ELEMENTARY

Richel.

Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers
to be shackles limiting our vision.
—Salvador Dalí

Leigh Drake

Exquisite corpse—the name alone is enough to capture anyone’s attention. If youʼve never heard of this surrealism-inspired art-making method, let me explain the process. Exquisite corpse, also known as exquisite cadaver or picture consequences, is a method by which a group of words or images is collectively assembled. Each collaborator adds to an artwork in sequence and is sometimes allowed to see only the end of what the previous person contributed.

An Unfamiliar Term
To introduce exquisite corpse, I project a PowerPoint slide on the board that shows the name of the game and ask students to try to pronounce it. The first word can be a struggle, but most students seem to recognize the second word. We say the words together several times and I provide a definition.

This assignment provides students a novel opportunity to collaborate and make surreal and unusual images.

Next, we discuss the surrealist art movement and its impact on the art world. The surrealists pushed boundaries by creating dreamlike artworks that emphasize the unconscious. Students learn about Spanish artist Salvador Dalí (1904–1989), who many consider the father of surrealism, and we view some of his works.

Turning Art into a Game
To start exquisite corpse, each student gets a 6 x 18" (15 x 46 cm) sheet of paper and folds it into three equal sections. Each student draws a head at the top, folds it, and passes it to the next student who has no idea what the head looks like. The second student takes the paper, draws a torso in the middle section, and folds it again. Then the paper is passed to the third student, who draws legs and feet on the bottom section. The paper is handed back to the original illustrator of the head to open. Students then add additional details and color their pieces.

Self-Portraits
I add a digital component to my lessons when I can. I like to learn and grow with my students and their use of technology. They know so many amazing programs and apps that knock my socks off.

After completing the drawings, we morph this assignment through digital photography. I ask students to create a self-portrait in the style of exquisite corpse, but with photographs. The main criteria is that their self-portrait needs to emphasize something about their personal identity.

Photography Steps

1. Students practice using the basic functions of a digital camera such as zooming and deleting photos. They also practice photographing from different perspectives.
2. Students brainstorm with a partner how they might photograph their head, torso, and legs. Students develop sketches of their ideas and I encourage them to bring in their own props for the next class.
3. Students and their partners help each other photograph each part of their exquisite corpse.
4. Students upload their photos to the website iPiccy.com. This is a free user-friendly website that students can use to manipulate their photos. Thereʼs a collage feature with three square templates that are perfect for creating the exquisite corpse.

Reflections
This assignment provides students with a novel opportunity to collaborate and make surreal and unusual images. Thereʼs always excitement during the art-making process and laughter at the humorous results. Itʼs wonderful to see students take the classic exquisite corpse game to the next level.

Leigh Drake is a visual arts teacher at Old Donation School in Virginia Beach, Virginia. leigh.drake@vbschools.com
Exquisite Corpse Self-Portraits