I Moustache You a Question

Teacher notes:

a.  Give each student a textbook "Understanding Art History" (or something like that).  Really play it up that each textbook is so expensive and that we will be using it a lot.  Get them to fill out the text book form and stress that they are totally responsible for it.  

b.  Borrow someone's textbook from the class after they have signed the sheet.  Get the students to look at the end of the book to find the dates of some of the "modern" art.  Hopefully they will find that very few of the artists in there are still alive and NONE of the art has to really do with anything in the class.  As you are talking, stop and find a neat picture that you like and RIP IT OUT OF THE TEXTBOOK like it's nothing. Maybe say that you are going to use that for another class.  The looks on their faces is awesome.

c.  Discuss with them the fact that these textbooks, that really do cost lots, are useless to us as resources but we can definately find a use for them since we have so many of them.

d.  Introduce the powerpoint of Moustache Bombing.  The idea is based on Marcel Duchamp's "LHHOQ" of the Mona Lisa with a moustache.  He did this about 100 years ago.  Talk about why he did this and what the effect on the artworld was.  Really, the beginnings of street art go back 100 years to some of these rebel artsits, and without them, street art wouldn't exist!

e.  Give them each a photocopy of different styles of moustaches.  This is essential for creativity.  Their task is now to cut out and moustache bomb 10 images from the text book.  These can all be glued to a piece of paper (maybe double sided) and then they can do a reflection on it.

f.  All of the handouts and resources (styles of moustaches, reflection, textbook form and powerpoint) are on my website:  https://sites.google.com/site/urbanartforsocialchange/i-moustache-you-a-question

g.  I don't mark any of this because I find that kids are still moving in and out of the class.  It's all just a series of warm up activities.   They can put the assignment in their cubbies.  I collect the reflections and discuss the findings the next day!