Our Nation's Sons...

Drawing on Trinity College, Dublin, by Joe Caslin

One Young World?

Cette oeuvre a été créé par Joe Caslin, jeune artiste irlandais acclamé, à l'occasion du One Young World Summit, que l'Irlande accueillera en Octobre 2014.

Joe considère que, en tant que nation, nous avons marginalisé nos jeunes hommes et créé chez eux des sentiments d'abandon et d'apathie. Il est temps de redonner confiance à ces jeunes gars et de leur donner un sentiment d'appartenir. C'est une génération qui cherche l'espoir, qui cherche un leadership.

Une oeuvre d'art comme celle-ci a le pouvoir de résonner, de perturber le paysage visuel de la ville. C'est l'idéologie de One Young World que d'encourager les jeunes à bouleverser la façon habituelle de penser et d'apporter des solutions qu'ils pourront appliquer aux problèmes dans leurs propres pays.

Renaissance Man...

15th April is Leonardo's birthday!

Questions:

1. How "old" is Da Vinci?
2. What is a "Renaissance Man"?
3. What do you most admire about Da Vinci?
4. If you were a polymath, what would your areas of interest be?
5. Who is today's greatest polymath?

Vitruvian Man

Questions:

1. Why is the man in the drawing above called "Vitruvian Man"?
2. Why did Da Vinci draw both a circle and a square around the man known as Vitruvian Man?
3. Do you think Man is at the centre of the Universe?

World Art Day

International Association of Art

Questions:

1. Who created World Art Day, when and why?
2. Why has April 15th been chosen as World Art Day?
3. What would be a good theme for a World Art Day drawing competition (open to everyone on the planet)?

Drawing of a dragon and a lion by Da Vinci 

To do:

• Describe and comment one of Da Vinci's lesser-known paintings.
• Write a short story using one of Da Vinci's drawings.
• Draw a background picture for the International Association of Art website!

Ten of the best

Which are YOUR ten favorite works of art? Click HERE!

i don't like art at all... click HERE to read an article from the NYT!

Questions/to do:

1. Click on the first link above, and translate the introductory paragraph to the article by Jonathan Jones (entitled "The 10 greatest works of art ever").
2. Read the comments Jones makes about his favourite works of art (note useful vocabulary!).
3. Rank from 1 to 10 Jones' choice, 1 being your favourite and 10 your least favourite.
4. Describe and comment your top choice among Jones' selection (how much do you agree with Jones' assessment?).
5. Which are YOUR ten favourite works of art?
6. Describe and comment your all-time favourite work of art.
7. When was the last time you went to an art museum?
8. How often do you go to art museums or galleries in general?
9. Why do you think people go to look at works of art?
10. What works of art that you’ve never seen in person would you most like to visit (why)?

Assignment:

maro, in the comments page of the article from the NYT (click on the second link above), says "i don't like art at all"... Write a fifty-word paragraph to maro explaining why he should reconsider is position on art!

What does freedom look like?

Click HERE to read a BBC article!
Photos of freedom

Send the BBC your images/videos!
Some examples!

Seeing is believing...

Click HERE for the FRAC website!

To do:

1. Visit the FRAC exhibition with a friend (take your time looking at each photo, keep an open mind...).
2. Choose a photo one of you likes and the other dislikes.
3. Write down your description of the photograph.
4. Write down what you think the "meaning" of the photo is.
5. Carry out research on the photo and on the photographer and his work in general (use the computer terminals on the first floor of the FRAC).
6. Summarise what the photographer and critics have said about the photograph you have chosen.
7. What does the photo say about the way the photographer sees today's world do you think (write down your answer)?
8. How much do you share his way of seeing things (write down your answer)?
9. Record your conversation about the photo on your cell phone (make sure the recording is very clear), each saying clearly why he likes or dislikes the picture.
10. We will listen to your recorded conversation in class (whilst looking at a copy of the photo).

Face to the wall!

Click HERE to watch the BBC Learning English video!

To do:

1. Watch the BBC video (click on the link below the photo above) and do the exercise.
2. List adjectives describing the artist's work.
3. Imagine a title for the work of art above.
4. You are a reporter; list five questions to put to Gregos about his work.
5. Imagine you are Gregos and answer the journalist's questions!
6. List expressions that use the word "face".
7. Take a photo of yourself, eyes closed, smiling, and, using software such as Photoshop, create a colorful Gregos-like face!

Dalimotion

The Persistence of Memory (1931) by Dali

Click HERE to listen to a description of the painting!

Description on WIKIPAINTINGS: click HERE!

To do/questions:

1. Listen to the description and read the WIKIPAINTINGS analysis.
2. Describe this painting in your own words.
3. Think up questions to ask someone about this painting (such as: "What title would you have given this work?"; "Does the fly symbolize something?", etc.)
4. Get someone to answer your questions!
5. Why do you like or dislike this painting?
6. In pairs, present the painting to a group of "tourists" (one person saying why he/she likes the painting and the other why he/she dislikes it).
7. Describe a nightmare in which you lost the notion of time...
8. Make a list of expressions that use the word "time" ("time to close", "time is money", "time's up", etc.), translate each expression and then make up a sentence in English that uses that expression.