Lesson 1: Intuitive Response

Procedure

1. Review the definition of intuitive response with the class and explain to students that intuitive response shapes much of what we value—our likes and dislikes. Explain to them that this is an important part of enjoying artwork and key to formulating our critical and aesthetic responses, which we will be doing in subsequent lessons.
2. Introduce the unit by showing students slides 1-5 of the PowerPoint: Critical Response.
3. Print out and hang or project digital images of Andy Warhol’s Silver Liz and Willem de Kooning’s Woman VI on a wall. Explain to students that they will be using a process of point/counterpoint to compare and contrast two artworks. This critical thinking technique teaches students that it is important to consider multiple viewpoints when interpreting and responding to artwork.
4. Use the Intuitive Prompts handout to generate intuitive responses to the artworks. This handout may be shortened for time constraints: pick two or three prompts instead of all five.
5. Ask students to share their writing with the class.
6. Collect these responses from your students when they are finished and hand them out again later in the unit as they write their formal criticism in Lesson 5.

Wrap-up

When all students are finished presenting:

• Review the definition of intuitive response with students.
• Ask students to brainstorm other scenarios in which they might have formulated an intuitive response (to music, movies, the theater, etc.).