Several years ago, I was struggling to start painting again after not painting for years. Although I was an art major and textile designer, painting had taken a back seat to family, work, and life in general. My son created two random generators for me to help me break out of my rut.The first program requires three lists of painters: pre-19th-century, 19th-century, and 20th century. The second program requires three lists of art movements corresponding to the same historical timeframes. (Many of these movements were taken from ISMS: Understanding Art by Stephen Little.) Each program selects one entry from each of its three lists.Your job, or your student’s job, is to research each artist or movement and create a work that incorporates the style and techniques of each selected artist or movement. It works. It not only forces you to look deeper into an artist or a period but forces you to process and repurpose the concepts and techniques of the masters. Try it. You’ll like it.
To get started, choose a link:
When the document opens in Google Drive, click ‘Download’ (the downward-pointing arrow) and then ‘Open with [your default browser].” The program should open in your browser, giving you something like this: “Combine Klee, Manet, and Durer.” To re-run the program to obtain a new combination, simply refresh the screen.You can also download the programs to your computer for easy access and endless entertainment.
