Precisionism
inspired by Charles Demuth
Curriculum standard:
1.2 Cultural understanding
b. Understanding the role of the artist, craftsperson and designer in a range of cultures, times and contexts.
2.1 Explore and create
a. develop ideas and intentions by working from first-hand observation, experience, inspiration, imagination and other source
Learning objective
Students will create an acrylic painting on stretched canvas that demonstrates their ability to create a Precisionist-style painting from first-hand observations.
Precisionism
Precisionism was a style of art that took place in North America during the 1920's and 1930's. Industrial buildings were painted in a way that made them look abstract and flat. The term "precision" comes from the very slow colour and value gradients that usually formed a very hard, straight line.
Introduction to Charles Demuth
Charles Demuth was an American artist who was fascinated by the colours and shapes of the different types of buildings that were built during the Industrial Age. He intentionally abstracted the lines and shapes by cropping the images, changing the values, and flattening the colours. His used a very slow and methodical painting method that required very precise lines and hard edges.
Student procedures
- Try to think of different places in Qingdao or Huangdao that Demuth might find interesting because of the industrial scene and lines.
- Take a photo that you can abstract and use as a resource for painting.
- Create compositional sketch and practice abstracting the values.
- Draw your best composition on the stretched canvas.
- Experiment with colour harmony by making a Goethe Colour Triangle