CRAZY ART

TEACHING RESOURCE FOR 11-16 YEAR OLDS

Ripleys Believe It or Not! is a registered trademark of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

OF RIPLEY!
Inspired Resources
This education pack is inspired by one man and the amazing world he lived in. It was, of course, the same planet as the rest of us inhabit, but what set Robert Ripley apart was his curious viewpoint and insatiable appetite for the unusual and different. Some would even say the bizarre! Likewise, the lessons and activity sheets in this resource will enable your students to test and explore their imaginations, creativity and observational powers to the full.

THE AMAZING WORLD

Global Explorer
Millionaire cartoonist, renowned broadcaster, and in the 1930s voted Americas most popular, Robert Ripley was, above all a world-class explorer and collector. Indiana Jones- style, he was relentless in his search for astonishing artefacts to add to his collection of the frankly unbelievable. Knowing the truth of his nds, he coined the phrase Believe It or Not and founded the Odditoriums that still bear his name.

Londons latest new attraction

The latest of these Odditoriums is the showpiece Ripleys Believe It or Not! attraction at the prestigious and newly renovated 1 Piccadilly Circus, London. There, in impressive surroundings, youll nd the renowned exhibits that prompt even the most reserved among us to drop our jaw. Quite simply, you wont believe your eyes.

ODDLY EDUCATIONAL!
Our teaching resource brings you some of the avour of the world of Ripley and is designed to be used in conjunction with an Oddly Educational! school visit. The whole experience will stimulate curiosity but better still the projects are fun to do and fully in line with curriculum requirements. Combine these with a school visit and not only are the lessons brought to life but it will make learning outside the classroom truly Oddly Educational!

The London Pavilion, 1 Piccadilly Circus, London W1J ODA ripleyslondon.com ripleys.com T +44 (0)20 3238 0022 education@ripleyslondon.com
Ripleys Believe It or Not! is a registered trademark of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

elcome to Ripleys Believe It or Not! Crazy Art, the secondary teaching resource for art which aims to introduce your students to a wide range of the unusual, odd and unbelievable. The most effective use of this resource is to launch it with a visit by students to Ripleys where they can see for themselves a vast collection of art and sculpture that has been created around the world. A school visit to Ripleys will make the title of this education pack become clear. Students will be able to see a wide range of artefacts reflecting a variety of conceptual approaches to creativity that will help them extend their thinking and understanding through discussion and application. The first lesson plan in this project is specifically for school visits. The lesson, entitled Its Art Believe It or Not!, leads students to discover some of the more unusual art exhibits in Ripleys. Featured with the lesson explanation, there is an exhibit listing for teachers and adult group leaders, to help ensure that you can guide your students to spot as many as possible during their visit.

Stamps?

Back in the classroom, following a discussion about the visit, the teaching project, Positively Peculiar Portraits, can be launched. It is designed to be fun, entertaining and Oddly Educational!

Undertaking the whole project will assist students in the exploration of their personal identity. Positively Peculiar Portraits, as its title suggests, focuses on likeness starting with students seeking to portray themselves then moving on to a portrait of a chosen famous person. Along with more conventional approaches, students are encouraged to use more unusual formats and techniques to create portraits that are positively peculiar! The scheme of work has the following stages: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Self-portrait Self-portrait in pastels Experiment with materials Go for background Celebrity portraits Go positively peculiar

On conclusion of Positively Peculiar Portraits youll find a range of additional activities which will enhance creative thinking and appreciation. The project includes a poster for art room display to encourage lateral thinking with photocopiable activity sheets for those activities requiring them. Also enclosed is a set of three colour portraits from Ripleys that can be handed round to stimulate creative thinking. Finally, theres a project response card so you can give feedback on the project. Its Oddly Educational!

Ripleys Believe It or Not! is a registered trademark of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

Activity - Your School Visit!

This activity, Its Art Believe It or Not!, is specifically to use before a class visit to Ripleys and for subsequent class discussions. ITS ART BELIEVE IT OR NOT! In this activity, introduce your students to some of the materials used for art-based exhibits, sculptures and constructions in Ripleys Believe It or Not! London and ask them to say how likely they think it is that artists would work with such materials. There is a list of some of the key items on the following pages. Just as Robert Ripley collected examples of the extraordinary and the surprising, so the challenge to your students is to find exhibits in Ripleys Odditorium that surprise and challenge their thinking. Preparation Book your visit to Ripleys. Photocopy the activity sheet for every student. Brief your students on what you want them to do whilst they are at Ripleys. Lesson On the day before or morning (time permitting) of your class visit, hand out copies of the Its Art Believe It or Not! activity sheet to all your students. Explain that whilst they are at Ripleys they will see many different art-related exhibits. They will see examples of unusual portraits, the topic for the scheme of work, Positively Peculiar Portraits. What makes them unusual is that unconventional art materials have been used. Discuss with your students the materials listed and see if they can imagine works of art in them. Once your students arrive at Ripleys Believe It or Not! they will have to find these portraits made with the listed materials during the visit. Plenary Once back in the classroom review what students have discovered by discussing the notes they made on their worksheets during the school trip. Which materials do they think are the most surprising to be used for portraiture? Which portraits did they rate most and why? Have any of your students ideas about unusual materials theyd like to work with?

Butteries?

Ripleys Believe It or Not! is a registered trademark of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

EXHIBIT
JIMI HENDRIX IN DUNG

DESCRIPTION
Enrique Ramos personally collects the material used in his oeuvre, mixing it with water and resin to create a more durable canvas. Here, Jimi Hendrix is honoured with his own patty portrait. Please do not touch! Artist James Butman suffers from agoraphobia, an abnormal fear of open spaces. Since he never leaves his home, friends provide him with the stamps he uses to create beautiful cards and works of art! Unfettered by societal norms and shunning artistic conventions and traditions, the Tramp uses materials at hand, usually wood from a cigar box, and transforms it within the context of his own imagination, experience, and abilities. Is the focus of this painting its idealised view of the sea, or the canvas itself: a perfect ostrich egg? Sea or Ostrich? The artist toys with us. Really, must you chew gum? Put it to some better use, as did sculptor Enrique Ramos in honouring the Beatles. The Lads from Liverpool have never looked better than when formed from chewing gum. This replica of our cherished Tower Bridge, complete with moving parts, was built by Reg Pollard of Manchester from 264,345 ordinary matchsticks over 2,386 hours! Though acutely arthritic, Mr. Pollard made over 550 matchstick models during his lifetime. For years, Lint Lady Slater Barron of California has created art using dryer lint as her primary medium. The Official Lint Portrait of Princess Diana depicts the radiant princess in the royal Kensington Palace garden. In the same culinary spirit as Andy Warhols famous soup cans, this realistic plate of sushi rendered in dryer lint simultaneously invites us to eat and somewhat dampens our appetite. The pipal leaf is deeply revered by both Hindus and Buddhists. Buddha is said to have received Enlightenment sitting beneath a pipal tree, Vishnu was believed to have been born under it, and Krishna to have died beneath it. Painting on these delicate leaves is one of the oldest known forms of art! Discovering that he was dying, woodworker Masakichi carved an exact replica of himself. He then painstakingly plucked every hair from his body, along with his fingernails, toenails, and teeth, and attached them to his sculpture! Cheap Chic Weddings Annual Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest (sponsored by Charmin toilet paper company) invites would-be Vera Wangs to create their own wedding gowns using ONLY toilet paper, tape, and glue. These dresses, designed by Rebekah Baquiran (nee Shuman), Jami Anderson, and Jaymi Horne, were the Grand Prize Winner and Honourable Mentions from the First Annual Contest! The canvas of this painting by Mabel Wood of Horsehead NY is uniquely delicate: layers of spider web! Emulating a technique dating from 15th century Bavaria, she collects, cleans, and stretches the webs prior to painting.

STAMP ART SAINT

TRAMP ART LORD'S PRAYER

OSTRICH EGG ART

BEATLES SCULPTURE

TOWER BRIDGE IN MATCHSTICKS

PRINCESS DIANA IN LINT

LINT SUSHI

SACRED PAINTED LEAF

INCREDIBLE SELF-PORTRAIT

TOILET PAPER WEDDING GOWNS

COBWEB PAINTING

Ripleys Believe It or Not! is a registered trademark of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

Scheme of work: POSITIVELY PECULIAR PORTRAITS

Back in the classroom, after a trip to Ripleys talk to your students to recap what they discovered and listen to which materials and executions they liked best. Explain that they are going to embark on a journey of their own as a portrait artist to create a positively, peculiar portrait. First they will focus on themselves and if there is time then on a popular icon of their choosing. Students will create images that reect their ideas of themselves, working from observation, memory and imagination. Using traditional materials and processes, they develop their own self-portrait. Following completion of a self-portrait from traditional to positively peculiar, students will then select a famous person to portray following a similar process. Throughout the project they will consider what they have learned from the ideas, methods and approaches used by artists featured in Ripleys Believe It or Not! as well as other artists you choose to introduce. At least eight hours of teaching time is delivered through this project, although, of course, you may adapt to meet your students specic needs. National curriculum mapping for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland follows at the conclusion of these teaching notes. The self-portrait activity is through lessons 1 to 4 with the celebrity portrait activity in lessons 5 and 6. The lessons are as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Self-portrait Self-portrait in pastels Experiment with materials Go for background Celebrity portraits Go positively peculiar

Bubblegum balls?

On conclusion of Positively Peculiar Portraits, youll nd a range of additional activities which will enhance creative thinking and application.

Ripleys Believe It or Not! is a registered trademark of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

Lesson 1 Self-portrait
Resources For lesson Pencils Look in the mirror and study your face activity sheet for each pupil Lesson Explain that your class is going to create self-portraits. Open with a class discussion about the idea of representing who they are to other people. How would they like to be seen by others? What kind of messages would they wish to communicate to others? You might choose to read a description of a person and ask your students to visualise what that person might look like. Ask students how they might represent themselves in words. Maybe get them to write a short prole rst. List words that students associate with identity. The next stage is to give out copies of the A4 worksheet and then ask each student to study their face in a mirror. Explain that they are going to use the activity sheet as a starting point for drawing their features on the oval face. Advise that the eyes are the most important feature to get right and that placing the eyes determines the proportions for other facial features. Take care to get the proportions right is the key message. ChecK outcoMes Students ask and answer questions using appropriate terminology Students listen with maintained attention and show understanding of what they hear HoMeworK Later in this project, students will be creating portraits from unusual materials so suggest that students need to start collecting the items they are thinking about using to produce their portraits. This might be sweet wrappers, leaves, uff, newspapers, tissues etc
Art Line Painting Craft Tone Collage Design Colour Print making 2-D Pattern Digital media 3-D Texture Sculpture Individual work Shape Textiles Collaborative work Form Space

Junk?

Ripleys Believe It or Not! is a registered trademark of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

Lesson 2 Self-portrait in pastels

Resources For lesson Soft Pastels Oil Pastels

Lesson Time is now devoted to the creation of a self-portrait in traditional mode. Each student will work at their own pace. Using soft pastels, faces should be shaded in, add darkness to the edges and different shades to give a realistic skin tone. Encourage discussions between students that will develop condence in the direction taken with their work. On completion of all the portraits create a class display. Think about inviting other members of staff to visit the display to see if they recognise the subjects of the portraits in traditional formats. Explain to students that the next stage will be to make their self-portraits positively peculiar. HoMeworK Look at the work of Turner prize winner Chris Oli, what unusual substance has he been known to use in his paintings? Find an example of his work.
Art Line Painting Craft Tone Collage Design Colour Print making 2-D Pattern Digital media 3-D Texture Sculpture Individual work Shape Textiles Collaborative work Form Space

Lesson 3 Experiment with materials

Resources For lesson Mounting boards Glue Collected materials

Lesson Begin by having a class a discussion, give students the opportunity to question critically a range of visual and other information to help them develop ideas for independent work and learn what kinds of materials they are collecting. Show the class the three portraits from Ripleys Believe It or Not! provided and discuss how the unusual materials add to the portrait. Now explain that students will take their self-portraits, photocopy their originals, scale up to A3 and mount on boards. Students should then begin applying chosen materials to build up their image, explain to the class that they should still try and show tonal values of their features, give the portrait real definition and experiment with shading. HoMeworK Find an artist who uses found objects in their work.
Art Line Painting Craft Tone Collage Design Colour Print making 2-D Pattern Digital media 3-D Texture Sculpture Individual work Shape Textiles Collaborative work Form Space

Ripleys Believe It or Not! is a registered trademark of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

Lesson 4 Go for background

Resources For lesson Mounting board Glue Soft Pastels Oil Pastels

Lesson In this lesson students begin to work on the background of their portrait. Suggest they use brightly coloured oil pastels to create a funky background. Blend the colours to create a graduated effect, which will make portraits stand out. Mount portraits on black card. These portraits make a great display for all your students to guess who is who now images are becoming positively peculiar. HoMeworK Find a picture of a popular icon for next lesson.
Art Line Painting Craft Tone Collage Design Colour Print making 2-D Pattern Digital media 3-D Texture Sculpture Individual work Shape Textiles Collaborative work Form Space

Lesson 5 Celebrity portraits

Resources For lesson Scissors Glue Black markers Acetate Images of icons MDF boards

Lesson Open with a class discussion about the icons your students have selected to portray. Why have they selected them? Who else do they think will be interested in their icon and why? What kind of messages would they wish to communicate about the icons? You might ask your students to nd a description of their icon to read out rst, before naming, so others can see if they can guess who the subject is. Direct students to alternative ways of describing people, such as news stories, reports and blogs. ChecK outcoMes Students ask and answer questions using appropriate terminology Students listen with maintained attention and show understanding of what they hear Split the class into Four groups Each student should split the image of their icon into four sections. As a group choose one section from each icon to make a full portrait. Paste the image back down on to boards with separation and twists. Overlay the image with acetate and re-join the linework so icon is made positively peculiar.
Art Line Painting Craft Tone Collage Design Colour Print making 2-D Pattern Digital media 3-D Texture Sculpture Individual work Shape Textiles Collaborative work Form Space

Ripleys Believe It or Not! is a registered trademark of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

Lesson 6 Go positively peculiar

Resources For lesson 4 large boards of MDF or board (Approx 3x2) Mosaic materials- Tissue paper or magazines or coloured card Lots of sweet wrappers or old packaging (soup labels)- Background decoration PVA Glue Lesson Encourage students to discuss and question critically the spectrum of visual imagery and other information that they have absorbed to help them develop ideas. The groups continue to develop their celebrity portrait. The large boards are going to be decorated in two sections. During this lesson the class will mosaic the face with either tissue paper, magazines or coloured card. Try to show tone and shading with different shades of each colour. Use small pieces and let everyone in the group have a separate section to work on. Coat with PVA to give a gloss effect. Now the groups focus on background decoration: Using for example a range of old sweet wrappers or labels from packaging create a wow background which will add interest and a novelty element making really positively peculiar portraits.
Art Line Painting Craft Tone Collage Design Colour Print making 2-D Pattern Digital media 3-D Texture Sculpture Individual work Shape Textiles Collaborative work Form Space

Ripleys Believe It or Not! is a registered trademark of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

Additional activities
Continuing the theme of Crazy Art, here are some suggestions for art room activity that will stretch the minds and talents of your students. Miraculous Miniatures! Try painting or drawing tiny pictures that can only be viewed with the aid of a magnifying glass. Suggest students seek inspiration from either their own imagination or perhaps copy a famous artwork such as the Last Supper painted on a grain of rice using a human hair that is on display at Ripleys. Suggested items could be sweets, pasta or marbles. Curious Canvases! Throw out the normal canvas and suggest using different surfaces to paint on such as leaves, eggshells or even bread! At Ripleys you can see painted leaves, decorated ostrich and quails eggs and a painted tortilla! Minute Masterpiece! Try creating a masterpiece in only a minute! Use pastels, watercolours, charcoal or pencils to produce a detailed piece of artwork in only 60 seconds! At Ripleys you can see a Connie Gordon seascape painting that was completed in less than one minute! Sensational Sculpture! Use different materials to make the most sensational sculpture yet. Replicate or be inspired by some of the works at Ripleys where exhibits can be seen which have been created using matchsticks, junk, chewing gum, sweet wrappers or even toilet paper. Creative CoMputing! Create amazing artwork by using only letters typed on a computer keyboard! Numbers and symbols may also be used but points will be deducted! This method of artwork rst ourished in the fties and examples can be seen at Ripleys Believe It or Not!

Ripleys Believe It or Not! is a registered trademark of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

Positively Peculiar Portrait / National Curriculum Mapping

England and Wales Key Concepts 1.1 Creativity (a) Producing imaginative artefacts that are both original and of value (b) Exploring and experimenting with ideas, materials, tools and techniques (c) Taking risks and learning from mistakes 1.2 Competence (a)  Investigating, analysing, designing, making, reflecting and evaluating effectively (b) Making informed choices about media, techniques and processes 1.3 Cultural Understanding (a)  Engaging with a range of images and artefacts from different contexts, recognising the varied characteristics of different cultures and using them to inform their creating and making (b) Understanding the role of the artist in context 1.4 Critical Understanding (a)  Exploring visual, tactile and other sensory qualities of their own and others work (b)  Engaging with ideas, images and artefacts, and identifying how values and meanings are conveyed (c) Developing their own views and expressing reasoned judgements (d) Analysing and reflecting on work from diverse contexts Key Processes 2.1  Explore and create Pupils should be able to: (a)  Develop ideas and intentions by working from first hand observation, experience, inspiration, imagination and other sources (b)  Investigate how to express and realise ideas using formal elements and the qualities of a range of media (c) Make purposeful images and artefacts, selecting from a range of materials, techniques and processes (d)  Draw to express perception and invention, to communicate feelings, experiences and ideas, and for pleasure (e)  Explore and develop ideas using sketchbooks, journals and other appropriate strategies 2.2 Understand and Evaluate Pupils should be able to: (a) Use research and investigative skills appropriate to art, craft and design (b)  Appreciate how codes and conventions are used to convey ideas and meanings in and between different cultures and contexts (c)  Reflect on and evaluate their own and others work, adapting and refining their own images and artefacts at all stages of the creative process (d)  Analyse, select and question critically, making reasoned choices when developing personal work (e) Develop ideas and intentions when creating images and artefacts (f)  Organise and present their own material and information in appropriate forms 3 Range and Content The study of art craft and design should include: (a)  Work in, and across, the areas of fine art, craft and design, including both applied and fine art practices (b)  Study of a range of artefacts from contemporary, historical, personal and cultural contexts (c)  Understanding of art, craft and design processes, associated equipment and safe working practices 4 Curriculum Opportunities The curriculum should provide opportunities or pupils to: (a) Work independently and collaboratively, taking different roles in teams (b)  Explore areas that are new to them, including ideas, techniques and processes (c) Respond to the schools location and local cultural influences (d)  Engage with contemporary art, craft and design, working with creative individuals and in creative environments where possible (e) Work with a variety of genres, including contemporary practice (f) Make links between art and design and other subjects and areas of the curriculum

Northern Ireland Art and Design Developing pupils Knowledge, Understanding and Skills Young people have opportunities to develop their own personal and creative responses by: n  Researching, gathering and interpreting information from direct experiences, observations, memory, imagination and a range of traditional and digital sources n  Developing an appreciation of the work of artists, designers and craft workers from their own and other cultures, past and present n  Developing creative thinking skills and personal creative outcomes through investigating, realising, designing and making; - drawing and graphic media - 3-dimensional construction or prototyping n  Using the visual elements with understanding when engaging in art and design n  Evaluating and appreciating their own and others work through discussion and reflection Developing pupils as Individuals Young people should have opportunities to: n  Express themselves through Art and Design Work with other pupils to produce a creative response to group expressions of identity Key Element: Mutual Understanding n  Investigate and respond to works of art that inspire and relate to their lives and experiences Scotland Expressive Arts Using materials, techniques, skills and media Investigating visually and recording n  Use a variety of ways of recording, drawing, painting, sketching, constructing n Use these as the basis for further development in a variety of media n  Record information visually in a variety of ways with precision and accuracy n  Systematically collate visual information by exploring stimuli from a number of different viewpoints, using one or more types of visual media n  Record information visually in a variety of ways with precision and accuracy n  Direct observation in varied contexts and situations and develop more confidence in recording visual information through visits n  Identify and represent in appropriate media the subjects they choose to record n  Experiment with familiar and new two and three dimensional media in context

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SELF PORTRAIT
Look in the mirror and study your face. Using a mirror begin your self-portrait, use the oval provided as a starting point. Add your features, taking care to get the proportions right.

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Ripleys Believe it or Not! is a registered trademark of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

Its Art BelieVe it or Not!

EXHibit JIMI HENDRIX IN DUNG

Materials

NOTES

Dung mixed with water Stamps

STAMP ART SAINT

BEATLES SCULPTURE

Chewing gum

PRINCESS DIANA IN LINT

Dryer lint

THE DEVIL AND THE DAMSEL

Wood Human hair, ngernails, toenails, and teeth Paint

INCREDIBLE SELF-PORTRAIT

THE LAST SUPPER ON RICE

PAINTED ANTS

Ants, paints

OSTRICH EGG ART

Paint

COBWEB PAINTING

Layers of spider web

TOWER BRIDGE IN MATCHSTICKS

Matchsticks

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Ripleys Believe it or Not! is a registered trademark of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

Ripleys Believe it or Not! is a registered trademark of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

CA

Ripleys Believe it or Not! is a registered trademark of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

CA

Ripleys Believe it or Not! is a registered trademark of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

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