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Collaboration Lesson 3: Artist Examples

Andy Warhol’s Artistic Practice of Collaboration

Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Collaboration (Dollar Sign, Don’t Tread on Me), 1984-1985, ©AWF

Students discuss and analyze the multidisciplinary collaborations that Warhol had with writers, scientists, engineers and artists. Students investigate the creative process of contemporary artists working collaboratively.

Suggested Time Frame:

Collaboration PowerPoint: 15 minutes
Class discussion: 5-10 minutes
In-Class assignment: 15-20 minutes
Group presentations: 20 minutes

Total time: 1-1½ class periods

Objectives:

Students discuss and understand the interdisciplinary nature of Andy Warhol’s collaborations with writers, engineers, musicians and artists
Students analyze Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat’s collaborative process
In small groups, students read and discuss the context of Warhol’s collaborations with Pat Hackett, Billy Kluver, The Velvet Underground and Jean-Michel Basquiat
Students draw conclusions about what makes a successful artistic collaboration

Procedure

Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Collaboration (Crab), 1984-1985, ©AWF

Materials:

Collaboration PowerPoint	Laptop/computer	Digital projector
Handout: Warhol & Basquiat	Pencils & Marker	Chalkboard or large piece of paper
Activity/Homework Handout

Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Ten Punching Bags (Last Supper), detail, 1985-1986, ©AWF

Collaboration Presentation

Present and Discuss PowerPoint: Andy Warhol’s Collaborations.
Discuss the following questions:

- Why was it important for Warhol to collaborate with a variety of people?
- Why was his studio both his “work space” and “play space”?
- How did social interaction help Warhol’s artwork?

Read the Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat Handout and answer the comprehension questions at the end of the handout.
Photocopy and distribute the following quote about the working relationship between Warhol and Basquiat:

For an artist, the most important and most delicate relationship he can have with another artist is one in which he is constantly challenged and intimidated. This is probably the only productive product of jealousy. The greatest pleasure is to be provoked to the point of inspiration … Jean-Michel and Andy had achieved a healthy balance. Each one inspired the other to out do the next. The collaborations were seemingly effortless …

Keith Haring (1988) on the successful collaborative working relationship between Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat

Discuss the class’s collaborative practices:

- Do you agree that being “challenged and intimidated” during collaboration is important? Why or why not?
- Did each student inspire the other to “out do the next”?
- Why do you think Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat worked this way?

POPism: The Warhol Sixties (cover), by Andy Warhol and Pat Hackett, 1990

Activity or Homework

Print out and make copies of the Activity/Homework Handout for students.
Break students into small groups and have them choose one of the following collaborations to read about:

- Andy Warhol & Pat Hackett: Literary Collaboration
- Andy Warhol & Billy Klüver: Art and Science Collaboration
- The Velvet Underground: Music, Film, Performance Collaboration

Have students answer the comprehension questions at the end of the handouts.

Assessment

Warhol Education Rubrics

Click the Warhol Rubric headers below to reveal associated rubrics to which this lesson applies.

Critical Thinking

	Developing	Emerging	Proficient	Advanced	Exemplary
CT.2	Contextual Thinking: Conducts analysis of contextual information to determine relevant and logical reasoning that supports their decision process and opinions.	Has a hard time identifying relevant contextual data.	Understands data and make decisions in varying contexts with greater accuracy.	Utilizes contextual data skillfully to form logical arguments and relevant explanations.	Understands data and make decisions in varying contexts with greater accuracy.	Utilizes contextual data skillfully to form logical arguments and relevant explanations.
CT.3	Connective Thinking: Able to think critically across professions/practices	Sees little or no connection between art making and other professions and or subject areas.	Identifies some practices that are shared in artmaking and other professions/subject areas.	Makes important connections between art making and other professions/subject areas.	Compares and constrasts artmaking processes with processes in other disciplines.	Applies knowledge of cross-disciplinary practice to create innovative work.

Communication

	Developing	Emerging	Proficient	Advanced	Exemplary
CO.1	Reading: Comprehension of textual information	Comprehends the literal meaning from a range of texts about a work of art, an artist or concept but is still working to grasp big ideas and varying points of view.	Identifies some big ideas in various texts and is beginning to distinguish between fact and opinions within the text.	Identifies significant big ideas and is able to makes connections between the themes of texts and more complex cultural issues related to a work of art.	Taps into prior knowledge and supports thinking beyond the text with specific evidence from the text or personal knowledge about a work of art.	Displays original thinking about ideas in texts and makes these ideas relevant to the work of art or concept at hand.

Creative Process

	Developing	Emerging	Proficient	Advanced	Exemplary
CP.6	Observation: Experiencing works of art.	Description of visual data is inaccurate and is unaware of an artist's methods and creative intent.	Recognizes an increasing number of formal elements in works of art and attempts to interpret them using a wider range of perceptual methods.	Identifies significant qualities of an artwork and employs a wide range of sensorial and aesthetic methods to explore their own intuitive and aesthetic responses.	Compares and contrasts the aesthetic qualities of an artwork or visual data to infer meaning in a sophisticated manner. Is able to express own experience of visual data or a work of art creatively.	Conveys a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of an artwork. Able to hypothesize about the artist’s intent and to ask relevant questions for further research or inquiry.

Historical Context

	Developing	Emerging	Proficient	Advanced	Exemplary
HC.4	Interpretative: Able to synthesize facts and opinions in own interpretation of historical/cultural significance.	Possesses a limited ability to develop an opinion about how an artwork relates to historical events and/or current events.	Recognizes multiple points of view about a historical event.	Forms opinions on the importance of events in history in relation to a work of art or to an artist’s process.	Synthesizes facts and opinions in own interpretation of the historical/cultural significance of a work of art.	Integrates historical/cultural evidence in unique interpretation of artwork and future implications (impact, effect, role) in society.

Media and Related Items

Presentation

Collaboration PowerPoint

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National Visual Arts Standards

21st Century Skills Standards

Pennsylvania Visual Arts Standards

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