Submitted by Jude Grochowski
UNIT: Photography - Art with a Message
Lesson: Collage/Symbol/Message Concertina Book
Time: Handout distributed 11/30/04 – due Dec 17
Grade Level: High School (adaptable to middle school)

Collage/Symbol/Message Concertina Book

For this assignment, please look through your products (tonals, tests, photograms and prints), and as you do so, consider a message they might convey. You may also hand colored your products, use text, (although words are not necessary), or magazine cutouts, (although the point of the assignment is to use your own photo products, so consider keeping magazine cutouts to a minimum).

Create a simple concertina book (directions below) with images on both sides, using the cardstock provided. You may present one theme on one side of the book, and the opposite theme on the other side. If you are at a loss when planning a theme, perhaps you would just like to illustrate a term from our visual vocabulary handout, such as texture, line, shape, etc.

You will be cutting images with an X-acto knife (remember to place scrap mat board under anything you cut), or scissors and using glue-I have some techniques for effective gluing. You may need to score some areas of your products if they lay over a seam-this technique will also be demonstrated.

Plan your layout! It may be somewhat surreal or abstract in appearance. Try to achieve an overall unity and flow across the pages. Cover both the ‘front’ and ‘back’ of the book.

As you work on this book, also consider that it might make a nice gift for someone!

Read what the students had to say about this project!

Book Layout:

Cut a single longer piece of paper to whatever height you choose.

Fold your long sheet of paper in half.

Fold each half to the middle. You should have a mountain/valley fold sequence. If you don’t re-fold until you do.

If you wish to use multiple pieces that are glued (to form a longer book) leave extra paper at the end to create a flap. (I will demo how to do this if it doesn’t make sense).

Apply paste to the extra lip or flap on each of the smaller pieces of paper to maintain a smooth mountain/valley fold.

Grading Criteria:

• Concept-idea, layout and conveyance of meaning
• Process-time on task
• Product-innovative approach and overall visual impact of layout
• Writing-intent statement explaining concept

Due date:

Parent signature _________________________________________________________

Student Work:

The Terror of the Tonal Birds

Click for larger images - see detail

"The birds I used in this book are from my photographs of the three seagulls. Seagulls are relatively harmless creatures, but if they were to attack I ‘m sure there would be facial expressions that looked like this. Most of the city’s citizens are shocked, but there are some who are trying to defend the magazine citizens by means of light-sabers, kung-fu, and heavy metal."

Color VS Black & White

"When I first started this project, I had no clue what I was doing. Everyone seemed to be doing “lines” or just cutting out small pieces of magazines and gluing them to their picture book. My friends and I do this a lot where we’ll cut up something we like in strips, then mix them up, and paste them to paper in any order (kind of so it’s abstract and doesn’t show anything). I wanted to use that on this project, and show difference between colors and blacks& whites. I wish the color strips would’ve turned out bolder. I happy with it though."

We’re All the Same

"This book, made of my products, shows many different people and their facial features. My intention was to show that no matter what race, sex, age, etc., we’re all the same. We’ve all got eyes, ears, a nose, a chin, etc., even though each one is different."

Alternate Lesson Approach:

This lesson could be done using all magazine photographs for those who do not teach photography. Vintage magazines could be used. Students would create collage to tell a story. Collage could be assembled on hinged mat board pieces or hinged masonite. Students could create a concertina book with manipulated art reproduction images (from old books). See the work of Barry Kite (Aberrant Art).

Elementary Lesson Idea from Kathleen Arola Mixed Media Accordion Book Second grade book with pages using different media (tissue paper, crayon texture rubbing, ink pad rubber stamping, printmaking stamping, photograph collage and the cover was handmade marbled paper). Click photograph for larger image