Traditional portraits transform into imaginative compositions inspired by surrealism and contemporary art.

Keri Reynolds

Adolescence is a time when students are discovering who they are and what they want to become. Portraiture is a popular assignment that resonates with students and provides opportunities for them to represent themselves while developing technical skills. When portraiture is limited to historical canons, students miss opportunities to express their interests and experiment with different media. I wanted to create a lesson that incorporates contemporary art and supports students in exploring and communicating their ambitions and experiences using digital media.

Contemporary Art and Surrealism
Contemporary artists apply innovative approaches to art-making by using a variety of media to create new interpretations of traditional subject matter. I knew students would be intrigued by examining portraiture through the lens of contemporary art and could relate to artists who embodied diverse backgrounds and approaches to making art.

I also wanted to draw from students’ prior knowledge and interests in surrealism by connecting their learning to contemporary art. The open-ended nature of surrealism lends itself to abstraction, juxtaposition, and the exploration of dreams, experiences, and the subconscious.

Combining the possibilities of surrealism with inspiration from contemporary art provided a compelling hook to engage students in reimagining how they could represent and express themselves through art.

Rethinking Portraiture
Because of students’ prior knowledge of surrealism, I wanted to pique their interest by introducing them to contemporary artists who incorporate surrealistic approaches to representing the human figure. Students explored artworks by Thomas Easton, whose portraits are set in dreamlike, juxtaposed landscapes; and Marcelo Monreal, who deconstructs portraits by incorporating natural elements such as flowers and leaves. Students examined the characteristics of the artworks of these two artists by analyzing and discussing how the artwork altered their own existing views of portraiture.

Development and Process
To initiate the art-making process, I asked students to take three or more photos of themselves from different angles to use as references. They also had the option to take photos of an influential friend or family member, as long as they obtained permission to use them as the subject matter for the assignment.

Combining the possibilities of surrealism with inspiration from contemporary art provided a compelling hook to engage students.

After the photos were taken, I asked students to list, describe, and sketch items inspired by their photographs.

Students chose their strongest photo and digitally deconstructed it by incorporating ideas from their brainstorming and inspiration from contemporary art and surrealism. They transformed their photographs by adding five or more items into the composition that revealed dreams, ambitions, or memories related to themselves or the person they chose to represent. Students were given the option to render the items digitally or collage them into the composition from their own photographs or drawings.

Concluding Thoughts
Each student’s work was uniquely personal, expressing thoughts and dreams through juxtaposing reality with fantasy. Students were highly engaged throughout the process and authentically connected their prior knowledge and experiences with surrealism and contemporary art. This deconstructed approach to portraiture inspired by contemporary art empowered students to represent themselves and the people who mattered most to them through digital modes of art-making. Portraiture will continue to be popular across the art curriculum, and students should be encouraged to creatively explore and apply different media to represent their experiences, dreams, and aspirations.

Keri Reynolds is a National Board Certified Teacher and district art lead in Houston, Texas. kereynol@ga.aliefisd.net

Deconstructed Digital Portraits