Artist Joseph Breitenbach created surrealist photographs. Surrealism is an art movement that started in France in the early 1900s. Surrealist artists were interested in the creative power of dreams. They often manipulated photography to make it harder to recognize ordinary things. The idea was to unlock the viewer’s imagination. What do you notice about this photograph?
Joseph Breitenbach (American, b. Germany, 1896 – 1984), “Winter Writes on a Railroad Window,” 1951. Carbon print with white ink. 5 1/2 × 4 1/8 inches. Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia; Gift of Jordan Massee. GMOA 1996.186
In “Winter Writes on a Railroad Window,” Breitenbach uses stark contrasts of black and white to make the everyday visual of frost on a window look magical or even extraordinary. What is one word you would use to describe this photograph?
In this activity, you’ll use ordinary objects to create twinkly icicle suncatchers to decorate your windows.
For this activity you will need:
- Yarn
- Tinfoil
- Scissors
- Glue
- Markers, sequins, beads or glitter
To make your twinkly icicles:
- Cut a sheet of tinfoil into long triangles.
- Glue a loop of yarn in the middle of the short side (not the pointy end).
- Roll up the tinfoil into a cone. Crunch it together so that it is thinner on the bottom and wider at the top. What shape do you want for your icicle? Try molding the foil into a swirling design or squeezing random sections for a more geometric look!
- Decorate the icicle with markers or beads. You can also glue on sequins and glitter.
- Hang the icicle in a window and watch as the sun twinkles off its edges.