Younger Children

Younger Children
Silhouette of sculpture
Seymour Lipton
American, 1903-1986
Catacombs, Guardian, Pioneer
1968, 1975, 1957
PDF icon yc_edu_lipton_v3.pdf

 

 

Subject: Abstract Expressionism
Activity: Using geometric shapes to collage a figure
Materials: Colored paper, scissors, and tape or glue
Vocabulary: Abstract, representative, geometric, Abstract Expressionism

Introduction: 

Seymour Lipton was a dentist before he became an artist. He started off carving his sculptures out of wood, and later he used sheets of metal. Lipton heated sheets of metal so they could be bent and attached to one another. He used geometric shapes, like squares and circles, to make sculptures that represent people and feelings. When artists do this they are working in a style of art called Abstract Expressionism.

Questions: 

What shapes do you see in the sculptures?

Are there any shapes or colors that remind you of certain feelings or objects?

What do you think these sculptures represent?

If they had feelings or emotions, what do you think they would be about?

Activity: 

Using colored paper, help your child cut geometric shapes of different sizes and colors. Experiment by rearranging the shapes to make designs that look like people, familiar places, or represent a feeling.

Vocabulary: 

Shape - A basic element like a square, circle, or triangle that makes up a work of art
Layer - Arranging shapes so that they overlap and create new shapes