LESSON 6: EXPLORING IDENTITY THROUGH SELF-REPRESENTATION How do we define ourselves and communicate these definitions to others?

FEATURED ARTIST: Charles Ray

FEATURED ARTWORK: Self-Portrait, 1990

“So I’ve learned to stay outside of myself, in a way. And I think some of my work is like that, maybe it refuses to be pinned down one way or the other. I keep trying not to be defined, but to create tensions and reverberations that just keep going.“ - Charles Ray 1

CONTENT STANDARDS - VISUAL ART 1.0 Artistic Perception

Grade 6

1.1 Identify and describe all the elements of art found in selected works of art. 1.2 Discuss works of art as to theme, genre, style, idea, and differences in media.

2.0 Creative Expression

2.4 Create increasingly complex original works of art reflecting personal choices and increased technical skill. 2.6 Use technology to create original works of art.

4.0 Aesthetic Valuing

4.1 Construct and describe plausible interpretations of what they perceive in works of art.

1.0 Artistic Perception

1.2 Identify and describe scale (proportion) as applied to two- and three-dimensional works of art.

Grade 7

2.0 Creative Expression

2.6 Create an original work of art using film, photography, computer graphics, or video.

3.0 Historical and Cultural Context

3.2 Compare and contrast works of art from various periods, styles, and cultures and explain how those works reflect the society in which they were made.

4.0 Aesthetic Valuing

4.1 Explain the intent of a personal work of art and draw possible parallels between it and the work of a recognized artist. 4.2 Analyze the form (how a work of art looks) and content (what a work of art communicates) of works of art.

1.0 Artistic Perception

Grade 8

1.1 Use artistic terms when describing the intent and content of works of art. 1.2 Analyze and justify how their artistic choices contribute to the expressive quality of their own works of art.

2.0 Creative Expression

2.1 Demonstrate an increased knowledge of technical skills in using more complex two-dimensional art media and processes (e.g. printing press, silk screen, computer graphics). 2.3 Create an original work of art, using film, photography, computer graphics, or video.

4.0 Aesthetic Valuing

Grade 9-12 Proficient

4.2 Develop a theory about the artist’s intent in a series of works of art, using reasoned statements to support personal opinions. 4.3 Construct an interpretation of a work of art based on the form and content of the work.

1.0 Artistic Perception

1.3 Research and analyze the work of an artist. Write about the artist’s distinctive style and how it contributes to the meaning of the work. 1.5 Analyze the material used by a given artist and describe how its use influences the meaning of the work.

2.0 Creative Expression

2.2 Develop and refine skill in the manipulation of digital imagery (either still or video).

4.0 Aesthetic Valuing

4.3 Formulate and support a position regarding the aesthetic value of a specific work of art, and change or defend that position after considering the views of others.

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1.0 Artistic Perception

Grade 9-12 Advanced

1.1 Analyze and discuss complex ideas such as distortion, color theory, arbitrary color, scale, expressive content, and real versus virtual in works of art. 1.4 Research two periods of painting, sculpture, film, or other media and discuss their similarities and differences, using the language of the visual arts.

2.0 Creative Expression

2.1 Create original works of art of increasing complexity and skill in a variety of media that reflect their feelings and points of view. 2.4 Demonstrate in their own works of art a personal style and an advanced proficiency in communicating an idea, theme, or emotion.

3.0 Historical and Cultural Context

3.2 Identify contemporary artists worldwide who have achieved regional, national, or international recognition and discuss ways in which their work reflects, plays a role in, and influences present-day culture.

4.0 Aesthetic Valuing

4.1 Describe the relationship involving the art maker (artist), the making (process), the artwork (product), and the viewer. 4.2 Identify the intentions of artists creating contemporary works of art and explore the implications of those intentions.

5.0 Connections, Relationships, Applications

5.2 Compare and contrast works of art, probing beyond the obvious and identifying psychological content found in the symbols and images.

Grades 11-12

CONTENT STANDARDS - LANGUAGE ARTS Writing Applications

2.0 Genres and Their Characteristics:

2.3 Write reflective compositions: a. Explore the significance of personal experiences, events, conditions, or concerns by using rhetorical strategies (e.g., narration, description, exposition, persuasion). b. Draw comparisons between specific incidents and broader themes that illustrate the writer’s important beliefs or generalizations about life. c. Maintain a balance in describing individual incidents and relating those incidents to more general and abstract ideas.

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LESSON 6: EXPLORING IDENTITY THROUGH SELF-REPRESENTATION How do we define ourselves and communicate these definitions to others?

PERSONAL IDENTITY

MATERIALS:

OVERVIEW: With his self-portrait sculptures, Charles Ray challenges our perceptions of identity in contemporary consumer culture. Ray destabilizes the conventional form of a department store mannequin by combining it with the individualized features of his face and dress. Students will explore issues of self-representation in art. They will also analyze the self-portrait genre as a means of challenging conventional expectations and ideas related to identity. Students will create an online profile, a college application, and a mixed-media self-portrait in order to explore the concept of multiplicity of identity.

Transparencies of Self-Portrait, 1990 Overhead projector MySelf worksheet Mock college application worksheet Digital cameras Tripod Computer

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Printer

Students will discuss how individuals construct and adapt identity. Students will consider individual identity as multiple and unstable.

Old newspapers and magazines

Students will analyze how the media used by an artist contributes to the message of a work of art.

Adhesives

Students will consider how identity can be explored in self-portraiture. Students will explore how an artwork can challenge the perception of the viewer.

Scissors Graphics software like Adobe Photoshop

Students will create a mock online profile for a social network and a mock college application. Students will use photography and mixed media to create a self-portrait that expresses multiple facets of personal identity.

TIME:

5 class sessions

KEY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. 2.

What do you notice in this work?

3.

What would you expect an artist to look like, and how does this mannequin differ from that image?

4.

What does this self-portrait express about the artist’s identity?

5.

What does the work communicate about identity in general?

How are the details of this mannequin different from what you are used to seeing in the department store?

6. 7.

How do we represent our identity to others?

8.

How are our representations of self multiple? Contingent on context?

9.

Is there such a thing as a “true” or “real” self? Is it possible to represent this to others?

What kinds of choices do we make when representing ourselves to others?

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LESSON 6: EXPLORING IDENTITY THROUGH SELF-REPRESENTATION How do we define ourselves and communicate these definitions to others?

PERSONAL IDENTITY

SUGGESTED PROCEDURE: DISCUSS: Project transparency of Self-Portrait, 1990 Tell students this is a reproduction of a 1990 work by the artist Charles Ray.

Ask students to describe what they see. Students may identify what looks to be a mannequin. The mannequin is male and is dressed in casual clothes.

Tell students this is a life-size sculpture. Ask students to describe the details of this mannequin. They

might note that the mannequin is posed in a dynamic stance—it is in a contrapposto pose, with his hands out in front of him. One hand is at mid-torso and the other towards the waist. They may discuss the clothing worn by the mannequin: the figure wears large rounded tortoise shell glasses; an off-white, fisherman-style canvas hat; dark blue Levis; very white Omega sneakers that are laced up; a blue and white striped shirt with the top button undone; a button collar; and a hip-length windbreaker unzipped halfway with a grey fleece lining that shows at the collar. They may describe the physical attributes of the mannequin, including his brown eyes and the shaggy brown hair that hangs over his forehead.

Ask students if any of the details of the mannequin seem counter to what they would see on store mannequins at the mall. How are they different? Why might these differences be significant? For example, male mannequins usually have more classically handsome features. The clothes on Ray’s mannequin seem plain and inexpensive; they are not the type that would draw customers into the store.

Ask students to consider the dress and features of the mannequin. How would they label this figure? What type of person does the mannequin seem to represent?

Tell students that this work is titled Self-Portrait. Although the artist used a standard mannequin body, the head was cast from the artist’s own and the figure is dressed in the artist’s leisurewear clothes—his “Everygeek” ensemble. The mannequin looks uncannily like the artist.

Ask students to discuss their ideas about artists. What would you expect an artist to look like? How is this artist’s self-portrait different from your assumptions about the appearance of an artist? Would you have guessed that this was a self-portrait of an artist if you did not know the title? Why or why not?

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LESSON 6: EXPLORING IDENTITY THROUGH SELF-REPRESENTATION How do we define ourselves and communicate these definitions to others?

PERSONAL IDENTITY

Tell students that a traditional portrait or self-portrait is meant to convey some truth about the subject that goes beyond recording physical attributes. Artists make numerous choices in determining how best to create an image that expresses not just what they look like, but also who they are.

Ask students why they think Charles Ray would use the form of a mannequin for a self-portrait and represent himself in such a “normal” way.

Tell students that mannequins typically reflect the ideals of proportion, and mirror the appearance of the consumer public. Charles Ray depicts himself as part of consumer culture. Ray often creates works that are intended to disorient

and unsettle the viewer. He uses perceptual discrepancy to question what is real and what is not real—the viewer must question his or her initial interpretations and observations. In this work, the artist uses a department store convention to destabilize the viewer’s perceptions and assumptions about identity. The mannequin’s expression is usually described as puzzled or perplexed, which creates a connection with viewers, who may also be somewhat confused by what they are seeing.

Share the following quote from Charles Ray with the students: “I'm dealing with myself in relation to the institutions that define me—you know, my mother and father, school, the Catholic Church—so that I don't accept those negative things that label me, don't follow those arrows into myself.”

Ask students how Ray’s Self-Portrait from 1990 relates to this quote. How is he “dealing with [himself] in relation to the institutions that define [him]”? Students may discuss the role played by department stores or consumer culture in general in how we define ourselves in contemporary culture. They may discuss the artist’s use of the generic or normalizing form of the mannequin, or his use of non-distinctive, everyday clothing, in contrast to garments that might identify him as part of a group, such as those bearing school logos or religious icons.

Ask students what institutions help shape their identity. Do they feel a sense of belonging within these institutions, or do they try contrast themselves against these establishments? Ask students if they ever represent themselves differently in different contexts (e.g. school, with friends, on the Internet). Do they emphasize certain aspects over others, mask qualities, or even perform certain identities? Why?

Ask students what kinds of choices they can make in representing who they are to others. Students may talk about the clothes people wear and other aspects of physical appearance, the cars they drive, activities in which they participate, people with whom they identify themselves, and even how they talk and act.

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LESSON 6: EXPLORING IDENTITY THROUGH SELF-REPRESENTATION How do we define ourselves and communicate these definitions to others?

PERSONAL IDENTITY

Ask students what they expect to learn about a person from a portrait image. Discuss the idea that different portraits of the same individual may convey very different messages about the identity of that person. Is it possible to represent the “true” or “real” person? Is there a “true” or “real” self?

WRITE: SELF-REPRESENTATION: ONLINE PROFILES AND COLLEGE APPLICATIONS Ask students to think about the way they present themselves in different social contexts, e.g. at school, at home with family, out with friends, or online.

Tell students that they will explore the idea of multiple identities by presenting themselves through their writing in two different contexts: a mock online social networking profile and a mock college application.

Ask students if they belong to an online social networking site like MySpace or Facebook. What is the purpose of belonging to one of these sites? How do people tend to represent themselves in this social context?

Ask students how a college application is different. What is the purpose? Why and how might you present yourself differently in this context?

Distribute the social profile worksheet and the college application Tell students to complete each form, keeping in mind the different audiences to whom they are presenting themselves as well as the different purposes of these two presentations.

CREATE: SELF-PORTRAIT Using photography and collage and/or Photoshop, students will create a mixed-media self-portrait to explore the multiple ways that we define and represent ourselves to others.

Ask students to brainstorm a list of qualities that may be revealed in a traditional artist self-portrait. You may want to show well-known works by artists like Van Gogh and Rembrandt. Students may mention setting, posture, facial expression, clothing, activity, and the length of the portrait (e.g. head, bust, full-length). What is the purpose of an artist’s self-portrait?

Ask students to discuss the different ways they have been represented in portraits (e.g. school portraits, family photos, candid snapshots). Can they think of a single image that best represents who they are? Or do the different images reveal different facets of their identity?

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LESSON 6: EXPLORING IDENTITY THROUGH SELF-REPRESENTATION How do we define ourselves and communicate these definitions to others?

PERSONAL IDENTITY

Tell students that they will use photography and collage and/or software like Photoshop to create a self-portrait. The purpose of this self-portrait is to display multiple facets of their identity in a single image. They should consider

proportion and perspective when they are using collage to create a self-portrait.

Tell students to take digital photographs of themselves. Students may choose to hold the camera, or if available, use a tripod and a timer to take the photograph.

Tell students to bring in copies of recent photographs of themselves. Option 1: Collage Distribute printed self-portrait photographs, scissors, adhesives, and a variety of magazines and newspapers. Students will use these materials as well as photographs of themselves that they brought to create a self-portrait using collage techniques.

Option 2: Graphics Software Tell students to use graphics software like Photoshop to manipulate their self-portraits. Students may choose to crop their photographs and merge selected elements with other images. They may also use the variety of effects available in the software to alter the image. Print completed self-portraits.

CRITIQUE: Display the self-portraits in the classroom. Ask students to consider the choices made by each artist in his or her portrait. What are the different facets of identity revealed by each portrait? Do the self-portraits successfully explore the multiple and unstable nature of individual identity?

LESSON EXTENSION: Compare/Contrast Essay Tell students to write a comparative analysis of at least two works of artist self-portraiture. They can search museum websites to find examples that are interesting to them. The essay should focus on visual analysis of the work, though students may bring in additional information about the works they have identified in their research. In their essays, students should fully identify the works they are discussing. They should compare and contrast self-portraits that are from at least two different periods in history and done in at least two different mediums. In their essays, students should address what the artists are trying to convey to viewers about their identity.

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LESSON 6: EXPLORING IDENTITY THROUGH SELF-REPRESENTATION How do we define ourselves and communicate these definitions to others?

ASSESSMENT: Did students discuss how individuals construct and adapt identity? Did students consider individual identity as multiple and unstable? Did students analyze how the media used by an artist contributes to the message of a work of art? Did students consider how identity can be explored in self-portraiture? Did students explore how an artwork can challenge viewers’ perceptions?

PERSONAL IDENTITY

RESOURCES: Charles Ray

http://www.artandculture.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/ACLive. woa/wa/artist?id=149 http://www.wmagazine.com/artdesign/2007/11/charles_ray http://www.regenprojects.com/artists/charles-ray/

Conceptual Art

http://wwar.com/masters/movements/conceptual_art.html http://www.seop.leeds.ac.uk/entries/conceptual-art/

Self-Portraits

http://www.nga.gov/education/classroom/self_portraits/ http://userpages.umbc.edu/~ivy/selfportrait/intro.html http://www.npg.org.uk/live/mirror.asp

Adobe Photoshop

http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tutorials.html

Did students represent themselves in a mock online profile for a social network and in a mock college application? Did students use photography and mixed media to create a self-portrait that expresses multiple facets of personal identity?

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LESSON 6: EXPLORING IDENTITY THROUGH SELF-REPRESENTATION How do we define ourselves and communicate these definitions to others?

PERSONAL IDENTITY

VOCABULARY: Abstract:

a term that describes art that simplifies or schematizes visible objects and art through forms that seem to have no specific reference to visible objects

Conceptual art:

a term that came into use in the late 1960s to describe the rapidly increasing array of works that did not take the form of conventional art objects like paintings, sculptures, and drawings. Conceptual art prioritizes the idea or concept—the art takes whatever form best serves the concept.

Contrapposto:

literally “counterpoise”—a term used to describe the nonsymmetrical stance of a human figure that reflects a naturalistic shift in weight and the resulting curvature of the spine

Perceptual:

of or related to the act of becoming aware of something through sensory stimuli

Perspective:

a technique of depicting volumes and spatial relationships on a flat surface

Proportion:

the relative size, quantity, or location of different elements in a work of art

Realism:

treatment of forms, colors, space, etc., in such a manner as to emphasize their correspondence to actuality or to ordinary visual experience

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LESSON 6: EXPLORING IDENTITY THROUGH SELF-REPRESENTATION How do we define ourselves and communicate these definitions to others?

PERSONAL IDENTITY

WHO IS CHARLES RAY?: Charles Ray, an American sculptor and conceptual artist, was born in 1953 in Chicago. He grew up in Winnetka, a suburb of Chicago. The family business was a commercial art school. One of six children, Ray knew from a young age that he wanted to be an artist. He also found his other great passion early in life—sailing. Ray studied art at the University of Iowa and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1975. He completed his Master of Fine Arts at Rutgers University, New Jersey, in 1979. As a student at the University of Iowa, Ray started using his own body as part of his performance sculptures. He would incorporate his body with shelves and planks, creating works that were part sculpture and part performance. He continued to do this into the 1980s. Since those early works, the artist has often looked to his own image as a source. Although Ray has not created a large volume of works during his career, what he has produced is considered impressive and has established him as a successful and highly regarded artist in the contemporary art world. Ray’s works often take years to perfect. They have a very material presence and a quality of realism that leads the viewer to question the real. Ray is known for his very large sculptures in which he manipulates scale in order to disrupt and disturb the viewer. Although he is usually categorized as a sculptor and conceptual artist, or referred to as a “conceptual realist,” Ray disavows such labels and considers himself simply a visual artist. In a November 2007 profile by Julie L. Belcove in W Magazine, he revealed his concerns as an artist: “The interpretive nature of work is different than the work itself. The interpretation of work isn’t the key to understanding it. I’m worried about making a good sculpture. I’m not so worried about the interpretation of it.” The art of Charles Ray was featured in a major survey exhibition in 1998 that originated at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, and traveled to The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. Ray’s work is included in the collections of numerous major art institutions. He has had solo exhibitions in Europe and the United States, and has been included in group exhibitions at major museums around the world. Ray lives and works in the Los Angeles area. He has a studio in Venice, and is a professor of sculpture in the Department of Art at UCLA.

Charles Ray Self-Portrait, 1990

Charles Ray Self-Portrait, 1990 (detail)

COLLEGE APPLICATION (modified and abbreviated from University of California form) Your Name: Last (Family):

First:

Middle:

First:

Middle:

Maiden/other name(s) you use: Last (Family): Birthdate: Month

Day

Year

Permanent Mailing Address:

Local Address:

Phone Number: Email Address: Your Place of Birth: City, State, Country (if not in the United States)

Are You a U.S. Citizen?

Yes

No

Language(s) You Learned to Speak First: English Only English and Another Language (specify) Another Language (Specify) Family Information State of Legal Residence of Your Parent, Spouse, or Legal Guardian State:

Since: Month/Day/Year

Parents’ Current and Prior Occupations: Father: Current Occupation:

Number of Years:

Prior Occupation:

Number of Years:

COLLEGE APPLICATION (cont.) Mother: Current Occupation:

Number of Years:

Prior Occupation:

Number of Years:

Parents’ Highest Level of Education Father

Mother

No High School Some High School High School Graduate Some College Two-Year College Graduate Four-Year College/University Graduate Postgraduate Study Educational History List All Schools You Have Attended and Will Attend Before Enrolling at the University (begin with the most recent) Name of School

City

State

Begin

End

City

State

Begin

End

Diploma/Degree/Certificate and Date Name of School Diploma/Degree/Certificate and Date Type of School Where You are Currently Enrolled or Were Last Enrolled Public High School

Private High School

Activities and Awards List and describe the most significant awards you have received and activities you have been involved with beginning with the most recent. Award or Honor

Description

Date Received

Extracurricular Activities Activity

Description

From/To

Hours/Week

Weeks/Year

Description

From/To

Hours/Week

Weeks/Year

Responsibilities

From/To

Hours/Week

Weeks/Year

Volunteer/Community Service Organization

Employment Position

PERSONAL STATEMENT Respond to both of the prompts using a maximum of 500 words total. Each response should be at least 150 words. Prompt #1: Tell us where you come from (family, community, school) and how this background has shaped your goals and dreams.

Prompt #2: Tell us about an accomplishment or experience that has had a significant impact on your life. How has this experience or accomplishment changed you? What insight does this provide us into the person you are?