Fantasy landscapes with a message.

It's always a challenge to wrap up an introductory visual arts studio course with a final project that touches upon the concepts introduced in the semester. A final activity that has been most successful is to create fantasy landscapes that have visual depth, a personal message, and that get viewers thinking about environmental issues.

Exploration of the Visual Arts is a course offered for non-art majors by the Plymouth State University art department. Some students taking this course have not practiced art since elementary or middle school, but most have taken a basic art course in high school. Since the range of art skills among the students is quite broad, the instructor's challenge is to make projects challenging enough for those with more skills but still introductory for those who need to gain more experience. The semester is an exploration of the art elements and design principles through visual problem solving as well as an investigation of linking ideas, language, and theory to art.

Near the close of the semester, students have explored two- and three-dimensional design, atmospheric and linear perspective, various styles of drawing from contour to gesture, in addition to creating form with the use of value for thoughtful compositional studies. This is a large order for just one brief semester, but it all culminates in an activity where students have a wide range of choices to make before creating a finished work that delivers a specific message.

Communicating Environmental Issues

Throughout the semester, art is viewed as a language. The final project must go beyond the usual practice exercises; this one must communicate a specific message or emotion that relates to global environmental issues. Most students view this as a challenge, but all create solutions to this art problem at their own level of skill and motivation.

To get students thinking specifically about environmental issues, a photocopy of World Scientists' Warning to Humanity, a declaration drafted by Henry Kendall and signed by scientists and Nobel laureates in 1992, is given to each student with the direction to further research their particular concerns.

Several weeks before the end of the semester, students have completed color theory studies and exercises in perspective. The National Gallery of Art's video, Masters of Illusion, is an excellent means to introduce perspective in its historical context. This video is used to launch an exploration of linear perspective, create a discussion of atmospheric perspective and review the use of value to create form. Armed with these skills, students are ready to approach the final project.

Specific Motivations

A packet containing a project overview, review sheets of previously covered topics, a rubric, and a motivational exercise of four questions is given to each student. Environmental issues are discussed with the suggestion that the final project deliver an environmental warning or statement to the viewer, but the field is ultimately left completely open, creating even more choice.

Early American and British landscape paintings are displayed as examples of atmospheric perspective. A variety of surrealistic landscapes by Dali, Magritte, and Escher are also displayed and discussed to encourage use of surrealistic techniques. Students are expected to find more examples on their own as they begin preliminary sketches of their ideas in their journals.

A demo landscape incorporates as many of the objectives as possible. The example included on the first page gets students thinking about possibilities. There are multiple visual rhythms from the progression of a book into a butterfly to the rhythms of the river, and the regular repetition of printed leaves. The single example of linear perspective (the bright orange and yellow "E" of Environmental Protection Agency) contrasts boldly against the cool colors of the landscape. Background, foreground, and middle ground can be easily read along with the message of environmental warnings from amphibians.

Group Critique

A group critique is held to see how content is developing using specific compositional techniques or color choices. Sufficient studio time is provided to offer any help for technical perspective skills or for brainstorming more ideas.

During the final group critique, it is amazing to see the amount and variety of themes and compositions that students produce. Some are quite simple solutions and others are more complex, but all are adequate visual statements incorporating the required techniques, as well as delivering a strong message.

A handicapped student, wheelchair bound for life after a car accident, decided the most appropriate use of perspective would be to design a handicapped sign placed in the middle of a steep mountain landscape to represent all the mountains she must conquer personally, as well as the difficult climb we all face with global warning and the loss of ice caps worldwide. Other students more comfortable with linear perspective drew complex compositions that relied heavily on point of view to make their statements.

At first this project may seem to be all encompassing, but one of the main reasons for requiring students to make so many decisions was to have them experience what all artists experience each time they begin a new work--where to begin, what media is most appropriate, and what to include in order to deliver the message most effectively. This project can be easily simplified for younger age levels by omitting some of the requirements or by simply focusing on one point in particular. Have fun and watch student imaginations develop a fantasy landscape with a message that is most important to them!

NATIONAL STANDARD

Students intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of their experiences and ideas.

WEB LINK

World Scientist's Warning to Humanity, www.ucsusa.org/ucs/ a bout/page.cfm?pageID=1009

Elizabeth D'Amico is an adjunct lecturer in visual art at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire.