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KC GEORGE

Target Audience: 9th-12th Grade Visual Arts, Duration: 15 Minutes, Instructor: Mr. George

Unit Context: The Political Agency of Design: Deconstructing the “Other” and the “Self”

Big Idea: We rarely see the world as it is; we see it as we expect it to be. In art and society, relying on our “schemas” (preconceived mental shortcuts) leads to stereotypes and biases. Students will experience how implementing a radical constraint, a blind contour drawing, strips away visual biases and curated identities, forcing an authentic, unedited observation of their subject and themselves.

NYS Visual Arts Standards Alignment:

  • VA:Cr2.1.HSI (Proficient): Engage in making a work of art or design without having a preconceived plan.
  • VA:Re7.1.HSI (Proficient): Hypothesize ways in which art influences perception and understanding of human experiences.

Instructional Outcomes (Objectives):

  • Studio / Experiential: Students will execute continuous blind contour drawings of a peer and themselves, demonstrating the ability to relinquish visual control and rely entirely on haptic observation.
  • Cognitive / Analytical: Students will articulate (verbally during discussion and textually via an exit ticket) how the constraint of a blind contour challenges modern “selfie culture” and subverts our reliance on visual bias.

Key Vocabulary:

  • Schema: A mental shortcut or preconceived idea of what something looks like.
  • Blind Contour: Drawing the outline and details of a subject without looking at the paper.
  • Curated Identity: The carefully edited version of oneself presented to the world (e.g., social media).

Materials & Resources:

  • Sketch paper (1 sheet per student).
  • Fine-tip black markers (prevents erasing/editing).
  • “Blinders” (Paper plates with a center hole for the marker to pass through, blocking the student’s view of the paper).
  • Standing hand mirrors (1 per student).
  • Smartboard/Projector for visual exemplars.

Differentiation:

  • Visual/Fine Motor: Students with fine-motor challenges may use thicker markers or adaptive grips. The focus is on the process of observation, not the technical precision of the line.
  • Social/Emotional: For students for whom sustained eye contact with a peer is highly uncomfortable, they may choose to observe a complex neutral object (like a crumpled piece of paper or a plant) for Round 1.
  • Multilingual Learners: Visual exemplars are provided during the hook. The exit ticket prompt will be written on the board and can be answered in the student’s native language or through a visual diagram.

Anticipated Misconceptions:

  • Misconception: The goal of drawing is to make a “pretty” or “accurate” picture.
  • Intervention: Explicitly state that the goal is pure observation, and that a “good” drawing in this context is one that looks chaotic because it tracks the truth of the eye’s movement, not the ego.

INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE
Step 1: Hook & Inquiry (3 Minutes) –
Teacher Action: Display two images side-by-side on the Smartboard:

  1. A heavily filtered, flawless social media “selfie.”
  2. A highly detailed, chaotic, blind contour self-portrait (e.g., Kathe Kollwitz or Egon Schiele).
  • Discussion/VTS: Introduce the concept of “Curated Identities.” Ask the class: “We live in an era where we constantly edit and filter how the world sees us. When we rely on these visual shortcuts, what reality are we erasing?” Today, we are going to use a physical constraint to force ourselves to destroy our visual shortcuts, relinquish control, and truly see. 

Step 2: The Radical Constraint Activity (6 Minutes) – 

  • Teacher Action: Distribute paper, markers, paper-plate blinders, and mirrors.
  • Round 1: “The Other” (2.5 Minutes): Students pair up. They place the marker through the paper plate so they cannot see their paper.
    • Prompt: “Draw your partner’s face using a continuous line. You cannot lift your pen. You cannot look at your paper. Embrace the discomfort of losing control.”
  • Round 2: “The Uncurated Self” (2.5 Minutes): Students flip their paper and place the standing mirror in front of them.
    • Prompt: “Turn that unbiased observation inward. Draw yourself. Resist the urge to ‘fix’ your flaws. Accept the vulnerability of the mirror.”
  • Active Monitoring: Teacher walks the room, providing proximity control to prevent “peeking” and verbally praising students who are slowing down their observation and embracing the struggle.

Step 3: Synthesis & Discussion (4 Minutes) – 

  • Teacher Action: Instruct students to remove the blinders. Allow 10 seconds for the natural laughter and shock at the abstract drawings.
  • Higher-Order Questioning:
    • “Which was harder to relinquish control over: drawing your partner, or drawing yourself in the mirror? Why?”
    • “How does taking away your ability to ‘edit’ or ‘correct’ the drawing change the way you actually look at your own face?”
    • “Politically or socially, what happens when we are forced to drop our curated identities and observe ourselves as we actually are?”

Step 4: Closure & Formative Assessment (2 Minutes) – 

  • Teacher Action: Distribute sticky notes or index cards.
  • Exit Ticket Prompt: “Write one sentence: How is a blind contour self-portrait an act of resistance against our modern ‘selfie’ culture?”
  • Wrap Up: “Unlearning biases and dropping your ego requires friction and a willingness to make a mess. That is the political power of art. Please leave your exit tickets on your desks.”