HIGH SCHOOL

Mia N., grade eleven.

Dr. Kathleen Petka

This project was challenging and my students loved it. I introduced them to the contemporary textile artist (and former art teacher) Bisa Butler, who tells the story of African Americans in American history. Some of the figures are unknown, while others are prominent. Butler creates intricate and vibrant portraits of everyday African Americans and gives them voices using bold and colorful patterned fabric.

Emulating an Artist
We discussed Butlerʼs style and process and how she learned to quilt and sew at a young age. Students were encouraged to sew for this project if they could, even though we didn’t have a sewing machine in the art room. Some students chose to embroider, while others used fabric glue to hold the pieces together. Although some students did not actually sew their fabrics together, they loved emulating this artistʼs style. Unlike Butler’s life-size works, ours measured 8 x 10" (20 x 25 cm), but some students chose to go larger.

I wanted students to work from their own photographs and include a narrative on why the person they chose made a difference in their lives.

Presenting the Challenge
I asked students to create a portrait of a personal hero. I wanted them to work from their own photographs and include narratives on why the person they chose to portray made a difference in their lives. I usually don’t allow my students to use other people’s photography because I want them to research, take ownership, and have a deeper connection to their work. I also teach them about plagiarism and copyright issues. For this project, students were allowed to use family photographs for inspiration.

Planning the Portraits
After students selected their heroes and photographs for reference, they drew rough drafts on newsprint and planned out the different sections they would use. I asked students to show ten different patterns in their compositions. Some students used the grid method so the portrait would be as true to the actual photograph as possible since we were adding color by layering with fabric. Others used a more abstract approach to their portraits, conveying meaning with fabric patterns and colors. I asked students to show me their sketches before they started on the final mat board because I wanted to make sure the portraits were large enough; if they were too small, it would be difficult to add detail.

I created this piece because after [my band leaderʼs] passing, I was inspired to create something in his honor and give to his widow. Art is also something that helps me process my emotions, so the piece helped me in an emotional way as well!
—Caroline F.

Working with Fabric
Students were encouraged to be resourceful, share, and save as much fabric as possible, allowing other students to use the same fabric for highlights or detail. We used tracing paper so students knew what shapes and sizes they needed to cut, which also allowed us to avoid using too much material.

We mounted our portraits on mat board for stability. One of my students went above and beyond and sewed her completed portrait on her jean jacket.

If fabric is too difficult to obtain (ours was donated), you could use wallpaper samples, scrapbooking sheets, or make your own patterned papers with regular glue and paper. One of my students opted to use origami papers like chiyogami and washi instead of fabric. We used mat board because scraps were donated by a framer, but you could use foam board or cardboard. One of my students used felt because it doesn’t fray, and it turned out great. To make the lesson less challenging, students could recreate a landscape.

Jasper M., grade twelve.

NATIONAL STANDARD

Connecting: Relate artistic ideas and work with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.

RESOURCE

Bisa Butler: bisabutler.com