Unit 6: Depression and World War II (1929–1945)

Classroom Discussion  What is your favorite food?  Would you want to eat it for every meal for the rest of your life?  Why or why not?

Classroom Discussion (cont.)  If you could take a vacation, where would you go?  What would you do?  Would you choose to stay home?  Would you choose to attend school?

Variety  What is variety?  Is variety important to you?  Can you think of any examples that illustrate society’s desire for variety?

The Spice of Life Repetitiveness can become boring and dull. Consider how often people –buy new clothes –redecorate –change jobs –participate in new activities Many people also join new social circles for a change of scenery.

Variety in Art  Most artists use contrasting elements to incorporate variety within their work.  Try to identify the variety, or contrasting elements, used in the paintings.  Pay special attention to color, texture, and shapes.

A Vanitas Still Life, Pieter Claesz. Oil on panel.

Texture Smooth Soft Brittle Color Black White Shapes Rectangular Round Linear

The Bridge, Joseph Stella. Oil and tempera on canvas.

The Bridge, Joseph Stella. Oil and tempera on canvas. Colors: white, black, blues, and oranges... Shapes: round forms, vertical lines, and curves... Textures: smooth cables, sharp edges...

Painting vs. Other Media  You just viewed two paintings and identified the variety found in each one.  Artists working with pigment can create diversity using different colors and application techniques.  How might variety be captured in other media, such as photography or sculpture?

Examine the Art  The following painting was created by Horace Pippin.  Pippin served in World War I with a segregated African-American unit.  His work illustrates the experience of war.  Try to identify the variety he captured in his painting The End of the War.

The End of the War, c Horace Pippin. Oil paint on wood.

What Did You Notice?  Look over the painting.  Note the contrasting elements that are present.  Share them with your class.  What elements in The End of the War provide contrast and variety?

Variety in the Art Compare the texture of the grass and trees to the texture of the planes and soldiers. What do you notice about the gray-clad soldiers compared to the brown-clad soldiers? Orange flames and explosions contrast with the colors in the rest of the work. Note that there are many shapes within the painting and on the frame.

Respond to the Art  What is depicted in the painting?  What message might the artist be trying to present in The End of the War? Explain your view.  How might you compare the painting to the poem “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” in your textbook?

Extension Activities Locate other works of art (including photographs and three-dimensional work) and identify the variety they contain. Analyze The End of the War in relation to the poem “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner.”