Art

PHOTO: Johnnyrandom

The five senses are sight, touch, smell, taste and hearing. A person is mindful when they focus one or more senses on a single thought, emotion, flavor, texture, color or sound. Johnnyrandom is an artist and a mindful listener. He pays close attention to the sounds everyday things make. The sounds interest him so much that he records them with microphones, then creates songs.

PHOTO: Johnnyrandom

Bespoken is the name of a song Johnnyrandom created without piano, drums, guitars, or voice. Every single sound was made by a bicycle. Close your eyes and listen mindfully:

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1. What is the main idea of this article?

2. How can a person be more mindful?

3. What does focus mean? Click here for a kids’ online dictionary. Use the word in a sentence with an adverb.

4. Are other animals more mindful than humans? Explain.

5. How is Johnyrandom’s music different from music you enjoy?

6. How is his music similar to what you listen to?

7. If you could create a song with sounds made by a common object like a bicycle, what would it be? Describe what it would sound like. How would you make the sounds?

8. Use the following sentence frame to describe Johnnyrandom: I think Johnnyrandom is (adjective), because…

9. How are you and Johnnyrandom alike (compare)?

10. How are you and Johnnyrandom different (contrast)?

11. How can being mindful make life better?

12. If you could interview Johnnyrandom, what questions would you ask?

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E X T E N D . . . .

1. Close your eyes and listen mindfully to the song. Make tally marks on a sheet of paper each time you hear a new sound. Listen mindfully once more. Analyze the sounds and write down as many adjectives as you can that describe them. Use a thesaurus to discover the perfect word for each sound. Click here for an online thesaurus.

2. Do sounds have color? Can they form shapes? Create a drawing or painting that illustrates the sounds and adjectives from the question above. When finished, click here for a video that shows what sound waves actually look like.

3. A soundscape is a group of sounds that come together to form a setting you can hear. Explore the links to blog posts with sound recordings below. Close you eyes and listen mindfully. Create drawings, paintings or sculptures that illustrate the soundscapes of the recordings.

PHOTO: Cameron Brooks

Have you ever written your name on a fogged up window, or “wash me” on a dirty car? If so, you are a reverse graffiti artist! Many paints have toxic chemicals in them, and brushes are either made using chemicals, or animal hair from hogs, horses, badgers or others. Instead of harming animals and the environment, reverse graffiti removes pollution.

PHOTO: Alexandre Orion

One of the first large works of reverse graffiti was created by Alexandre Orion, an artist from São Paulo, Brazil. Using rags and water, he scrubbed away layers of grime left behind by thousands of cars that drove through the tunnel each day. The local police wanted to stop Orion, but they couldn’t since cleaning is not against the law. Eventually, the city brought in trucks with water tanks and high-powered hoses to clean the walls along the tunnel. They also cleaned up other polluted tunnels in São Paulo. Around the globe, creative people are leaving thoughtful works of art on all sorts of surfaces by simply cleaning away dirt, dust and grime.

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1. What is the main idea of this article?

2. In your own words, write three details that support the main idea.

3. How do reverse graffiti artists create?

4. In the first photograph, why do you think the artist wrote the word listen?

5. Why would the police want to stop reverse graffiti?

6. Why do you think the city government chose to clean the walls in the tunnel?

7. Why do you think Alexandre Orion chose skulls for the polluted walls?

8. Describe places where you live that would make good locations for reverse graffiti.

9. Describe other forms of art that do not harm the environment.

10. Is public art important? Explain.

11. How does public art affect people?

12. If you could have lunch with Alexandre Orion, what questions would you ask him? What would you like to tell him about your creativity?

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E X T E N D . . . .

1. Public art often includes hidden messages that cause people to think or feel a certain way. If you could create public art, what important message or messages would you want to share? Write your message on a piece of paper, then create an illustration that communicates your message.

2. Find a dirty surface and ask an adult for permission to create a piece of reverse graffiti.

PHOTO: Flora Baker

3. São Paulo, Brazil is famous for its vibrant street art. A few areas of the city are completely covered with works like the ones above photographed along Batman Alley. Some artists ask permission to paint on the walls, and some do not. Many city governments choose to paint over graffiti. Should graffiti be allowed in certain places, or nowhere at all? Write a letter to your mayor or commissioner and share your opinion. Use details, facts and examples to support your position.

4. Click here to learn more about Brazil.

Close and Critical Reads

Mindful Listening

Reverse Graffiti