Cyber Studio: Barnyard Friends

Create your own artwork inspired by Robert Rauschenberg's Rabbit Chow and Hog Chow (1977) in MAM's galleries.

Artist Robert Rauschenberg combines found materials and images from popular culture in unusual compositions in order to spark new ideas. 

These two prints are based on collages made from animal feed bags manufactured by Purina Mills. Robert Rauschenberg included other elements like a flower, soda bottle, and tire, but retained the portrait-like images of the animals. 

 

Supplies you'll need

  • Small Cardboard Box 
  • Thin Cardboard (such as a cereal box) 
  • Pencil
  • Eraser 
  • White Drawing Paper 
  • Scissors 
  • Assorted Colored Pencils or Markers 
  • Glue stick 

 

Steps

  1. Think about the different types of animals that you find on a farm. These can include: Working animals, working pet, pasture animals, companion animals
  2. Sketch your barnyard animals on white paper starting with big shapes. 
  3. Add detail and color.
  4. Glue onto thin cardboard then cut around animal.
  5. Cut a small slit in bottom. Then cut out a small half-moon shape from cardboard with a slit on top so that the 2 pieces slide together and the animal can stand up. 
  6. Make as many animals as you like. 
  7. Cut a white piece of paper the same size as the open side of your cardboard box. Draw and color your barn doors, then cut them in half.
  8. Glue doors along the seam on either side of the box so that doors can open and shut. 
  9. Set up your barnyard scene. You can place your structures and animals on paper to represent the color of grass or dirt, and place a color behind to create hills, mountains and sky. 

 

When you are done having fun playing with your animals, you can also store all of the ingredients of your farmscape inside your barn.