LESSON PLAN

Lorna Simpson
Hair Today

She, 1992. Color Polaroids and engraved Plexiglas plaque.   29 x 85 1/4 x 2 in. (73.6 x 216.5 x 5.1 cm.). Gift of Judith Neisser   ©1992 Lorna Simpson

Subjects:
art
Grade level:
9–12
Time needed:
six forty-minute class periods
Lesson submitted by:
Sandra Campbell, Oak Park and River Forest High School, through the Contemporary Community Curriculum Initiative of the University of Illinois at Chicago

Goal
Investigate the juxtaposition of text and image and the
interest in nontraditional representation. Examine the politics and history of various hairstyles as represented in popular culture.

Objectives
Discuss how clothing and hairstyles influence the way others see us.

Create word lists prompted by viewing portions of two films examining the cultural importance of hair.

Create a scratchboard drawing of hair.


Vocabulary
ambiguous capable of being classified in two or more categories

juxtapose placement of objects side by side in order to create a comparison between images or ideas

contemporary modern, current, of the present period

conceptual art Conceptual art focuses on the concept, or idea, of an artwork rather than the object. In some cases, the importance of the idea leads to the complete elimination of the object.

Materials
•pencils
•paper
•magazines
•scratchboard
•scratching tool
•instant camera and film or digital camera and printer

Motivation
Present the work of Lorna Simpson to the class and facilitate a discussion about her artwork. Students will watch excerpts from the films School Daze (directed by Spike Lee, 1988) and Hair (directed by Milos Foreman, 1979)


Discussion questions
How do the clothes we wear define us?

What are the cultural ramifications of clothing and hairstyles?

What judgments can you make about people based on their clothes and hair?

What judgments can you make about She based on clothing and pose?

What sort of hairstyle might this person have?

Activity
1 Facilitate a discussion of contemporary hairstyles, and how we see others and ourselves through a style of hair.

2 Watch the scene from the movie School Daze that includes the song “Good and Bad Hair.” Watch the first forty-five minutes of the movie Hair. (Teacher should preview movies.)

3 Discuss and brainstorm hairstyle names, and discuss the “politics” of hair. Record words for use in step five.

4 Begin a pencil drawing of different types of hairstyles using magazine pictures or a classmate. Facial features need not be included. These should be detailed line drawings, following the natural pattern of the hair.

5 The teacher should take a photo of each student from the back. Use photos to juxtapose words that are generated from brainstorming activity. This may be done randomly so that words and hairstyles do not necessarily correspond. Attach words under photos. This will provide information for further discussion.

6 Begin scratchboard drawing with a light pencil sketch directly on an 8 ∞ 9 inch piece of scratchboard. The image will be a hairstyle drawn from the back, using the photograph, a classmate, or a magazine photo. Students will need some practice pieces of scratchboard to perfect their technique. For best results do not use outlines. Scratch lightly, and create contrast by removing the black. Students should aim for a wide range of values.

7 Just as in She where we are left to make assumptions about the subject of the photo based on posture and clothing, have students discuss as a class what assumptions or analysis may be made about a person—just by looking at his/her hairstyle.


Tips for teachers
Student samples of this project can be seen on the University of Illinois at Chicago Spiral Art Education website: http://spiral.aa.uic.edu

New connections
This lesson focuses on the theme exploring identity, parts representing the whole and power of words. To further explore these thematic units with other MCA lessons, refer to the cross-reference table at the front of this book.
 

This project fulfills the following Illinois State Goals:
Fine arts
25A, 26A, 27A, 27B


Related sources
Books
Simpson, Lorna and Sarah J. Rogers. Lorna Simpson: Interior/Exterior, Full/Empty. Columbus, Ohio: Wexner Center for the Arts and The Ohio State University, 1997.

Willis, Deborah. Lorna Simpson. San Francisco: The Friends of Photography, 1992.

Wright, Beryl J. Lorna Simpson: For the Sake of the Viewer. New York: Universe; Chicago: Museum of Contemporary Art, 1992.

Video
A World of Art: Works in Progress. South Burlington, Vermont: Annenberg/CPB Project, 1996.