Tea for three? (art across the curriculum).

Tea for three? (art across the curriculum). Imagine waking up in New York City New York City:see New York, city. New York CityCity (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. in 1922. The local diner hasadequate coffee, so you go and sit in a darkish corner, trying to wakeup. Across the room you see three elderly women having breakfast.Something about them strikes a chord, and you make a quick sketch on anapkin. Later in your studio you reconstruct the scene adding color fromboth memory and imagination, making it more real than it was in the cafewhere it all began. This could very well have been the manner in whichGeorge Luks (1866-1933) developed this painting. A scene such as this could barely get more commonplace. In titlingthis work Tea Party, Luks has exposed the sense of humor Noun 1. sense of humor - the trait of appreciating (and being able to express) the humorous; "she didn't appreciate my humor"; "you can't survive in the army without a sense of humor"sense of humour, humor, humour and irony soprevalent in his life. He pokes fun at the upper classes, while payinghomage to common humanity. His portrait is sympathetic, almost caring. One usually thinks of a tea party as a festive occasion, but thisgathering is one that may have occurred on a daily basis. The women seemwell acquainted, they take solace in one another's company. Theyseem to be talking, but just barely, which Luks conveys by their facesnot quite facing one another. These women are individual people, butthey also embody a category, or type of person: the survivor of WorldWar I, the widow, the matron who lives on and on. The design of their silhouettes against the light background withfull windows is reminiscent of a Japanese screen. Luks was a matureartist at the turn of the century, and was well aware of the Americaninterest in Asian art Asian art can refer to art amongst many cultures in Asia.The Fukuoka Asian Art Museum is the only museum in the world that systematically collects and exhibits Asian modern and contemporary art. at that time. He carries some of those thoughtsforward in this work. The three figures are loosely brushed against the green-tingedforeground, dark at the bottom and getting lighter and lighter as themuted sun comes through the windows and up the walls. Luks' quickbrush gestures (most obvious below the seat of the chair on the right)cut a general swath around the figures, both isolating and uniting them.The theatrical lighting and the close cropping of the scene hold thesewomen together with absolute finality. This painting begs for narrative. George Luks was a consummatestoryteller and he even wove wove?v.Past tense of weave.woveVerba past tense of weavewove, woven weave his own story about himself. His life isstill a bit of a mystery, even to those who have studied him carefully.He left very few written clues for avid biographers, and took pleasurein embellishing tales about himself to unbelievable degrees. When asked questions about his life, he would dismiss or avoidanswering seriously by offering humorous--sometimes evenridiculous--retorts. He was a heavy drinker, and preferred the companyof those in poorer circumstances than his own. The fact that he died ofinjuries acquired during a barroom brawl is an apt finish to hisself-promulgated bohemian legend. It is documented that he was born in Williamsport, Pa., and grew uparound coal miners who were treated by his father, the local doctor.Many of Luks' family members had artistic inclinations, either inpainting, music or vaudeville. His formal training was very spotty andshort-lived (for example, at age 17 he attended Pennsylvania Academy ofthe Fine Arts Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts,Philadelphia, established in 1805, incorporated in 1806. It is supported by private endowment. The academy grew out of a proposal by Charles Willson Peale for an art institution; this led to the founding of the Columbianum, for one term) and Luks preferred to teach himself byvisiting European museums or by keeping company with fellow-artists. At age 26, Luks traveled to Spain where he saw the works of Goyaand Velasquez, both of whom influenced his painting style and subjectmatter. In emulating his new-found artistic models, Luks became achampion of the underdog. He returned to Philadelphia and began working as a newspaperillustrator. While working for the Philadelphia Free Press he metWilliam Glackens William James Glackens (b. March 13 1870, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – d. May 22 1938, Westport, Connecticut) was a U.S. realist painter.Glackens studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and later moved to New York City, where he co-founded what came to be , John Sloan John Sloan is the name of: John Sloan (U.S. Treasurer), Treasurer of the United States John French Sloan (1871–1951), U.S. artist and Everett Shinn Everett Shinn (born November 6, 1876, Woodstown, New Jersey; died May 1, 1953, New York City) was an American painter and illustrator and member of the Ashcan School. He was one of "The Eight", the group of American artists who first exhibited together at New York's Macbeth Gallery . These three friendsintroduced him to the charismatic and influential teacher, Robert Henri,who often invited them all to his home for artistic discussions. In 1896 Luks, age 30, moved to New York City, and his artisticfriends followed. The next two years were fraught with commotion forLuks as he vacillated between newspaper work (both illustrations andcomics) and freelance painting. By 1898, however, he was able tocompletely support himself through the sale of his paintings, an incomehe augmented with the occasional illustration job. Luks'participation in the famous and pivotal exhibition at Macbeth Galleriesin 1908 earned him his rightful place as one of "The Eight." The Eight (Henri, Glackens, Sloan, Davies, Prendergast, Luks,Lawson and Shinn) marked the beginning of modern American realism. Theirleader, Robert Henri, sought to capture the life and spirit of hissubjects. In Tea Party, Luks has obliged his mentor by capturing thespecific and the general all in one. Luks' painted forms are really thickened lines, carded overfrom his old newspaper days when quick sketches were of the essence. Butin painting there can be color, and Luks has applied indigo tones, withred and blue variants, all across the canvas. The woman in thebackground eats a cookie or cracker and sips soup or porridge with aspoon. The faded flower in her hat might be the only festive element inthis party. So is this truly tea for three? No. The one in the middle has noteacup in sight--only the two on her flanks pause with their cups inmid-air. The woman on the left holds her saucer on her lap, the residualwarmth seeping through her long skirt. As far as tea parties go, this one is decidedly unglamorous.Advanced age might have its advantages after all. These ladies have noneed to be pretentious nor to put on airs. Perhaps social judgment hasbeen replaced by acceptance. Once three graces, now three crones, theold women preside over their table and their kingdom of life. Their hatsare their crowns. They've earned it. LITERATURE Project: The Powers of Three. Key Skill: Analysis of plot and story dynamics. Materials: A variety of books--from storybooks to greatmasterpieces. Procedure: Many stories and games hinge around the number three:three strikes, you're out three strikes, you're outn. recent (beginning 1994) legislation enacted in several states (and proposed in many others, as well as possible Federal law) which makes life-terms (or extremely long terms without parole) mandatory for criminals who have been convicted ; the three bears; the three graces; theTrinity; etc. In other cases, a third element becomes the antagonist ina love story. Look at various ways in which "threes" infuse in��fusev.1. To steep or soak without boiling in order to extract soluble elements or active principles.2. To introduce a solution into the body through a vein for therapeutic purposes. cultures, and their books and games. For Grades: 2-12. SOCIAL STUDIES Project: How Old is Old? Key Skill: Analysis of age demographics. Materials: Census figures, research on the Internet. Procedure: The life expectancy Life Expectancy1. The age until which a person is expected to live.2. The remaining number of years an individual is expected to live, based on IRS issued life expectancy tables. of people has changed over theyears. It also varies in different countries. Why? Take a look at thechanging numbers of older Americans, and note why there are more peopleliving longer. Is there a trend? Why? What might that have to do withthe Social Security System of the United States? For Grades: 6 through college level. SCIENCE AND MATH Project: Triangulation triangulation:see geodesy. The use of two known coordinates to determine the location of a third. Used by ship captains for centuries to navigate on the high seas, triangulation is employed in GPS receivers to pinpoint their current location on earth. . Key Skill: Exploring the unique properties of triangles. Materials: Geometry and science books. Procedure: The prime number 3, and the forms made with trianglescross over between math, science and even art. Explore them! For Grades: 2-12. Younger students could simply be introduced tothe different types of triangles. VISUAL ART Project: Are You Feeling ... Indigo? Key Skill: Use of colors to convey mood. Materials: Paint, preferably acrylics or oils (watercolor will do)and paper or canvas. Procedure: Have students paint two near-identical scenes: one usingshades of red, indigo and blue, and another using red, orange andyellow. How do the moods differ? Did the students feel differently asthey painted? For Grades: 2-12. Younger grades might need more assistance withsubject matter or forms. The work could be entirely nonobjective. HISTORY Project: Where Did They Come From? Key Skill: Backward projection. Materials: American history resources, the image of Tea Party. Procedure: These women were painted by Luks in New York New York, state, United StatesNew York,Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of in 1922. Bytheir appearances, they must be at least 70 years old. What happened inAmerica between 1850 and 1920? Could these women be immigrants? Fromwhere? For Grades: 8-12. SOCIAL STUDIES Project: The Art of Tea. Key Skill: Understanding different cultures through tea practices. Materials: Internet, social-studies books. Procedure: Tea is an important part of many cultures. The Englishand the Japanese come first to mind, but what other practices can youfind? Make this a student contest! For Grades: 6-12. Tara Cady Sartorius is Curator of Education at the Montgomery(Ala.) Museum of Fine Arts Museum of Fine Arts,Boston, chartered and incorporated (1870) after a decision by the Boston Athenaeum, Harvard, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to pool their collections of art objects and house them in adequate public galleries. . Prior to receiving her master's degreein sculpture and art criticism, she taught art for 10 years in publicelementary schools in California.