Today we started discussing my favorite of the student paintings (below). The topic she researched was third culture kids (TCK). She attempted to make the face as gender neutral as possible and to represent some of the many influences on what makes up identity. She painted blue hair because she feels it represents her (she use blue hair in another project) and it demonstrates individuality. The banners represent aspects of identity that can’t be spoken about. It is not just about being a TCK, but about how people view each other in society. They are supposed to be like tape, and being wrapped in the tape “holds you back” from your true identity.

The second painting we discussed today (below) was on the topic of school violence. The “flowers” are hands, representing students. The blue hands represent dead students. The color purple was chosen to give a feeling of gloom to the painting. In Korea, the tree is symbolic of a child, growing from a sprout.

The third work of art we discussed today (below) deals with the topic of embracing femininity. The students saw various masculine & feminine qualities in the painting. The idea is to “weaponize femininity.” The artist wanted to paint a feminine woman that looks strong. She is holding a sword and a parasol. She specifically chose to make the eyes look Asian to go against the stereotype of femininity being a white woman. The look on her face is that she has a secret.

Sexism is the topic of the painting below. The artist was going for abstract over realism, as he felt his skills couldn’t compete with the others in class. The other students felt that this work was very superficial and trite.

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Today the students discussed each others work. Actually, the discussion was so in depth that they only discussed one work of art. They analyzed various elements of art such as color, value, form, and space. They also discussed what they thought the message of the artist was, without the artist commenting. I was really impressed by the depth of discussion of the message of the work below about teen pregnancy. The artist, Chloe, shared that the inspiration for the spikes in the baby were inspired by the Korean saying, “Even hedgehogs love their children,” with the deeper message that even though teen pregnancy is taboo, this mother loves her baby. This was the most in depth feedback of student work I have been involved in. Every element of the painting was discussed, from the blood, to the position of the feet, to the amount of black and it’s function. This is an impressive work of art, with a lot of though behind the creation.

More photos of the project.

Other posts about this project.