1

511 Warburton Ave, Yonkers NY 10701 • www.hrm.org • 914-963-4550

Marvelous Machines Lesson Plan Length: 3 hours over 3 lessons Grade Level(s): 1-12 Subjects: Social Studies, Art, ELA, Science / Technology

2

The Neo-Victorians: Contemporary Artists Revive Gilded-Age Glamour February 10 - May 13, 2018

Decadence is often alluring in its exuberance, but it can also be sinister and subversive in its

indulgence. The Neo-Victorians explores a resurgence of interest over the last decade in ornamental

lushness that conceals pointed social commentary beneath a seductive surface technique.

There is no coherent “Neo-Victorian” movement—no manifesto or single guiding principle subscribed to by each of these artists. Rather, the exhibition highlights a wide range of artists’ engagement with the aesthetics of the 19th century, which they have shaped, molded, and transformed to reflect today’s concerns, commenting on gender roles and societal tensions under the guise of the overt beauty.

The exhibition looks at these works through three broad thematic groupings: the artist as naturalist, the artist as purveyor of the fantastical, and the artist as explorer of domesticity. Some of the artists featured in the exhibition focus on just one of these themes, while others intersect with recurring motifs layered within these broad ideas.

Artists in the exhibition include: Troy Abbott, Jennifer Angus, Joan Bankemper, Nancy

Blum, Ebony Bolt, Laurent Chehere, Alison Collins, Camille Eskell, Lisa A. Frank, Kirsten

Hassenfeld, Dan Hillier, Marilyn Holsing, Patrick Jacobs, Pat Lasch, Catherine Latson, Zachari

Logan, Davy and Kristin McGuire, Chet Morrison, Donna Sharrett, Deborah Simon, Nick

Simpson, and Darren Waterston.

Each of the artists in The Neo-Victorians rejects the notion of industrial mass production, instead visibly emphasizing and reveling in elaborate construction, a surfeit of detailed design, and a visceral appeal to the senses. The artists on view conjure a staggering array of possible approaches to the subject matter, using a wide variety of materials designed to engage the eye.

The Neo-Victorians will encourage audiences both familiar and unfamiliar with the Gilded Age—on view in the Hudson River Museum’s historic home Glenview—to look at the growing group of contemporary artists imbued with a “Victorian aesthetic” and recognize how visual influences of the past continue to shape art in the present day.

Curriculum Description

In this curriculum packet, you will find three lessons inspired by the exhibition The Neo-Victorians with

an emphasis on the theme Artist as Purveyor of the Fantastical. The three lessons comprise a pre-visit

discussion and activity for the classroom prior to coming to the museum, a hands-on workshop to

complement a guided tour of the exhibition, and a final post-visit activity back in the classroom, rounding

out the students’ experiences at the Hudson River Museum. The activities and discussion are geared

towards students in grades 1-12, and promote a creative melding of science, art, literature, and history,

as students imagine and create their own marvelous machines and stories.

3

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Students will be able to:

Identify the elements of a story Reflect on ways visual images can tell stories Visually convey a story Combine elements of science, technology, nature, and fantasy as inspiration for their own

creative expression NATIONAL CORE ARTS STANDARDS

Visual Arts Creating: Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.

Creating: Anchor Standard 2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.

Creating: Anchor Standard 3: Refine and complete artistic work.

Responding: Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.

Responding: Anchor Standard 8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.

Connecting: Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.

Connecting: Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.

COMMON CORE STANDARDS English Language Arts CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2 Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.3 Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. Social Studies CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.6 Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas. ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How do artists tell stories? SUB QUESTIONS

What are the elements of a story? How can students use their imaginations and creativity to combine art, nature, and technology

to develop and build their own machines? How can students use various artistic media to brainstorm, develop, and create a visual story

in three dimensions?

6

Contents PRE-VISIT LESSON IN THE SCHOOL CLASSROOM ................................................................................. 7

VISIT LESSON AT THE HUDSON RIVER MUSEUM ................................................................................. 16

POST-VISIT LESSON IN THE SCHOOL CLASSROOM ............................................................................ 18

7

PRE-VISIT LESSON IN THE SCHOOL CLASSROOM IMAGES

Nick Simpson DR. CRIGHTON’S APPARATUS 2012 C-type archival print, ed. of 7 16 x 12 inches Courtesy of Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY

Nick Simpson THE PERAMBULATOR 2012 Digital C-type print, ed. of 7 16 x 12 inches, Courtesy of Carrie Haddad Gallery

Nick Simpson THE ASTONISHING STEAM RHINOMOTIVE 2017 Digital C-type print, ed. of 7 20 x 24 inches Courtesy of Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY

8

BACKGROUND INFORMATION Artist Nick Simpson, the fictitious curator and custodian of the Bumforth Manor Family Collection, presents a series of contemporary photographs manipulated to look over a century old, and supposedly rediscovered in the attic of an imaginary, long-dead relative. The artist borrows heavily from the Victorians, resulting in images that touch on “ironic notions of colonialism, pomp, and the impact of the industrial revolution.” Works like The Astonishing Steam Rhinomotive, in which Simpson has created fantastical mechanical creations with a 19th-century aesthetic, are perfect examples of the genre of steampunk. Like the artist Mark O’Banks, whose Nybelwyck Hall dollhouse is on view in Glenview, Simpson invents a fictitious melodramatic history of a 19th-century family to complement his work. The Gascoigne-Simpson family owned Bumforth Manor, a crumbling, drafty house “of dubious architectural merit near Grantham in Lincolnshire.” Simpson pledges to be the historian of this dubious collection, and with the help of a psychic medium, vows to connect with his ancestor to continue his artistic legacy. The Victorians were obsessed with photography, then a revolutionary new medium for recording the world. Simpson uses a 19-century camera to create the feeling of popular “salon” photography and give the artwork an authentic quality. He notes that “everything in my pictures is real, especially when incongruous or unexpected. Hand painting, scratching, and distressing add a patina to the plates, giving the illusion that the picture really might be from the 19th century.” QUESTIONS FOR VIEWING: Dr. Crighton’s Apparatus

Take a moment to look at this image. What do you notice? Look at the figure. What do you notice about him (clothing, attributes, pose, etc.)? How would you describe this man? Take on his pose. How does it feel to stand this way? How would you describe his clothing? In what circumstances would someone wear something

like this? What does his outfit tell you about the kind of person this figure is? Focus on the items in his hands. What is he holding? Why do you believe his is holding these

items? What do they tell you about him as a character? Look at the setting. Where do you think he is? Does the setting remind you of anything? Why do you think he would take a picture here?

QUESTIONS FOR VIEWING: The Perambulator

Look closely at this image. What do you notice? What similarities or differences do you see between this image and the previous one? What do you notice about this figure? How is he/she similar or different from the last figure? Take on this pose. How does it feel to stand like this? What do you notice about this figures clothing, body language, and attitude? Where might someone wear an outfit like this?

QUESTIONS FOR VIEWING: The Astonishing Steam Rhinomotive

Take a look at the entire image. What do you notice? Think about the elements of a story. What can you guess about the characters, setting, and

action of this story? Pick one of the images. If it were a story, how would you describe the beginning, middle, and

end? What happened before this photo was taken, what is happening now, and what might happen next? What details support your ideas?

9

ACTIVITY To create his photographs, artists Nick Simpson develops stories or narratives about people and places in the Victorian period. Once the stories are complete, he creates sets, props, and costumes, and hires actors to fill the character roles. Only then does he begin photographing the scene. Inspired by this process, students will develop their own stories, which will, through the course of the three sessions, be developed into models for three-dimensional set designs. For the pre-visit activity, students will work in pairs to brainstorm their stories, focusing on characters, setting, and plot / action. In preparation for the visit workshop, students will also select the elements they will use to create their own marvelous machine, similar to Simpson’s Rhinomotive. To help them with this process, each pair will be given a flip chart with three sections: a list of animals, a list of functions, and a list of locations. For example, a pair could decide they would like to incorporate a hammerhead shark to protect them from the snow on Mount Everest into their stories. Here are the possible animals, functions, and locations:

Animals: Hammerhead shark Elephant Ostrich Hippo Crocodile Camel Armadillo Orangutan Penguin Moose Choose your own

Function: To travel in outer space To transport people To protect you from the sun To wear to a fancy party To breathe underwater To climb a mountain To make you fly To warm you up or cool you

off To protect you from the rain

/ snow To explore a cave Choose your own

Location: In the Milky Way In a city In the desert Inside a theater Under the sea On the moon On Mount Everest On Jupiter On a volcano On top of the Empire State

Building Choose your own

Once students have selected which elements they will use to design their marvelous machine, they will work to brainstorm the elements of their story, filling in a story question handout. If time allows, pairs can also storyboard or create a short graphic version of their stories.

10

MATERIALS Marvelous Machine flip charts Story question handouts Pencils Storyboard sheets Graphic short story layouts

ASSESSMENT

Students have developed characters, setting, and action / plot, beginning, middle, and end for their stories. They have also decided on the animal, function, and location for their marvelous machines.

ADDITIONAL OBJECTS IN THE EXHIBITION RELATED TO THIS LESSON

Chet Morrison THE CAPITALIST 2007 Epson enhanced matte paper 27 x 22 inches Courtesy of the artist

Nick Simpson THE FETTERED SQUIRE 2014 Digital C-type print, ed. of 7 16 x 12 inches Courtesy of Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY

11

Name:______________________________ Class:______________ Date:__________ Characters: Setting: Problem:

Beginning:

Middle:

End:

12

Use the space below to sketch your ideas for characters, setting, and action.

13

Graphic Novel Example 1

14

Graphic Novel Example 2

15

Name:______________________________ Class:______________ Date:__________

16

VISIT LESSON AT THE HUDSON RIVER MUSEUM IMAGE

Nick Simpson THE ASTONISHING STEAM RHINOMOTIVE 2017 Digital C-type print, ed. of 7 20 x 24 inches Courtesy of Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY

QUESTIONS FOR VIEWING

Look at this imagine again. What do you remember from the pre-visit lesson? What do you see that you did not notice during the first lesson? (Pass out enlarged images of the Rhinomotive.) Look closely at the machine in this image.

What do you see? What do you think the purpose of this machine could be? Why would someone have created or

invented it? How do you think the machine works? Today you will be creating your own machine, combining elements of animals with the

technological elements of machines to create something new. What details would you want to include?

ACTIVITY Inspired by Nick Simpson’s photograph, The Astonishing Steam Rhinomotive, students will design and build their own machine / animal marvel. Working in the same pairs from the previous lesson, they will take the three elements (animal, function, and location) they selected to plan out, sketch, and then create a three-dimensional model of their machine. These will be used during the final lesson, when students will create a three-dimensional set capturing a moment from their stories and featuring their machines. MATERIALS

Paper Pencils Erasers Colored pencils Markers Tissue paper Newspaper Construction paper Cardboard Toilet paper / paper towel rolls

Fabric Buttons Small gears Straws Stamps Glue Tape Scissors Hot glue guns / hot glue Exacto blades, for older students

17

ASSESSMENT Students have brainstormed their animal machines and have started or nearly completed

three-dimensional models of them.

18

POST-VISIT LESSON IN THE SCHOOL CLASSROOM IMAGE

Nick Simpson THE ASTONISHING STEAM RHINOMOTIVE 2017 Digital C-type print, ed. of 7 20 x 24 inches Courtesy of Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY

ACTIVITY Students will use this final lesson to complete any remaining elements from either their stories or machine models. Students will also imagine they are photographers, like Nick Simpson, turning their stories into set designs to be photographed. They will choose a moment from their stories that they would like to represent visually, and consider the characters, setting, and action of that moment. Students can use boxes, like a diorama, to provide their set design with a base and background. Various mixed media art materials can be glued to the back, bottom, or sides of the box, creating characters or adding to the setting. Their marvelous machine can also be glued into the set, creating a three-dimensional moment captured from their narratives. MATERIALS

Paper Pencils Erasers Colored pencils Markers Tissue paper Newspaper Construction paper Cardboard Toilet paper / paper towel rolls

Fabric Buttons Small gears Straws Stamps Glue Tape Scissors Hot glue guns / hot glue Exacto blades, for older students

ASSESSMENT

Students have a completed set design model.