Art Lesson: An Artist Named Brown, A Cultural Representation,

A Symbolic Collage
Objective

The students will understand the symbolism used by

Eugene Brown in his sculpture A Tribe Named Miami, A
Surveyors Stake, A Town Named Oxford, and will create a
representation of a place they personally connect to
through the use of symbolic animals and cut paper collage.

Materials

Sketch Paper, Pencils/Erasers, Construction Paper (standard

size for background, assorted scraps/sheets for collage
material), Scissors, Gluesticks, Envelopes (for loose pieces)

Academic Vocabulary

- Collage: artwork created by the layering of

various two-dimensional materials, such as
paper, magazine pages, fabric, or newsprint.
- Symbolism: The use of a form or image to
represent something other than what it is
normally associated with.
- Meaning: The idea that is conveyed by a work
of art.

Procedure

Timing of each stage of the lesson is left open-ended, for

the teacher to adjust to their classroom as they see fit.
1. The class will engage in pre-viewing or visiting activities
(listed previously). If possible, a field trip will be taken to
the Miami University Art Museum to view the sculpture
in person. The class will discuss the symbolic meaning of
each feature of the sculpture (included in the Overview).
2. Students will be prompted to think of a place that is
significant to them, and some qualities about that place.
Some examples could be school, home, or somewhere
the student has travelled. They are to write their ideas
down on a sheet of scrap paper.
3. After the students have chosen their location, the
teacher will ask for several examples, and some of the
characteristics that the students have attributed with
their locations. The teacher will write the characteristics
up on the board, and after composing a list of
approximately five words, will ask the class if they can
think of any animals that share similar characteristics.
For example, the characteristic calm could be attributed
to a sloth, warm to a kitten, or powerful to a lion. It is
entirely up to the students individual interpretations.
Animals could also be reflective of the economy or daily
life of a region, for example, if cows were important to
daily life in a farming community, they would be
important to include.

4. The students will choose at least two animals that

represent their location, making sure to write down why
their animals are representative of their locations. They
may also choose, but are not required, to include one
other symbol, plant or other object as a supplement to
their animals(for example, plants that grow in that
location). Using the back of their scrap paper, they will
create a practice sketch of their composition before they
move on to their final product.
5. If the students have no prior experience with collage
techniques, the teacher may choose to demonstrate the
process of drawing each layer on to different colors of
paper and layering them together as a whole animal (for
example, a lion would be cut from one color for the body
and head, another color for the mane, and other colors
for the facial features).
6. Each student will be given a piece of standard-sized
construction paper for their background (black is
recommended, however students may choose a color if
the teacher prefers). They will be able to choose from an
array of colored papers to create their animals. They will
draw their shapes in pencil, cut them out, and glue all of
their pieces to the paper when they are finished. If the
student is not finished gluing by the end of class, the
teacher may want to provide envelopes for the students
to keep their pieces in.
7. Once the students complete their collages, they will
write a brief artist statement explaining how the animals
(and other object/plant) are symbolic of the location
they chose. They should be able to use the terms
symbolism, symbolic, and meaning fluidly in their
writing to express their ideas.
8. The teacher may choose at this point to engage in a
class critique or discussion. The class should discuss
their work, the process of using animals to express their
ideas about a location, and make connections between
their project and Eugene Browns sculpture.