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Lesson One

Integrated Concepts Language Arts: narrative, story elements, main idea/details Social Studies: relationships, roles in society, cultural context Visual Art: shape, color, space, rhythm, repetition, art history

Looking at an artwork can be like--

listening to music. tasting a delicious dessert. watching a dance. hearing a story. solving a puzzle.

This picture by Romare Bearden is a story-telling or narrative artwork.

Narrative works often have— a setting that shows where and when the story happened. characters who may be people or animals. events or actions that tell what is happening.

Look carefully at this artwork.

What is the main idea? What is it about? Support your answer. Tell why you think that.

What details do you notice in the image?

What objects do you recognize? What things do you not recognize? Is this artwork about reality or fantasy? Why do you think that?

What is the setting of this artwork?

What period of time do you think it shows? What place does it show? What country or region? Is it urban or rural? What evidence or clues support your answer?

What is the relationship between the two characters in the artwork?

Are they friends or strangers? Are they family? What might they be talking about?

What do you think was the artist’s purpose in creating this artwork?

What point is he making? What is he telling us? Can you think of a story that is like this artwork?

Here is another artwork with two characters.

This painting is by Claude Howell. What title would you give this painting? What is the main idea? What is happening in the

painting?

Compare and contrast these works of art.

How are they alike? How are they different? Think in terms of characters, mood, setting. What do you notice about color, shape, line, space? What is your response to these images? Could you write a story about either work of art?

Information about the art and the artists

Title: The Conversation

Artist: Romare Bearden ( American 1911 – 1988)

Medium: Lithograph

Size: 18” x 25”

Date: 1979

Comments: Romare Bearden was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.

Title: Dock Street Porch #2

Artist: Claude Howell (American, 1915 – 1997)

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Size: 40” x 51 ¾”

Date: 1973

Comments: Claude Howell lived and worked in Wilmington, North Carolina most of his life.