1.4 Artist Family Tree
Objective
Research and analyze visual and conceptual influences from an artist's "family tree."
“Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal; bad poets deface what they take, and good poets make it into something better, or at least something different. The good poet welds his theft into a whole of feeling which is unique, utterly different than that from which it is torn.” — T. S. Eliot
Explore this Music Map and try to find your favorite genres. What time period are they from? What genres did it sprout from? Which specific musical artists laid the foundation for your favorite musical artists?
No matter the artistic medium, “stealing” is a normal, even necessary, part of creating your own style. However, there are some rules! This year, we will do our best to honor, study, and credit many artists as we transform our art through remixing theirs.
Choose a visual artist whose work you admire for their concepts/storytelling as much as their visual talent. They can be any visual artist (alive or dead) as long as they matter to you and there is enough information about them and their work to research. |
| Research 2 artists who influenced your chosen parent. Read interviews, look at who they cite, and dig through their references. If they are dead, you’ll likely find many sources that speak of their influencers. |
| Look at similar artists to your parent who worked during the same time to create lateral connections and open up possible future branches. |
| Add the names and portraits of all 5+ artists you researched to a family tree diagram (paper or digital). Include notes on their media, unique styles, favorite themes, and what was “stolen” from them down the tree. |
Choose 3 traits from different ancestors that you want to practice, and eventually combine/transform in an upcoming artwork (experimentation). Maybe you copy the lighting from one, the texture from another, and the storytelling from a third. Thoroughly explain your plan and any steps you might need to study each trait (such as practicing a brush or editing technique). |
Novice (50%)
Student does not complete all steps or submits work incorrectly.
Apprentice (80%)
Student completes most steps or is missing some pieces in their family tree.
Master (100%)
Student completes all steps and explains their upcoming practice well enough that the reader can imagine what the result may look like.
- Add your family tree and plan to your site
