a gallery or the
fine art world. Essentially the road becomes the art gallery, and the public
becomes viewers of art. For many individuals outside the art car world, these
cars have been seen in three different ways. One way is as folk art. Another
is as low art, and the last is just as crazy hobbies. What do you think of art
cars? Are they just a crazy hobby or valid art pieces? However, it should be
pointed out that art car creators consider themselves artists, and even have
tips on websites for creating a successful composition on the car. (Show list
of example tips) There are festivals all over the nation where people parade
their art cars. These include, Art Car Weekend and World Art Car Day.]
Discussion with students. (10 Minutes) Questions:
Are art cars really art? Why?Does this depend on effort at all? Does an art car need to take composition, making good use of color, texture, etc. in order to really be art?
Activity: Create Your Own Custom Car (30 minutes)
– Students will reference images of various cars to draw their own custom
cars. They can draw from both custom cars and art cars as inspiration for these
pieces. Students and teachers will interact and give each other suggestions
during the creative process.
Group Discussion of works (10 Minutes) – Students will take turns
explaining their custom car drawings to the rest of the group.
Day Two: Cars as Art Objects
Introduction: Review of Previous Class Period (5 Minutes) – Brief overview of the functioning art cars, transition to cars as art objects, when no longer functioning as means of transportation.
Use Poster with image of Tire Swing, Hood Ornament as necklace,
car as diner booth. Prompt: Questions (5 Minutes): What do these all
have in common? (They all were once parts of cars but are re-contextualized,
much like the sculptures the students are making out of bicycle parts)
What cars are status symbols and why? What do they represent?
Informative lecture: Cadillac Ranch - (5 minutes),
using photos as examples. [The Cadillac was considered to be the "Standard
of the World," in engineering, "ride", safety, and dependability.
It was also a status symbol, something to aspire to own, a symbol that a person
had arrived at a comfortable level of accomplishment in life. Tie this into
the car customization trend of today. However, in the 70’s, Cars were not
as "hot" as they were today. Constructed in the 70’s so they
just are not as old. Cars had very little value, in fact most were purchases
at junkyards for less than 100 dollars. Group of artists called Ant Farm decided
to place 10 Cadillacs, ranging from a 1949 Club Coupe to a 1963 Sedan, in a
wheat field located west of Amarillo, Texas. Had the idea to bury the cars halfway
into the ground in location visible from the highway. People could drive by
and see the artwork on the road. It is however designed to be interactive –
patrons are invited to bring their own spray paint to leave a personal mark.]
Discussion with students (10 Minutes). Questions:
How are cars seen as status symbols? How does location of the cars affect this
status? Does the fact that it is on the side of the road make it more or less
meaningful? Why would the artists want people to interact with their art? How
would you feel if people spray-painted on your public art? Would there be a
difference if the artist used different types of cars?
Informative lecture: Carhenge - (5 Minutes), using
photos as examples. [Just north of Alliance Nebraska, along Highway 87, stands
a replication of Stonehenge, England's ancient mystical alignment of stones
that chart the sun and moon phases. Stonehenge stands alone on a plain in England.
Carhenge, created from vintage American made automobiles, towers over the plains
of Nebraska.]
Discussion with students (10 Minutes). Questions:
Why did the people of Alliance, Nebraska want to tear down Carhenge? Why did
they change their minds? How important is the public’s opinion of Carhenge?
How do you feel about the fact that it is a copy of an existing piece of art?
Forevertron - Informative lecture (5 Minutes), using photos as examples.
[After three decades of working as an industrial wrecker, Tom Every of Baraboo,
Wisconsin began construction of Forevertron. Forevertron was begun in the early
1980’s and uses well-designed but commercially outmoded factories, buildings,
mills, breweries and other large-scale manufacturing sites that Every acquired
in his position as a wrecker. In Forevertron, Every constructed a fantasy land
reminiscent of 1890s science fiction such as H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine]
Discussion with students (10 Minutes). Questions:
What reasons could you give for Forevertron being considered art? What reasons
could you give for it not being art? How would you feel about visiting Forevertron?
How does the interaction of people with the sculptures at Forevertron affect
its value in your eyes?
Activity: Car Part Sculpture (20 Minutes) – Students
will use photos of cars to cut and paste a conceptual sculpture of their own.
They will use cut-and-paste methods, and can integrate drawing into their images.
Group discussion of works (10 Minutes) - Students will
take turns explaining their custom car drawings to the rest of the group. Overall
review of content from both classes will be worked into discussion.
Vocabulary: Consumerism, Cultural Icon, Abstraction, Customization,
Re-Contextualization, Status Symbols, Aesthetics
Supplies: Flash Cards of various cars (word association
game); cards of people and cars (matching game); Posters: Carhenge, Cadillac
Ranch, Art Cars, Custom Cars, Forevertron, Re-Contextualized car Parts; Sketching
paper; pens/pencils; glue; cutout images of cars (for sculpture collage)
Artists/Artworks: Cadillac Ranch, Carhenge, Various Art
Cars (TBD), Forevertron
Resources: http://www.libertysoftware.be/cml/cadillacranch/crmain.htm, http://www.carhenge.com