Artist:

SheilaPepeborn1959inMorristown,NJworksasanartistandeducatorthatresidesin
Brooklyn,NewYork.Herworkincludeslargeinstallationpiecesmadefromcrocheting
materialsthatareindustrialanddomestic.Sincethe90s,Pepehasbeenworkingto
achieveavoiceonfeministandsocialissues.Thefocusresidesinconservingthe
traditionalpracticesofcraft.Shehasreceivedanumerousamountofawardsincludinga
JoanMitchellScholarshipin2009anda2013ArtistInResidencyforSiena,Italy.Pepe
hastaughtsince1995andservescurrentlyasprofessorattheRhodeIslandSchoolof
DesignandthePrattInstitute.

PutMeDownGently
,2014
YoMama
,2009
Josephine
,2000

CulturalFramework:
Whataresomeoftheshapesthatyousee?
Whatistheartistusingasmaterial?
Arethematerialsbeingusedinatraditional,nontraditional,orboth,way?
Howdoesthepieceevokeemotion?
Isthereasocialclassorspecificgenderbeingrevealedinthework?

ArtistCriticism:Artwork
Whoknewsuchasimplematerialcouldtakeonesofar?SheilaPepe,anartist,sculptor,
andprofessorproducesinstallationworkoutofshoelacestocreatearchitectural
spaces.Thelargepiecesaremadeupofshoelacesthatarecrocheted,freely,overandover
againtocreatedifferentshapesthatoverlap,askilllearnedfromhermother."Iamnota
counteranditdoesn'tmatter,Icanmakemistakes.Embeddingfailureisattractivetome,"
saysPepeinaninterviewwithJessicaHemmings.Thus,theartistembraces
imperfectionsandusesthattoheradvantagewhenartmaking.TheYoMamaexhibition
in2009broughttogethernotonlyPepe,butalsootherartists.Theyeachcreatedapiece
tocontributetotheoverallinstallationwhichbroughtattentiontofeminism,womanhood,
andagainasenseofcommunityandtradition.Theworkstravelfrombeingasmall,
intimateprocess,toalargerelementwhichoverwhelmsandservesasawayforviewers
tolookcloserandponderwhatsheistryingtoportray.Invaryingcolors,Pepereferences

herfeministundertonesandbuildsspacesforpeopletointeractwith.Challengingthe
identityofatraditionalmaterial,laces,Pepewantstochallengetheartsocietyby
providingadifferentdefinitionforfineart.

ArtistCriticism:TheWorld
FeminismoccursfrequentlywithintheworksofSheilaPepe.Duetothenaturalhistory
ofknittingandcrocheting,womanhoodplaysanintegralroletoalloftheartproduced.
Feminismemergedasawaytocreateequalrightsthroughthewholerealmforwomen.It
canoftenbecriticizedforitsfocusonmiddleagedwhitewomen,butfurtherresearch
claimsthatthereareseveralkindsoffeminismrepresentedinothercultures.Specifically,
though,referringtoAmericanfeminism,andtherolethatSheilaPepehasplayedinit,
thisartistusesherbackgroundandpersonalexperiencestocontinuetoadvocatefor
women.Alongthoselines,knittingandcrochetinghistoricallyoccurredasapracticethat
womenwerealwaysdoing.Thispreservation,inaddition,addstotheworkofSheila
Pepe.ShealsotakesonaDuchampcharacteristicassheusessimpleshoelacestocreate
piecesoffineart.Thischallengesthecriticsoftheartworldinquestioningtherolethat
craftsplay.Pepecontinuestothisdaytoworkandthedrivingforcethatoccursstill
dealswithsexuality,identity,andtradition.

Feminism:

theadvocacyofwomen'srightsonthegroundsofpolitical,social,and
economicequalitytomen
Installation:
anartisticgenreofthreedimensionalworksthatareoftensitespecificand
designedtotransformtheperceptionofaspace.
LandArt:
buildinginstallationsthatshapeearth,wood,waterorothernaturalelements
intoworksofart.Longingtoworkinanoutdoorenvironment

ArtHistory:EvaHesse

Areweworthyofthisstruggleandwillwesurmounttheobstacles.Wearemorethan
dilettantessowecantevenhavetheirsatisfactionsofaccomplishment.Themakingofa
prettydresssuccessfulpartyprettypicturedoesnotsatisfyus.Wewanttoachieve
somethingmeaningfulandfeelourinvolvementsmakeofusvaluablethinkingpersons.
(Lippard205)

SheilaPepewasheavilyinfluencedbytheworksofartistEvaHesse.Hesse,originally
rootedinpainting,createssculptorschargedwithsexuality,emotion,andstruggle.
Comingoutofthe1960s,shewasoneofthefirstartiststobeworkingwithorganic
formsandpartofthefeministmovement.Duringthistimeofrevitalization,artists
focusedonbringingnewmeaningtomaterialssuchasrubber,felt,andwaxtocontrastto

traditionalmaterials.Theartistsrejectedtheminimalistandpopartqualityandcrafted
anothermovementtocenteraroundtheopposite.

SubjectiveFrame:
Whatisyourfirstimpression?
HowdoEvaHesseandSheilaPepecomparesimilaranddifferent?
Whatdoestheline,color,andspacedotothevisuallanguageofthepiece?
Arethereanypiecesofinformationthatstimulateacertainmemory?
Doesanemotionalpullexistbetweenyouandthepieces?
Whereelsewouldthesepiecesexistiftheywerentinagallery?

ArtHistory:AndyGoldsworthy
AndyGoldsworthisanotherexampleofaninstallationartist.Hecreatessitespecific
piecesoutinnatureandalsousesphotographythatworksasawaytodocumentthe
ephemeralprocess.Goldsworthystates,
"Ithinkit'sincrediblybravetobeworkingwith
flowersandleavesandpetals.ButIhaveto:Ican'teditthematerialsIworkwith.My
remitistoworkwithnatureasawhole.Heillustratesthenatureoftheworldby
repetitionofshapesinsimpleforms.Hisprocessesemergedandwereinspiredfromthe
landartmovementinthesixties.

StructuralFrame:
DescribethevisuallanguagethatcolorandlineportraywithintheworksofAndy
Goldsworthy?
Whatmaterialsandorprocessesisheusing?
Isthereasenseofcontrolwiththeelementsandprinciplesofdesign?
Whatdoyouthinkabouttherepetitionofcircularforms?
Wheredothesecircularformstakeyou?Toanotherdimension?Environment?
WhatdoesAndyGoldsworthyworkhavetodowithpassageoftime?
Istimeanimportantcomponent?
Whatcharacteristicsdotheartists,EvaHesse,AndyGoldsworthy,andSheilaPepehave
incommon?Whatdotheysharedifferently?

Artmaking:
Studentswillcreatesmallcrochetpatternsusingstringanddifferenttechniquesto
developavariationinlanguage.

Studentswilldrawoutthumbnailsketchesoutoftheshapesthattheyseefrom
crocheting.

Studentswillplaywithshapesandrearrangethepiecesinordertoseerelationships
betweenthetwo.

Studentswillthendevelopasmallmodel,usingthepatternsthattheyalreadyknitted,and
makeasmallscaleinstallation.

Studentswillcreatealargerpieceworkingwithgroupsoutofstringorothermaterialthat
theywishtousethatwillfocusonthehistoryofmaterialandhowthatfunctionsina
societytoday.

ArtistResearch:
SheilaPepe:installation,sculpture

References:

www.sheilapepe.com
http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/feminist_art_base/gallery/sheila_pepe.php
Hemmings,J.(2011).LaceasStructuralSolution.
SurfaceDesignJournal
,
35
(3),1621.

Formative Assessment:
InProgressDiscussion

Teacherwillchecktheprogressionoftheproject
Teacherwillaskhowthestudentsarefeelinguponthework
Teacherwillgivesuggestionsdependingontheinitialanalysisofthestudentspiece
Suggestionscaninclude:
o Aesthetics
o Thinkingaboutaudience
o Reflectinguponcontent/context
o Askingquestionsreferringbackupontheframes
Teacherswanttosimplyhaveaconversationwiththestudentuponthework

PreliminarySketchesandBrainstorming

Thiswillincludeaworksheetthatasksstudentstosketchandbrainstormideasforthe
finalinstallation
Listofmaterials
Prompt:

Studentswillcreateinstallationartworksbaseduponthesocialissuesthat
AndyGoldsworthyandSheilaPepefocusonintheirwork.Theirpieceswillcreate
awareness,stimulatedialogue,andencouragetherespectforthesystemswecoexistwith.

Writtenparagraphsonmockettes

Thissectionincludesstudentsprojectproposals.Theywillbeaskedtorelatebacktotheir
mockettesandalsowhattheyhavebrainstormedandsketchedoutintheprevious
assessmentlistedaboveusingvocabularydiscussedinlecture.

PreliminarySketchesandBrainstorming/MaquetteResponse:

Seeattachedphotoforpreliminarysketchesandbrainstormingideas
Listofmaterialsinclude:
chickenwire
string
recycledfabric
hairextensions
recordtape
leaves

SummativeAssessment

Presenting:
Conveymeaningthroughthepresentationofartisticwork.

VA:Pr6II
Make,explain,andjustifyconnectionsbetweenartistsorartworksandsocial,
cultural,andpoliticalhistory.

Objective:
ByconnectingtheworkofSheilaPepeandAndyGoldsworthytosocialand
culturalissues,studentswillbeabletoconveymeaningthroughanartwork.

SummativeAssessment:

ArtistsStatement:

Thisworksheetshouldincludethefollowingquestionsinorderforstudentstobeginto
formulateartiststatements.

describeyourwork
whatisthestatementthatyouaretryingtomakewithyourwork?
whatwereyourinfluenceswhenmakingthework?
howdidyouusetheelementswithintheworktomakethatstatement?
howdoesyourworkreflecttheworkoftheartistswestudied?

FinalCritiqueDiscussion:

Thehandoutgiventothestudentsforfinalcritiquepertainstonotonlygroupdiscussion,
butalsoreflectionupontheprocessoftheendresult.Questionswillbegivenouttoeach
groupsothattheyareabletobegindiscussiononthepiecesofartworkfrompeertopeer.

Questionsincludethefollow:

describeyourworkwhataresomeoftheelementsandprinciplesofdesignthat
youused?
whataretheinfluencesbehindthepieceonasocialandculturallevel?
wouldthemeaningoftheworkchangeifputintoanothercountry/

areyouportrayingacertainemotionorfeeling?
discussandlistthematerialsyouusedandwhy?
ifyoucouldtitleyourworkofart,whatwouldyouandwhy?
howdoesthisrelateorpertaintoyou?theworld?peoplethatareviewingit?\
areyousatisfiedwiththeoutcome?whyorwhynot?

ArtistsStatement:Response
Here,thematerialsbeingusedarefromanatticintheartistsfriendsgrandmothers
home.Thisgoestodemonstratetheabundancethatcertainmaterialsmaydevelop.The
piecesareoldcurtainsbutcomeintoanewfiberbeingdisplayedinadraped
contemporaryway.Sotherefore,thevisualrepresentationtakesonnewmeaning,butthe
messagesbehinddonot.Thispieceindicatesthepreservationofmaterial,tradition,and
memories.Itlookstorecallcertainsmells,actions,andmomentssharedwithothersasa
viewerwalksthroughthework.Lacecarriesonalonghistoricallinetowhichmany
thingssuchasweddings,dresses,housingdecorations,allofthesethingsalign
themselvesbacktolace.Thus,usingthismaterialreflectsuponbothartistssuchasSheila
PepeandAndyGoldsworthybyreferencingthataspectofpreserving,butalsothatability
torealizethesematerialsmaybeforgottenordisposedoflateron.
FinalCritiqueDiscussionResponse:
ThetitleoftheworkIwouldusemightbeWeFallintoPatternstooQuicklywitha
lookatthepatterningofthelaceandintricatedesigns,butalsogettingatasocietal
problemoflivingsosystematically.Constantly,peopleareneedingacertainlevelof
familiarity,control.But,itsinteresting,becausethepieceseemscontrolledyetchaotic
andthesametime,complex.

Perhapstheworkwouldchangeifitweretobedisplayedinadifferentcountryorplace.
Forexample,thetraditionsofAfricancultureandthoseofChileworkinvaryingways
duetothehistoryofthecountries.Evenmore,thedisplayoftheworkinsidecomparedto
outsideonatreeorwallinthecity.Theenvironmentchangesthepiecedramatically.