VTS II, Blog Topic 13

Carmen Chami, Añoranza, 2009

My BIG IDEA for the unit has been Story, the concept that throughout time man has used art as a means to record experiences and ideas. My essential questions were: How do people express ideas through art? How has art been used throughout history to tell stories? What can we tell about history from looking at art?

This is not the original image I had selected when I began to plan this unit. However, as they prepared tile drafts, students struggled with the specification that they communicate a story using no words. They wanted to use speech bubbles and multiple frames. I stumbled upon this image and was captivated by the letters and bits of ephemera. I wanted my students to see that an artist does not have to use actual text.  I want them to understand that meaning and mood can come from visual clues.

This scene is ubiquitous, the setting ambiguous. I believe the narrative is strong, and open to multiple interpretations.  Being separated from one or sometimes both parents for extended periods of time most of my students are familiar with communicating via cards, letters, and artwork. They move often and many have mentioned family scrapbooks. From the facilitator’s point of view, I’m a little nervous that this image will bring stories of death or loss, but that’s just me. My students are not afraid to go there, life cycles are a natural part of everyone’s story.

The title Añoranza translates into yearning, homesickness, or longing. I could see this image setting the stage for a lesson on memories, emotion, or reflection. I can envision a collage or mixed media project.