The Visual Assemblage of Rhythm and Music

What to do with donated items is a dilemma that all art teachers face. As I looked through the three boxes in front of me, I came up with three options:

I finally toss these boxes in the trash.
I keep storing them for an amazing project in the future.
I decide the future is now and let students show me the creative potential these items hold.

I took a deep breath and chose the third option. I decided we would use the items to tackle one of the most difficult concepts for students to display visually: rhythm and movement.

Preliminary Music Exercises
I began by asking students to delve into an exploration of how artists show rhythm and movement in their work. To do this, I tapped into a world many students have in their ears all day: music. Students were asked to connect different random songs, played through the class speakers, to images of art displayed around the room. They had to choose which randomly selected songs connected best to which of the artworks shown. This generated discussion and specific descriptions of both the art and the music.

I provided markers and paper and prompted students to draw the rhythm of instrumental songs played in the classroom using only organic lines, dots, shapes, and textures, etc. Afterwards, we looked at the messy drawings and discussed how different songs evoked different lines, shapes, values, and other elements and principles of design.

We discussed artists like Wassily Kandinsky and contemporary artists with a condition called synesthesia—when the brain mixes up sensory information. For example, some people see colors when they listen to music.

Characterizing a Song
Using the music exercises as inspiration, students were instructed to choose one song and play it repeatedly for themselves. Each time they listened, they picked out different visual characteristics to connect to the song. I used prompts such as: What color does this song sound like? What textures does the melody remind you of? What types of lines or dots does the rhythm produce?

Presenting the Challenge
I pulled out the boxes of donated supplies. A local frame shop had donated discontinued frame corners, matboard, and foam core scraps. I added in several other boxes of supplies I had been saving for the perfect assemblage project.
I laid out the criteria for the project: “Create a three-dimensional sculpture that stands on its own, and demonstrates your understanding of rhythm and/or movement and represents your song. The sculpture should be nonrepresentational. You must use at least one frame corner and at least twenty repeated, identical cut-out shapes created from foam core or matboard. You may add any other materials that enhance the sculpture to showcase the song.”

Creating and Sharing
While the constraints for the project were challenging for students to wrap their heads around, ultimately, they figured out ways to create unique and original sculptures. Many students used repeated shapes to highlight the rhythm and movement. Some assimilated the frame corner into the sculpture. Each student created something truly unique.
Students were required to present their work by playing their song selection for the class and describing the beats, rhythms, moods, etc., in the song and showing where in their sculpture these elements were represented. Students did a fantastic job finding ways to use the donated supplies in a meaningful and creative way.