GRAVITY AND GRACE: MONUMENTAL WORKS BY EL ANATSUI

ART SHOW:

El Anatsui
Brooklyn Museum of Art
February 8, 2013- August 4, 2013

This impressive show features large scale works of "fabrics" made from bottle caps, metals, and other materials.  Additionally there are interchangeable "non-fixed" wood sculptures that work like legos to be moved around according to the artists/ viewers whim.  Reflecting Anatsui's African "nomadic aesthetic" background, the materials used are deconstructed and reassembled "found" materials such as milk tin cans and liquor bottle caps.  Kids will definitely be impressed in the sheer scale of these pieces, but also interested in the 'local things, global themes' viewpoint.  To think that the recycling bin can be a source of such rich inspiration?  Additionally, there are other interactive treats along the way.  Ipads are stationed in each room to encourage thought and comments from viewers.  And a station is set up with recycled paper and twisty ties to colorful paper chains in the spirit of El Anutsui.  This kind of project would be easy to replicate at home-- and a good re-use for some of our more colorful trash!

QUESTIONS TO ASK:

1. Do these large scale works look different close up than if you take 20 steps back?

2. How many different patterns and colors can you find in one piece?

3. Choose a piece to contemplate- what kinds of things does this remind you of?

4. El Anatsui's work is open to interpretation as he doesn't have one right way to think about his art.  What does this show say to you?

5. Much of the artist's work draws inspiration from African traditions-- can you think of some of your own traditions or cultural materials you could use to inspire your own art?

LINKS TO GET INTO IT:

Brooklyn Museum of Art Education Packet- super helpful guide to introducing the work to kids

Art 21- 20 minute PBS Art show about the artist with a great Q &A section.

NY Times informative review of the Brooklyn Museum show.

Akron Museum of Art video about the Gravity and Grace show

EXTENSIONS:

For Parents:

1) Go see the El Anatsui public art piece on the High Line in Manhattan and see if your kids recognize it as by the same artist.  Plan a picnic and enjoy the soon to be spring weather!

2) Go see the El Anatsui pieces "Between Heaven and Earth" and "Dusasa II" the next time you are at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

For Kids:

From Brooklyn Museum of Art

1) Art-Making

Anatsui’s metal sheets are made of screw-top bottle caps that Anatsui buys from

a business near his studio. He and his assistants fold the caps into specific shapes

(see detail image at the end of this packet) and join thousands of them together

to make enormous artworks. Use your own locally acquired material—such 

as paper from your recycling bin—to make a communal class artwork. Cut 

the paper into strips and imitate some of Anatsui’s folding techniques (listed 

here) or invent your own. Play with patterns and repetition to create chains or 

sections. Join your folded strips together with a hole punch and twist ties, then 

join your work together with your classmates’ to create one large artwork.

Shape 1: Plain

Punch holes in both ends of a paper strip. You can join multiple “plain” 

strips together side-by-side or end-to-end.

Shape 2: Crumpled

Hold the ends of one strip and gently twist in opposite directions. Press 

down to flatten. Punch a hole at either end.

Shape 3: Chain

To create this shape, you need two strips of paper. Fold each strip in half at 

an angle to create a wide V. Place the two strips together so the ends meet 

and the middle space looks like a diamond. Fold over any excess paper at the 

ends. Punch through the overlap at each end and secure with twist ties.

2) English Language Arts

Anatsui’s artworks are patched together out of many smaller blocks of bottle 
caps. You can make a class poem by patching together words in the same 
way. Start out in small groups and brainstorm words that describe Earth’s Skin. 
When your group has a collection of descriptive words, make sentences that 
use as many of the words as you can. (Hint: it may help to start your sentences 
all the same way. For example, “I see…”) Combine each group’s favorite 
sentence to create a poem from the whole class. For older students, each 
group may generate words of a different part of speech. Swap words among 
the groups so that each group has a selection of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and 
adverbs, then create complete sentences using those words.]

3) For older kids- here is a lesson plan from Denver Art Museum that can be adapted for your middle schooler/ high schooler.