Inquiry Question 2: What is this painting depicting?

Directions: 

To answer this question, focus on the word "depicting."  In art, depicting does not just mean what is the painting of. Rather, for the purpose of this activity, it means what does the painting show - what does it show physically, what does it show emotionally, what does it show its message to be. 

You will work to analyze two paintings: 

First, analyze a warm up painting of a cabin, by Thomas Kinkade.  Doing this warm up will allow you to practice the analysis process I am going to ask you to use in this problem and throughout the year. This process is called a S.K.U.M. analysis and I will demonstrate it below.

Second, use the S.K.U.M. method, to analyze the actual painting for which you will answer the question "What is the painting depicting?" 

Third, after analyzing the painting, formulate a hypothesized answer to the question "What is the painting depicting?" Then, write an artist statement that explains your take on Picasso's message in this painting. This statement is meant to accompany the painting in a museum. It is to explain to new viewers of the painting what the painting is depicting.  You need to include an answer to the inquiry question and then explain how you arrived at this answer by detailing the evidence that supports your hypothesis.

Materials Needed:

Access to Google Drive and Google Classroom

A copy of the S.K.U.M. Form/Handout in class

Images of the warm up and actual painting we are analyzing

Supporting material and videos below 

Google Docs

DAY ONE - The Warm Up Painting

Step 1: Understand the Analysis Process

Find a link to the S.K.U.M. Form here

Step 2: Consider the painting itself

Step 3: Put the analysis process and the painting in conversation with each other

Below is an example of how I used S.K.U.M. Analysis to tease out a potential answer to "what is this painting depicting?" I have also included a recording from one of our meets today to further demonstrate this process.

DAY TWO -  ... and now on to the actual painting I am asking you to analyze

Step 1: Consider the painting

As you consider the painting, take note of where your entry point is in this painting. Then, on a second copy of the S.K.U.M. Analysis Form write this entry point down as your "Subject."

Step 2: Begin to notice Key Details (5-10 minutes)

Key Details in paintings include objects, scale, placement of objects relative to each other, lines, color, style, texture, repetition,  place of privilege, etc. If it is in the painting, the artist put it there intentionally and it is worth noting.

Add as many key details as you are able to identify to your SKUM analysis. In 5 minutes, you should be able to fill half a page. 

After you have finished, please view the recording of the class Meet below. Compare your Key Details with the ones we identified as a class. If we identified Key Details you missed, add those to your SKUM analysis. That isn't cheating, it's collaboration.

When you are finished, post a copy of your incomplete S.K.U.M. Analysis to Google Classroom or if we are in person learning, keep you handout for class.

Class Share of Key Details during our Google Meet:

Step 3: Digging into our Analysis through "Second Draft" Reads. Add MORE Key Details that you can't "see" (35 minutes)

Information that isn't "seen" on the painting is also important to consider and can deepen our understanding of the details we noticed in our "first draft" read. This requires a bit of research regarding the context of the painting. 

Work your way through the sources below. As you do this, stop frequently and reexamine the painting. When you identify important information add these Key Details to your SKUM analysis.

And here is a guide to the super secret hidden images here:

One last source to help us with a "third draft) read.

Watch the video below, add to your key details anything you might have missed.

DAY THREE - Making Inferences and arriving at a conclusion

Review of Key Details from yesterday

We will begin by sharing out the Key Details we gathered from our second draft read yesterday. As you listen to your classmates, continue adding to your SKUM. If you were unable to attend class, please view the recording of the class Meet below to complete this portion of the task. Second, look through the key details and star, circle, or underline anything that you think is "extra" key - meaning, anything repeated, in a position of privilege,  something that breaks a rule, or that otherwise stands out.

Step 4: Begin to look for patterns and connections 

Start to draw some connections between some of the key details in order to make some inferences about what is happening, what emotions you are feeling, etc. Write down the inferences you are making in the "Understanding patterns and connections" section of your SKUM analysis.

Write your inferences as "addition" equations. Look at the following example:

6 people + 4 women + one child + one bald (maybe old) man + broken sword + stigmata marks = people who were hurt by this bombing weren’t soldiers but innocent civilians, and who had only very primitive ways of defending themselves 

As you make inferences, be sure to account for ALL details that you marked as "extra" key - these should definitely be accounted for.

I will give you some time to work on this, then we will share out our inferences with the class. Again, if you are unable to attend class, please view the recording of the class Meet below to complete this portion of the task.

Class Share of more Key Details and Understanding Connections during our Google Meet:

Step 5: Hypothesize a main message.

Revisit the Key Details and Understanding Connections section of your SKUM analysis. Use this information to hypothesis what you think Picasso's main message is and add this to the "Main Message" section of the analysis. This main message should also answer the question: "What is this painting depicting." 

When you have come up with an answer, post your hypothesis to this Jamboard using a sticky note. This will be your exit ticket for the day.

DAY FOUR - Writing what you know

Step 6: Turn what you know into writing

TASK: Write an detailed museum placard to accompany the painting "Guernica" in the museum.

PURPOSE: To write an placard that helps new viewers with their first experience of the painting by:

• Helping them identify the key details that are especially important to note.

• Helping them identify the important parts of the history and context of the painting

• Understand how groups of these key details/context work together to create ideas in the viewers mind

• So that they can eventually arrive at the main message of painting.

AFTER WRITING, PLEASE REFLECT (write this below your artist statement):

• Which painting - Thomas Kinkade's cabin or Pablo Picasso's Guernica - was more satisfying  and interesting  to "solve"? Why?

• Which painting - Thomas Kinkade's cabin or Pablo Picasso's Guernica - would you rather hang in your home? Why?

• What do your answers to the first two questions tell you about yourself and what interests you as a learner, a reader, a person? Explain.

• What kinds of skills, thinking processes, and mindsets did it take to be successful in solving this problem? How do you define success for this type of problem? Explain.

• In what ways might you imagine using these skills in English, or any of your other classes? Explain.

Reflecting on the Process

We will wrap up this inquiry by reflecting on the process and making connections to the thinking and work we will do in this class.

Please answer the following questions. Be thoughtful in your answers and use evidence from your experience with the problem.

1. Which painting - Thomas Kinkade's cabin or Pablo Picasso's Guernica - was more satisfying and interesting to "solve"? Why?

2. Which painting - Thomas Kinkade's cabin or Pablo Picasso's Guernica - would you rather hang in your home? Why?

3. What do your answers to the first two questions tell you about yourself and what interests you as a learner, a reader, a person? Explain.

4. What kinds of skills, thinking processes, and mindsets did it take to be successful in solving this problem? How do you define success for this type of problem? Explain.

5. In what ways might you imagine using these skills in English, or any of your other classes? Explain.