This lesson was taught to Art Club in a middle school. Check out the images and resources!

Team Teachers: J. Wright, Argie Fafalios, Dionne Vincent

Grade Level: 5-8

Title or Subject: Plato’s Bed

Brief History/Background:
Plato made the argument that the 'concept’ or original idea was the only ‘real’ thing and each re-creation from that point was a copy. An example is the concept of a ‘bed’ that exists in a creator’s mind. This idea of the bed, this design idea, or invention, is the original thing. The actual wooden structure made after that is a ‘copy’ and so a painting of a bed is a copy two times removed. This viewpoint has generated a great deal of modern art history leading up to
conceptual art. It is a view, however, not a fact and, thus, arguable. Students begin by debating this point of view, then move on to creating works of art based on the ‘bed’ which has been a subject in other works of art including
Van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles and Duchamp’s Apolinaire Enameled., a work in his ‘readymade’ series.

*Additional – Rauschenberg’s Bed, Henri Matisse “Interior at Collioure”

Standards:

NJ Visual Arts Standards (This will be taught to a NJ class of 6th graders)
S.1.1 knowledge, skills, awareness
S.1.2 refine perceptual skills
S1.3 utilize arts elements, media
S.1.4 demonstrate knowledge of vocabulary
S.1.5 identify historical, social, context
S.1.6 develop design skills

Workplace Readiness Standards
S.1 career planning
S2 information, technology
S.3 critical thinking, problem solving
S4 self management skills
S.5 safety principles

Goal:
Students create an ‘original work of art’ based on the concept of the ‘bed’. This may be collage or other media. It is to be the size of a postcard. Students may refer to phrases regarding beds such as “A Bed of Roses” or ‘A
Bed of Nails” or ‘Bedrock’, or students may use historical beds.

Requirements:
Students must complete a postcard-sized work of art and be ready to explain to the class what the concept behind their work and how it relates to the lesson.

Resource Materials:
Internet blogging sites – perhaps Live journal
Internet sites for reference
Color printouts on the two works of art cited, as well as on Plato and the argument.
Art History Books, class set (Usborne series)
Encyclopedia, class set

Art Supplies:
glue, scissors, postcard stock, colored pencils, markers, crayons, watercolors, printing media

Teacher Prep:
Supply and Lesson Design

Procedure:

Introduction:
(anticipatory set) Students have already experienced a lesson and the original Platonic argument about what constitutes an original and real thing. Students are now to take this one step further and create an original work of
art about ‘the bed.”

Students discuss the works of art supplied by the teacher and their previous experience with the debate, then discuss phrases that use the ’bed’ such as: “No bed of roses” and “sleeping on a bed of nails” and Bedrock, and come up with ideas to take the bed one step further.

(Teacher supplies each table with a resource packet, images, magazines and other materials.)

Students are given a time limit of two class periods to complete the work.

Period one- begin the piece.

Period two- complete the piece.

Closure:
group critique with spoken explication and discussion of how the works of art relate to the debate about what is really original and valid, the idea or the object.

Evaluation:
on the artwork itself, and the verbal explanation complete, neat, followed instructions, related to the previous work, original

Extensions:
Students may research other works of art that feature ‘the bed’ or feature furniture.

Time Budget:
One month – two weeks for the argument, two weeks for the art project

Vocabulary:
abstract, concept, Platonic, original

Safety concerns:
scissors only

Bibliography/References:
http://www.vangoghgallery.com/painting/p_0482.htm

http://arthist.binghamton.edu/duchamp/Apolinere%20enameled.html

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