Teaching and studying the arts is an ever-evolving process of critical thinking, meaning-making and transformative practice. For the purposes of this assignment, I will narrow this scope to the teaching and learning of visual art and its implications on our understanding of culture and the ways in which our emotional selves navigate these spaces. It has been my long-standing belief that all art remains and continues to be the products of our inner thoughts and worlds; how we perceive and interact with forces outside of our inner being. Indeed, it would be difficult to engage with social justice and cultural issues without first reflecting on one’s state of being and minding the beliefs one holds. Therefore, I believe that teaching and studying visual art is important as it engages teachers and learners alike to not only be reflective of their own thoughts and how they perceive the world but being mindful of how other perceptions manifest in the creation of art objects.

Various disciplines have created and fostered diverse ways of seeing and viewing. Literature, math, science, history and other subjects allow people to learn about the world around them. Eisner (2002) argues that by studying and teaching the arts, we are granted “the ability to perceive rather than merely recognize” thus being “[liberated] from the literal” into the world of possibility (pp. 5,10). In essence the arts, specifically visual, grants us lenses through which we view the world, culture and ourselves. This lens is different for everyone as our own lived experiences and beliefs dictate how we see the world, however visual art has the power to not only present our inner selves but the power to see through other lenses as well. This lens being that of the artist and the work that they create. Randolph (1991) furthers this notion through exploring the art object and the interaction between artist and viewer; how viewers engage with the artist’s version of experience through the art object (p. 22). Using a Freudian concept, Randolph argues that “the art object as an interpretable communication” as “art . . . is the ambiguity between the objective and the subjective” (pp. 26, 22). Through her chapter on the amenable object, Randolph explores specifically found objects as art and how both the artist and audience can attach subjective experiences which would differ across the board.

 
By viewing and creating art, one is allowed to explore their own and others subjectivity and perceptions. Subramaniam, Hanafi and Putih (2016) further this notion of how art criticism, an aspect closely tied to the study of visual art, allows students to read images as text and the power that images have as they are “illuminated with cultural and societal values” (p. 57). Students are then able to consider the artist’s role in creating artwork thus allowing them to view the world through another lens that is not their own, specifically through the art object (Subramaniam et al., 2016). Naturally criticism also comes in many fields outside of art, therefore studying art criticism and critiques helps us to engage with views outside our own and the ways in which we can better ourselves. Art criticism within classrooms allows students to not only learn how to draft, revise and edit, a skill important in other disciplines, but come to view others and the different ways they attempted to solve the same problem (Subramaniam et al., 2016). The creating of visual art and taking into account the context of artist, history, culture and many other aspects then can be explored through the next example.

A project, Post Sterotypes facilitated by Yuha Jung (2015) encompasses my arguments of why teaching and studying art is important. Her project allowed students to engage with visual culture in order to express and “deconstruct student’s racial, ethnic and cultural stereotypes and assumptions” (p. 214). Her reason being that her student’s artmaking and reflections are part of visual culture as the images and words they utilize are “historically, politically, and culturally constructed.” (p. 215) Jung’s case study as one of many examples through which teachers can not only foster critical thinking when it comes to issues of social justice but the ways in which we present those issues and how it relates to our inner selves. By engaging with topics of social justice, culture etc., art-making can challenge one’s own perceptions and preconceived notions. However, it is of importance to note that students wouldn’t be able think critically about social justice if it did not make them uncomfortable at one point, or rather have an emotional reaction. It’s my belief that it wouldn’t be possible to create art without having the least bit of personal thought or emotional attachment to it. Although one could argue still-life or other sketchbook-like assignments don’t have the same regard, I would argue that even then, the work one creates from their own hands doesn’t need to have deeper meaning behind it, but rather it is the care that one puts into it that makes it personal. Regardless, the art object is made to provoke thought or create a statement, the art object still allows viewers and artists to connect. This being how the artist utilized their material or the way the art object is presented, it still is crafted towards the artist’s viewing lens that the audience peers through. 

Our class discussion on the program of studies revolved mostly around it’s vagueness and whether it was a positive or negative aspect. I found myself agreeing more so with the positive aspects as the vagueness surrounding the program of studies gave much more breathing room for teachers and the capacities for creating projects tailored for student needs and interests. It notes the “ways in which people express their feelings in visual form” as well as “[seeing], [interpreting] and [making] sense of visual stimuli” as key components in the curriculum (Alberta Education, 1984). In relation to social justice issues and emotional wellbeing, we must be able to account for our own feelings in seeing and making an artwork but also considering other views as well, regardless of the lens we wear. Everyone has a biases and response to artwork, therefore studying visual culture and art criticism, other than creating artwork, is just as important. Both inform one another. Why is an emotional response also important in giving and receiving criticism? It means that one is becoming more aware of not only their own inner selves but the lens they and others wear. In fact, the vagueness within the program of studies is what I believe helps solidify the importance of teaching and studying the arts. As Rob said, he could find science in anything but sometimes he needed another person, in this case an artist who is outside of his own field, to get out of his narrow mindset. Hence why I believe teaching the arts, particularly visual art, should be valued as it presents various ways of seeing the world, culture and other disciplines. 

The metaphor I created is an illustrated self-portrait based on the notion of lenses and visual art giving way to other ways of seeing. It stems from my view as an artist and how others view my work, therefore my experiences, through their own lens, represented by sunglasses. The figure is not colored as I wanted to highlight that at times we only see the surface level around us; how the arts can give color and vibrancy to the world once we know and participate within art. As I open myself up in my artistic practice, I allow viewers to engage with my own experiences, seen through the fragmented images at the bottom. If I didn’t create visual art, one may never have seen those fragments of my inner being. These experiences and thoughts remain fragmented as one cannot fully grasp the entirety of my lived experience, but rather how viewers can find their thoughts reflected through those fragments. The glass sections of the glasses are cut-outs of origami paper. When holding the illustration up, light passes through the thinner paper. Although it didn’t work completely as planned as I wanted to go for a stained-glass color effect. In any case, interacting with artwork in general belies the artists intentions however, the ways in which the audience views and interacts with it remains their own as they view it with their own lens.

In summary, teaching and studying the arts is integral to developing critical thinking and awareness of not only one’s self but being open and seeing the possibilities one has. Learners and teachers cannot be challenged if everyone believed in the same notion or had the same life experiences, thereby interacting with social justice, cultural and societal issues, one can have a greater understanding of themselves and others. Fostering an outlet where one engages with outside forces along with their inner being is one that I find to be extremely important. Putting on other lenses allows us to make connections outside of our being, how we engage with the world and how it manifest in the physical plane; a practice that is facilitated and furthered by the studying and teaching of art. 

References

Alberta Learning. (2000). Programs of Study. Fine Arts available online at: http://education.alberta.ca/teachers/program/interlang.aspx

Eisner, E.W. (2002). The ARTS and the CREATION of MIND. New Haven & London: Yale University Press.

Jung, Y. (2015). Post Stereotypes: Deconstructing Racial Assumptions and Biases through Visual Culture and Confrontational Pedagogy. Studies In Art Education: A Journal Of Issues And Research In Art Education, 56(3), 214-227. Available at http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/ehost/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=bc7d64d7-0319-4a1c-aaef-a6ea7fa131fe%40sessionmgr4010&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=EJ1060213&db=eric

Randolph, J. (1991). The Amenable Object. Psychoanalysis and Synchronized Swimming. (pp. 21-35). Toronto: YYZ Books. 

Subramaniam, M., Hanafi, J., & Putih, A. T. (2016). Teaching for Art Criticism: Incorporating Feldman’s Critical Analysis Learning Model in Students’ Studio Practice, Malaysian Online Journal Of Educational Technology, 4(1), 57-67. Available at http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ1086252 
 

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