STANDARDS

Lexile: 1020L

Core Art Standards:

VA1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.

VA4: Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.

VA9: Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.

CCSS Anchor Standards:

R2: Determine central themes and summarize.

R3: Analyze ideas and sequence events.

R7: Integrate and evaluate content in diverse media.

Essential Question: How does one determine criteria to evaluate a work of art?

Enduring Understanding: People evaluate art based on various criteria.

Vocabulary: abstract, conceptual art, form, geometric, horizontal, isometric, lines, minimalism, shapes, three-dimensional, two-dimensional, vertical

Materials: computer or interactive whiteboard, “Graphic Organizer: Working With Ideas” skills sheet, video “Decoding Sol LeWitt”

Lesson: Art From Ideas

Use with pages 4-5.

Objective: Students will learn about Sol LeWitt and the importance of ideas in his artwork.

PREPARATION:

Print copies of the “Graphic Organizer: Working With Ideas” skills sheet.
Preload the video “Decoding Sol LeWitt.”

PROCEDURE:

Call on a student to read the introduction and “Master Plans” sections of the article. Have a second student read “Made for Destruction” and a third read “Building Blocks.”
Invite students to observe the artworks closely and to consider how Sol LeWitt and other artists created the works.
Ask: How does LeWitt use shape in these artworks? (Working with basic colors, lines, and shapes, LeWitt focuses on the idea as the artwork rather than the physical object. In his written directions, he presents ideas about geometric forms that other artists can interpret and express.)
As a class, watch the video “Decoding Sol LeWitt.” Ask: What is the role of ideas in LeWitt’s process? (Answers will vary but should refer to points made in the video.)
Have students record their findings in their “Graphic Organizer: Working With Ideas” skills sheets.

DISCUSSION:

How does LeWitt use geometry in his work? (His minimal designs strip art down to basic forms. He represents three-dimensional forms in isometric drawings and works with simple shapes such as triangles, cubes, and squares.)
Compare these works with the example on the cover. What do you notice? (Answers will vary but should refer to the artworks and text. Students should discuss the ways in which LeWitt explores ideas and shape.)
How do these artworks demonstrate LeWitt’s belief that ideas are the artwork? (Answers will vary but should refer to the artworks and text.)

REMOTE LEARNING:

Create a sketch based on LeWitt’s title: Wall Drawing #370: Ten Geometric Figures (including right triangle, cross, X, diamond) with three-inch parallel bands of lines in two directions.
LeWitt believed a cube was the most boring, and therefore versatile, form. Can you create a sculpture, sketch, or mixed-media work based on a cube? How can you experiment with this shape?
Write a short paragraph about LeWitt’s belief that the ideas behind a work of art matter more than the physical artwork. Do you agree with this concept? Why or why not?