SOUND
LESS POEMS
I N T E G R AT E D U N I T :
V I S UA L A R T & WO R L D H I STO RY
WRITTEN BY
JOEL BAXLEY
S C E A D I R E C TO R
O F V I S U A L A R T E D U C AT I O N
In this unit, a high school
history class built their
understanding of the
overlapping belief systems
of Song dynasty China
by creating soundless
poems: visual responses
to Confucian, Buddhist,
o r Ta o i s t t e x t s u s i n g
techniques drawn from
Chinese painting and
c a l l i g r a p h y.
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V I S UA L A R T & WO R L D H I S TO RY
CONNECTING
CO N C E P T:
DIVERSITY
S TA N D A R D S
VISUAL ART
N AT I O N A L S TA N D A R D S F O R V I S U A L
A R T E D U C AT I O N
C N 1 0.1
Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
HS II (Accomplished)
Utilize inquiry methods of
observation, reserach, and
experimentation to explore
unfamiliar subjects through
art-making
H I STO RY
T N S TA N D A R D S F O R A N C I E N T
H I STO RY
The student will demonstrate
knowledge of the
civilizations of Persia,
India, and China in terms of
c h r o n o l o g y, g e o g r a p h y, s o c i a l
structures, government,
e c o n o m y, r e l i g i o n , a n d
contributions to later
civilizations.
AH 22 - Describe the impact of
C o n f u c i a n i s m , Ta o i s m , a n d
Buddhism
OBJECTIVES
Students will:
• View and discuss Chinese
paintings from the Song
d y n a s t y a n d a f t e r, f o c u s i n g
on paintings as “soundless
poems”, expressions of ideas
• Explore the expressive uses of
ink and brush painting using
wet on wet and wet on dry
techniques.
• Develop a series of sketches
of metaphorical responses to
selected texts.
• Develop images in response to
C o n f u c i a n , Ta o i s t , o r B u d d h i s t
texts.
• Discuss their visual choices in
Students will:
• Compare and contrast core
beliefs of Confucianism,
B u d d h i s m , a n d Ta o i s m .
• Research these belief systems
through an examination of
Confucian, Buddhist, and
Ta o i s t t e x t s .
• Discuss the role of the “three
perfections” in Chinese
s o c i e t y.
• Write responses to their
own paintings and those of
other students explaining
the images in terms of these
belief systems.
short written responses.
c 2015 Southeast Center for Education in the Arts
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
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V I S UA L A R T & WO R L D H I S TO RY
ESSENTIAL
QUESTIONS:
H O W C A N M A K I N G I M A G E S H E L P U S U N D E R S TA N D ?
ASSESSMENTS:
F O R M AT I V E
Students Demonstrate their level of understanding
through:
• Guided discussions about images of Chinese
landscape, bird and flower paintings, and
contemporary ink and brush work.
• Thumbnail sketches in response to selected texts
f r o m t h e A n a l e c t s , T h e Ta o Te C h i n g , o r t h e
Dhammapada Sutra
• Practice drawings using ink and brush
S U M M AT I V E
Situation:
Students need to demonstrate their understanding of Confucian,
B u d d h i s t , a n d Ta o i s t i d e a s l i k e a S o n g d y n a s t y a r i s t o c r a t .
Product:
A “soundless poem” - a hanging scroll
Criteria:
• Images demonstrate a modulation of line and variation in value.
• Images include wet on wet and wet on dry techniques.
• The images and the composition extend or respond to the
meaning of the chosen text.
• A portion of the text is made part of the composition.
• I n a s h o r t e s s a y, t h e s t u d e n t d i s c u s s e s h o w t h i s t e x t a n d t h e i r
i m a g e i s c o n s i s t e n t w i t h C o n f u c i a n , Ta o i s t , o r B u d d h i s t b e l i e f s
c 2015 Southeast Center for Education in the Arts
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
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V I S UA L A R T & WO R L D H I S TO RY
PROCEDURES
Introduction
T h e c l a s s v i e w s a r e p r o d u c t i o n o f T h e V i n e g a r Ta s t e r s , a n
image that has been repeated by many artists in China. After
students have had time to consider the image, they build a
group interpretation of what they see.
Knowledge / Comprehension
Once their ideas are shared, provide information
on the image: It depicts Three old men tasting
f r o m a v a t o f v i n e g a r. E a c h r e s p o n d s d i f f e r e n t l y
to the taste. Point out that while this is an
i m a g e o f t h r e e o l d m e n t a s t i n g v i n e g a r, i t i s n o t
a p a i n t i n g a b o u t m e n t a s t i n g v i n e g a r. T h i s i s a
painting about belief systems in China. Who are
the three men?
NOTE
T h e V i n e g a r Ta s t e r s
is not a single
painting, but a
subject that has
been painted by
many artists.
•
•
•
Confucius - has a sour look on
his face. What he tastes (the
world) is in need of adjustment.
Buddha - has a bitter look on
his face. For him, the world is
bitter and should be set aside.
L a o Tz u - t h e Ta o i s t i s s m i l i n g .
For him, this is what vinegar
is supposed to taste like. It’s
vinegar!
Discuss the belief systems these men represent.
image reflect what each taught?
Review basic principles of each belief system:
Confucianism - emphasized ideas like:
• L i - P r o p r i e t y, R i t u a l
• R e n - N o b i l i t y, g o o d n e s s , a u t h o r i t y
• Te - m o r a l p o w e r, v i r t u e , o r e x c e l l e n c e
• Ren tao - the way of human goodness
Ta o i s m
• Ta o - T h e n a t u r a l , e t e r n a l , i n d e s c r i b a b l e w a y
• Te - v i r t u e , i n t e g r i t y
• Wuwei - without action; effortless doing
c 2015 Southeast Center for Education in the Arts
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
How does this
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V I S UA L A R T & WO R L D H I S TO RY
Buddhism
• Niepan (Nirvana) - enlightenment; release from desire and
suffering
• Karma - an impact of intentions upon the world
• Fa (Dharma) - the path; study and practice
Soundless Poems and The Three Perfections
D i s c u s s t h e r o l e o f p a i n t i n g i n a n c i e n t C h i n e s e s o c i e t y,
p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t h e S o n g D y n a s t y.
SKETCHING
THOUGHTS
There are two
kinds of painting:
formal, detailed
realistic painting
called gong-bi style
and more informal
sketch-like paintings
that emphasized
expressiveness over
a c c u r a c y. T h i s l a t t e r
style, called xieyi
style painting, or
“sketching thoughts”
is looser and more
expressive.
Because of the focus
of this unit, we
focused mostly on
xieyi paintings.
A cultured individual was expected to be able to do three
things - the three perfections:
• Painting
• Poetry
• Calligraphy
And all three could appear together in one artifact. A painter
might create an image in response to a poem, which would
t h e n b e w r i t te n o u t i n c a l l i g ra p hy o n t h e p a i n t i n g i t s e l f. Th e
c a l l i g r a p h y, a n a r t f o r m o f i t s o w n , w o u l d b e c o m e p a r t o f t h e
composition.
An art student might be tested by being handed a poem and
challenged to paint it.
Cultured men would have social gatherings during which they
w o u l d v i e w p a i n t i n g s t o g e t h e r, s o m e t i m e s w r i t i n g p o e m s o n
teh paintings in response to them. Or they might collaborate
to create artifacts that encompassed all three. The paintings
become “soundless poems”.
View samples of painting from
t h e S o n g d y n a s t y a n d a f t e r.
Discuss the relationships between
image and text. Artists would
create images that might not
literally depict what the poem
talked about. Images could
metaphorically extend the poem
or contradict it.
c 2015 Southeast Center for Education in the Arts
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
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V I S UA L A R T & WO R L D H I S TO RY
A p p l i c a t i o n /A n a l y s i s : A n a l y z i n g t e x t s a n d d e v e l o p i n g i m a g e s
Provide students copies of texts from each belief system:
•
•
•
VIDEO
RESOURCE
To s a v e s o m e
time, students
were provided a
demonstration video
for the techniques
described here, then
allowed to practice
them in class. The
video we used can
be found at:
h t t p : // j f b a x l e y. c o m /
h o m e /d e m o s - a n d model-lessons/
Confucianism - The
Analects
Ta o i s m - T h e Ta o Te
Ching
Buddhism - The
Dhammapada Sutra
Individually or in pairs,
students examine each text.
In notebooks, they should
copy down short passages
that communicate the ideas
discussed under each belief
s y s t e m e a r l i e r. T h e y s h o u l d c o l l e c t 3 - 5 p a s s a g e s f o r e a c h
system.
Then each student should choose one passage from each that
they feel that they confidently understand and could explain
based on the belief system that originated it.
Students begin to brainstorm images that develop or
respond to the ideas in
the text. Remember: Think
m e t a p h o r i c a l l y.
Knowledge / Comprehension:
P a i n t i n g Te c h n i q u e
Demonstrate ink painting
techniques including proper
technique for holding the
brush, how to mix and dilute
the ink, creating a modulated,
expressive line, and effects
that can be achieved with
painting wet on wet.
A p p l i c a t i o n /A n a l y s i s : P a i n t i n g
Practice
Students explore painting
techniques on their own with
f e e d b a c k f r o m t h e t e a c h e r. T h e y a r e e n c o u r a g e d t o e x p l o r e
first the effects of each technique, then to try out these
techniques in developing some of the images from their
sketches.
c 2015 Southeast Center for Education in the Arts
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
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V I S UA L A R T & WO R L D H I S TO RY
Synthesis/Evaluation: Creating a Soundless Poem
Students are shown the long (9x24) sheets of paper that their
work will be painted on. Remind them that for our purposes,
t h e p a i n t i n g s w i l l a l l b e d o n e v e r t i c a l l y.
Students go back to their
sketches and choose one image
from one belief system. Then
they spend time developing how
the images they brainstormed
could be composed to fit a long
vertical composition and what
painting techniques would work
best in the final execution.
Once they have talked over
t h e i r i d e a s w i t h t h e t e a c h e r,
students begin working on the
final paintings.
The teacher should review the criteria for the images
as students begin:
• The image should metaphorically extend
or respond to the text you chose from a
C o n f u c i a n , Ta o i s t , o r B u d d h i s t t e x t .
• Yo u r t e x t m u s t b e i n c l u d e d a s p a r t o f t h e
composition.
• Yo u s h o u l d m a k e u s e o f a v a r i e t y o f v a l u e s a n d
brushstrokes, and if possible, include wet on
wet techniques as part of the work.
When paintings are complete and materials cleaned
up, each student should write a response to the work
that discusses the following:
How does this image respond to the text?
W h a t i d e a s f r o m C o n f u c i a n i s m , B u d d h i s m , o r Ta o i s m
are communicated in this painting?
c 2015 Southeast Center for Education in the Arts
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
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V I S UA L A R T & WO R L D H I S TO RY
M AT E R I A L S & R E S O U R C E S
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Images of paintings from the Song Dynasty and later
that show an interaction of text and image
Paper sturdy enough for watercolor (9 x 24)
Scraps of the same or comparable paper for practice
Ink
Soft haired brushes - Bamboo brushes if available
Bowls for cleaning brushes
Containers for clean water
Paper towels
Sketchbooks or journals
Sullivan, M. (1999). The Three Perfections: Chinese
P a i n t i n g , P o e t r y, a n d C a l l i g r a p h y. N Y : G e o r g e B r a z i l l e r.
Rubenstein, L. (1999). The great art of China’s
‘ S o u n d l e ss Po e m s ’ . F i d e l i o, 8 ( 1 ) , 4 2 -70
Hillwood Art Museum. (2008). The Three Perfections:
P a i n t i n g , P o e t r y, a n d C a l l i g r a p h y. h t t p : // w w w 2 . l i u . e d u /
c w i s /c w p / b u t 0 6 / h i l l w o o d /c h i n e s e /e s s a y s /e s s a y _ 0 3 . h t m l
PRESENTER:
Joel Baxley
SCEA Director of
Visual Art Education
Joel has worked as an artist and a teacher in a
variety of settings. He has created commercial art
and design for print and electronic media, designs
for stage productions, and works of fine art for
show and commission. He has taught children and
adults including experiences as an art specialist,
a c o l l e g e i n s t r u c t o r, a n d a t e a c h i n g a d m i n i s t r a t o r.
He has presented on visual art and arts integration
n a t i o n a l l y, i n c l u d i n g t h e A n n e n b e r g C o n n e c t i n g
with the Arts workshop series.
c 2015 Southeast Center for Education in the Arts
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
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V I S UA L A R T & WO R L D H I S TO RY
ST R E N GT H E N I N G A RTS T E AC H I N G A N D L E A R N I N G
T H R O U G H C O M M U N I T Y- B A S E D PA R T N E R S H I P S
I N T E N T The
arts allow for the exchange of knowledge and
perspectives between people who look and think
d i f f e r e n t l y t h a n o n e a n o t h e r, a n d w e b e l i e v e t h a t i t
is because of these differences that the arts have a
unique benefit on the quality of life.
I M PA C T
We w o r k i n d i v e r s e s e t t i n g s t o c u l t i v a t e a w a r e n e s s
o f t h e i n n a t e v a l u e o f E D U C AT I O N I N T H E A R T S . We
believe quality arts education encourages intellectual,
creative, and personal growth which inspire innovative
thinking and ideas.
I N T E G R AT I O NWe
partner with educators, artists, and communitybased organizations to help people learn in, through,
and about the arts.
For more information about SCEA programs and
services, please visit
w w w . u t c . e d u /s c e a
c 2015 Southeast Center for Education in the Arts
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga