By Rebecca Salmon & Shannon Kopunek
Gender Lines is an introductory course to the relationship between art and gender.
Students are encouraged to question and explore the complexities of living within and outside of the gender binary. They learn about several mainstream and counterculture artists who make art dealing with feminism, restricting masculinity, and queer identity, finding inspiration in their stories.
In the course of the unit, students develop their own voice and personalized identity within the ever-shifting world of gender. They are encouraged to use this in their own artwork to promote positive growth.
The broad question under which the unit is centered is:
What is the future of the gendered body?
Students examine their own understanding of gender and their position along the spectrum of gender identity and expression. They use art to critically explore conventional expectations of the gender binary within the reality of an increasingly fluid, contemporary global conversation. During the course of eight weeks, this unit of study examines these questions with regards to gender:
Section 1: In our lives. How has gender been defined in the past and across cultures?
Section 2: The gender binary in a contemporary context- what works? What doesn’t?
Section 3: Gender and Contemporary Art—How can art impact society’s understanding of gender?
Section 4: What is the future of the gendered body?
Visionary Studio: GenderLines, UnitPlan
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