Teaching notes - Jess MacNeil

Teaching notes

MOVE primary: Art in motion is a teaching and learning package containing five resources, each focused on the video artwork of a different Australian artist: Shaun Gladwell, Jess MacNeil, Joan Ross, Grant Stevens and Daniel von Sturmer.

Each resource contains:

  • a video artwork for study

  • a video introduction by the artist

  • an artist statement

  • appreciating and artmaking activities.

Each artist resource focuses on a particular education stage, but can be adapted to meet the needs of students at other stages. Some students might be able to work through the resource independently but generally students will require significant teacher input. Resource components could be projected onto a whiteboard for study as a whole class or by groups, or they can be used independently on personal computers. Videos can be viewed in full screen mode.

While the resources address students, teachers will be active participants, leading students through the activities including reading and discussing instructions. For early stages of learning, the resource might serve as a teaching guide, with each activity becoming a lesson plan interpreted appropriately for the age group. The video might be the only element that young students access directly.

Each artist resource will require a number of lessons to complete and could be the focus for visual arts learning over a term. Completion time for each artist resource will vary according to student experience and interest.

MOVE video art in schools, a video art resource with a secondary focus, includes video works by Shaun Gladwell, Jess MacNeil, Daniel von Sturmer and Grant Stevens. This resource provides students with information about the artists and a wider experience of video artwork. It also contains material useful for primary teachers including articles about video as an art form and critical reviews of the artists.

Content summary
Artist Stage Visual art form Curriculum links

Shaun Gladwell

Stage 3

Performance art

Video art (4D)

English:

Learning to write (review)

Talking and listening (discussing and exploring ideas, listening to others)

Learning to read (written and visual text)

Jess MacNeil

Stages 2 and 3

Drawing (2D)

Animation (4D)

Photography (2D)

English:

Talking and listening (discussing and exploring ideas, listening to others)

Learning to read (written and visual text)

Joan Ross

Stages 1 and 2

Digital art (4D)

Photography (2D)

English:

Talking and listening (discussing ideas, listening to others, exploring ideas, collaborating)

Learning to read (written and visual text)

Creative Arts:

Music (creating a soundscape)

Drama (improvising around emotions)

Grant Stevens

Stages 2 and 3

Digital art (4D)

Digital art (2D):

Word cloud

Shape poem

English:

Talking and listening (discussing and listening to others, exploring ideas, collaborating)

Learning to read (written and visual text)

Learning to write (Acrostic poems)

Creative arts:

Music (creating an ostinato)

Daniel von Sturmer

Early Stage 1 and Stage 1

Fibre art (2D)

Class mural (2D or 3D)

Performance art

Digital art (4D)

English:

Talking and listening (describing, responding, listening and taking turns in conversations, sharing ideas, following instructions)

Mathematics:

Two dimensional shapes (exploring and manipulating 2D shapes, naming 2D shapes)

Creative arts:

Music (moving, listening and responding to music)

  1. Watch the video artwork.

  2. Watch the artist-talks video and ask students to read, or listen to the teacher read, the Artist’s statement (click on the image of the artist in the top left corner to access these in Artist’s introduction).

  3. Discuss the Artist’s introduction in terms appropriate to the student group.

  4. Complete the activities below the video player on the front page of each artist resource before beginning the numbered sequence of activities listed to the right.

When working in the activities:

  • click on linked text with a plus icon to reveal additional instructions and information

  • click on highlighted words to access the glossary which explains terms.

Teachers will need to access YouTube videos for students where necessary and set up blogs and determine who will have access.

The Jess MacNeil resource focuses on MacNeil's The Swimmers video artwork. It addresses Stages 2 and 3 NSW Board of Studies Visual Arts outcomes. The following information will assist you to use this resource in your classroom.

This resource focuses on the following Stages 2 and 3 NSW Board of Studies Visual Arts outcomes:

Stage 2 outcomes Indicators

Artmaking

VA2.1

Represents the qualities of experiences and things that are interesting or beautiful by choosing among aspects of subject matter.

Students:

  • talk and think about their intentions for artmaking and recognise how these affect their selection of ideas and techniques eg focus attention on features of the work by deleting other features

  • focus on details of subject matter eg activities people are involved in

VAS2.2

Uses the forms to suggest the qualities of subject matter.

  • experiment with techniques in photography and other digital forms to create particular effects to suggest such things as movement and the concept of invisibility

VAS2.3

Acknowledges that artists make artworks for different reasons and that various interpretations are possible.

  • discuss the reasons MacNeil made The Swimmers (focus on who, when, where, why and how)

VAS2.4

Identifies connections between subject matter in artworks and what they refer to, and appreciates the use of particular techniques.

  • recognise the resemblance between subject matter in artworks and the features of things as they exist in the world eg recognise that the splashes and shadows in The Swimmers suggest the presence of swimmers

  • use their real world experience to recognise that The Swimmers have been removed from the image and to understand that they were removed using computer software

Stage 3 outcomes Indicators

Artmaking

VA3.1

Investigates subject matter in an attempt to represent likenesses of things in the world.

Students:

  • explore the idea of invisibility

  • closely observe details and use artistic concepts and techniques to explore how clues might convey meaning to an audience

VAS3.2

Makes artworks for different audiences, assembling materials in a variety of ways.

  • examine concepts and their relationship to art forms eg experiment with invisibility using digital art forms

Appreciating

VAS3.3

Acknowledges that audiences respond in different ways to artworks and that there are different opinions about artworks.

  • respond to The Swimmers, listen to the responses of other class members and appreciate that artworks can be valued in different ways

VAS3.4

Communicates about the ways in which subject matter is represented in artworks.

  • discuss MacNeil's intention and the meanings of the work

  • identify and describe some properties of video art and techniques used in The Swimmers and comment on how these are employed in the representation of the subject matter

  • consider techniques used in The Swimmers and how these contribute to the meaning (eg MacNeil removes things to make other things more obvious)

Learning activities
Activity Teaching and learning focus Ideas for implementation

Taking away

  • the detail of the video artwork

  • the artist's intention

  • video art as an artform

  • the relationship between artist and artwork

The activity could be completed by a whole class or by small groups who answer the included questions.

Noticing other things

  • detail of The Swimmers

  • the relationship between artist, artwork and world

The activity could be completed as a discussion with the whole class or small groups using the points and questions.

Activity 1

Rub out and reveal

  • using an art technique to explore the concept of visibility and invisibility

  • the relationship between the artist and the artwork

Students follow written instructions or instructions read by the teacher to produce their works. Before students begin they might take turns to pose in a position for the activities suggested. Students could make quick pencil drawings. Direct their attention to what they can and can't see from their viewing position and other details such as the angles, lines and shapes that they see. These drawings can be used as a guide for their 'rub out and reveal' artwork.

Activity 2

Animate to invisibility

  • extending students' experience of digital art

  • beginning with a pencil drawing and altering this using technology

  • the relationship between artist and artwork

The drawing can be digitised by photographing the work or by scanning. For scanning, the paper size should be no larger than A4.

Show students the sample artwork included and discuss where the drawing begins to disappear and what disappears last. Encourage students to erase only very small sections of their work at a time. They should plan what they want to rub out first and what will be left till last.

Activity 3

Blur the lines

  • exploring movement and photography

  • exploring the narrative of an image

  • the relationship between artist and artwork

Students experiment with the speed of movement of the subject as a photo is taken. Students can use a digital snap shot or SLR camera or a camera in a mobile phone or other device. Encourage students to think carefully about the setting and to experiment with the speed of the movement.

When students have taken a number of photos they evaluate their results and choose the photo they think best reflects their intention. Students can discuss the reasons for their choice.

Activity 4

Leave a clue

  • using creative and experimental ideas to make photographic artworks

  • explore how what is not included might lead us to view what is included differently

  • the relationship between artist, artwork and audience

Encourage students to try new things while at the same time considering their intention as an artist: what they are trying to communicate to the viewer and how they will achieve this.

Discuss with students how clues they include might influence the reading of the work.

Activity 5

Exhibit your work

  • the curatorial role

  • the relationship between artist, artwork and audience

The student exhibition could be on a small or large scale. Students might invite viewers to the exhibition or exhibit on the school website or a 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.

About Jess MacNeil

http://jessmacneil.com/

Technology tutorials and support

The Learning tools selector is a web application that supports teachers to make informed decisions about the technologies they use with their students.

https://app.education.nsw.gov.au/learning-tools-selector/