Identity Box:
Fred Wilson
12
Identity Box: Fred Wilson
Using Fred Wilson’s curatorial technique and the context of the Harlem Renaissance, each student will create an
“Identity Box” assemblage that reveals something about their personality/character and culture.
TIMEFRAME: MUSEUM VISIT AND (TWO-THREE) 60-MINUTE CLASSES
Lesson Objectives
• Learn how Fred Wilson gives voice and identity to works of art by
giving them a new context and allowing individuals to form their own
interpretation of a piece. Students will learn how Fred Wilson uses
juxtaposition to create interesting dynamics through art installations.
They will be educated on challenging visual relationships, status quos,
history, and social perspectives.
• Discuss why Wilson paired certain historical pieces together, what was
his intended meaning and its connection to the Harlem Renaissance.
Discuss different variables that will encourage finding one’s own
identity, the importance of understanding culture and the contributions
African Americans have made to the Harlem Renaissance, and Fred
Wilson’s contribution to museums, personal perspective, and the larger
historical context.
• Create an Identity Box assemblage of objects that tells a personal story.
National Standards
Materials/Instructional Setup:
NA-VA.5-8.1 • Teacher: glue, acrylic paint,
NA-VA.5-8.3: NA-VA.5-8.4: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and
processes
paintbrushes (various sizes), hot
Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter,
glue gun, Mod Podge, newspaper,
symbols, and ideas
water cans, markers, crayons, and
Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and
colored pencils
cultures
NA-VA.5-8.5: NA-VA.5-8.6:
• Students: Five to seven personal
Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and
objects/images no larger than
merits of their work and the work of others
their hand (no glass/ceramics) that
Making connections between visual arts and other
they are allowed to glue or paint, a
disciplines
shoe or photo box
Georgia Standards
VA7CU.1
Discovers how the creative process relates to art history.
VA7CU.2
Investigates and discovers personal relationship to
community, culture, and world through creating and
studying art.
VA7C.1
Applies information from other disciplines to enhance
the understanding and production of artworks.
VA7MC.2
Identifies and works to solve problems through creative
thinking, planning, and/or experimenting with art
methods and materials.
VA7MC.4
Participates in dialogue about his or her artwork and the
artwork of others.
IDENTITY BOX: FRED WILSON
13
Terminology/Definitions:
ASSEMBLAGE
Assemblages are art creations that consist of a collection
of different materials. These could include wire, wood,
paper, and cloth--almost anything that “fits” the design
and texture requirements of the artist.
CONCEPTUAL
ART
A form of artistic representation, in which a specific
concept or idea, often personal, complex and inclusive,
takes shape in an abstract, nonconforming manner, based
upon a negation of aesthetic principles.
CURATOR
A person responsible for a specific collection in a cultural
heritage institution (such as an archive, a library, or a
museum). The curator specializes in a subject relevant to
the collection and is deeply informed about the content
it contains.
JUXTAPOSITION
An act or instance of placing two things close together
or side by side. This is often done in order to compare/
contrast the two, to show similarities or differences, etc.
IDENTITY BOX: FRED WILSON
14
Artist’s Background:
“I get everything that satisfies my soul from bringing
together objects that are in the world, manipulating them,
working with spatial arrangements, and having things
presented in the way I want to see them.” - Fred Wilson
“Although I have mainly arranged objects created by
others, I have been thinking about relationships and what’s
really important in life. It’s great to create this kind of work
in addition to the museum critique projects. This work of
my own creation is what I am excited about now.”
- Fred Wilson
Fred Wilson is a world-renowned American artist and curator of African
American and Caribbean descent, whose career has spanned the past four
decades. He was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1954, received a B.F.A.
from the State University of New York at Purchase in 1976, and currently
lives in New York City. Fred Wilson has an unorthodox artistic practice of
pairing artifacts found in museum collections in such a way that it leads
viewers to recognize changes in context, thus creating changes in meaning.
Although he studied art, he no longer has a strong desire to make things
with his hands. His interest lies in shaping interpretations of historical
truth, artistic value, and the language of display. Wilson creates mixedmedia installations that reveal how art and culture are shaped by social and
economic structures. He also has formidable narrative skills and a talent for
fashioning installations that reinvent a more powerful interpretation than
individual components. His work challenges viewers to think deeply about
the multi-layered art before them.
Selected works of art:
Fred Wilson installations
Fred Wilson’s installations will be the catalyst for this lesson. Wilson not only highlights the achievements of the African
American artists, but also exposes the plight of a people that helped build this nation. Wilson has paired specific objects
together in order to tell stories about a forgotten, but important journey that led to the Harlem Renaissance. These
stories tell not only of their life struggles, which are poignant reminders of days gone by, but also reveal the significant
contributions this cultural group made to the world of art (ie. literature, drama, music, visual art, dance).
Students will take a journey of self-discovery by exploring and identifying pieces of themselves as they migrate from
the museum to the classroom. By examining their own viewpoints and relationships to others, students will gain a better
understanding of the layers that give dimension to culture; gain an appreciation for artistic diversities; and gain sensitivity
that will allow them to show empathy toward those who are different from themselves. This unit is about allowing the
students to relate, rationalize, and reinvent social and historical norms.
IDENTITY BOX: FRED WILSON
15
Museum Visit/Discussion
Review Historical Context of Evans Collection, the Harlem Renaissance, page ten.
The artist Fred Wilson realizes that many people do not know about the achievements of African American artists. Being
of African American and Caribbean descent, Wilson wants to let everyone know how important these achievements were
not only to his life as an artist and curator, but also to American history. In order to get his message across, Wilson places
objects together in such a way that the group of objects tells a story about the African American journey to freedom.
All of the objects and artwork were created by African American artists and represent a time period that spans from the
late 1800s to the present.
The teacher will look at each installation created by Fred Wilson and ask the students the following questions:
1. Look at this installation for a moment. Describe the objects in this installation
2. How would you describe this scene to a person who could not see it?
3. Are there any people/figures displayed in this scene? How would you describe them? Are they like you or different?
4. How do you think each object relates to the African American journey to freedom?
5. What story do you think Fred Wilson would like us to take away from this scene?
6. How does Wilson’s work reflect his personal identity?
7. What questions would you ask Fred Wilson about this work, if he were here?
For homework, students will need to:
• Write in their sketchbooks, giving a brief reflection about their experience at the museum.
• Bring to class a shoe or photo box along with five to seven objects/images that represent their personality/character
and/or cultural heritage.
Classroom Activities
Discussion/Warm-up:
Teacher will ask the following questions:
• What were some of the objects or stories that you remember from our museum visit? (Students can read or talk about
their reflections that they wrote for their homework assignment.)
• How does Wilson’s work reflect his personal identity?
Instruction/Guided Practice:
• Teacher to ask the following: Look the objects you chose to represent you. What do these objects say about you, your
personality and cultural heritage? Do they represent what is important to you? Your interests, hobbies, and successes?
• The student will need to decorate the inside and outside of the shoe or photo box with color combination or pattern
that best depicts their personality and/or cultural heritage.
• The students will arrange and glue their objects into the box.
Closure:
Students will write a brief summary on the following to share with the class:
• Why they chose the color pattern/combination to represent their personality.
• What meaning do these objects have personally and/or culturally?
Modification for Intelligences
Students who finish work early may have “free draw” time.
IDENTITY BOX: FRED WILSON
16
Identity Box Assessment Criteria:
Following
Instruction
Unsatisfactory (1)
Adequate (2)
Good (3)
Excellent (4)
Student did not listen
Student somewhat
Student demonstrates
Student demonstrated
to any instructions and
listened and abided by
good listening skills
above average listening
disregarded all of the
some of the rules on
and followed majority
skills and exhibited
rules on the museum
the museum tour
of the rules on the
exceptional behavior
museum tour
on the museum tour
tour
Creativity
Planning
Little or no thought
Limited or adequate
Demonstrated good
An “outside of the box”
was put into making
thought process was
thought process and
thought process was
the Identity Box
used to make the
planning was used to
used when it came to
colorful and interesting
Identity Box colorful
make the Identity Box
creating a dynamic
and interesting
colorful, interesting
and uniquely colorful
and unique
Identity Box
The student did not
The student brought in
The student brought in
The student brought
bring in any of the
1 to 2 objects to create
3 to 4 objects to create
in 5 or more objects to
requested materials to
the Identity Box
the Identity Box
create the Identity Box
No attempt to be
Student work
Student is very neat
Student is
neat or use good
somewhat neat and
and demonstrates
exceptionally neat and
craftsmanship skills
demonstrates adequate
good craftsmanship
demonstrates superb
Score
create the Identity Box
Technical
Skills/
Neatness
craftsmanship
Class
Participation
craftsmanship
Student never
Student contributed
Student contributed
Student proactively
contributed to class
to class discussion and
to class discussion and
contributed to class
discussion and critique
critique by offering one
critique by offering
discussion and critique
or 2 ideas, but did not
various ideas, but
by offering a variety
ask any questions
asking few questions
of ideas, making
suggestions and asking
a variety of questions
IDENTITY BOX: FRED WILSON
17