John Stezaker: Secondary Learning Pack20 April – 14 May 2016

Sidney Cooper Gallery, Canterbury

John Stezaker: Mask XXXII, 2007Collage, 25 x 20 cm

This exhibition explores the award-winning British artist John Stezaker’s fascination with,

and appropriation of, found images. Incorporating works from his acclaimed Marriage series,

Mask series and Tabula Rasa series. This exhibition will also feature little shown images

from his Unassisted Readymades series in celebration of a new Monograph on these works.

Coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Cabaret Voltaire, Zurich and

Dada Movement, we are delighted to be showcasing one of the most important artists

practising today who has been highly influential in the development and re-emergence of

collage, conceptual art and appropriation in contemporary art.

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John Stezaker was born in 1949 in Worcester and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art. A

Conceptual artist, who has taught at Goldsmiths and at the Royal College of Art, Stezaker

was given a retrospective at the Whitechapel Gallery, London, in 2011. Despite not being a

photographer – his collages are made from found photographs – Stezaker won the

prestigious Deutsche Börse Prize for Photography in 2012. Influenced by the Surrealist

paintings of Giorgio De Chirico, Stezaker began working with the technique of photomontage

in the late 1960s. This technique is itself heavily linked to Surrealism, with some of the first

artists to adopt this method being John Heartfield and Grete Stern.

Focusing on thematically diametric opposites, between male/female, presence/absence,

interior/exterior, and artificial/ natural, his art focuses on ‘the deployment of contradiction –

the image becoming what it is not – as a means of transformation.’(D. Ades & M. Bracewell,

John Stezaker, London: Riding House and Whitechapel Gallery, 2011. p. 12.)

Preferring to work with found images from old, obscure film stills and magazines, Stezaker

has explained that: ‘When I come across an image I don’t know why it has a particular effect

on me, I can only think of the word ‘fascination’ to describe this.’ For images to come alive

again they must go through a process of ‘obsolescence or dysfunction’. By merging old

images from outdated sources, Stezaker offers new life and meaning. Some may see his

works as being merely playful and witty appropriations. Stezaker thinks only of destruction,

of cutting up these images of unknown, unloved stars, to create something far more

stimulating. Others have seen Stezaker’s pieces as treading a fine line between beauty and

abjection.

Comprehension Questions on Stezaker’s introduction:

1. What does John Stezaker have a fascination with?2. Has he won any prizes for his work?3. What is a ‘Retrospective’ and when and where did he have one?4. Where does he get his found images from?5. What anniversary does his exhibition coincide with?6. Who has influenced him?7. What does he think happens to his work when he adds outdated sources and old

images?

Answers:1. Old, found images2. Yes. The Deutsche Borse Photography Prize in 2012.3. Retrospective is to look back at events that have taken place. Yes, he had a

retrospective at the Whitechapel gallery in London in 2011.4. From obscure film stills and magazines.5. 100th anniversary of Dadaism.6. Surrealists such as Georgio di Chirico.7. He offers them new life and meaning.

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Questions for John Stezaker to feed into Sidney Cooper Gallery Learning Packs:

Childhood:

When did your love of art begin?

I am told that the moment a wax crayon was put in my hands I started to draw and didn’t stop producing dozens of drawings a day until I arrived at Art College, where my feverish practice seemed to be very uncool. My interest in and love of other artists started when I was about 11.

Did your fascination with photographs begin when you were a child?

No. I started collecting photographic images, mainly postcards when I was a teenager, but at the time I did not see the connection between the images I collected and my practice as a draftsman/painter.

Did you spend time looking at photo albums as a child?

No I have never had an interest in family photographs.

Which artist(s) did you admire as a child? Did this impact on who you like today?

My first passion was Velasquez, but I think that that was connected with his painting of a naked woman. The first artist I really fell in love with was Van Gogh. That was when I decided I wanted to be a painter. I still love Van Gogh, but other artists have had a bigger impact on what I do now. The next turning point for me was the discovery of the Surrealists, especially Max Ernst. But this did not happen until my late teens.

Did you imagine that one day, as a child, that you would become an artist, or not? If not, what did you think you might become?

At first, when I was very young, I wanted to be an explorer. I had an old atlas of my mother’s printed at the beginning of the 20th century. There were lots of white spaces marked “terra incognita” meaning unknown territory. I wanted to explore those. Only later did I discover that they had all been explored long before I was born. After that I wanted to be a scientist. Deep down though, I think I knew that I had no real choice in the matter. It was obvious to everyone else that art was my passion.

Work/career:

You taught for a long time at St Martins and then at the Royal College of Art. Did your teaching inform any of the work you do today?

My teaching allowed me the freedom to do exactly what I wanted in my art. I chose to teach art history as a way of deepening my understanding of the art that fascinated me. So it informed very directly upon my practice.

Do you have another career as well as being an artist? If so, what is it?

Apart from teaching, which I no longer do professionally, I have started to do a bit of curating. I enjoy this, but do not consider it to be a career, more a bit of fun.

What has been the biggest challenge you have encountered in your artistic career to date?

Success as an artist. All artists want recognition but it comes at a cost. It means everything you do is scrutinised by others. It is harder to experiment and try out new directions.

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What advice would you give to anyone starting out as an artist today?

Get a job that pays enough to support what you do and which is undemanding enough to give you the time to do it. I made a big mistake here by taking on a heavy teaching load and found that I had to work on my own work at night or at weekends, giving me very little social life.

In your opinion, what are the most difficult aspects of being an artist in today’s society?

Art has become much more of a commodity than it was when I started out in the 1970s. No one then expected to make a living from art and as a result it was much freer and more fun.

When did your love of collecting found images begin?

It took me a while to connect the collecting of found images with drawing and painting, but by my late teens I was beginning to work from found images. However, drawing and painting already existing images seemed somehow false to me and his led to a crisis in my first year at art school when I realised that the original found images were more interesting than anything that I might do with them. It was then that collage took the place of drawing.

Artist background/practice:

How would you describe your practice?

As a minimal form of collage. I like the idea of doing as little as possible to the images. It has become something of a rule for me: minimum mutilation which is also a rule in mathematics and logic.

Apart from collage, montage and working with found photographs, postcards and book illustrations, what other artistic practices do you enjoy?

I make films.

What has made you return to producing silkscreens?

Scale. Working on a small scale throughout my life, I often feel I miss the physical immediacy of painting. It is often when I am looking at my favourite artists like Picasso and Bacon that I wish I had that sense of physical presence in my work. Mostly I enjoy the distance that small scale work imposes, but occasionally I feel the need to occupy that bigger space. The silk screens and the films do this for me.

Which artists have influenced your own practice the most?

Max Ernst, Francis Picabia, Marcel Duchamp, Rene Magritte, Joseph Cornell and Picasso

How would you describe your work to children?

Playing with images. This is what collage allows you. Picasso is often credited with being the inventor of collage and his first collage had written on it the word “jou” which was a fragment of the word “journal” meaning newspaper. But “jou” means play or game in French. I think that he was saying lets play.

Do you associate yourself with other artists and their work? If not, whom do you align yourself to?

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I have always felt myself to be a bit of a loner in my art though it has been associated with a number of movements: Conceptual Art, Appropriation Art, Surrealism and most recently with Collage Art. I have problems with all these associations.

What is an assisted ready-made?

Marcel Duchamp used the phrase “unassisted ready-made” to describe objects and images that he found and exhibited as works of art of his own. E.g. the bicycle wheel he exhibited on a plinth. When he changed them slightly, even by titling them, he felt he was assisting them so he suggested that these were “assisted ready-mades”.

How do you select the pieces to make your collages?

Of course.

Does this take a lot of time?

It is both very fast and very slow. A piece can be done in a moment, but it can take years to decide whether or not it is worth keeping. I tend to work quite fast, but there is also a big fall out rate as they cease to interest me. After a year or two only the most mysterious pieces survive.

Where do you get most of your found images from?

I used to get most of my film stills from a variety of junk shops and second hand bookshops, but you hardly ever find them there anymore. Now I search sources out on-line. I always ask if they have any unwanted or damaged stock. I prefer to use this not only because it is cheaper but I feel less guilty in cutting up the pictures.

Why do you choose a circle or a rectangle to cut out in some of your works?

I don’t exactly know but it has been suggested that the shapes I cut out of the photographs have a relationship with cinema: the circle as spotlight, the rectangle as screen and the triangle as projector beam. I didn’t think of these when I was doing them, but I am prepared to accept that this might be one reason for these shapes.

Do you think of using any other 2D shapes to cut out from the photograph?

Yes. Apart from the ones I just mentioned, there are others. At present I am returning to a shape I used in the late 1980s which look like amoebae. I have also used the irradiating star shape often used in advertising and there are others more rarely used.

What attracts you to the pieces you display as a found image, with no intervention?

That I don’t know. In fact it is not knowing that makes them continue to be fascinating to me. These are my favourite images – the ones that I have not touched at all.

What are the difference between an unassisted readymade and a found image?

The unassisted ready-made is a found image which seems for some reason compelling on its own, needing no collage intervention. I use found images all the time in my collages, but these are found images which are assisted by association with other images or through the process of visual subtraction.

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Does the fact that some of the photographs are torn or damaged affect whether you choose them or not?

Yes. I feel freer using worthless (damaged) images and sometimes the damage does the work that I would normally do in collage on its own. These are very special to me and very rare.

Does it take a long time for you to choose where exactly you will slice a photograph or is this an automatic decision?

It tends to be intuitive but of course I have had a lot of practice. I tend to relaxed about it because even the mistakes will allow a different combination from the one that I set out to make with the cut. In fact I am quite suspicious if what I intend through cutting results in an intended image. I like to be taken by surprise.

What do you do to relax in your spare time?

Walking my dog, Freddie, on Hampstead Heath.

SCG exhibition – John Stezaker:

Can you tell me a little about the works are in the Sidney Cooper Gallery exhibition?

The show in Canterbury came about at the same time as I was working on my latest book of works, “Unassisted Readymade”. This is a collection of my works in which there has been the minimum intervention on my part in their production. They are simply found images, unaltered or else fragments of these images. I know that I am best known for my collages and most exhibitions consist of these works. With the book and with the exhibition I wanted the material that I use in my work to take centre stage. So although there are also collages, the emphasis is on the found image.

Questions about photography – before visiting the exhibition:

What is the definition of photography?

From where do you think the word originates?

What type of photographs do you like?

What different types of photography are there?

When was photography invented?

How do you think events were recorded before cameras existed?

Do you take photographs? What do you use, if you do?

Do you own any black and white photographs? Does anyone in your family have any black and white photographs?

What do you associate with black and white photography?

(Feedback answers to class)

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Photography: The word ‘photograph’ originates from Greek – ‘phos’ meaning ‘light’ and ‘graphe’ meaning ‘drawing’. So, it means ‘drawing with light’. A photograph can be either a positive or negative image. The term was coined by Sir John Herschel in 1839.

At The Sidney Cooper Gallery: (see separate fact-finding worksheet at back of pack)

Front view of the Sidney Cooper Gallery’s Ionic portico entrance, Canterbury High Street

On entering the Sidney Cooper Gallery, look to the right hand side, above the doorway and read the memorial plaque (see image below) and answer the following questions:

Sidney Cooper Gallery: Memorial wall plaque

1. When was Sidney Cooper born?

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2. How old was he when he died? 3. What is Sidney Cooper’s full name? 4. When did he found the Sidney Cooper Art School? 5. From what material is the plaque made? 6. Are there any paintings by Sidney Cooper in the Sidney Cooper Gallery? Why do you

think that is the case?

Extra research questions:

7. Where is the nearest place that you can see works by Sidney Cooper? 8. How old was Sidney Cooper when he painted his last piece? 9. Where can this painting be viewed?

Answers to questions:

1. He was born on 26th September 1803.2. He was 99. He died on 7th February 1902.3. Thomas Sidney Cooper.4. 1st June 18825. Bronze/metal6. No. Because it is a contemporary gallery.7. The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge, Canterbury.8. He was 99 years old.9. At the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge in Canterbury.

History and timeline for The Sidney Cooper Art SchoolDate Historical information1865 After Sidney Cooper’s mother died, he purchased her cottage in St Peter’s Street to preserve it in

memoriam. He then acquired another 8 small houses at the back of the cottage and converted them into a long gallery.

1868 The Sidney Cooper School of Art opened on 18th March 1868, accessible for ‘all inhabitants of the City of Canterbury and adjoining parishes and their children for not less than six hours each day, four days a week for the purposes of inspecting the works of art in the Gallery and making copies or models on payment of an entrance fee on two days a week not to exceed one penny.”

1870 Cooper added an Ionic portico of his own design to the entrance of the School.1882 On the 1st June, at a formal ceremony in the Guildhall, Cooper aged 78 handed over the Gallery to the

City Council trusting that he had laid the foundations for a school of art and how “it would be a great happiness to me if I should live a few years longer to find the little seed I have sown has become a mighty plant.”

1887 The School was placed under the management of the Museum Committee with a grant of £50 p.a. and free scholarships by competition for the “poorer classes” in the City’s elementary schools.

1890 Science classes were included at the School for technical students.1891 Albert Wood was the headmaster, with his two assistants, Miss Roots and Miss Brosbey, an

embroiderer, a pupil teacher, a caretaker and his wife.1902 Sidney Cooper RA died.1903 Management of the School was transferred to the City’s new Education Committee.1904 175 student enrolments: 38 day students, 122 evening, plus 25 under-age students.1907 Two pieces of land at the back of St Peter’s Street belonging to the Sergeant’s Hotel and the Crown

and Sceptre public house were purchased for building an extension to the School.1914 Soldiers had free admission to the School throughout the war and special art classes for the military

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were introduced in the latter part, even so a third of art students left for war service.1917 The school was threatened with closure, Sidney Cooper’s son, Neville protested. The number of

practical classes was increased to gain support from Canterbury and District Chamber of Trade and local businesses.

1921 The School was renamed “The Sidney Cooper School of Art and Crafts”.1934 The School was renamed “The Sidney Cooper School of Art ” and became the centre for all advanced

art instruction in East Kent linked with the art schools at Ramsgate, Margate, Dover and Folkestone and the art classes at Aylesham, Deal, Herne Bay, Whitstable, Faversham, etc.

1930s The British Institute of Adult Education held exhibitions in the School and the Director of the Tate Gallery opened an exhibition of Modern Art there in 1936.

1940 The School had a “splinter and blast-proof room” for staff and students to shelter during air raids. Senior male students were issued with a tin hat, binoculars and whistle for air raid duties. The 3D Department turned to war work with students producing aircraft parts on the School’s lathes. Students took part in various war efforts, parades, collections, etc. CEMA (Council for the Encouragement of Music and Arts) predecessor of the Arts Council, held concerts at the School.

1943 Robert Paine began a small architecture course in an upstairs room of the pub next door.1944 Additional buildings were acquired at 21 St Peter’s Street.1947 The School renamed Canterbury College of Art was the regional art college for East Kent.1949 Pre-fab buildings in St Peter’s Lane built to house the School of Architecture. The Art College began

accumulating several additional properties in the neighbourhood.1951 The Art College was housed in 12 separate premises with a School of Architecture, a School of

industrial Design, a School of Painting and Drawing, a School of Sculpture and a Department of Women’s Crafts.

1971 The Art College moved to New Dover Road and the vacated Sidney Cooper Gallery was locked up.1972 A public outcry when the City Council proposed selling off the Sidney Cooper building for commercial

use.1973 The Sidney Cooper Centre Society was formed and the building restored.1975 The Sidney Cooper Centre was formally opened but there was too little investment and a number of

short-term tenants occupied the building.1980s The building was largely used as a flea market at weekends.1990s Applications from various enterprises to develop the building in the spirit of Sidney Cooper’s original

bequest.1994 A joint collaboration between the Drew Gallery and the Kent Institute of Art and Design (KIAD) formed

the Canterbury Contemporary Arts Trust with the intention of developing the building as a gallery with educational facilities and a bookshop.

1996 A rival bid from the Chaucer Heritage Trust was accepted by the City Council but, despite a formidable list of patrons, the Trust met financial difficulties.

1998 The Sidney Cooper Gallery building and surrounding area was designated Canterbury’s ‘Creative Quarter’.

2000 The flea market was relocated to Westgate Hall and Canterbury Christ Church University College (CCCUC) became the long-term tenant on a 20 year lease.

2002 CCCUC painting students moved into the main studios of the Sidney Cooper building in December 2002.

2003/2004

CCCUC Estates Department undertook refurbishment of the front half of the building including ‘the cottage’ to develop as a gallery and information centre.

Researched by and copyright to David Haste

Comprehension Questions on History of Sidney Cooper Gallery:

1. How long ago did Sidney Cooper’s mother die? 2. When did Sidney Cooper add the Ionic portico to the front of the school?3. In the 1980s what was the building used for mainly? 4. When was the school threatened with closure? 5. What did the acronym CCCUC stand for?

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6. When did Sidney Cooper buy his mother’s cottage? 7. Where was the flea market relocated to? 8. How many students were enrolled in 1904? 9. When did Canterbury Christ Church University College become the long term tenant

and for how long? 10. Who were the free scholarships aimed at? 11. What was laid on for the soldiers during the First World War and did it have an

impact on them?12. How many staff ran the school in 1891? 13. When did the school become renamed ‘The Sidney Cooper School of Art’? 14. When was the school threatened with closure? 15. What did the school have to protect students during the 2nd World War?

Answers:

1. 151 years ago2. 18703. Flea market4. 19175. Canterbury Christ Church University College6. 18657. Westgate Hall8. 175 students9. In 2000 on a 20 year lease.10. The poorer classes11. Soldiers had free admission to the School throughout the war and special art classes

for the military were introduced in the latter part.12. 313. 193414. 191715. The School had a “splinter and blast-proof room” for staff and students to shelter

during air raids. Senior male students were issued with a tin hat, binoculars and whistle for air raid duties.

Before visiting the gallery/exhibition:

If time allows, read the historical background information about the gallery, the introduction

to John Stezaker’s work and some of the links listed below to gain a better understanding of

what his work is about. Get students to write down what sort of artwork they think they might

see in the gallery. Do they think they will like it? What type of artworks do they think will be

in the gallery? How do they think they will feel about the artwork? Have they visited an art

gallery before? If so, which one(s)?

Further information about John Stezaker’s work can be found at the following links:

The Approach gallery: http://theapproach.co.uk/artists/john-stezaker/images/

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Saatchi Gallery: http://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/john_stezaker.htm

Whitechapel: http://www.whitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/john-stezaker/

The Guardian article on John Stezaker: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/john-stezaker

Artworks at the Tate by John Stezaker: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/john-stezaker-2000

Richard Gray gallery works by John Stezaker: http://www.richardgraygallery.com/artists/john-stezaker/

Mask VIII, 2006, at the Tate: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/stezaker-mask-xiii-t12346

Stills Gallery works by John Stezaker: http://www.stills.org/exhibition/past/john-stezaker

Selected Works by John Stezaker at Saatchi Gallery: https://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/john_stezaker_resources.htm

John Stezaker reviews: https://www.a-n.co.uk/reviews/john-stezaker

Brian Dillon review on John Stezaker: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/jan/29/john-stezaker-whitechapel-gallery

Petzel Gallery works by John Stezaker: http://www.petzel.com/artists/john-stezaker/

The Guardian, Artist of the week, John Stezaker: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2010/jan/28/artist-of-week-john-stezaker

MOMA, Stezaker: http://www.moma.org/collection/artists/32462

Images of John Stezaker’s work: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=john+stezaker+photography&qpvt=john+stezaker+photography&qpvt=john+stezaker+photography&FORM=IGRE

Art in America review on John Stezaker: http://www.artinamericamagazine.com/reviews/john-stezaker/

Deutchse Borse Photography Prize 2012: http://davidcampany.com/john-stezaker-deutsche/

Prior to visiting the gallery, if you let us know when you plan to visit, we can organise a guided tour by one of our staff members. To do this, either e-mail the main gallery: gallery@canterbury.ac.uk or, our Learning Engagement Officer: frances.chiverton@canterbury.ac.uk

Plus, you could carry out the fact-finding activity that is at the back of this pack. The information is based on the gallery and is about the famous British artist, Thomas Sidney Cooper, after whom the gallery is named. There are also free educational resources linked to the exhibition that can be downloaded from the gallery website or collected from the gallery. Please help yourself.

At the Sidney Cooper Gallery: John Stezaker exhibition

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Visit The John Stezaker exhibition at the Sidney Cooper Gallery. Ask students to make

sketches in their sketchbooks or to take photographs that they can use when they are back

in class. (Sketchbooks are available to purchase from the Sidney Cooper Gallery.)

N.B. It is not permissible to take photographs of the artworks in the gallery.

Ask questions about each of the artworks:Ask students to examine the artworks closely. First of all focus on form, or formal elements of the work:

What different mediums does he use? What kind of shapes or forms can you find? What kind of marks or techniques does he use? What is the surface like? What kinds of textures can you see? How big is the work? Does it vary in size?

Next, look at the context of the works. In other words, how his work relates to a particular time, place, culture and society in which it was produced:

When was it made? Where was it made? Who made it? Did Stezaker make it alone? Who was the work made for? What do you know about John Stezaker? How does his work relate to other contemporary art? Does his work relate to the social or political history of today? Does any of his work relate to other areas of knowledge, such as science or geography?

Then, look at the content or subject of a piece of Stezaker’s work:

What is it? What is it about? What is happening? Is it a portrait? A landscape? Abstract? What does the work represent? The title – what has he called the work? Does the title change the way we see the work? What is the theme of the work? What message does the work communicate?

Look next at the process. Study how the work was made and what techniques were used:

What materials and tools were used to make the piece? What is the evidence for this?

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Lastly, focus on the mood. How John Stezaker has created a certain atmosphere or feeling.

How does the work make you feel? Why do you think you feel like this? Does the colour, texture, form or theme of the work affect your mood? Does the work create an atmosphere?

Ask students to study Stezaker’s exhibition carefully. Compare and contrast 3 different pieces and say which one they prefer, giving reasons why.

Get students to record their observations in their sketchbooks. Encourage them to use a variety of materials, i.e. pencils, pen, chalk, oil pastels, watercolour, etc. (these can be used as preparatory studies in their portfolios). If I-pads are available, take photographs of the works so this can be placed alongside their observational drawings. As they look at Stezaker’s work ask if students can make links between the work and with any other contemporary artists that they know.

How does the work make them feel? Do they like it? Why/why not? What does it make them think about?

KS3 Art and Design: To create a large-scale Stezaker influenced self-portrait in paint,

collage or mixed media

Art and Design Programme of Study National Curriculum subject content:

Key Stage 3 How to use a range of techniques to record their observations in sketchbooks, journals and other media as a basis for exploring their ideas

How to use a range of techniques and media, including painting

How to increase their proficiency in the handling of different materials

How to analyse and evaluate their own work, and that of others, in order to strengthen the visual impact or applications of their work

To learn about the history of art, craft, design and architecture, including periods, styles and major movements from ancient times up to the present day

Get students to compare and contrast portraiture work of John Stezaker’s found portrait

images to those of American painter/photographer Chuck Close (b. 1940) or German Dada

artist, Hannah Höch (1889-1978). What similarities/differences do they see? Which do they

prefer and why?

Information about Hannah Höch: http://www.whitechapelgallery.org/about/press/hannah-

hoch/

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Information about Chuck Close: http://www.biography.com/people/chuck-close-9251491

Back at school, ask students to bring in their favourite image by one of the artists. Explain

that they will be recreating the portrait but by posing for it themselves –with someone else

taking a photograph of them.

Once the photograph has been taken, get this printed off in black and white. Then, enlarge

on a photocopier to A3 or A2. Once this has been done, students should divide their portrait

up using the grid method that Chuck Close uses for his large scale portraits.

Students should then choose what they will paint/collage their portrait on – found wood,

canvas, thick paper, photographic paper, material, etc. Transfer the image using either

paint, stitch, collage, found objects, mixed media, etc.

When completed, get them to feedback to a partner about their work. Can they tell which of

the artists they have been influenced by? What do they like about it? Would they do

anything differently?

If possible, get the works displayed in a large open area, such as the hall, large corridor, a

local gallery or university.

KS3 Numeracy: To revise calculating percentages

What does percentage mean? ‘Per cent’ means ‘out of 100’. Therefore, 20% means ’20 out

of 100’ 20/100.

1. Find 55% of £4.00.

2. Write 125% as a decimal.

3. What is 40% of 505?

4. 690m as a percentage of 980m.

5. Find 25% of 600kg.

6. An artwork costs £1200. It is reduced by 5% in the sale. What is the sale

price of the artwork?

7. Give 28p as a percentage of 98p

8. 123% of 355

9. Give 1.2km as a percentage of 740m

10. Find 17% of £200

Answers:1. £2.202. 1.25

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3. 2004. 70.41 (2 d.p.)5. 150kg6. £1,1407. 28.57% (2 d.p.)8. 436.659. 162.16% (2 d.p.)10. £34

KS3 Literacy: To write performance poetry inspired by Stezaker’s artwork. Revising

onomatopoeias, repetition, rhyme, lists and rhythm.

Explain to students that they will be writing a performance poem as part of a competition,

inspired by the work of John Stezaker. This could be a real or imaginary competition.

Split the class into 4 different poetry working groups: onomatopoeia, repetition, lists and

rhyme groups:

Onomatopoeia group. Revise what an onomatopoeia is. That it derives from the Greek word – ‘name’ and ‘I make’.

It is a work that phonetically imitates or resembles the sound it describes, i.e. meow, slosh,

etc. Ask them to write down or draw a few that might make the following sounds:

Chirp, crunch, whoosh, ping, drip, zip, crack, oink, roar, hiss, buzz, etc.

Get students to look at Stezaker’s work and try to write their own onomatopoeic. Why do

they think poets consider using onomatopoeias in their work? What effect does it give?

Repetition group. Come up with a list of phrases suggested by students from seeing Stezaker’s works. Inform

students that they are not allowed to put the word or phrase at the start of any of the lines.

Here are some suggestions for topics:

Loneliness, love, freedom, stillness, confusion, people.

Why use repetition in poetry? What effect does it have? To emphasize a feeling or idea, to

add to the rhythm and it can also develop a sense of urgency.

Lists group.

Students should write reasons for the possible topics listed:

The worst date ever

Annoying things about collage, etc.

They could try and write the same 1st, 2, 3 and 4 words, i.e. I feel, I hate it when.

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E.g. I hate it when collage doesn’t make sense

I hate it when collage fills a page

I hate it when collage gets damaged. (same first 4 words)

Or,

I dream of the rain,

I dream of my dog

I dream of clouds floating along, etc. (same first 3 words)

Rhyme group.

Tell them the mnemonic to remember how to spell ‘rhythm’ – Rhythm Helps Your Two Hips

Move. Revise that a Mnemonic is: a system such as a pattern of letters, ideas, or

associations which assists in remembering something. Can any students give examples of

mnemonics they have used, or still use?

Write this phrase on the board: I prefer black to white and ask if any student can come up

with a line to rhyme with it, i.e., I prefer day to night or its bark is worse that its bite.

Suggest some other words for the students to find rhymes for:

Bridge, people, rivers, danger, crowds, etc.

What rhymes can they make? Are some words easier to rhyme than others? Which words

did they find easier to rhyme? Why do they think that is?

In pairs, get students to read/perform their poem to their partner. Their partner should

provide positive and constructive feedback – say one aspect they like about the poem and

one suggestion for improvement.

Groups could then be mixed together to create a collaborative performance poem utilizing

their group work and working on any improvements from their previous work. This could form

a class competition if parallel classes take part, or could be judged by a local poet.

KS4 Art and Design: To set some photography tasks inspired by Stezaker’s work

Either get students to research some of the following photographers or show them some yourself:Lisette Model – Austrian American photographer

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Martin Parr – British documentary photographer

Lee Friedlander - American street photographer

Helen Levitt – American street photographer

Brassai – Hungarian street photographer

Don Donaghy – American street photographer

Todd Papagaorge - American street photographer

Phillp-Lorca diCorcia – American photographer

Nakahira Takuma – Japanese photographer

Daido Moriyama - Japanese photographer

Robert Frant – American photographer

Gary Winnogrand – American photographer

Eugene Atget – French photographer

Man Ray - American photographer and artist

Hiroshi Sugimoto– Japanese photographer

Ask students to say which work they like and why? What aspects do they like about the

photographers work? Why do they like those aspects?

Ensure that students have a good understanding of the following photographic terms:

Exposure

Field of vision

Framing

Contrast

Tilt

Fixed spot, etc.

1st photography task: To take photographs from a fixed spot. Set the task to take 36 photos of a partner from a fixed spot with one foot remaining in the same position for each shot, but a different picture to be taken. This should make students think about angle and framing of their picture. Select their best fixed spot image.

2nd photography task: Students to take a photograph as a self-portrait. Ask pupils to think

about what represents them. How would they like to be seen by others? Study some

photographers, i.e. Gillian Wearing, Valerie Maier, Vivienne Sassen, Cindy Sherman,

Francesca Woodman, etc. Ask them to take some shots using either a digital camera or their

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phones. Get them to share these within a small group and choose one of these to use as

part of the project.

3rd photography task: To take a photograph of a city scene. Explain that the notion of

chance is inherent in photography, especially street photography. Set students the task of

going out into a chosen city street and acting like a flanneur to take a chance street

photograph. Set them some restrictions for this, i.e. to only shoot from the hip downwards. .

Get them to share these within a small group and choose one of these to use as part of the

project.

Show students examples of Stezakers’ Tabula Rasa series, like the image of Circle VIII,

2014 below:

John Stezaker: Circle VIII, 2014Collage, 53 x 42 cm

From the 3 tasks above, get students to choose one image that they like the best and then

think about intervening with a 2D shape from their finished piece by using a scalpel and

cutting mat – like Stezaker uses. Before they do this, ask them how they feel about slicing

the image? Are they happy to do it? How do they think the end result will look? Get them to

think what shape they will choose to cut out and how big it will be and what angle they will

cut. When completed, ask them what the intervention of the blank space does to their

image?

Display their works alongside those of John Stezaker’s Tabula Rasa series.

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KS4 Literacy: To compare reviews about Stezaker’s work and write own review of the

exhibition

Ask students to select 2-3 reviews about John Stezaker’s work – see list at start of this pack.

Ask students to write a review of the current Sidney Cooper Gallery Stezaker Exhibition in

the same style as one of the reviews that they choose to study. Get them to think about the

commonalities in a review:

Think about the meaning and purpose of the exhibition

Interview someone about their experience of visiting the exhibition

Get some information about the gallery to include in the review

Talk about 1 or 2 of the works that grabbed your attention and say why

Ensure your opinions about the artwork are grounded on evidence

Finish off by saying how long the exhibition will be on for and what the gallery opening times

are.

KS4 Numeracy: To create an income and costs spreadsheet linked to an artist’s gallery talk

Get students to use Excel spreadsheet to plan and cost out income and expenditure for an

artist’s talk at school. This could be based on a set artist fee cost of £500 for a talk and get

students to think about how much they would have to charge to cover the cost of the talk and

make a profit.

Will they offer an early bird cheaper price for tickets? If so, how much will this be set at?

When will the dealing be for this offer?

How much will they charge for a ticket? Get students to research how much local galleries

charge for talks.

What overheads do they need to think of? Staffing costs, beverages, heating, lighting, etc.

In groups, students to present their plans to one another. A member of a local gallery could

be invited along to this presentation to provide some feedback on their work.

Other possible National Curriculum links with John Stezaker’s artworks:

Numeracy –doubling, halving, ratio, proportion, scale, 2D shapes – circles and

quadrilaterals, money problems, angles,

Literacy – writing reviews, discussions about art prize winnings, report writing,

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Science – shadows, light travel, transparency

Art – Looking at different types of art –Dada, Cabaret Voltaire, Surrealism, found objects,

photomontage, etc.

DT – Create own mask, design a bridge

ICT – using Photoshop to alter their images – cropping and enlarging

Music – select music for Dada performance pieces – thinking about tempos

History – study the fashion, magazines, Surrealism, Dada, Cabaret Voltaire, etc.

Geography – Cities such as Paris – compare and contrast, mapping

PE – performance art work movements.

Citizenship – What is art? What is its purpose in society? Imagine a world without any art?

Who owns public art – the artist or the public?

MFL – word derivations from different languages, i.e. French or Greek.

Further information:

For more information about The Sidney Cooper educational programme please contact

Learning and Engagement Officer, Frances Chiverton, on 01227 767700, ext. 1752

frances.chiverton@canterbury.ac.uk or, visit the Sidney Cooper website on:

www.canterbury.ac.uk/sidney-cooper/

The gallery is open Tuesdays - Fridays 10.30am - 5pm, and Saturdays 11.30am - 5pm. The

gallery is closed on Sundays and Mondays, and in between exhibitions. Please check on the

Exhibitions pages for dates. Admission to all exhibitions is FREE.

The Sidney Cooper Gallery, Canterbury Christ Church University, St. Peter’s Street,

Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2BQ.

E-mail: gallery@canterbury.ac.uk

Telephone: 01227 453267

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Sidney Cooper Gallery – Fact-finding worksheet

How much do you know about the Sidney Cooper Gallery? You will need to look both inside and outside the gallery to find the answers.

Match the questions above to the answers below.

1. When was Sidney Cooper born? 2. How old was Sidney Cooper when he died? 3. What is Sidney Cooper’s full name? 4. When did Sidney Cooper found the art school?5. What type of paintings was Sidney Cooper famous for? 6. What material is the memorial plaque made from? 7. Are there any paintings by Sidney Cooper in the Sidney Cooper Gallery? 8. Where is the nearest place that you can see artworks by Sidney Cooper? 9. How old was Sidney Cooper when he painted his last piece? 10.Where can Sidney Cooper’s last painting be viewed? 11.What nationality was Sidney Cooper?12.What does the Latin phrase outside the gallery say and mean?13.Where, in the gallery, will you find the answers to most of these questions?14. Is the Sidney Cooper Gallery open on Sundays?15.Do you have to pay to get into the gallery or is it free?16.Who was one of the art school’s most famous students?

Answers:

The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge, CanterburyIt says: ‘Ave, mater angliae’= ‘Hail mother of England’ – the motto of Canterbury.He was famous for painting cattleMary Tourtel, who created Rupert the BearBritish

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NoIt’s free admissionThe Beaney House of Art and Knowledge, Canterbury26th September 180399On the bronze metal plaque above the doorway99. He died 7 February 19021st June 1882Bronze/metalNoThomas Sidney Cooper

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