Field Trip

Breaking the Rules in Modern Art

What is “modern” about modern art? Together, we’ll investigate how modern artists broke the rules by embracing the abstract, using innovative techniques, and inviting the viewer to make their own meaning. We’ll lead looking exercises, small-group conversations, and sketching across four or five stops. 

The sculpture is a geometric structure resembling a sphere made up of triangular facets. The triangles are crafted from a translucent yellow material that allows light to pass through, casting yellow patterns on the surface the sphere is hanging from. Some sections appear to be either colorless or have no material in them. In the center, there is a smaller sphere that appears darker, covered by illuminated triangular patterns.
Olafur Eliasson, Thinking Sphere, 2011, stainless steel dark gray backside mirror and colored glass, Gift of The Tony and Trisja Podesta Collection, Washington, DC, 2023.80.2

Grade Level

Subject

Duration

75 minutes

Language

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Looking and Learning Skills

During four or five field trip stops, students engage in activities—such as looking exercises, sketching, and small-group work—that foster conversations around works of art. The following skills are promoted:

  • Make and articulate careful observations
  • Ask questions that demonstrate curiosity and engagement
  • Explore multiple viewpoints 
  • Compare and connect different works of art
  • Reason with evidence from artworks 
  • Develop new ideas about modern art
     

  • In-Person Field Trip Information

    Group size: Up to 60 students
    Length: 75 minutes
    Meeting Location: East Building Atrium

  • Important Scheduling Information

    Field trips must be scheduled at least four weeks in advance. Groups must contain at least 15 students.

    Once your field trip has been scheduled, you will receive an email confirmation within ten business days.

  • Bus Transportation

    Bus transportation is available for DCPS (District of Columbia Public Schools) participating in our docent-led school field trips. Teachers should follow the guidelines to apply for bus transportation.

Examples of Works Featured on this Field Trip

The sculpture is a geometric structure resembling a sphere made up of triangular facets. The triangles are crafted from a translucent yellow material that allows light to pass through, casting yellow patterns on the surface the sphere is hanging from. Some sections appear to be either colorless or have no material in them. In the center, there is a smaller sphere that appears darker, covered by illuminated triangular patterns.
Olafur Eliasson, Thinking Sphere, 2011, stainless steel dark gray backside mirror and colored glass, Gift of The Tony and Trisja Podesta Collection, Washington, DC, 2023.80.2
This sculpture is an abstract piece featuring thin black strips that loop and twist around one another. They create a tangle of curves and edges extending and curling in various directions. Ribbed textures are visible on some of the black strips. On the right, some of the strips have been cut into feather-like triangles and layered over one another among the swirls and loops. The sculpture is mounted on a white pedestal.
Chakaia Booker, Egress, c. 2000, rubber tires, Gift of the Collectors Committee, 2022.82.1
The top section of this abstract sculpture is made up of a vertical, elongated form cast in gleaming brass that swells gently at the center and tapers to a point at either end. Near the bottom point, the form flares out slightly to make a tall, conical foot. This sits atop a short, cylindrical, white limestone base on a wood pedestal. The pedestal is carved to look like a disc at the center flanked above and below by semicircles with the flat edges facing up and down. The sculpture is photographed against a pale gray background.
Constantin Brâncuși, Bird in Space, 1927, brass, limestone, and wood, Given in loving memory of her husband, Taft Schreiber, by Rita Schreiber, 1989.31.3

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