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Moving Art

Students will learn about creating movement in art, using art to move people, and create a drawing in the style of Keith Haring.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

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  • Paper

Steps

  • Step 1

    Introduce students to the life and work of Keith Haring (1958-1990). Influenced by the vibrant energy of graffiti art and the stark images of pop art, Haring was an art activist whose work conveyed important social issues and advocated for reforms. Many of his works portray images in motion.

  • Step 2

    Display some images of Haring's work such as the iconic "Radiant Baby," which he said represents goodness and youthful innocence and shows how potential radiates from children, and "We The Youth," a collaborative mural created with city kids to commemorate the bicentennial of the US Constitution. Have students note how his use of lines and poses convey the illusion of movement.

  • Step 3

    Conveying movement in art brings life to a subject and can provide context and a narrative for the figures depicted. Ask students to think of a cause for which they'd like to move people to action. Have them create a drawing that gives the illusion of movement in the style of Keith Haring and suggests the theme of their cause. It could be dancers communicating the freedom to act or a barking dog symbolizing making your voice heard or any other scene they choose.

  • Step 4

    Using a fine line marker and short, connected lines, students can show motion in their sketch that is inspired by Haring. When it is completed, have students present their work. Encourage discussion about what classmates think the scene depicts and how it moves them.

Standards

ARTS: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.

ARTS: Speculate about the processes an artist uses to create a work of art.

SEL: Social Awareness: Understand the influences of organizations and systems on behavior.

Adaptations

Keith Haring created the mural "We The Youth" together with a group of city kids. Have the class as a group create a mural depicting a mutually agreed upon cause.

The word "artivism" combines "art" and "activism" and has roots in a 1997 gathering of artists from Mexico and East Los Angeles. Have students investigate examples of art and artivists, such as Ai Weiwei, who has created sculptures and films that focus on policies in Hong Kong, and Faith Ringgold, who creates story quilts that document Black history and the need for action and racial equality.