3. Initial Reactions Dark Shiny Water Chaotic Colorful Busy Mysterious Contrast Two-dimensional Scary Abstract Unique
4. What do we see? Ladders Woman’s Face Numbers Hands Foot Rainbow Puzzle pieces Buckles Dominos Nuts and Bolts Staples Metal Veins
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6. What do we hear? Wind Water Crickets Splashing Yelling Whimpering Silence
7. What do we feel? Physically: Soft Velvet Cold Rough Bumpy Hard Smooth Sharp Internally: Cold Sad Dark Lost Confused Chaotic Pain Fear/Unknown Freedom
8. Questions and Curiosities When was this artwork started and completed? Why were these materials chosen? What is the story behind this piece? Who is this girl in the artwork? Why are there two hands and only one foot? What are the silver circles made out of? How long did this artwork take to complete? What holds this artwork together? What is the girl running from? What was the most challenging medium to work?
9. Key Ideas Remember that this art work was not named until after it was completed. Remember that the main figure is in motion. Remember that this art work was created with no inspiration. Remember that this art work was built off of other art works.
10. Contextual Information This work of art was made in the mid 1980s by Dr. Daniel Burke. It was created with no inspiration and no prior thought. At the time Dr. Burke was working on four other works of art and used those art works to help him complete, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” This work of art was based off a famous song by the Beatles called, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” The title was applied to the work of art, after completion due to the certain characteristics of the art work.
11. Contextual Information The materials used in the artwork not only were household items but they each carry their own significant meaning. This work of art was put together in three parts due to the need to transport it. The only things holding this work of art together are glue, bolts and nails.
12. Personal/Curricular Connections Personal Flying at night Loneliness Swimming Lost Emptiness Searching for meaning in a chaotic situation Curricular Music Relating to the song Science Astronomy Art Diversity Mediums Unique materials
13. Activity Ideas English Write a journal entry about how the work of art makes you feel. Create your own short story about the woman in the picture. History Research the Beatles. Pick one song that you feel you can relate to and describe this relation. Research the stars and different constellations that are formed. Science Complete a lab about the stars. Experiment how metals react with certain chemicals.
14. Activity Ideas Continued Math Work with shapes and how to measure them. Do an activity on stars. How far away are they? How many are there? How much do they weigh? How big are they? Find these answers through algebraic expressions. Music Listen to the Beatles song, while viewing the work of art and write how each connect with each other. Listen to the Beatles song and talk about it using musical vocabulary. Art Create your own work of art around a certain song. Listen to the Beatles song and draw/paint your own interpretation of the song.
15. Line of Inquiry Pedagogical: What impact do you think the Beatles had on individuals while they were living? How do you feel that the Beatles song, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” impacted people during the time that it was created? Aesthetics: What elements of design are important to this piece? Does the texture and dimensions enhance this artwork?
16. Interview with Daniel Burke What is art to you? “Art is observation. Usually there is a visual stimulation of some sort that generates an intrigue; beckons an investigation.” “Art is search. The study of observations. This is something that is done concretely; it is the hours upon endless hours of photographing, drawing, making, and painting particular things and object. Instead of thinking about them I get to know them thru art” “Art is focus, what the piece is about.” “Art is assembling. Once I have enough stuff, I begin to organize.” “Art is display. I use scaled models, photos and diagrams to plan the various arrangements to fit into specific sites.”
17. Interview continued Where did you get the name of this piece from “Lucy in the sky with diamonds is a Beatle song” Where did your inspiration come from? “I don’t believe in inspiration.” “I am a studio person and in the studio there is always something to be done. Therefore I am working on five to six different pieces at one time and I let the pieces talk to each other which helps me to finish them.” “I create the artwork for it’s needs not my own.”
