Lesson video

Hi, everyone.

How are you? Hope you're doing really well today.

My name's Ms. Afzal, and I will be your art teacher today.

I'm really excited for us to get into this lesson, Viewpoints and techniques: disability and art.

I think we're going to discover a lot of interesting artists and find out about some fantastic techniques.

Let's begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is: I can explore how artists with disabilities share their viewpoints.

We have some keywords in our lesson today.

Let's go through these.

Viewpoint, techniques, mouth and foot painting.

Let's find out what these words mean.

So a viewpoint is an artist's own personal opinion, experiences, and point of view.

Techniques are the different ways in which artists use the materials and media they work with.

And mouth and foot painting is controlling a brush or tool with a foot or mouth to create a painting.

I'm really excited for us to find out more about these keywords that'll be coming up in our lesson.

Our lesson today, Viewpoints and techniques: disability and art, has two parts to it.

We've got different viewpoints in art and different techniques in art.

Let's begin with different viewpoints in art.

So let's begin by taking a look at these two artworks.

What do you think each of these artworks depict? Pause here and share about this with someone nearby.

So what did you come up with? And I wonder if you would've guessed that in these two artworks, two different artists have actually depicted the same landscape.

Take another good look at these images now knowing that they're actually depicting the same landscape.

So interesting.

They look different as each artist is sharing their own viewpoint of the landscape, and each viewpoint is unique.

And remember, a viewpoint is the artist's personal opinion, experience, and point of view.

Jun, Lucas, and Alex are discussing the relevance of the artist's viewpoint when creating an artwork.

Here's what Jun has to say.

The artist's viewpoint will affect how they feel and think about the subject, which impacts how they express their ideas.

Makes a lot of sense, Jun.

Here's Lucas.

"I don't agree.

The artist's viewpoint isn't relevant because if they paint the same subject, it will probably look the same." Oh, okay.

Interesting, Lucas.

Who do you agree with most? Pause here.

Share with someone nearby.

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

Now I would like you to complete the sentence: each artist and person's viewpoint is, pause here and share with someone, what word should finish this sentence? Yep, you've got it.

Unique.

Each artist and person's viewpoint is unique.

Every one of you here, you all have a unique viewpoint.

As our viewpoints are unique, this means that we will each have a different perspective on the world and how we express our ideas, so we could all be looking at the same thing and each come up with our own unique perspective and way of expressing what we see.

In art, a viewpoint relates to an artist's: personal opinions, what they think or feel about a subject, issue, or idea; their point of view, the perspective or angle they choose to share.

It's how they see the world and want others to see it; And their experiences, their life experiences such as their culture, upbringing, travels, relationships, or hardships, which influence their work.

And really this is something that's so amazing about art that we can get an understanding of different people's perspectives, points of view, and experiences, through the way they express themselves in their art.

Who do you agree with, Aisha or Izzy? Let's find out what they have to say first of all.

So Aisha thinks that an artist's viewpoint relates to their biographical information, such as their date of birth, whereas Izzy thinks that an artist's viewpoint relates to their personal opinions, experiences, and point of view.

Who do you agree with? Pause the video while you decide.

Well done if you agreed with Izzy.

Indeed, artists' viewpoints are all about their personal opinions, their experiences, their point of view, not so much their date of birth.

But thanks for trying, Aisha.

Art by disabled artists offers the audience powerful ways to think about viewpoints that we might not often see, because it demonstrates their unique experiences.

Their work often challenges ideas about ability and identity and offers a more diverse perspective of the world, which is so helpful for us to just keep expanding our understanding of different perspectives.

Frida Kahlo, she was born in 1907, died 1954, suffered from chronic pain and mobility issues due to childhood illness and a traffic accident.

At times in her life, she needed surgeries and she used a wheelchair.

These experiences of physical and emotional pain influenced her viewpoint, which she shared through many of her paintings.

Highly encourage you to look up some of Frida Kahlo's work if you aren't familiar with her paintings.

Alison Lapper, who has an MBE, Member of British Empire, was born in 1965, and she's well known for sharing her viewpoint through her artwork.

Born with no arms and shortened legs, Lapper is a respected painter and photographer.

Through her energetic artwork, she shares her viewpoint and questions what beauty and normality is.

This prompts the audience to reflect upon their own personal experiences and viewpoints.

And one of Alison Lapper's sculpture was famously displayed on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square in London from 2005 to 2007.

I recommend you check that out if you haven't seen that sculpture.

Check for understanding.

Complete the following sentence.

Through her energetic artwork, Lapper shares her viewpoint and questions what and is.

Pause the video while you decide what are the two words missing from this sentence.

Well done if you chose beauty and normality.

So let's read that through again.

Through her energetic artwork, Lapper shares her viewpoint and questions what beauty and normality is.

Let's look closely at this artwork.

So pause for a moment while you take a good look at this work of art.

What do you think this painting depicts? Pause here and share about this.

And how might your personal experiences influence your viewpoint? Take another moment to pause and reflect on this.

Project Works is a Hastings-based organisation that promotes the diverse viewpoints of disabled and neurodiverse artists and makers.

Amy Fenton and Carl Sexton both meticulously apply shapes, dots, and patterns in their work.

Siddharth Gadiyar focuses mainly on the circle as a recurring motif to create bold, beautiful, purposeful paintings.

And now it's time for your first task.

I would like you to analyse an artwork by an artist who identifies as disabled or neurodiverse.

Use sketches and notes to record: what viewpoint they're sharing through their art, their experiences, opinions, or personal experiences; whether your viewpoint is similar or different, and why that may be.

So pause the video here while you analyse an artwork by your chosen artist who identifies as disabled or neurodiverse.

I'll see you when you're finished.

So how did you get on with that task, analysing an artwork by an artist who identifies as disabled or neurodiverse? You may have written notes on how the viewpoints are similar or different to your own.

You may have made sketches or taken photographs to explore the differing viewpoints.

Hope you enjoyed analysing this artwork.

And now we're on to the next part of our lesson, different techniques in art.

Artists choose different techniques to express their viewpoints in unique ways.

In art, techniques refer to different ways in which artists use the materials and media they work with.

What techniques has this artist used? Pause here while you take a good look at this artwork and discuss what techniques the artist has used.

So I wonder what you came up with.

Perhaps you had similar ideas or maybe they were different.

Check for understanding.

True or false? Artists use only one technique to create their artwork.

Pause the video while you decide whether this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false.

Artists choose different techniques to express their viewpoints in unique ways.

And artists may use a variety of techniques within their body of work or even within one artwork.

Disabled artists use various techniques to share their viewpoint.

These could be either physical or creative techniques.

Yayoi Kusama, born in 1929, uses a creative technique that uses polka dots and repetition, often within her infinity rooms that reflect her mental health struggles.

Encourage you to take a look at an image of some of Yayoi Kusama's infinity rooms. They really are breathtaking.

And if you ever get the chance to be inside one of those infinity rooms in person, I would take that opportunity.

Mouth and foot paintings are techniques where the brush or artist's tool is controlled with the foot or mouth to create a painting.

Some artists who have used mouth and foot painting are: Alison Lapper, MBE, contemporary British mouth and foot painter.

This is the artist who had her sculpture displayed on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square London.

Kanmony S, contemporary Indian foot painter.

Sarah Biffin, 19th century mouth painter.

Louis Joseph Cesar Ducornet, 19th century foot painter.

So there are many artists from all around the world who've worked with mouth and foot painting.

Check for understanding.

Mouth and foot painting are where the brush is controlled with the foot or mouth to create a painting.

Pause the video while you decide which word will complete this sentence.

Well done if you chose the word techniques.

Indeed, mouth and foot painting are techniques where the brush is controlled with the foot or mouth to create a painting.

And now it's time for your next task.

I would like you to select and investigate an artwork by the artist you chose to research in Task A.

Use media experimentation, sketches, and notes to investigate the techniques used to express their viewpoint.

You could reproduce the techniques used, enlarge a section of the art using selected materials, create an interpretation of the work from your own viewpoint.

So pause here while you select and investigate an artwork by the artist you chose to research in Task A.

And use your experimentation, sketches, and notes to investigate the techniques used to express their viewpoint.

I'll see you when you're finished.

Okay, how did you get on with that task, I'm wondering? Perhaps you reproduced some of the techniques used or maybe you created an interpretation of the artwork from your own viewpoint.

Both fantastic options.

You may have done something like this.

Here's Jun.

"I was inspired by Sarah Biffin and created an interpretation of her drawings from nature.

She used mouth painting, so I tried to challenge myself by using my non-dominant hand.

It made some interesting loose marks." Oh, I love that, Jun.

Great.

Let yourself go, a little bit more experimentation.

I love that.

Or maybe you tried something like Andeep did.

Andeep was inspired by Carl Sexton and his technique of using shapes and patterns to express his identity.

Hmm.

Love that, Andeep.

Whatever you got up to, I hope you enjoyed the media experimentation.

In our lesson today, Viewpoints and techniques: disability and art, we have covered the following.

In art, a viewpoint relates to an artist's personal opinions, experiences, and point of view.

Art by disabled artists gives the audience powerful ways to think about viewpoints because it shows their unique experiences.

Art by disabled artists may use different techniques to share their viewpoint.

Mouth and foot painting are techniques where the brush or artist's tool is controlled with the foot or mouth to create a painting.

Well done, everyone, for your engagement in this lesson.

It was so great exploring these different techniques used by disabled artists and perhaps having a go at some of those techniques.

I'll see you at another lesson soon.