9.+CREATING+A+RELATIONSHIP+WTH+NATURE+-+ROXY+PAINE

=__**ROXY PAINE at the MET**__=

=** Roxy Paine on the Roof: //Maelstrom// **= =** April 28, 2009–October 25, 2009 (weather permitting) **= =** The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden **= == ** American artist Roxy Paine (b. 1966) has created a 130-foot-long by 45-foot-wide stainless-steel sculpture, especially for the Museum’s Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden. Giving viewers the sense of being immersed in the midst of a cataclysmic force of nature, //Maelstrom// (2009) is Paine’s largest and most ambitious work to date. The latest in a diverse body of work, this sculpture is one of the artist’s Dendroids based on systems such as vascular networks, tree roots, industrial piping, and fungal mycelia. Set against Central Park and its architectural backdrop, the installation explores the interplay between the natural world and the built environment amid nature’s inherently chaotic processes. **==

= = =__**Article in New York Times:**__= =**[| http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/24/arts/design/24roof.html?_r]**=



=__VIDEO of Installation of Maelstrom of the roof of the MET:__= =**[| http://tinyurl.com/d7yv2u]**= = = INTERVIEW WITH THE ARTIST: http://wcbstv.com/video/?id=128664@wcbs.dayport.com = = ==//I do not considered myself well-trained when it comes to observing a sculptural work of art; however, the video (installation of Roxy Paine's work on the MET roof) did inspire me to ask some different kinds of inquiry-based questions://==
 * __L. Hoffman:__**

= = =Word doc of this page: [| Inquiry_Checklist.doc]= = = =__ Inquiry Checklist: __= =__Some suggestions when looking at a work of art, and developing questions for discussion__=

=__Some initial steps when looking at a work of art__=

Describe the object. Think about line, color, texture, pattern and shape. Can you figure out what it is made of, or how it was made?

What do you know about this object just by looking at it? What is familiar? What is unfamiliar?

List words or ideas that come to mind when you look at this object. Why does this object make you think about those words?

How does this object make you feel? What associations can you make from it? Why do you think it makes you feel this way?

What questions would you like to ask about this object? Can you guess at the answers to any of them, or discuss them with others?

In one sentence, list the most interesting thing about this object that connects with an idea, historical moment, cultural phenomenon, or other concept. How are these two things connected visually? How would you go about communicating this to a group of people?

=__DEVELOPING INQUIRY-BASED QUESTIONS__= Below are some guidelines that you might use when creating questions about the images of works of art in our workshop.

__** SOME QUESTIONS TO AVOID: **__

AVOID YES/NO QUESTIONS
 * Does the painting convey a sense of chaos?
 * Were geometric forms important to Kandinsky?
 * When you look at the painting by Hofmann, can you see how some of the colored shapes are floating against the green background?

AVOID ASKING QUESTIONS WITH THE ANSWER CONTAINED IN THE QUESTION
 * The figures look distorted, don’t they?
 * Can you see how the artist consistently crops the image to emphasize movement?
 * Do you think the forceful, sweeping movements of the brushstrokes are why they call it action painting?

AVOID ASKING QUESTIONS THAT HAVE A PARTICULAR ANSWER THAT ONE HAS IN MIND
 * What is the definition of…?
 * Because Brancusi simplified and abbreviated his forms, and suppressed any decorative references, what do his sculptures convey?
 * I am thinking of one other building that Frank Gehry designed in New York—who knows what it is?

=__INSTEAD, TRY THESE INQUIRY-BASED QUESTIONS…__=

ELICIT MULTIPLE RESPONSES TO ONE QUESTION
 * What else?
 * Okay…other thoughts?
 * Does anyone have a different idea?
 * Agreement? Disagreement?

INCORPORATE OTHER SENSORY MODES
 * Imagine you could step inside this painting by Kandinsky…
 * If we could hear one thought from these figures, what would they say to us?
 * Let’s pose exactly like this figure and see how it feels…

INTEGRATE RELEVANT FACTUAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORK WHEN AVAILABLE
 * Robert Rauschenberg was concerned with bridging the gap between art and life. How does he convey this concern in the work?
 * John Chamberlain commonly used old car parts to create his sculptures—what do you think he found interesting about the material?
 * Cezanne is known to be the foremost precursor to Cubism—in what ways is that evident here?

VARY THE LEVELS OF DIFFICULTY OF THE QUESTIONS
 * Let’s take a minute to discuss some of the things that you see in this Rauschenberg work…
 * What do you see happening here?
 * What statement about contemporary culture is the artist making?

SEQUENCE QUESTIONS IN A LOGICAL ORDER
 * Let’s spend a minute looking at this work of art. What forms do you see?
 * How do the forms relate to one another?
 * What impression do these forms give you? What is your reaction to the work as a whole?

ELICIT PERSONAL INTERPRETATIONS OF THE IDEAS AND FEELING COMMUNICATED BY THE WORK
 * When you look at this work, what are the first things that come to mind?
 * Any reactions to this video work by Adrian Piper?
 * What mood or feeling does the work convey to you? Why?
 * Critics have felt that this work symbolizes….How do you feel about that?

PRESENT QUESTIONS THAT ARE CLEAR, CONCISE, SIMPLE AND TO THE POINT
 * How would you describe the shapes in the lower half of the painting?
 * What impressions do the collage materials in the work convey to you?
 * How can we describe the pose of the central figure in the painting?

ENGAGE HIGHER LEVEL THINKING SKILLS
 * Compare/contrast
 * Categorize, classify, summarize
 * Prediction, speculation, inference

OTHER HELPFUL HINTS FOR INQUIRY-BASED DISCUSSION WITH A WORK OF ART
 * Before discussing the work using these open-ended questions, do as much research as possible about the work of art so that you can insert relevant information as needed and when appropriate in the conversation
 * Use information as “data”, or as an additional “voice” that can contribute to the conversation. Insert information about the art or artist as needed so that it opens up new questions, and doesn’t end the conversation
 * Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know”
 * Don’t be too eager to share everything that you know about a work of art or artist—you may inadvertently end an exciting thought or question from a participant
 * Make participants feel that their observations are good ones; encourage them to elaborate
 * Participant interaction with each other is an important part of inquiry
 * Emphasizing whether a response is right or wrong implies that you are looking for particular answers.
 * Allow participants to conclude what they have learned—don’t conclude for them.

=**OTHER ROXY PAINE WORKS OF ART:**=