Have tools for the project on hand and placed at workstations.
Warm up:
Have the students familiarize themselves with the tools in front of them. Ask them to create as many different kinds of line as they can with the tools available. Give them about 5 minutes, but be flexible depending on the group dynamic and skill level.
Once their time is up, have them put their solutions aside while you begin the presentation.
Introduction:
Use the projector to present an outline/timeline of the workshop.
Discuss vocabulary and explain the goals and process of the lesson to the students so they know what to expect from the lesson.
Ask the students to analyze and discuss the use of line, its purpose, and its functionality during the presentation. Show images including urban landscapes, maps, architecture, wallcoverings, textiles, product design, graphic design, as well as recognizable images like the ubiquitous UPC symbol, road surface marking, a photo of a contrail, and perhaps lines of a suspension bridge. Images of work in which artists use line as a primary medium should also be shown (i.e. Sol Lewitt).
Before you begin the main assignment, take some time to reflect on what was created during the warm up. Ask what the students noticed about using the different tools and their approach to the exercise. Encourage the use of some new vocabulary during the discussion period.
Main Assignment:
Step One: To be worked on independently.
What sound does a line make?
Use with accompanied CD of sound waves and a range of sound clips, both recognizable and abstract.
Begin the CD. As each sound plays, students create a line to represent that sound, culminating in a layered composition of line. They should be encouraged to use the material that best suits the sound they hear, and their line should express the personality of the sound.
Presentation, Discussion:
Students present material and discuss the challenges, obstacles and enjoyment in the process.
Step Two: To be worked on independently.
Students choose their favorite line solutions from step one and combine them together to create a motif.
Step Three: To be worked on in small groups of 3-5.
Students use their individual motifs to create a collaborative design pattern for wallcovering and furnishings.
Demonstrate by showing a selection of relevant slides from the museum collection.
Presentation and Discussion:
Students present material and discuss the challenges, obstacles and enjoyment in the process.
Q&A: Students are invited to ask questions and the instructor should use the following sample questions to engage students in dialogue.
- What are the limitations of line?
- How can line evoke concept, idea, emotion, or personality?
- What else could be created using line?