Pandora's box

• Kunst
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 2

Warming Up

  

Draw the outer contour lines of these figures as precisely as possible.

Use your pencil to follow
the outer edges of the forms.

 

Draw them in your art book.

5 minutes

Example

(Option) Figure 3:

Figure 2:

Figure 1:

Over the next four double periods,
you'll create the most moving art from the most challenging content!

You'll explore the art of Alexander Calder and learn about 'modernism'.

Objectives for this double period

1 - You know the myth of Pandora's box and can use it
      as subject matter for your art work.

2 - You can recognise the characteristics of Alexander

      Calder's art.

3 - You start building a Calder mobile by drawing

       a silhouette and cutting it out.

For the practical part you'll follow the teachings of the artist that invented mobiles, Alexander Calder.

To find the subject matter for your art work
you'll peek into Pandora's box...

①

②

What do you know about Pandora's box?

(For example: disease, hunger, hatred, jealousy...)

                                     Ancient Greek Myth

Prone to curiosity, Pandora lifted the lid of the box that Zeus had forbidden her to open. By doing so she released all the evils of the world that would plague humanity from then on.

                                  

HOPE was the only good thing to come out of the box!

                                  

HOPE was the one good thing that came out of the box!

For this new assignment you need to be courageous!

Work in pairs

Make a list of all the terrible things that escaped Pandora's box.

You have 5 minutes!

To start with:

Artists  don't look away from

the content of Pandora's box.

They use it to make art. 

Assumtion:

Could you give an example?

Create a list of terrible things that escaped from Pandora's box. Work in pairs. (3 minutes)

Which other professions involve dealing with troublesome situations?
(List at least two professions.)

Doctor

Lawyer

Fireman

Crimonologist

Virologist

Plumber

Soldier

Psychologist

What to do with all those things that came out of Pandora's box? 
 

Keep them in balance?

The artist Alexander Calder

(1898-1976)

was the grandmaster of creating playful balance.

Let's have a look at his work 

for artistic inspiration.

What makes Calder's art different from that of other artists?

1. His work is very realistic.
2. His art is shown in art galleries.
3. His work is inspired by photography.
4. His sculptures move with the slightest wind.

Jean Tinguely

Theo Janssen

Which information is NOT true?
Calder's mobile 'Mariposa' (1951) is made of

1. geometrical forms, like triangles, squares, and rectangles
2. abstract forms
3. irregular, organic forms
4. larger forms on top and smaller forms at the bottom

According to the commentator in the film, which element resembles a tulip? Drag the element into this field.

Piet Mondrian

Claude Monet

Moebius

Joan Miró

Which artists inspired

Alexander Calder?

Drag the artist's works 

into this field.

Which artist inspired Calder in the early years of his career?

1. Monet
2. Manet
3. Mondriaan
4. Dalí

Alexander Calder,
Mariposa,1960

Piet Mondriaan, Composition with large red plane, yellow black grey and blue,
1921

Identify three differences and three similarities between these artworks.

Why do you think modernists like Mondrian and Calder reduced reality to abstract shapes?

Time for this task: 60 minutes

Step 1

1- Choose one terrible thing from your list. 

2- Think of a symbolic image that represents this terrible thing.
 

     Draw the image as a silhouette in 

     your art book. (Keep it simple enough to be able to 

     cut it out later!)

3- Do the same for a thing that can represent 'hope'.      

 

1- Draw an irregular organic shape onto a 

     sheet of black paper with a pencil. 

2- Size: about 10 x 15 cm.

3- Cut out this shape. 

3- Draw a thick border into the shape. 

     At one point the border must be at least
    2 cm thick (for the attachment of the wire). 

Step 2

 7- Draw your silhouette into the organic shape. 

      Make sure that your silhouette is 
      simple enough, so that you can cut it out 

      with a cutter. 

      Important is that the silhouette has several 

      contact points with the thick border.

8- Cut out the silhouette 

     with a cutter.

 

Step 3

If you have time left,

continue with the following steps.

Draw a second shape with a silhouette in it
that represents something terrible. 

Make that shape a bit smaller, ca. 9 x 13 cm.
 

Step 4

Choose a coloured sheet of paper for 'hope'. 
Draw a shape with a silhouette in it

that represents 'hope'.  

Make it the biggest shape of your mobile: ca. 15 x 18 cm.

Step 5

Give your silhouettes a low relief:
Cut out smaller pieces of black paper that relate 

to the shape of your silhouette. 

Glue them onto the silhouette in order to give ite volume 

and/or more details.

'Hope' might be three dimensional:

Draw a second shape with a silhouette and cut it out.
Cut a straight line in the middle of that shape, 

from the lower border to the centre. 

Also cut a straight line into the first shape of 'hope', 

but from the upper border to the centre.

Assemble both shapes by sliding one into the other.

Advanced

Criteria

- You named five or more curses that were released from

  Pandora's box and two or more professions that are related to

  those curses.

- You recognised the characteristics of Calder's art in at least

   two quiz questions.

- You drew silhouettes for 'terrible things' and for 'hope'

   in you art book. Your silhouettes represent 'terrible things' and 'hope' in an

   original way.

- You cut out at least one shape and silhouette with neat cuts.

  Advanced: 
- You created a low relief that fits the silhouette well.

- You created a 3D form that strongly conveys the idea of

   'hope'. 

In conclusion - Keywords

Pandora's box

Curiosity

Troubles an woes that plague mankind forever

Hope  

Alexander Calder

Mobile

Note three things that you have learned in this lesson

On what would you like to get additional information?

Next lesson

You learn about Calder and Modernism.

We read the full story of Pandora.

You cut out all shapes for your mobile.

You start assembling the mobile by using wire and pliers.

END OF THE LESSON

The next slide shows the 5-minute 'silent drawing task' 

that can be given to the class in the beginning of the lesson.

In the second lesson the class reads two versions of the myth of Pandora's box. Here underneath you'll find the two texts and the question that can be discussed in class. 

Pandora's box - the legend                         READ ALOUD

Version 1

According to Greek mythology, in the beginning, the earth was free from toil and misery. The land was covered with flowers and the rivers flowed with milk and honey. Earth was inhabited only by men, who had been created by Prometheus. He made them of clay and modelled them after the gods, which angered Zeus, the king of the gods. When Prometheus offended Zeus again by stealing fire from heaven to give to man, Zeus exacted revenge. He ordered Hephaestus, the god of the forge, to create Pandora, the first woman. The gods gave her many traits including beauty, curiosity, charm, and cleverness. Hence her name “Pandora,” meaning “all gifted” or, alternately, “a gift to all.”

Before he left Pandora on earth, Zeus handed her a beautiful box saying, “This is my special gift to you. Don’t ever open it.” As Zeus anticipated, Pandora’s curiosity got the best of her, and she opened the box, ending earthly paradise. From the small chest flew troubles and woes—sorrow, disease, vice, violence, greed, madness, old age, death—to plague humankind forever. However, Zeus did not realize that hope had been secretly added to the box by Prometheus. When Pandora opened the box and released trouble and woe into the world, hope was there to help people survive.

Source: National Gallery of Art, Washington, USA, https://www.nga.gov/learn/teachers/lessons-activities/origin-myths/pandora.html

Pandora's box - the legend                         READ ALOUD

Version 2

The story of Pandora’s box is a legend used by ancient Greeks to explain not only human weakness, but also how pain and suffering were first inflicted on the human race.

According to legend, Pandora was the first human woman on Earth. She was given many gifts, including beauty, curiosity, wit, intelligence, and strength – in fact, the name ‘Pandora’ in Greek means ‘one who bears all gifts’.

Pandora was also given another very special gift: a box. She was told that the box contained even more offerings but that she must never, ever open it.

Her curiosity eventually got the better of her, however, and Pandora opened the box. When she did, she quickly realized it contained illness, hardship, trouble and pain – not the beautiful gifts she had expected! Pandora tried to close the box and stop the suffering from going out into the world, but it was too late. She shut the lid on the box, trapping Hope inside.

Source: Macmillan Dictionary https://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/pandoras-box

Question: In this version ‘hope’ is trapped in the box, whereas the curses were released into the world. Does this mean that there is no hope in the world?

Cutting and bending.

It's easy 

and results in a solid mobile.