Introduction
This first week of summer vacation, someone broke into our house. My husband and I came home from a long, hot day to find a brick on the floor in the kitchen – right below the large dent in the new refrigerator. Glass was scattered everywhere and the back door was open. It became clear pretty quickly that whoever did this never actually entered the house; throughout the home nothing was missing or disturbed. With great relief, we proudly honored our 'guard dog' Jack with treats and began to clean up the glass. As we did, I thought about what that person or persons must have thought about us – what did the objects they saw through the window tell them about who we are? I know the thieves didn't think twice about us as people, only that our dog barks very loudly and that we have stuff they wanted. But it was this invasion of space that got me thinking more deeply about the material culture of our lives, things we possess, and the things we display in our homes. To what extent are these objects a reflection of me? To what extent do those objects matter to me? When did I develop deeper ties to my things? And why?
The home itself and the objects we display in our home, are one way we express ourselves. Material things function as a vehicle for all kinds of social interactions and relationships. Theories on material culture identify "stuff" as objects we purchase such as clothing, furniture, personal care products, media, technology, etc. Does the "stuff" (hereafter to be referred to as Stuff) of our material culture give shape to our non-material choices – our ideas, beliefs, values, and norms? My extensive bracelet collection has very little monetary value; it is predominantly a collection of pieces I've made or places I've visited, and therefore each bracelet can potentially lead into a story of my life experiences. What if we turn this theory around – that our ideas, beliefs, values, and norms, are reflected in our Stuff?
My art students are savvy consumers of commercial products. They recognize that there is a message and/or a meaning that certain brand name clothing carries over others, the smart phone that displays 3-D imaging versus the voice activated technology, along with a plethora of other consumable goods. My student are the result of a generation raised on Michael Jordan's branding empire. But what my art students are less likely to recognize, but just as easily able to consume when given the tools to understand, is their ability to manipulate these consumables in a way that can create a specific social, political, or personal message. This unit is also intended to help students navigate the often-difficult path of appropriation and juxtaposition in art.
That students know themselves as consumers in a world of highly influential marketing is an important first step. In order to turn the conversation about their Stuff around – and create a new narrative, one in which they decide how that object is to be presented to us – they must be well informed in the study of consumer culture. Under the broader theme of art as social commentary, this unit will attempt to explore some of the following key questions: Do artists have a role in reflecting and commenting on the society in which they live? Should artists provoke divergent points of view about political, moral or other social issues? What are the pressing issues that our community/school/ nations/ world are currently confronting? How might an artist depict one of these current issues in order to promote constructive discussion?
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