MEMORY SPACE

Reconstructing a Moment in Time

En La Barberia No Se Llora (No Crying in the Barbershop), Pepon Osorio

The Project:
Constructing an assemblage sculpture box that represents a memory or personal story that is meaningful to you.
Assemblage = An artistic composition made from scraps, junk, recycled materials, and odds and ends (paper, cloth, wood, stone, or metal).

ASSEMBLAGE
Jason Ice

Tinas House, Pepon Osorio

Untitled (The Hotel Eden), Joseph Cornell

Ego DNS #3, Alfonso Ossorio

WHY?
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS: Artists use their own lives, experiences, and memories as inspiration for their work. Recreating and responding to our experiences helps us reflect on them from a new perspective. Assemblage artists use objects and found materials to express their ideas.

THINK ABOUT
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: What memories are important to me? What images, objects, places, smells, and sounds do I associate with those memories? How can I construct a space that will represent my experiences? How can I use the assemblage of found materials to convey my message?

Pepn Osorio
-Born in Puerto Rico; Grew up in South Bronx, New York City; Lives in Philadelphia -Social Worker for many years, draws on these experiences in his art. THEMES: -Personal identity and experiences -Involvement with communities -Politically charged commentary on Puerto Rican life in the U.S.

Badge of Honor (Sons Bedroom)

Scene of the Crime

Tinas House All or Nothing

Its about recreating my memory

En La Barberia No Se Llora (No Crying in the Barbershop)

Student Examples:

RECREATING A MEMORY THAT IS MEANINGFUL TO YOU BY ASSEMBLING FOUND OBJECTS

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS:

-Refer to you brainstorm worksheet -Does not need to be a literal reconstruction, but must somehow convey your specific memory -Be creative with how you use materials! -Add as much visual information as you can -Fill the outside and the inside

COLLECT MATERIALS MAKE A PLAN MAKE IT HAPPEN!

The Plan:
DAY 1: Lesson Intro. Brainstorm worksheet and drawing Choose your memory. Finish for homework if you do not finish in class. DAY 2: Look at the artwork of Pepon Osorio. STUDIO DAY! Homework: Bring in two pieces of evidence from your life. DAY 3: STUDIO DAY! DAY 4: STUDIO DAY! DAY 6: Guess my story Day. Discussion and Display.

Assemblage: Thoughts and TIPS

SYMBOLIC/ABSTRACT/REPRESENT ATIONAL -Artists and benchmark products that you show -Questions that you askpush your students -Both are OK! -Reflection. What does this communicate? STUDENT RESPONSE -Creative, productive, and fun classroom environment -Free and experimental -Many students favorite project! -Some had difficulty in coming up with idea - Literal use of some materials distracting

MATERIALS -School connections & people you know! -Garment District -Goodwill odds and ends bucket -Boxes from grocery store -Library magazines -Internet -Collect and ORGANIZE over time -Storage space!

CONSTRUCTION HOW-TO -String, wire, duct tape, hot glue, tacky glue, gorilla glue -Range of construction techniques (Part of the fun)