Week 2 The sketch book/ drawing book/ the journal

1. Introduction and Outline of Class

Absurd ABC
• ABC’s are interesting cultural artefacts, that reflect the values and concerns of the culture that they come from. We’d like you to make your own ABC book, using a4 paper folded in half to make a book of as many pages as you wish.

• You may want to make a straight ABC with simply picture of things that start with each letter of the alphabet or you might want to use it to write a dictionary of critical terms that relate to you art practice, or something in between. Either way it is important that it is not just a normal ABC for kids, rather it should be your ABC. Make it a peculiar and particular ABC, that reflects your engagement with the world as well as your response to the process of drawing.

• You will need to research to generate or collect the words and images that you are going to use. You may use any medium or technique to produce your ABC, including, things like collage, drawing, or using computers to produce images or typography.

2. Class Aims

• Introduces the idea of working in book form

• Encourages student to collect together information useful for their own practice, including critical terms

• An introduction into systems of value and the act of drawing/producing art as a way of translating and creating value.

• Introduces the notion of the absurd as an artistic tool

3. Independent Study, (Description of task)
• Finish your ABC book by the following class.

4. Intended Student Learning Outcomes of the Course (objectives)
By the end of the session students will:

• Be familiar with and critically engage in the discourse surrounding drawing at an introductory level.

• Have developed a studio practice, which incorporates acquisitive, open-ended and self-reflexive learning.

• Be familiar with the principle of a self-directed practice at a basic level


5. Relevant Bibliography
• Paul Noble
• David Shrigley
• Dr Seuss
• Formless a User’s Guide
• Vitamin D
• Grays Anatomy
• Ubuweb(for links to the historical absurd)
• Surrealist drawings
• Bibliography for library and net reference

session contacts- dan@naturalselection.org.nz, johnwardknox@gmail.com