Matrix: Contemporary Printmaking - Museum of Fine Arts - Florida ...

FALL 2009
LESSON PLAN
b. Demonstrate the inspiration of the three works through the artist’s
statement.
“All the matriarchs in my family have been members of the Standing
Rock Indian Reservation in South Dakota. All were sent away to
government boarding schools, to realign their cultural heritage. All became
outsiders in both the native and the white world. Everybody comes to their
own cultural truths, and mine is that I am the product of the government’s
plan to educate the Indian. I can trace my Native heritage back six
generations to Ita ta Win (Wind Woman), born in the 1830’s. If you meet
me you don’t believe I have native blood. This fact, how we view each
other, plays a big part in my image making. Everyone always
misunderstands everyone else. My work is about the difference between
what is true about the unknown and what is imagined. … I combine
personal experiences with fiction, and as a visual artist I incorporate the
passions that drive me personally… .“
—LA
Because her family background mixed two distinctive civilizations, Lynne
uses her artworks to discuss the ways people view one another and the
misunderstanding that may cause in the process. She wants people to
realize the difference between truth and imagination when looking at the
culture and traditions of someone else. She therefore uses the art pieces
to describe real stories from her cultural perspective.
C. Discuss the idea of culture with students.
What is culture? What is tradition?
Do you know anything about your cultural background? Is your
family Italian, Asian, African-American? Does your family celebrate
that background in some way? Explain.
Does your family have its own traditions? Describe a tradition of
your family. Do you enjoy this family tradition or not? Explain.
Think about a symbol that represents your culture or your family.
2. Pass the papers and materials around and have students use the
newspaper and magazine pages to find images to symbolize their cultures
or families.
3. Students will start to collage and create their own cultural icons.
4. Students will use the copy machine to print out their cultural symbols.
5. Have students share and explain their cultural symbols.
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