3rd Grade Explores Mondrian and Formalism

Third grade artists have been exploring the artistic style of Formalism in Art & Music, a style that focuses on the elements of art including shape, color, line, and texture. Exploring formalistic painter Piet Mondrian, we examined his interpretation of New York’s Broadway Avenue in his painting Broadway Boogie Woogie. The broad yellow lines depict the grid system from which the city is built. The primary colored squares represent  the flashing lights, glitter, and energy of New York City. (Special Thanks to Miss Stegner, for the write up here!)

In music class, Mrs. Deckerd shared the sounds of the time period, a small tribute to the Big Band Era, giving students their first impression of and a new appreciation for Jazz music. Mrs. Deckerd said, "Not only did they get to experience the music, they were able to play it themselves and compare it to Mondrian’s artwork- making connections across the spectrum!"

In art class, students worked their artistic skills up by incorporating the elements of art & horizontal and vertical lines into a new representation of Broadway Boogie Woogie!!

 

Lesson Covers NEW Ohio Art Standards Below:

Perceiving/Knowing (2PE): The student identified the relationships between and among selected elements of art and principles of design through the use of composition (balance) and space (cropping) of their vertical, horizontal, and perpendicular lines.

Producing/Performing (5PR): The student showed increasing attention to the nuances of the elements of art and principles of design through proper use of color families, line pattern, texture, shape, value, and balance when creating personal works of art.

Perceiving/Knowing (6PE):  The student recognized and identified choices that give meaning to a personal work of art through use of original, creative, and unique lines and shape patterns.