Letter by Letter
This activity is part of the PMA’s virtual
April School Vacation Week.
Jeffrey Gibson (United States, born 1972), PEOPLE LIKE US, 2018, glass and plastic beads, tin, copper and gold-finished jingles, artificial sinew, quartz crystal, silver-coated copper wire, druzy crystal, nylon thread, nylon fringe, acrylic felt, acrylic paint, repurposed wool blanket, recycled jersey stuffing, rawhide, steel rods, wood block, 60 1/2 x 24 1/2 x 14 inches. Gift of Crewe Foundation and Family, 2019.13. Image courtesy of Roberts Projects © Jeffrey Gibson. Portland Museum of Art, Maine.
The title of this work by Jeffrey Gibson is PEOPLE LIKE US. In this activity you will delve deeper into looking at the artwork and thinking about its title. Jeffrey Gibson often incorporates text into his works of art to give them meaning. The phrase here references the 1965 print titled people like us yes by artist and activist Sister Corita Kent. Gibson was very inspired by her prints, which often included social messages and calls for action against injustice. Sister Corita Kent once said “When art has changed, it’s because the world was changing.”
What you’ll need:
Lined notebook paper
a pencil
Directions:
Spend some time observing the artwork paying attention to feelings, thoughts, and questions you have about the work of art and/or its title. What are you curious about?
Now let’s get writing!
On the left side of a lined sheet of paper, write out each letter of the title PEOPLE LIKE US with one letter on each line. So, the first line should just have the letter ‘P.’ The row below it should just have the letter ‘E’ and so on, until the entire title is spelled out vertically on the left side of your paper.
Your paper should look like this:
P
E
O
P
L
E
L
I
K
E
U
S
Once your title is written out, observe the artwork again. Using descriptive words, observations, or adjectives, write out a word for each letter in the title. For example, for ‘P’ you might write words like Playful, Pink, or Powerful, depending on what you see. For ‘L’ you might write Little, Lines, or Legs. Be creative. Be descriptive. Write what you see and feel.
Go down the list in order (or not) and write descriptive words about the sculpture for each letter of the title. If you get stuck on a letter, don't worry! Ask a partner, or write a question you have in that spot. This is all about observing and writing down your thoughts.
Once you have done this, read each word out loud or share with someone near you. If you did this with someone else, how are their words different than yours? Did you write any words they also wrote? Compare your words and try this activity again, challenging yourself to find new words that describe the sculpture.
Why do you think the artist titled this sculpture PEOPLE LIKE US?
Break down the title even further. Who are the PEOPLE Jeffrey Gibson might be talking about? Who is US?