Optical Illusions - Art Gallery of Alberta

2 Sir Winston Churchill SquareEdmonton, AB, Canada T5J 2C1T: 780.422.6223F: 780.426.3105youraga.caOptical IllusionsGrades 3-12Students explore the work of M.C. Escher in the gallery spaces focusing on Escher’s use of patterns, mathematics andprintmaking before returning to the studio to create their own 2-D composition inspired by the work of Escher. In thestudio students explore Optical art, illusions and printmaking in preparation for creating a printing block that is used tocreate a tessellated composition.Main Objectives• Students investigate optical art and how artists use illusion in artwork to play with space and perception• Students explore the work of M.C. Escher to discover how patterns and relief printmaking can be used to create 2-Dcompositions• Students employ and arrange the elements and principles to create a tessellated pattern that forms a unique 2-Dcomposition• Students experiment with relief printmakingConnections to Alberta Education Programs of StudyFine Arts - Elementary Art ProgramMEDIA EXPLORATION: students will experiment with relief printmaking and tessellations.DEPICTION• MAIN FORMS AND PROPORTIONS:A. Shapes can suggest movement or stabilityB. Many shapes are symmetrical• ACTIONS AND VIEWPOINTS:A. Looking at negative shapes helps create a different view of something• QUALITIES AND DETAILS:A. Texture can be represented from a range of different studio techniquesCOMPOSITION• UNITY: students will create unity by interrelating the parts of a compositionA. The parts can be arranged so that movement in the picture space leads the eye around and not out of the pictureareaC. Every major area of a composition should be interesting in itselfD. Limited colours and materials tighten a composition

2 Sir Winston Churchill SquareEdmonton, AB, Canada T5J 2C1T: 780.422.6223F: 780.426.3105youraga.caFine Arts - Grade 7-12 Art ProgramCOMPOSITIONS• Components: STUDENTS WILL BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE COMPONENTS OF IMAGES, MEDIA TECHNIQUESAND DESIGN ELEMENTS.• Relationships: STUDENTS WILL ANALYZE THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG COMPONENTS OF IMAGES.MathPATTERNS AND RELATIONSHIPS (PATTERNS)• Use patterns to describe the world and to solve problemsSHAPES AND SPACE (3-D OBJECTS AND 2-D SHAPES)• Describe the characteristics of 3-D objects and 2-D shapes, and analyze the relationships among themSHAPE AND SPACE (TRANSFORMATIONS)• Describe and analyze position and motion of objects and shapes.• Create patterns and designs that incorporate symmetry, tessellations, translations and reflections