Behind the Reality of Fantasy
“Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it.” - Lloyd Alexander
Franz Marc: Color and Reality
The goal in this lesson is to teach students how at the early 20th Century artist wanted to portrait reality mixed with their own imagination, and how little by little they were open a little niche in society to their views. Franz Marc was a German expressionist, who amazed people in that time with his blue horses, yellow cows and red dogs. Students will be challenge then to add and mix surprising colors to their artwork with the idea to give some personality to realistic art.
Objectives:
- Teach children about the expressionist Franz Marc, his time and his work.
- Discuss about his atypical views and the importance of his work.
- Learn about the unexpected colors and reality.
- Practice their new knowledge in color theory by creating their own blue horses in a secondary colors landscape.
Essential Questions:
1. How and why do artist use color?
2. Do colors have different meaning?
3. Do you need to be trustful to nature colors to get good art pieces?
Materials:
Drawing pencils, eraser, white board, acrylics and brushes.
Discussion:
The students will be presented to the life and art of Franz Marc. His artwork base in colored animals will be the main topic as an introduction to some kind of fantasy in artworks in early 20th Century. As him, there were other artists that I would like to name just to make a connection in time. This discussion will be focus in color theory mainly and the relationship of color and fantasy. How can we use colors to show feelings and how important is the right selection in hues and values. Franz Marc artwork will work as a example of this.
Extension:
Read the book “The artist who painted a blue horse” by Eric Carle.
Play the game “mix the number” where kids can make their own odd combinations.
As group activity first, they need to number one to ten two list, one with colors and the other with animals. Then they need to pick two numbers and make a quick sketch mixing the color with the animal that pair the mixing number.
Activity:
1. Review about basic color theory and relationship between them and feelings.
2. Draw a scene a landscape scene with mountains, prairies and horses.
3. Color that scene with secondary colors and a surprising color horses.
Assessment:
Look through magazines and fine two unrealistic colored images to bring to class along with a written paragraph were students explain if the images were hard to find in the magazine and why do they think they were successful as advertisements or as graphic elements.
Resources:
• Franz Marc
http://www.franzmarc.org/franz-marc-paintings.jsp
German-French artist on the beginning of 20 Century. Influenced by Van Gogh, Cezanne and Gauguin. His paintings are famous for the unusual color used in animals.
http://msjuliesartistoftheweek.blogspot.com/2009/05/franz-marc-1880-1916.html
A comprehensive children blog about artist. Basic bibliography and artwork.
• Van Gohg
http://www.vangoghgallery.com/painting/beforeafter.html
Here is a comparison pictures of Van Gohg first realistic images and his later work.
•Gauguin
http://www.paul-gauguin.net/Arearea-Aka-Joyousness.html
A gauging artwork with a red dog and red grass. “Arearea Aka Joyousness”
http://www.paul-gauguin.net/White-Horse.html
“The White Horse” A Gauguin art piece whit interesting color mix.