“To celebrate Youth Music’s 10th Birthday, 70 of the world’s greatest musicians and visual artists have created a groundbreaking body of collaborative artwork based on Rankin’s iconic portraits of musicians.
As part of National Youth Music Week 2009, Youth Music will take over Phillips De Pury London for a festival of art and live music featuring performances from Destroy artists.
Original works by Damien Hirst, Douglas Gordon, Debbie Harry, Michael Stipe, U2, Mat Collishaw, Marianne Faithfull and many others will be auctioned to support the UK’s biggest music charity for young people.”
View the Gallery to see the original Rankin photo and how it was ‘destroyed’ by another artist. I think students would enjoy a project like this by using celebrity photos from magazines or even taking and using photos of themselves, which a partner could then reinterpret. I may consider this when I do portrait painting with grade 6 students next semester.
This whole Rankin approach sounds similar to a portrait party.
We are about 2 months into school now. I don’t know about you, but I am BUSY. Swamped actually. Every year seems to grow and get busier and busier. More stuff gets added but it feels like not much is taken out. With this, I ponder if I continue to challenge my students out of their comfort zone in Art. Are they challenging themselves or simply giving me what I want for assessment purposes? Do I encourage them to experiment enough or do I rush them?
I was flipping through some bookmarked videos and stumbled across this one again (video below). Not fully related to what I am writing but it made me wonder if I am understanding my students. I can’t remember who passed it on to me, so apologies. It’s in Japanese with Korean and English subtitles. Some food for thought.
Stimulating Imagination Through Constraints is an interesting article from Psychology Today. As a specialist teacher who often visited classrooms in the past, I have seen several teachers simply ask their students to “be creative” or “use your imagination” for project tasks. Too bad it’s not that simple. Students will not usually know where to start. Nor would I.
In the classroom we need to be ‘clear and explicit about definitions, concepts and processes.’ Being creative does not simply mean to create something with no limits in mind. Usually such an open task will lead to more frustration and poorer quality of work. How will you then evaluate when all was simply asked was to be creative and imaginative? Providing some constraints can help define the problem and assist in solving the problem in creative ways.
(Read the full article through the link provided above).
The Productive Flourishing blog offers some interesting free planners for personal use. The site states:
After years of struggling with the planners designed for and by office workers, I figured out that it wasn’t me that was the problem: it was the design of the planners.
Creative people approach their work differently. Most of us don’t work 8-5, and we don’t have projects that we can plan to get done during the same times each day. The limiting factor for us is not the amount of time we have available, but rather the type of time we have available.
One size does not fit all when it comes to planners. Check out the planners to see which ones best relate to what you’re trying to do, and give them a try!
Check the link above to see the planners which best relate to what you’re trying to do, and give them a try. They may help increase your productivity.
Unique TV Series Episodes That Inspire Creativity from Smashing Magazine:In this article you’ll get inspiration from the area of creative writing in popular television series episodes from the past 40+ years, and we’ll discuss how the creativity achieved in these particular episodes can motivate all of us, as artists, to always strive to prevent our creations from being too normal and predictable.
Free Tools to Back Up Your Online Accountsfrom Lifehacker: Cloud computing means you can store your data in web applications and access it from any browser, anywhere—but that doesn’t mean you don’t need a backup plan. Safeguard your data when a storm’s a-brewing in the cloud with these tools.
15 Great Free Online File Sharing Alternatives from Hongkiat: Here are some free file-sharing sites we come to know and if you share files with friends or peers via Internet frequently, you might want to consider getting them done this way.
Free and Commercial Stock Photography Sites from Smashing Magazine:Here are a handful of sites to check out when considering the use of stock photography on your next project.
Our new school year began this week. As in any international school setting, teacher/student turnover occurs every year. Sometimes it may be as high as thirty percent. To get everyone on the same page, why not consider experimenting with some new tools for your class/grade level projects? (Remember though, pedagogy first, tools second.)
I have posted many of these before and most essentials are filed under the “Cool Web Tools” tab above here on this blog. I have also made some further additions to my Creativity 2.0 wiki (pictured below). If you are busy, skim through and look for the RECOMMENDED! sites as pictured right.
I have done my best to make the navigation on the wiki simple. I would advise starting with the Presentation section. You may also find something useful under the “Other Good Stuff” area too. Click on the picture below to take you to the wiki. If you have any further recommendations, I’d love to hear from you! Lastly, consider looking at Alan Levine’s 50+ Web 2.0 Ways To Tell a Story. (Remember, most 2.0 tools require sign up.)
My job position has changed this year. I am teaching grades 6-9 Art as well as grades 1-3 Drama. My involvement in IT at my school may be minimal. However, it should not affect the posts on this blog. Let’s face it, all teachers are in IT now.
I got this idea over at the Drawn blog and thought I’d give it a go. It’s a series of stills set to music of all the culture that has influenced me and my work. Of course, as soon as I was finished, I remembered a few more.
In this engaging and thought-provoking lecture, public intellectual and best-selling author, Richard Florida, explains how creativity is revolutionizing the global economy. Drawing from his research in his popular books The Rise of the Creative Class and, most recently, Who’s Your City? , Florida traces the rise of this new social class and its impact on cities, business, and society at large. Richard Florida is Director of the Martin Prosperity Institute and Professor of Business and Creativity at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. (Published Nov. 15, 2008)
View the Gallery to see the original Rankin photo and how it was ‘destroyed’ by another artist. I think students would enjoy a project like this by using celebrity photos from magazines or even taking and using photos of themselves, which a partner could then reinterpret. I may consider this when I do portrait painting with grade 6 students next semester.
Stimulating Imagination Through Constraints
I have posted many of these before and most essentials are filed under the “Cool Web Tools” tab above here on this blog. I have also made some further additions to my 
