What's Your Story?

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Ancient Egyptian Low Relief Sculpture

While studying ancient Egyptian art (3100 bc - 30 bc), students learned that pyramids were huge structures built as tombs for the Pharaohs,  the rulers of Egypt. One of the purposes of Egyptian art was to glorify the gods and the Pharaoh, who was also believed to be a god.  The low relief sculpture pictured above shows how the Egyptians used simple flat shapes and included objects that were associated with the characters. 

Empress of the Blues by Romare Bearden

After discussing Egyptian art, students learned about Romare Bearden, an African-American artist whose collages are a rich interweaving of many aspects of the historical and cultural heritage of African Americans. Jazz, a music form with African-American roots, was only one of the subjects Bearden explored in his art as shown above in Empress of the Blues. Other works by Bearden depict people’s struggles in the inner city. Still others show the joys and sorrows of family life.

Students were asked to create a collage that depicted a story - either one from their own lives or from a book - using the same techniques of the Egyptians and Romare Bearden: simple shapes, vibrant colors, expert composition, and a sense of perspective.

 

 

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