Imagination Chairs

Old chairs recycled as Art were donated from the community.

Students spoke to Gregory Warmack a.k.a. Mr. Imagination on Skype before meeting him in person.

Students connecting with the Art of Mr. Imagination

Tar Beach, by Faith Ringgold, is a beautiful book and an excellent companion to this lesson that introduces students to the work of outsider artist Gregory Warmack a.k.a. Mr. Imagination.

Students based their chairs on narrative writing they did on the theme of transformation after hearing Mr. Imagination’s story.

Student Art on display

Teacher: Michael Read

Grades: 5-8

Number of Classes: 4

Title: Narrative Chairs

Objective: Students will be introduced to the artist Gregory Warmack, and transform an ordinary chair into a narrative artwork

Background Information:

     Gregory Warmack, a.k.a  Mr. Imagination, is an outsider artist who creates art from ordinary found objects like old paint brushes, bottle caps, chairs, etc.  He is a self-taught artist, and his work is exhibited in the Smithsonian Museum.  He tells about becoming an artist after a horrific event when he was shot by someone attempting to rob him. While in the hospital he experienced a vision in which he travelled through time and saw other civilizations. Outsider Art broadly designates art which may be produced by artists without formal training, in a folk art tradition, or by artists with a mental illness, or in some other way out of step with mainstream culture.

National Standards:

Content Standard #1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes

Content Standard #5: Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others

Content Standard #6: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines

Vocabulary:

Outsider/Visionary Art – broadly designates art which may be produced by artists without formal training, in a folk art tradition, or by artists with a mental illness, or in some other way out of step with mainstream culture.

Narrative – an account of connected events

Gregory Warmack – A self-taught artist who worked in sandstone and with bottle caps.  His artwork was informed by a spiritual vision he had after a serious injury.

Faith Ringgold – An outsider artist whose quilts blur the line between “high art” and craft.

Materials:

Old wooden chairs

Kilz

Found objects

Bottle caps

Paint

Hammers

Nails

Hot glue

Procedure:

Day 1

In conjunction with their English class students will create a personal narrative.  Students will be introduced to the artist Gregory Warmack, view examples of his art, learn about the story of how he became an artist, and about Outsider Art via a PowerPoint.  (Optional)  Read Faith Ringgold’s Tar Beach.  Students will begin painting their chairs.

Day 2

     Students will learn Gregory Warmack’s method of building structures on their chairs with bottle caps and nails via a demonstration.  Students combine painting, attaching found objects, and Mr. Warmack’s method of bottle cap building.  The teacher assists students in construction.

Day 3

     Hold a critique of students’ work.  Students should be encouraged to talk about challenges they faced constructing their chairs, and solutions they found.  Discuss how the students’ personal narratives influenced the construction of their chairs.