Defining Grant Stevens

• detail of the artwork

• the artist's intention

• digital art forms

• the relationship between artist, artwork and world

Project Macaroni for students to see as a whole class or ask individual students to watch at a computer. Pause the video regularly for students to study the words. Words could be listed in categories suggested by the dot points.

Questions about Grant Stevens

• looking for more detail

• realising that other class members might interpret the artwork differently

• the relationship between artist, artwork, world and audience

The purpose of this activity is to assist students to share information and assist one another to discover detail they may have missed in previous viewings of Macaroni.

On completion of the activity ask students to reflect on Stevens's artist statement and in particular his question: 'Can words communicate everything about who we are?'

Work with students to identify and study other artists who work with text. You could link to the artists below or complete a web search for further information:

Rosalie Gascoigne¹

Vernon Ah Kee²

Imants Tillers³

David Carson⁴

Ian Burns⁵

Activity 1

Define yourself

• exploring how words can define and communicate ideas about people and their worlds

The next three activities are word-based activities where students create acrostic and shape poems. Students can use the poetry formats and work at their own level. Poems might be descriptive or more conceptual depending on the educational stage, literary skills and experience of individual students

Students could write their acrostic poems using software such as Microsoft Word and Word tools such as Font size and colour, Case, Text effects and Word Art options.

Alternatively students could produce their poems with coloured pencils or inks on paper.

Tips for creating an acrostic poem are available on the Power Poetry website.⁶

Activity 2

Define a friend

• exploring how words can define and communicate ideas about people and their worlds

This activity is similar to Activity 1 but asks students to consider things they like about a particular person.

Students can write their acrostic poem using software such as Microsoft Word and Word tools such as Font, Font Size, Font Colour, Font Case, Text Effects and Word Art options.

Alternatively students could produce their poems with coloured pencils or inks on paper.

Tips for creating an acrostic poem are available on the Power Poetry website.⁶

Activity3 Manipulate words

• understanding how people have different opinions and interpretations

• experimenting and communicating with visual representations of words

• the relationship between artist, artwork, world and audience

You might wish to revisit Grant Stevens's artist statement and ask students to discuss the words they have chosen in relation to Stevens's comment: 'This makes me wonder how we make decisions about the things that are important to us, and separate them from those that are not'.

Project the Wordle website for the class to view. As a class, work through the process to make a word cloud. When complete, discuss how the class decisions are reflected in the final product.

Ask students to produce their own word clouds.

Create a shape poem requires more advanced technology skills. If this activity is too advanced for your students they could work on two layers of translucent paper (one for the initials and one for the words). Students could use drawing/and or collage materials to make the initials on one layer of paper and then place the words on another layer of paper positioned over the top of the initials.

Activity 4

Define your class

• working collaboratively

• detailing specifications

• creating an artwork that meets specifications

• the relationship between the artist, artwork and world

Students should work collaboratively to produce a work that defines the class as a whole. It is important that they explore options for their collaborative work and make decisions about what will be consistent throughout the work.

As they work on their individual contributions to the collaborative work, remind them of the agreed specifications to ensure the unity of the work.

Activity 5 Exhibit the work

• organising an exhibition

• the relationship between artist, artwork, world and audience

The student exhibition could be on a small or large scale. Students could invite viewers to an exhibition or exhibit on the school website or class blog. The teacher will need to set up a class blog and decide who will have access.

Students could discuss the tasks to be completed to organise an exhibition. Tasks could be allocated to individual students and/or groups of students.