Emotional Art with Bonnie Lautenberg
Creative Challenge
Look closely at Bonnie Lautenberg's 1960 - Psycho/Franz Kline, Lehigh V Span, an artwork from the Museum's Collection. Then, follow along with the prompts below to explore, learn more, and create an emotional artwork of your own!
Look
- What do you see?
- What colors can you find?
- How do you feel when you look at this artwork?
- What expression do you see on the face of the person in the artwork?
- How are the top and bottom halves of the artwork similar? How are they different?
Learn
- The artist who made this piece, Bonnie Lautenberg, combined two different images: the top is a still photograph from a movie, and the bottom is a painting by the artist Franz Kline.
- This artwork is part of a series by Lautenberg where she combined a movie still with an artwork from the same year.
Think
- Why do you think the artist put these two images together?
- If you could give the artwork a new title, what would you call it?
- What do you think is happening to the character in the top half of the artwork? What do you see that makes say think that?
- What does this artwork remind you of?
Make
- Make your own “emotional” artwork! You will need two sheets of drawing paper and a pencil. You might also wish to use a black marker, black crayon, and/or black oil pastel.
- On one sheet of paper, use a pencil to draw a realistic face expressing an emotion. Outline and/or shade your drawing with black marker. Set this paper aside once you've finished.
- On the second sheet of paper, use crayon or oil pastel to create an abstract drawing that expresses the same emotion as the face you drew.
- Now, tape both sheets of paper together. Choose whether you would like to put the realistic face on top of the abstract art, like Lautenberg, or if you would like to position them differently.
- Choose a title for your artwork and share it with a friend or family member.
Image Credits
Bonnie Lautenberg
b. 1947; lives and works in New York and Palm Beach
1960 – Psycho/Franz Kline, Lehigh V Span, 2019
Archival pigment print, edition 1/6
Accession date: 2022
Gift of the artist
