Hard Edge Abstraction

Assignments

Week 1: January 9 - 15

Overview of different Hard Edge movements in Black and White 

Assignment(s): Black and white exercises, you can choose one or complete both

1. Focus on one simple shape (a square, rectangle, triangle etc.)

   Create a composition by repeating it, stretching it, or changing its scale (or all of the above) 

   • Examples:

     • Karl Benjamin, #26

     • Frederick Hammersley, Black and Forth

     • Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Échelonnement désaxé

     • Theo van Doesburg, Arithmetic Composition

     • Geraldo de Barros, Diagonal Function

2. Create a composition using only straight lines:

   • Examples:

     • Al Held, Black/White XVII

     • Josef Albers, Study for Homage to the Square

     • Lygia Clark, Planes in Modulated Surface 4

     • Hélio Oiticica, Painting 9

     • Lorser Feitelson, Magical Space Forms

Due Date: Friday, January 29th by 8pm

Send in your images via email to: shabottbarrett@gmail.com

Week 2: January 16-22

De Stijl, Neo-plasticism, and Elementarism

Assignment: Reduce an object to De Stijl principles

1. Pick an organic object (the human body, plants, nature, food etc..)

2. Simplify your object down to the basic elements of De-Stijl

   • Primary colors and non-colors (black, white, and grey)

   • Basic geometric forms

   • Horizontals, verticals and diagonals

3. I would suggest making multiple drafts - start with a sketch and keep simplifying/editing your composition until you arrive at something you really like

   • You can be as rigid as Mondrian -strictly horizontals and verticals - or more flexible with your approach 

     • You can even develop your own “logic” to approach it with, for example 70% straight lines and 30% curved….etc

   • If you are having difficulty starting: use tracing paper and put it over an image of your object, start tracing the basic forms you see and go from there

4. Once you’ve settled on a composition, paint it on canvas (16x20 or 18x24)

5. Look below to see some examples of work

Due Date: Friday, January 29 at 8pm

Send in your images via email to: shabottbarrett@gmail.com

Week 3: January 23 - 29

Suprematism - Malevich and El Lissitzky

Assignment(s): Rearrange a suprematist composition and make it your own

1. Pick from one of the following collections:

   • The Last Futurist Exhibition of Painting .10 (Zero Ten)

     • Focus on the Malevich paintings in this collection

   • Chagall, Lissitzky, Malevich: The Russian Avant-Garde in Vitebsk, 1918-1922

     • You can find audio many of the pieces if you scroll to the bottom of the page on the above link, or if you click here

   • El Lissitzky's Victory Over the Sun Collection

     • You can also look at his PROUN pieces - although you’ll have to search online because they are spread throughout museum collections

2. Focus in on one particular painting from your collection, and rearrange it’s elements to create your own composition

   • Borrow from the paintings shapes and use those to build a composition 

     • Move the shapes around, play with their scale or perspective

   • Study the colors of your painting

     • Use the colors as a loose reference - switch them around or exchange them between shapes

Due Date: Friday, January 29 at 8pm

Send in your images via email to: shabottbarrett@gmail.com

Week 4: January 30 - February 5th

Constructivism - Tatlin, Rodchenko, Popova and El Lissitzky

Assignment: Work in 2D and 3D this week

1. Construct simple shapes with cardboard or bristol board paper (look below for inspiration)

2. Arrange them into three-dimensional compositions 

3. Create a painting based off of them

Due Date: Friday, February 5 at 8pm

Send in your images via email to: shabottbarrett@gmail.com

Week 5: February 6 - 12

Bauhaus - Gropius, Curriculum, Furniture Design, Graphic Design, and Theatre

Assignment(s): Respond to Bauhaus Art

You can respond to either Marcel Breuer or Theatre work from the Bauhaus

1. Marcel Breuer:

   • MoMA - Marcel Breuer

   • The Art Story - Marcel Breuer

   • SmartHistory on Bauhaus and Marcel Breuer

   • Look below for select images of Breuer

2. Bauhaus Films/Theatre

   • Video: Das Triadische Ballet (Triadic Ballet)

   • Video: Das Mechanische Ballett (Mechanical Ballet)

   • Reading: Bauhaus Body Spirit Theatre

   • Reading: Body and Spirit Overview

   • For more readings about Bauhaus theatre, look in your Resource Links tab under Bauhaus Theatre

Due Date: Friday, February 12 at 5pm

Send in your images via email to: shabottbarrett@gmail.com

Week 6: February 13-19

Bauhaus - Furniture Design, Graphic Design, Theatre, Textiles, Josef and Anni Albers, Kandinsky

Assignment(s): Borrow a palette from Josef Albers

1. Pick a “Homage to the Square” Albers composition that has a color palette you like (browse the collections below)

   • The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation - Homage to the Square Collection

   • Artsy - Josef Albers Collection

   • The Guggenheim - Josef Albers Collection

2. Recreate the homage to the square painting you picked

   • This will require making lots of swatches and experimental mixtures to get the right colors

   • It doesn’t have to be an exact match - but try your best to get to the same color

   • If you are struggling, contact me during the week! I can help you get on track

3. Apply the color palette to a composition that you already have

   • Choose one of the paintings that you’ve already made, and recreate it using your Albers palette

   • You can diverge away from the palette if you want, but make sure to at least include all the original colors from the Albers palette

Due Date: Friday, February 19 at 5pm

Send in your images via email to: shabottbarrett@gmail.com