Inspiration: On a recent trip to Washington, DC I noticed that the Washington Monument is getting a face-lift. To protect visitors during this years-long repair process, visually attractive scaffolding made of aluminum and heavy-duty gray blue netting was put in place. The Princeton, New Jersey architect Michael Graves is credited with this design. This thoughtful visual covering has a very similar impact as the large-scale wrapped work of Bulgarian-born artist Christo.

The aim of this project is to have my students increase their understanding of Christo and his work. This project was also motivated by my fascination with how a three-dimensional structure's form can be visually changed.

Visual Problem: Students will view an assortment of pre-wrapped objects, select one, and create two drawings of it. The first drawing will be a pencil value study in two stages, the first stage being the unknown object in its wrapped state, and the second stage the object in its revealed state. A second image will then be developed in mixed color which shows the qualities of the visually combined form presented in the pencil drawing.

Start up Activity: Share the work of Christo and the dynamic sculptural qualities that have emerged from his use of scale. Talk about Christo's early attraction to wrapped objects and specifically how form changes and becomes visually altered when it is covered. See how mysterious the form is in the wrapped state as the viewer tries to discern the contents of the package. Have students notice the relatively simple materials that Christo uses to create his bold images.

I decided to use tools as the wrapped subjects of this project. The tools chosen were an electric drill, electric circular sander, electric jig saw, large wooden clamps, cross cut hand saw with miter box, electric circular saw, and electric vibrating sander. These objects were pre-wrapped in white cotton sheet material using clothesline. The subjects are completely disguised, appearing as packages with their contents hidden.

The element of surprise works well for this project, so it is important the wrapped forms are not handled by the students. Each form is placed on a sheet of 18" x 24" black paper in the middle of each drawing table. This offers visual contrast but also establishes an imaginary boundary as the students are told not to handle the object.

Students will use a variety of drawing pencils. Explain that H pencils indicate a hard graphite and will produce light gray lines. B, 2B, 4B, 6B pencils refer to softer grades of graphite (getting softer as the number gets higher), producing richer dark grays to black. All work needs to be done using very sharp pencils.

Materials: household objects/tools white sheet for wrapping or an old white T shirt section of rope (clothes line) white vellum paper 12" X 18" Portfolio Series drawing pencils (2H through 6B) Portfolio Series colored pencils tracing paper

Book Resources:
Christo, by Lawrence Alloway, Published by Harry N. Abram, Inc., Publishers, New York, New York "The World of Art" by Martha Richler. National Gallery of Art, Washington DC Scala Books, London, England Magazine Resource: Art and Man Magazine, "Working with the ideas of Christo" -- April/May 1985 Vol. 15, No. 6. Published by Scholastic under the direction of the National Gallery of Art

Process:
Students first decide which object they find most visually appealing to draw. Using an H or 2H pencil, their first drawing beings in light line and includes the contour of all edges including the folds and clothes line. This image should compositionally fill the 12" by 18" inch white vellum paper. They will then continue to fully develop the complete value range in one concentrated area. This focused area can fade into the light contour line drawing. When this completed value area (approx. 5 inch area) is finished, the object is unwrapped. The student continues to draw the revealed object in the same composition. It will look like the material is somewhat transparent as they draw the actual object.

Have students realize that this is not intended to be a loose sketch but a rendered, focused observation of the object. Good drawings come from close observation and using a range of pencils to build up the gray tones while creating contrast. Value study drawings are created with a series of marks, hatching, and cross hatching using a wide range of drawing pencils. No smudging is permitted because it detracts from well-drawn rendered images.

The wrapped and unwrapped first image is created in drawing pencils. The second combined image is developed in a choice of blended colored pencils or water color. Students may use tracing paper to capture the essence of the subject matter from their first drawing. A light line drawing is desirable so that the graphite will not mix into their chosen media.

Encourage students to mix color and be very expressive in order to increase their understanding of how color can be personalized. Students are also instructed to change the density of the media through layering. This will add to the richness of the work, as the forms alternately show solidity and transparency. This concept works particularly well in the folds of material, and adds contrast to the subject matter. Visual unity is also stressed, to be revealed as the students decide on the color scheme and repetition of various color densities.

Student Choices:
which object to draw deciding to do two complete value images (one wrapped, the other unwrapped) before beginning the combination how to creatively combine images media and mixing of color

Evaluation:
Students are evaluated on the quality of the observational drawing, for the degree of value, neatness, and strong composition. The final image is evaluated on the use of blended color, the balance seen in the wrapped and unwrapped object, and overall visual impact. Ask students: What was the most difficult aspect of this project? Did not knowing the contents of each package make the process more visually engaging? Can you see how the form can be completely changed by wrapping it with a simple piece of material? Which of your images demands greater attention from the viewer? Why?

Time:
1 period to introduce the project and begin contour line of overall shape 12 class periods to develop the value study which includes the wrapped and unwrapped image 9 class periods to develop the second color image (46 min. periods) Observations and Results:

The wrapped objects had the "Christo" look, but on a miniature scale. The mysterious aspect created motivation for this highly focused drawing project. Storing seven wrapped objects on a daily basis was easy as they were placed on drawing boards and moved to the side of the room between classes. Each was marked and placed in the same location each day before class so the students could sit in the same location and not handle the wrapped packages. Some students could figure out the contents of the wrapped object but I did not reveal them. I shared the idea that the object in its wrapped state was more visually interesting and engaging than in its unwrapped state. The element of surprise is experienced in unveiling the form. Students finally saw the object they had been drawing for days in its visually altered state. Some students choose to complete two value images, one in the wrapped form and one in the unwrapped form, before combining them in the final color image. They felt it was easier to fully concentrate on the drawing, leaving the creative combination until last. This was made easier by suggesting that they focus on one significant area during the second unwrapped image, instead of fully developing the entire second image. In the end, all students understood that the deadlines remained the same whether they had one value study or two before the color combination. Getting students to progress slowly and thoughtfully was a challenge. The initial aim was for a well-articulated image, which could not be done quickly. This visual problem contributed significantly to the learning process by helping students understand and increase the use of both value study and mixed color.

Conclusion:
When this project was introduced, many of my high school students looked at Christo's work and asked: "Is this really art?" I no longer feel the need to defend this question, having led students into an experience that reveals qualities about the thinking of the artist.

Christo intended to provoke reactions by seeing the commonplace in a new perspective. So did the students' creative imagery engage the viewer. Through this visual problem, they gained a greater understanding of how any subject can change form when it is disguised. Their work, like Christo's, became visually engaging as well as striking.

National Standard
Analyze relationships of works of art to one another in terms of history, aesthetics, and culture, justifying conclusions made in the analysis and using such conclusions to inform their own art making.