The Big Idea:

Does exploring alternative identities help us understand who we are?

Activity overview

Artists may invent alter egos, or alternate identities, as part of the artistic process. (An alter ego itself is, in a sense, a kind of artwork.) Artists may imbue their alter egos with hopes, dreams, and fears that they want to address. In this activity you will create your own life-size alter ego, using mixed media, as a new tactic for exploring identity.

Look closely

Click on each artist button at right to view detailed screens about the artist and his or her works. Be sure to click on all images, view all videos, read all documents, and use the zoom tool to look closely at the works of art.

In this activity you will:

1. look at alter egos created by modern and contemporary artists
2. create your own alter ego
3. present your alter ego to the class

You will be graded on:

1. notes on the artists in Making Sense of Modern Art
2. originality, quality, and attention to artwork design
3. presentation and participation in class critique
4. written reflection

New terms:

alter ego