Art Docent Lesson: Joseph Cornell
Shadow Boxes
Grade: 3rd
Theme: 3-D shadow box sculpture
Artist:
Joseph Cornell
Main Print: Images from internet
Support Prints: the book: “Joseph Cornell, Secrets in a
Box”.
Supplies Needed: Shoe box and lid, for each student,
small jars, matchboxes, foam blocks, corks, wire, paper clips, push pins,
safety pins, tacky putty, hot glue, and cardboard shelves. Images from old prints, or magazines, old
postcards, small plastic toys, marbles, stamps, dried flowers, sticks,
branches, shells, old jewelry and other trinkets. Kids should be able to supply some things
that are important to them for their own boxes.
1. Artist Review: Discussed the life and work of Joseph
Cornell using the book: “Joseph Cornell, Secrets in a box”
Found images and information on the internet and printed out large
size prints to display in the class. We talked about how Cornell loved museums,
theatre and ballet. He loved collecting
and the beauty of old things and this is how his boxes developed. The box would be a collection of dreams and
desires.
2. Preparation: I had to prepare the boxes for this
project, since I wanted them to have a framed box look. I used the lids and cut
the center out so it could be used as a frame. Then all the boxes were painted
white. The kids could do this but it took a few coats and I did not think there
would be time in class, but this makes it very labor intensive for the docent.
The day before class I talked to students about the artist and explained how
they would want to make there boxes with their own feelings and dreams inside.
They should look for little things that they like or have importance to them to
bring to put in their box. The lesson was the next day and takes about an hour
and a half to two hours. In the room I spread out the different areas of items
to use and explained how they should arrange their box with levels, shelves and
display areas, if they wanted to cover the back of the box with pictures they
should do that first. Then use the
corks, shelves, jars, matchboxes etc. to make levels and hidden drawers to
display things. They would then use the items they brought or ones I found and
provided to include in the box. The hot glue, wire, tacky putty, push pins, etc
offer a variety of ways to attach things.
Any, hints on how to make the activity work best:
The kids REALLY liked this project but it was a lot of work to
prepare. It would be easier to share the prep with a few more people.
The students need to be supervised so that they don’t go
overboard. There is a tendency to hoard materials and put way too much in the
boxes. Some were too heavy to mount. The supplies were there to supplement the
kids’ items, and the kids that had an idea of what they wanted before, and had
brought in their own things had much more success creating their boxes. Having
about 3-4 parent helpers would be a good idea; reminding “Less is More” and to
supervise hot glue.
Docent: Charlene Hall, charlene.h@comcast.net
Teacher: Mr. Donovan,
December 2005
