New Figuration, 1985
Tony Cragg (British, born 1949)
Plastic wall construction
Gift of the New Art Collectors 1986.22.2.1-.164

Classroom Writing Prompts:

1. Our lives are made up of little bits and pieces. Some good, some bad, think about the things that make up your life. Think about the people, places, times and places, events happy and sad. Make a list of the bits and pieces of your life, then choose one or more and write a tale of the wonderful person that is you. (Personal Writing)
2. WOW! This person is so bendable! Think of a time in your life when you were going in one direction and suddenly had to make a change. Write a one page essay about changes in your life. (Personal Writing)
3. You have just discovered an old concrete tunnel half buried underground in your neighborhood. You look inside from the safety of the outside and see this relief attached to the wall of the tunnel. Who put it there? What does it mean? Why is it inside an abandoned tunnel? Write a one page story about your discovery and what happens when you tell a local art museum about your neighborhood “art”. (Literary Writing)
4. Wandering around the Speed museum late one afternoon, you suddenly come upon this relief. The color and design draw you closer to it. Standing there, you are mesmerized by the pieces of plastic, the flow of the design. You blink! Did the figure move? There is goes again! Movement! As you watch in amazement, the figure turns to you and says, “Hi there, what’s your name?” You begin a wonderful conversation with the painting until a museum guard comes up and asks you what you are doing. Write a story about your experience and include in it your conversation with the figure. Make sure you give the figure a name. (Literary Writing)
5. This is the still life for a new animated commercial. Think about what the figure looks like and decide what it is going to be advertising. Create a dialogue for the figure to be saying to an audience promoting its product. (Transactive Writing)
6. Ipod is considering using this figure in its next ad campaign. Draw up a proposal of how this figure could promote one of the new Ipod products. (IPhone, Nano, Shuffle, Ipod classic) If possible, make a drawing of how the figure could be shown using the product. (Transactive Writing)
7. Your class has just returned from a visit to the Speed Museum where you saw “New Figuration” for the first time. You overheard one of the chaperones complaining about “how can they call that art?” Write a one page persuasive essay giving reasons why this piece of art fits the criteria for art. (Transactive Writing)

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