LESSON 7: PERFORMING AND DOCUMENTING IDENTITY
How can alter egos (or avatars) express aspects of identity?
FEATURED ARTIST:
Lynn Hershman
FEATURED ARTWORK:
Roberta Breitmore, 1974-78
“All the work is about personal empowerment and the autonomous nature of
people.”
“Traditional portraiture seeks to reveal the truth of an individual’s character
and likeness through a stable medium like paint or photography. Roberta’s
persona, however, was animated through the application of cosmetics, applied
to a face as if it were a canvas, as well as through her participation in real-life
adventures.”
- Lynn Hershman
1
CONTENT STANDARDS - VISUAL ART
1.0 Artistic Perception
Grade 6
1.1 Identify and describe all the elements of art found in selected works of art.
1.2 Discuss works of art as to theme, genre, style, idea, and differences in media.
1.3 Describe how artists can show the same theme by using different media and styles
2.0 Creative Expression
2.4 Create increasingly complex original works of art reflecting personal choices and increased technical skill.
2.5 Select specific media and processes to express moods, feelings, themes, or ideas.
2.6 Use technology to create original works of art.
4.0 Aesthetic Valuing
4.1 Construct and describe plausible interpretations of what they perceive in works of art.
4.2 Identify and describe ways in which their culture is reflected in current works of art.
1.0 Artistic Perception
Grade 7
1.1 Describe the environment and selected works of art, using the elements of art and the principles of design.
2.0 Creative Expression
2.3 Develop skill in using mixed media while guided by a selected design principle of design.
2.5 Interpret reality and fantasy in original two- and three-dimensional works of art.
2.6 Create an original work of art using film, photography, computer graphics, or video.
4.0 Aesthetic Valuing
4.1 Explain the intent of a personal work of art and draw possible parallels between it and the work of a recognized artist.
4.2 Analyze the form (how a work of art looks) and content (what a work of art communicates) of works of art.
4.3 Take an active part in a small-group discussion about the artistic value of specific works of art, with a wide range of peer viewpoints considered.
4.4 Develop and apply specific criteria individually or in groups to assess and critique works of art.
1.0 Artistic Perception
1.1 Use artistic terms when describing the intent and content of works of art.
1.2 Analyze and justify how their artistic choices contribute to the expressive quality of their own works of art.
1.3 Analyze the use of the elements of art and the principles of design as they relate to meaning in video, film, or electronic media.
Grade 8
2.0 Creative Expression
2.1 Demonstrate an increased knowledge of technical skills in using more complex two-dimensional art media and processes (e.g. printing press,
silk screen, computer graphics).
2.3 Create an original work of art, using film, photography, computer graphics, or video.
2.5 Select a medium to use to communicate a theme in a series of works of art.
3.0 Historical and Cultural Context
3.1 Examine and describe or report on the role of a work of art created to make a social comment or protest social conditions.
3.3 Identify major works of art created by women and describe the impact of those works on society at that time.
4.0 Aesthetic Valuing
4.2 Develop a theory about the artist’s intent in a series of works of art, using reasoned statements to support personal opinions.
4.3 Construct an interpretation of a work of art based on the form and content of the work.
4.4 Develop and apply a set of criteria as individuals or in groups to assess and critique works of art.
2
Grade 9-12 Proficient
1.0 Artistic Perception
1.1 Identify and use the principles of design to discuss, analyze and write about visual aspects in the environment and in works of art, including their own.
1.5 Analyze the material used by a given artist and describe how its use influences the meaning of the work.
2.0 Creative Expression
2.3 Develop and refine skills in the manipulation of digital imagery (either still or video).
2.6 Create a two- or three-dimensional work of art that addresses a social issue.
4.0 Aesthetic Valuing
4.1 Articulate how personal beliefs, cultural traditions, and current social, economic, and political contexts influence the interpretation of the meaning
or message in a work of art.
Grade 9-12 Advanced
1.0 Artistic Perception
1.1 Analyze and discuss complex ideas such as distortion, color theory, arbitrary color, scale, expressive content, and real versus virtual in works of art.
1.2 Discuss a series of their original works of art, using the appropriate vocabulary of art.
2.0 Creative Expression
2.1 Create original works of art of increasing complexity and skill in a variety of media that reflect their feelings and points of view.
2.2 Plan and create works of art that reflect complex ideas, such as distortion, color theory, arbitrary color, scale, expressive content, and real
versus virtual.
2.6 Present a universal concept in a multimedia work that demonstrates knowledge of technology skills.
3.0 Historical and Cultural Context
3.2 Identify contemporary artists worldwide who have achieved regional, national, or international recognition and discuss ways in which their work
reflects, plays a role in, and influences present-day culture.
4.0 Aesthetic Valuing
4.1 Describe the relationship involving the art maker (artist), the making (process), the artwork (product) and the viewer.
4.2 Identify the intentions of artists creating contemporary works of art and explore the implications of those intentions.
4.3 Analyze and articulate how society influences the interpretation and message of a work of art.
Grades 9-10
Grade 8
Grade 7
CONTENT STANDARDS - LANGUAGE ARTS
Writing Applications
2.0 Genres and Their Characteristics:
2.1 Write fictional or autobiographical narratives.
Writing Applications
2.0 Genres and Their Characteristics:
2.1 Write biographies, autobiographies, short stories, or narratives.
Writing Applications
2.0 Genres and Their Characteristics:
2.1 Write biographies, autobiographies, short stories, or narratives.
3
LESSON 7: PERFORMING AND DOCUMENTING IDENTITY
How can alter egos (or avatars) express aspects of identity?
PERSONAL IDENTITY
OVERVIEW:
Through an extended performance, Roberta Breitmore, Lynn
Hershman’s alter ego, explored issues of gender identity. Hershman
re-photographed photos to document her performance and altered
them using mixed media. The altered photographs are among many
other documents of the project. Students will invent an alter ego or
fictional person that speaks to an identity issue they think is relevant to
contemporary society and will write from, perform, and document that
identity.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Students will discuss the usefulness of an alter ego for exploring issues
of identity.
MATERIALS:
Transparencies of
Roberta Turning Blue, 1976
Overhead projector
Digital cameras
Video recorder
Computers with software for graphic
design (e.g. Adobe Illustrator),
photo-editing (e.g. iPhoto or Adobe
Photoshop), and video-editing
(e.g. iMovie)
Students will discuss the documentation of an extended work of
performance art.
Printer
Students will analyze how an artist uses different media to express the
same theme or message.
Other materials (paint, painting tools,
markers or other writing tools,
adhesives) for mixed media
compositions
Students will analyze the use of mixed media to convey a theme or
message in a single image.
Students will explore issues of identity by inventing, performing, and
documenting a fictional identity.
Students will use multiple media to create a work of art that
communicates a message about identity.
Students will apply mixed media techniques expressively in a work of art.
Students will use technology to create a work of art.
TIME:
6 - 8 class sessions
KEY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
What is an alter ego and what purpose(s)
might it serve?
5.
How does the artist use multiple media to
express the same theme or idea?
2.
3.
What do you notice in this work?
6.
How does your knowledge of the context of
production affect your interpretation of the
work?
4.
How are mixed-media techniques used by
the artist to convey an idea?
7.
Is the artist’s use of multiple media effective?
What is involved in the creation of an alter
ego or an avatar?
4
LESSON 7: PERFORMING AND DOCUMENTING IDENTITY
How can alter egos (or avatars) express aspects of identity?
PERSONAL IDENTITY
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE:
DISCUSS:
Ask students to describe what an alter ego is and to talk about
various reasons people may have for creating an alter ego.
Have any of them ever developed an alter ego? What about an
avatar in the virtual world? Describe the personae created.
What are some of the abilities or character traits your alter
ego/avatar possess that you do not? Why is this useful?
Ask students to brainstorm a list of famous alter egos (e.g.
Superman/Clark Kent) in literature and popular culture. What
purpose does the alter ego serve for each person on the list?
What can the alter ego do that the character cannot? Do you
think the alter ego is necessary? Describe how the personalities
and appearances of each character are similar to and different from his or her alter ego.
Project transparency of Roberta Turning Blue, 1976
Tell students this is a reproduction of a 1976 work by the artist Lynn Hershman.
Ask students to describe what they see. Students may identify a black and white photographic portrait of a woman
from the bust up with handwritten text and paint over the image. They may note that she appears to have blond hair
and wears a dark ribbed sweater. They may discuss that her head and upper torso are all that are shown. Students
may talk about the position of the woman’s body in the image—her hands are behind her neck with her elbows
pointing slightly out, and her head is tilted forward.
Ask students to look at the features, stance, and clothing of the figure in the image. What assumptions do they
make about this person based on these characteristics?
Ask students to describe the ways in which the photograph is altered by the application of paint and text. Students
may mention the use of green and yellow paint over portions of the hair, or the use of blue paint with red highlights
to articulate the facial features. Students may note the unreadable yellow text on the upper portion of the image, the
text across the upper chest of the figure that is slanted up towards the left, and the text that follows the contours of
the head.
Ask students to discuss what ideas and feelings the paint and the text convey. How do these alterations affect their
interpretation of the photograph?
5
LESSON 7: PERFORMING AND DOCUMENTING IDENTITY
How can alter egos (or avatars) express aspects of identity?
PERSONAL IDENTITY
Tell students that this is an image of the author as Roberta
Breitmore, a fictional identity or alter ego that Hershman began
to perform in 1974. It is one of many pieces of documentation
of the project, which lasted from 1974 to 1978.
Ask students what they would do if they wanted to create an
assumed identity. How would they establish that identity? In
what ways would they transform themselves? What would this
transformation allow them to do that they can’t do now?
Tell students that the artist used costumes, a blond wig, and
makeup to transform into Roberta Breitmore, who came to life
when she arrived in San Francisco on a Greyhound bus in
1974. She had her own apartment, an employment contract,
credit cards, a driver’s license, dental records, and psychiatric
charts. She also had a personal history invented by Hershman. In addition to all the records that accumulate through
daily life in society, Roberta’s existence was documented with video, drawings, photographs, and voice and
handwriting prints.
On September 24, 1975, an ad appeared in the San Francisco Progress that was somewhat unclear in its purpose:
“WOMAN, Cauc. Seeks bright companion to share rent & interests.” Roberta would correspond with the people who
responded to the ad, and would even go on up to three dates with respondents, who did not know that they were
meeting and socializing with a work of fiction. Roberta’s behavior was guided by her fictional history. These meetings
were surveilled and photographed. Photographs recording Roberta’s activities, along with photographs that show
the artist transforming into Roberta, are part of the documentation of the performance. Some, like this one, were
re-photographed by the artist, printed on a larger scale, and collaged and/or painted with notations.
In 1975 the artist Spain Rodriguez was commissioned by Hershman to create an 8-page comic strip of her
adventures; the drawings were made from the photographic documentation and the reworked photographs. In 1977,
Hershman hired three additional women to perform as Roberta Breitmore, creating multiples who transformed
themselves with wigs, costumes, and makeup identical to those used by Hershman. Each Roberta had two jobs and
two home addresses, one for themselves and one for Roberta. The multiples also corresponded with respondents to
the newspaper ad and went on “dates.” They were also recorded via photography and audiotape. All four Roberta’s
existed at the same time until Hershman stopped performing as Roberta a short time later. In 1978, the M.H. de
Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco hosted an exhibition titled Lynn Hershman is Not Roberta
Breitmore/Roberta Breitmore is Not Lynn Hershman. There was a look-a-like contest held in conjunction with the
exhibition in which many participants (male and female) transformed themselves into Roberta.
6
LESSON 7: PERFORMING AND DOCUMENTING IDENTITY
How can alter egos (or avatars) express aspects of identity?
PERSONAL IDENTITY
Ask students to describe what makes up an identity. Students may discuss physical traits and how those traits
are determined, behaviors, religion, socio-economic status, family background, and numerous other ideas.
Tell students that Lynn Hershman was a wife and mother by the time she initiated this project in the 1970s.
Roberta was a single woman with no children. In an essay published by the artist in 2005, Hershman writes,
“Roberta and her multiples revealed what it was like for a single woman to forage for herself in the San Francisco
Bay Area during those tumultuous years of societal change.”
Ask students to discuss what they know about societal changes related to the roles of women in the United
States during the 1960s and 70s. During the late 1960s, a wave of feminist activism was sparked by the civil rights
movement and anti-war protests. This activism took many different forms and was very visible in American society
in the 1970s. Attention to the discrimination against women in the workforce and in education were important
aspects of the activism during this period.
Ask students why they think Hershman might have created Roberta Breitmore. What do they think the purpose
of Roberta Breitmore was? Why perform as a single, unmarried woman at that cultural moment? What ideas about
identity was the artist trying to convey through her performance and her documentation of the performance?
Ask students to discuss the effectiveness of the artist’s use of multiple media in conveying her message.
Ask students to discuss the potential drawbacks of an alternative identity. What impact might an avatar or alter
ego have on your life and your understanding of who you are?
Tell students that in November of 1978, Hershman staged an exorcism at the Palazzo dei Diamanti (the
museum of modern art in Ferrara, Italy) that marked the end of the performance of Roberta. The Palazzo dei
Diamanti was built over the crypt of Lucrezia Borgia, the daughter of a famous Renaissance family who has a
reputation in history as a femme
fatale. Images related to the exorcism and other Roberta Breitmore
documentation can be viewed at http://www.lynnhershman.com. Hershman created and performed an elaborate
ritual at a meaningful site in order to expel Roberta’s identity.
WRITE:
“AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL” NARRATIVE
Ask students to create an alter ego or fictional identity that will allow them to address an issue related to
identity (religious, racial, gender, sexual, political, socioeconomic) that most concerns them. Students should
brainstorm to develop the traits of their alter egos/fictional identities.
7
LESSON 7: PERFORMING AND DOCUMENTING IDENTITY
How can alter egos (or avatars) express aspects of identity?
PERSONAL IDENTITY
Tell students to write a narrative from the perspective of their alter ego or fictional identity. The narrative should
relate an “adventure” and convey an experience within contemporary society that highlights a relevant identity
issue.
CREATE:
PERFORM AND DOCUMENT A FICTIONAL IDENTITY
Ask students to brainstorm issues of identity (e.g. racial, religious, gender, cultural, sexual, political,
socioeconomic) that they think are significant and problematic in contemporary society. Divide students into groups
and ask them to come to a consensus on an identity issue they would like to explore in a work of art.
Tell students they will work in groups to establish, perform, and document a fictional identity. Documentation of
the transformation and the performance of this identity should incorporate at least three different media. Media
should include at least one photograph and one mixed media composition (the photograph may be used in the
mixed media composition).
Ask students to discuss the traits they will need to establish in order to create and perform a fictional identity (e.g.
the person’s background, physical appearance, behaviors, mannerisms, current situation, and other outward
markers of identity).
Tell students to plan how they will perform this identity and how they will document the performance and show
the transformation. Documentation should incorporate multiple media—video, photography, painting, drawing,
sculpture, collage, text, and/or the use of online applications—to create an avatar. Students should determine how
much documentation is necessary to convey the meaning of the performance and their message. Encourage
students to use technology to create as well as alter their documentation. Students may wish to explore Lynn
Hershman’s website (http://www.lynnhershman.com) to see a more comprehensive collection of Roberta
documentation and to get ideas for their own work.
Ask students to make a list of the materials and
equipment they will need to perform and
document their identity prior to beginning.
Facilitate the production process and distribute
materials as needed.
8
LESSON 7: PERFORMING AND DOCUMENTING IDENTITY
How can alter egos (or avatars) express aspects of identity?
PERSONAL IDENTITY
Critique:
Display the projects in the classroom. Ask students to discuss the content of each work and to articulate the
message they believe is conveyed. Ask the class to critique the effectiveness of each group’s use of multiple
media to communicate a message about identity. Students should discuss the effectiveness of individual
documents and the presentation as a whole.
LESSON EXTENSION #1:
Explore Roberta Breitmore
Ask students to further explore Hershman’s Roberta Breitmore by viewing additional documentation of the
performance on the artist’s website: http://www.lynnhershman.com/. Tell students to identify an image that he or
she feels is particularly revealing of either Roberta (the alter ego) and/or the artist. Students should answer the
following questions about the image they select: What type of document is it (e.g. a photograph)? How does it
relate to the performance as a whole? What does it reveal about identity? Why do you think it is particularly
effective?
LESSON EXTENSION #2:
Exhibition of Women Artists
Tell students that one of Hershman’s current interests is the history of feminist artists, which will be the subject of
a documentary she is creating. Tell students to research other women artists from the second half of the 20th
century. How do other artists address issues of gender and sexual identity in their work? Students should identify a
work that they believe is particularly effective in addressing this issue. Students should create a classroom display
by printing a digital image of the work they have selected and making a museum label to accompany the image.
Labels should include the name of the artist, the title of the work, the date of the work, collection information, and a
short statement that describes the work and identifies its significance in relation to the theme of identity.
9
LESSON 7: PERFORMING AND DOCUMENTING IDENTITY
How can alter egos (or avatars) express aspects of identity?
ASSESSMENT:
Did students discuss the
usefulness of an alter ego for
exploring issues of identity?
Did students discuss the
documentation of an extended
work of performance art?
Did students analyze how an
artist uses different media to
express the same theme or
message?
Did students analyze the use of
mixed media to convey a
theme or message in a single
image?
Did students explore issues of
identity by inventing,
performing, and documenting a
fictional identity?
Did students use multiple
media to create a work of art
that communicates a message
about identity?
Did students apply
mixed-media techniques
expressively in a work of art?
PERSONAL IDENTITY
RESOURCES:
Lynn Hershman Leeson
http://www.lynnhershman.com
http://www.fondation-langlois.org/html/e/page.php?
NumPage=168
Feminism/Women’s Liberation Movement
http://www.jofreeman.com/feminism/liberationmov.htm
http://userpages.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/
identity_pol.html
Women Artists
http://www.uwrf.edu/history/women/womenc2.html
http://www.nmwa.org/
Performance Art
http://wiki.media-culture.org.au/index.php/
New_Media_Art_-_Performance_Art
iPhoto
http://www.apple.com/ilife/tutorials/
iMovie
http://www.apple.com/ilife/tutorials/
Adobe
http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tutorials.html
http://www.illustratortechniques.com/
Did students use technology to
create a work of art?
10
LESSON 6: EXPLORING IDENTITY THROUGH SELF-REPRESENTATION
How do we define ourselves and communicate these definitions to others?
PERSONAL IDENTITY
VOCABULARY:
Alter ego:
a second self, another side of one’s personality, or an intimate friend who seems almost a part of oneself
Avatar:
in the world of computing, an online or in-game persona—a representation of the user
Exorcism:
a ritual to expel or banish an oppressive or troublesome being
Femme fatale:
a fatal woman; a seductive woman who leads men into danger
Performance art:
an art form that features the body of the artist engaged in performance of action(s)
Re-photography:
often refers to taking pictures of the same subject at different times to examine change over time; in this case
it refers to taking a picture of an existing photograph
Second wave feminism:
a period of feminist activity from the late 1960s through the 1970s that emerged from the civil rights and
anti-war movements of the 1960s
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LESSON 7: PERFORMING AND DOCUMENTING IDENTITY
How can alter egos (or avatars) express aspects of identity?
PERSONAL IDENTITY
WHO IS LYNN HERSHMAN?:
Lynn Hershman (now Lynn Hershman Leeson) was
born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1941 to an Orthodox Jewish
Family. At the age of eight, she was enrolled as a
French major in an experimental program at Case
Western Reserve University. After graduating at age 12,
Hershman went on to high school. She later returned to
university and graduated from Case Western in 1963
with a degree in education, museum administration, and
art. She was married in 1963, and she and her husband
moved to California when they were awarded
fellowships at the University of California, Berkeley.
They soon quit the program and moved to Los Angeles
in 1964. After having a daughter and recovering from a
long illness, Hershman moved with her family back to
Berkeley in 1968. She received a Master of Fine Arts
(MFA) degree from San Francisco State University in
1972.
After returning to the Bay Area, Hershman began to
experiment with sound and other materials not typically
associated with artmaking. In the early 1970s, she
created a number of installations in unconventional
places like hotel rooms, department store windows, and
even a prison. The use of masks and personae were often incorporated in her early work. Hershman founded the Floating
Museum in 1974, which sponsored public and site-specific installations and encouraged artistic practice in nontraditional
forms. Although she has worked in various media including painting, sculpture, assemblage, video, and performance, her
reputation as an artist was established by her performances and performance-based installations in the 1970s.
Hershman’s interests shifted to video in the 1980s, but her work continued to explore issues related to the nature of identity
and how identity is constructed. Hershman is considered a pioneer in “new media” art—she created one of the first
interactive artworks on videodisk, the first artwork to use a touch screen interface, and one of the first robotic art
installations. She also creates net-based art. She has made feature films—Conceiving Ada (1997), Teknolust (2002), and
Strange Culture (2007), which screened at the Sundance Film Festival.
Hershman is Chair of the Film Department at the San Francisco Art Institute and has been a professor at the University of
California, Davis, and Cornell University. Her artwork can be found in the permanent collections of numerous museums
and has been shown in solo and group exhibitions in galleries and museums around the world since the 1960s.
Lynn Hershman
Roberta Turning Blue, 1976