Shaping Meaning

Susanna Stevenson, Notan, 2009

My Shaping Meaning Project Idea:

 I have included a link on the sidebar (Interpreting Shaping Meaning) for you to explore my thought processes before I came up with the project idea described below.

While considering what to do for this project of Shaping Meaning, I came across Notan Art. It is the Japanese word for the interaction between dark and light. It's the ability to see things in terms of black and white, and to consequently build strength in imagery. When compositions work in black and white--they work. I began to think about how the Japanese view this Notan concept and the importance of building strength in imagery in regards to the concept "shaping meaning". I wanted a lesson in which students were left with the decision open to themselves as to how far they wanted to take this--how far they wanted to go in creating their own meaning.

There are two types of notan--planned notan and developmental notan. Planned notan is often figured out in a preparatory sketch, or is "ready made" in the subject matter. The "plan" is to use a simple square and all of the negative cuttings to create a collage.

For this lesson I am choosing to take the developmental approach to Notan art. Students will be guided with the common thread of silhouettes and shaping meaning in combination with the Notan technique, but the rest is up to them in terms of design, layout, and imagery.