Identity Through Artworks

Overview

Students explore how Basquiat and Reko Rennie use visual conventions (symbols, text, colour, cropping and composition) to communicate identity, voice and meaning. They then generate and develop a short artwork concept using a guided planning process, before producing a finished “cover/thumbnail” and an artist statement.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• investigate how Basquiat and Reko Rennie manipulate visual conventions to represent ideas and identity
• experiment with materials and processes to create meaning through symbol, text and composition
• generate and document ideas for an artwork inspired by these influences
• reflect on feedback from peers to improve choices

Success criteria

Students can:

• identify at least 2 conventions used by Basquiat and 2 used by Reko Rennie, and explain what they might communicate
• create a composition that includes intentional use of symbol and/or text to represent identity
• justify one visual choice (e.g. colour, placement, scale, cropping) using visual arts terminology
• use at least one piece of peer feedback to make an improvement in their final thumbnail/cover

Curriculum links

• Students experiment with visual conventions, visual arts processes and materials to develop skills - Students reflect on how they and other artists respond to influences to inform choices in their own visual arts practice - Students investigate ways visual conventions and processes are manipulated to represent ideas and meaning across contexts - Students generate, document and develop ideas for artworks - Students select and manipulate visual conventions, processes and materials to create artworks that represent ideas and meaning ## Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook (Look & notice). Teacher shows 2 images (one Basquiat, one Reko Rennie) and asks students to write three quick “notice and wonder” notes: symbols/text, colour/line, and where the viewer’s eye goes. Students select one artwork and record their first impressions.

2. 5–15 min · Guided mini-lesson (Conventions → meaning). Teacher facilitates a short discussion using prompts: “What visual language is the artist using?” “What might the text/symbol be doing?” “How does the composition suggest a voice?” Students complete a quick two-column organiser: “Convention” and “Possible meaning”.

3. 15–25 min · Artist-led idea generation (Identity symbols). Teacher models a “personal symbol bank” using 6 prompts (e.g. my nickname, a place I feel safe, a sound I like, an issue I care about, a hero/mentor, an achievement). Students brainstorm symbols, words, and short phrases; they may draw icons, write fragments, or collect shapes from magazines/printed strips.

4. 25–33 min · Planning (Thumbnail plan). Teacher demonstrates a simple thumbnail frame: cropped head/torso silhouette or figure shape, 3–5 symbols/text elements, and one colour emphasis. Students produce a thumbnail (small sketch) and annotate with 3 brief justifications using visual arts terms (e.g. contrast, balance, scale, cropping, placement, rhythm).

5. 33–45 min · Make (Artwork cover). Teacher sets materials table rotation: A4 cover sheet/card. Students transfer their strongest thumbnail into a larger cover using chosen materials (marker + paint, collage + marker, or mixed media). Students build their composition, intentionally placing text/symbols; teacher circulates for in-progress checks and language support.

6. 45–53 min · Gallery walk feedback (Two stars & a next step). Teacher groups students into pairs; each pair swaps covers briefly and provides two specific strengths plus one actionable suggestion (e.g. “Increase contrast behind the text”, “Make the symbol bigger and closer to the centre”). Students record feedback on the back of their cover.

7. 53–60 min · Improve & exit ticket. Teacher gives 7 minutes to make one targeted improvement based on peer feedback. Students add a final quick edit and complete an exit ticket: “One convention that communicates identity is… because…”

Resources

• Printed images of Basquiat and Reko Rennie (at least 1 per group)
• A4 cover sheets or thick paper/card for each student
• Pencils, erasers, rulers (for layout)
• Marker pens (black and at least one contrasting colour)
• Paint (acrylic or poster paint) and brushes
• Coloured paper scraps and glue sticks
• Magazines/printed words for cut-outs (pre-selected, teacher-approved)
• Student “Personal symbol bank” prompt sheet
• Two-column organiser and thumbnail planning template
• Peer feedback slips or worksheet prompts (“Two stars and a next step”)
• Visual arts vocabulary word bank (contrast, scale, cropping, balance, emphasis, layering)

Assessment

• Formative: teacher checks the organiser during Step 2 and the thumbnail annotations during Step 5 using a quick checklist (conventions identified, meaning attempted, terminology used)
• Summative: collected artwork cover with peer-feedback-informed improvement plus exit ticket justification
• Evidence gathered: annotated thumbnail plan, final cover composition, and written explanations

Differentiation

• Support:
• Provide sentence starters for meaning (e.g. “The text may represent…”, “Placing the symbol in the foreground suggests…”)
• Offer a limited set of symbol prompts and pre-printed word banks for students needing scaffolds
• Allow students to choose one primary material focus (e.g. collage-only or drawing-only) if mixed media is challenging
• Extension:
• Challenge students to add an additional layer of meaning using repeated motifs or a secondary colour emphasis and explain it in the exit ticket
• EAL/SEN considerations:
• Accept symbolic/non-verbal meaning (drawn symbols) and allow brief oral explanation to be transcribed by the teacher or written with supported frames
• Use clear visual models of layout (central emphasis + 3–5 elements)

Exit ticket (collected)

• “My artwork uses (convention) to show (identity/meaning). I improved it by (next step).”