Friday, January 27, 2012

Art History Valentines!

Today I had a little extra time with my AP Art History students AND we were not able to meet in the ORHS Amphitheater due to ASVAB testing.  So, the art history kids got to venture down to my art room and make stuff.  With Valentines Day approaching I allowed them to make cards that referenced famous works of art.  I showed them a few examples that I have actually made and given away in the past.
A friend who was going through a bad break up got this card based on Artemesia Gentilleschi's Judith Beheading Holophernes.  It remains one of my all time favorite anti-Valentines Day cards!
The photography teacher at my school got this Valentine based on a famous photography by Paul Strand.  My students only had an hour to work on their creations, so several are finishing up at home, but I am SO impressed with the ideas that they were generating, that I wanted to share a few.
One student definitely wanted to use the famous VanGogh Self Portrait after he cut his ear off. She hadn't figured out what to write, but was leaning towards something about giving everything to someone you love.  Above is one of my cheesy ideas.  My other would be to do something with that song by Meatloaf and Celine Dion, I Would Do Anything for Love, But I Won't Do THAT!

This is an image of Coatlicue, the Aztec god/goddess (he/she is both genders) of sacrifice and rebirth.  The statue is covered in snakes and has a necklace of human hearts and hands around the neck. I LOVE the warped and twisted play on words used on this one!  The only unfortunate thing is not many people (especially high school kids) would understand!

I LOVE this play on words too.  She knew she wanted that phrase and then any picture of Baroque art.  I thought her selection of Bernini's Ecstasy of St. Theresa, where the nun is getting stabbed through the heart by cupid (all while having a very sensual reaction to hearing God's voice) was the PERFECT choice!  Happy Valentine's Day to all lovers of art!


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