Students enrolled in Studio I and Foundation art courses at South High participated in an in-class workshop focusing on the life, art and inspiration of abstract expressionist Willem de Kooning. The students’ original creations, using de Kooning’s technique, appeared in an exhibit at the Long Island Children’s Museum (LICM) in Garden City.
The workshop, titled Willem de Kooning: Reimagining the Figure, was conducted by Lauren Plate, LICM art director, and Stacey Lee, LICM outreach manager.
Ninth and tenth-grade students created an abstract design of the human figure and manipulated their compositions to develop unique representations of people. Students created their initial drawings with charcoal on tracing paper, and then learned how to transfer the images onto canvas. The canvas artwork was enhanced with colorful paint and charcoal in the de Kooning style.
The finished products were included in a monthlong exhibit on Willem de Kooning at LICM this past spring. After the conclusion of the exhibit, the artwork was returned to South High for display.
More than 30 schools and libraries are participating in this community outreach activity through LICM, which was provided free of charge, thanks to funding by the Willem de Kooning Foundation.
