Thank you for all of your incredibly interesting introductions.
We are well represented across a k-college spectrum in terms of teaching and
learning. With the semester project, you will have an opportunity to make art
and write about your art as well. We will talk about that later.
Week 2’s readings are from Weintraub:
Weintraub, Linda To life!
Eco art in pursuit of a sustainable planet: Complete the Personal Survey on
pp. 321-322. Read: Preface; Art Genres; Art Strategies; Eco Issues; Eco
Approaches; Introduction; Eco Art Is; Eco Art Is Not (pp. xliii to 18) AND
Weintraub, Linda To life! Eco art in pursuit of a sustainable planet:
Read: Introduction; Eco Art Themes; Eco Art Aesthetics; Eco Art Materials (pp.
19-52)
(I'm using Kindle version--follow
titles and not page numbers--it will all work out.)
This is the week where I have
doubled the readings to fit in all of the books this semester because the fall
semester is shorter than a spring semester. It’s the first part of the book
that is more tedious, but the micro histories and intro material is very
important and actually quite interesting.
I will pose separate
questions/posts that you may respond to. Those prompts/questions are below and
you can answer them right underneath each question. Keep in mind, that I'd like
you to respond a minimum of four times per week. Some of you
will be early posters; some of you will post late. I expect everybody to read
ALL posts. That may mean looking back to finish reading late postings for a
week. Remember, you have from Wednesday to the following Friday to post. That's
an extra two days. I will usually post new week on Thursdays.
Keep in mind that you do not have
to respond to every post or question I make. Oftentimes, I will create many
questions; one reason I do that is to appeal to what you might be interested in
posting about. Feel free to create your own questions based on your interested
and reflections on the readings.
Also, you may have to wait a day
or so to reply to other posts. Do not post four posts in a row just to get it
over with--wait and see how others are responding--that way we can generate a
non-synchronous discussion.
As you have seen, it is possible
for you to upload images to this blog. As far as I know, there are two ways.
The easiest is to go to new post in the upper right hand corner and create a
post where you can upload images and add text. Let’s do that if you ever have
to upload anything. The sidebar to the right follows in chronological order, so
we should be ok.
So, in review, all of us are
authors. If you want to post an image, create a new post (look to the
upper right hand corner of blog), and upload an image (330K or less; jpegs
work); when you create a new post you can see all of your options.
You will notice that I will write:
Post marker.--that is
to let me know how far down I have read on the blog. That’s just for me. If you ever fall behind, post a
missing week in the current week--just let us know you are doing that.
Any questions?
A little
more about our first book. Much of the info/strategies/words in this book will
be fairly new to you. All I ask is that you be open to the new information.
This will be my fifth read of this book. For most of you, this will be your
first read. I like this book because it offers other ways to look at art and
artists as research. It offers newer methods for creating research, new categories:
bio art, etc. And, since many of you are making art or interested in beginning
to make again, this first book is fascinating in scope, sequence and
content—and research strategies. We are
engaged in reading about how Weintraub theorizes the possibilities of eco-art
and politics. This has always been the case when writing about histories of
arts. Weintraub writes in a fairly
accessible manner--she wants us to get it; she wants us to become part of some
of these changes. Often, theory books are so dense it's impossible
to understand what the author is writing about. Weintraub systematically
discloses for us keys and ideas to help us become part of a mission to create
change in ourselves and our communities--not just a style. That is partly what
is revolutionarily interesting of this book for me.
I think back to some years ago in
an outreach course that I taught at Tech, a Visual studies class team-taught an
entire elementary school for a semester that didn't have an art teacher. I
recall how two students, Rachel Jones and Vida Weekley, only developed projects
repurposing everything or making their own paper for example. All of their
projects were directly related to the environment or recycled materials. Our
classes were usually 45 minutes long, but their 4th grade cooperating
classroom teacher let them make art with the kids all afternoon. They made dyes
from vegetables. They were practicing some of the tenets that Weintraub is
espousing.
Just a few comments once again from
last week's postings—just lovely introductions. As you will see with our second
book, I want you to invite your life and art and issues into this classroom.
Some, maybe many of you, are new to blogging. For me, this is a more democratic
way of engaging online—as we are all authors. In Blackboard for example, it’s
more about surveillance and when people respond. Here, I just want you to be as
honest and open as you can be. Hopefully I/we will draw more questions than
answers.
As far as semester projects go,
many of you could create something from your intros. For example, Candace/Candie
was talking about her classroom/school project of cleaning part of a desert.
That could well become an MAE project. Just documenting everything. This is
just to get people thinking about the semester project. Projects often come
from our back school and home and community yards. You could do one of the
following. Keep in mind, that both making art and/or examining teaching
practices (or making art or writing about art or doing both) are ways to create
research or to continue research on something you've already started whether it
is related to making art or studying some aspect of art or visual arts or
visual cultures. If you have an interest in creating art or a project based on
a principle we read about--that is legitimate. That’s why we are reading the
books, to influence us or at the very least to have some kinds of impressions. Making
art and writing about it is a call to action. You could also decide to keep a
visual/digital journal of your process, for example; a mapping; or create or
document actual lessons or problems in your own lessons and ways you are
rethinking responses--you don't have to have it all figured out.
We are mainly using this book as
a theoretical lens to think through other spaces to create change. Eco art is
one way--making art/making social/cultural/arts change. Examining a teaching
practice is another way. Weintraub is giving us a structure and vocabulary to
link us back to the ground we stand on everyday day. I think this will be
enjoyable. So many of you already have a deep respect for the land and people.
That's primary.
I'm reminded of a children's book
about a cat, where the human says to the cat, to come into my house--my world.
And the cat replies, come into my house, my world--the cat's house is the
outdoors, it is nature. The human could only see her house as a legitimate way
to live or house (I’m using house as a verb). The cat reminded her that all of
nature is home to all sorts of creatures. (The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside)
I will post some questions.
Weintraub covered a great deal of histories and definitions. Don't worry if you
didn't get them or understand them all. We get to go through artists next where
everything is applied. I am very excited about that. Just keep in mind that the
terms Weintraub is using are legitimate ways to describe research; art as
research; or reflecting about teaching as research. The latter about teaching
qualifies in lots of methodological ways--action research, reflective research,
autoethnographic research, and qualitative research. Google some of those
approaches to give you a glimpse of the multiple ways to think about and write
about art and teaching. My intent is that we are using the Weintraub book
because many teachers join our MAE program
because they want to make art
again. Making art constitutes research--making research. Weintraub gives us
vocabulary to help us articulate about our process and journey.
Once again welcome. You will get
used to this format rather quickly. Sometimes it works better on Safari or
Chrome—and other platforms. You will be creating your own blogspot.com page, so
you may want to play with that. That is where you will be posting your project
for this course. It’s a free format. Under settings, you can invite only us. We
will all be looking at each others projects and commenting at the end of this
course. If, for some reason, you create a project that is so personal, that you
only want me to see it, or not even me, we can work with that.
One more point. I created all of
this writing on MicrosoftWord and then copied and pasted it into the blog. The
blog has limits as to how many words and sometimes will freeze, if you write
too many words—so think about cutting and pasting so you won’t lose it all,
like I did at times. Also, if posting a new post, remember to “Publish It”
before you hit the “view blog” button again. You will lose all of your writing
for that new post—you have to hit “Publish button” first. Then view blog.
Oops, almost forgot. Glassblowing
and clay will be offered in Lubbock Summer One first three-week session summer
2017, it looks like. Some of you mentioned being interested in it.
Once again, we are doing two weeks worth of reading in this week. Don't become overwhelmed with all of the questions. Post 6-8 times or more if you can as we are covering two weeks worth here. It gets better next week. Also, there are no wrong answers to any of the posed questions. They are merely questions. Please feel free to post your own questions. My questions are mere guides to get a conversation going. And, always use "I" language...I think, I fell, My experiences, etc. Just reply under each question. Only create a new post if you are posting images, otherwise add your comments under each question. Thanks.
Once again, we are doing two weeks worth of reading in this week. Don't become overwhelmed with all of the questions. Post 6-8 times or more if you can as we are covering two weeks worth here. It gets better next week. Also, there are no wrong answers to any of the posed questions. They are merely questions. Please feel free to post your own questions. My questions are mere guides to get a conversation going. And, always use "I" language...I think, I fell, My experiences, etc. Just reply under each question. Only create a new post if you are posting images, otherwise add your comments under each question. Thanks.
I asked everybody to take a look at the Addendum; Personal Survey--What do I believe? What did you find out about yourself in terms of how you think about the earth and others? What are some of your relationships to the earth? How might these impact your thinking about making art? Or rethink?
ReplyDeleteIn reading the survey, I didn’t find out much new information about myself. I feel I am rather honest with myself on the negative impact I have on the environment. I am also very critical of the horrible acts we humans participate in that destroy this environment because we are too lazy to face inconvenience or discomfort. I feel like we are playing a dangerous game of chicken with the technology at our disposal. Either we will shortly come up with a broad spectrum of solutions that allow us to live in balance with the earth, or we will inadvertently create some sort of Mad Max/Waterworld scenario. I’m betting on the former. There’s no money to be made in a post-apocalyptic environment, and the businesses that are leading us down this destructive path love making money.
DeleteI have always looked to nature for my art forms and even color often.A sense of place is so very important to me and I have been lucky enough to live in places where I can interact with nature. However that being said, I am not a good environmentalist..to be honest,I drink water out of plastic bottles,that is horrible..I do not pick up other people's trash..but I am giving my students a project where they create a Tapestry out of trash and to make them aware...El Anatsui is the artist we are studying for this project I will post one of his metal tapestries which I saw last year in Brooklyn Museum of Art,made out of discarded cola can tabs and flattened bottle caps from beer bottles.
DeleteI think that overall I'm pretty good about being environmentally friendly. Could I be better? Yes! I do have things and ideas that I want to implement into my lifestyle and when I own my own home. Currently very hard to be environmentally friendly living here in Beijing. As a developing country they don’t have the same practices or facilities that we do in the West. When I am walking about the city I put my garbage in the correct bins. What happens after that is up to the sanitation people and the government. I think that I can be better. I feel that much of why we are not more environmentally conscious as humans is that we don’t see the immediate impact our behaviors are having on us or the environment. The cost of how to do things better is also a reason why many countries and business don’t want to operate in a more environmentally friendly way.
DeleteI had a few pieces in a show near Beijing about the polluted waterways,rivers and lakes.....I heard pollution there is a big problem,do people wear masks to protect them?I thought I read that?
DeleteJustin- you took the words out of my mouth. I agree with your posting completely. I noticed that while answering the questions in the survey I was in awe of the planet, yet very disappointed in the treatment of it by humans, myself included. I am trying to go from talking about helping to actually helping by doing this project with my students and the community. It is exhausting, but has inspired me to think about trash differently. I cannot believe how much is just on the side of the road. One cannot tell when driving, but when you're walking it you can really see how much debris there is.
DeleteSusan- thank you for the artist's name! I looked him up and will be showing his work to my students. We need all the ideas we can get for the art creation portion of this project.
DeleteI've always been a fan of being in nature, and knowing that I was part of the greater scheme of life has always brought me a sense of comfort. As a child, I always identified endearingly with wild characters, such as Tarzan, children raised by wolves and such and especially indigenous populations who still lived a primitive lifestyle. I try to be vigilant in protecting the earth as much as I can, but I know that I am nowhere near successful enough. The survey confirmed a lot of my beliefs about myself, but also brought things into my conscience that I don't usually consider. Looking at art as not just a way to reduce waste, but actively contribute to the natural environment is quite challenging to my current norms. I think that's how exercise such as this are most valuable. Having student stop to think about topic they don't usually consider, or look at things in a novel way is very beneficial.
I believe….that the earth is mysterious, and very powerful. I think that just as of lately in my life I am realizing the impact we humans have on our earth. Yes, I have been aware of the consequences of pollution, deforestation, and other ways we wreak havoc on poor earth but I am just now realizing how little time we have. Refocusing my life and meditating have also reconnected me with nature recently. Being mindful and learning from Deepok Chopra have also made me more aware of my physical surroundings. It amazes me how little respect some have for our planet. I agree with many of you above, a lot of our problems stem from big businesses and money. It's all about the cha-ching and no one wants to think about the future. Take fracking for instance, or pipelines being built where they shouldn't be!
DeleteThe survey made me think a little deeper into my personal actions and step back to look at how we individually can impact our environment. We have one earth and sometimes the future state of it makes me a little worried. So basically in the future I anticipate that “new problems will arise and accelerate the demise of the planet”, sadly.
Susan- Yes people do wear mask here. China especially cities like Beijing are very dirty because they are constantly growing. China is where we were in the industrial age of America. They are very much a developing country. Coal is still a big industry but as technology grows in their country nuclear and clean energy is becoming more common.
DeleteThe survey left me feeling a little confused. Not because of the content of the survey, but because my answers were all over the place! Maybe a better way to put it is that my perspective is all over the place. The way I want/envision my environment is different from what I believe is/will happen to the environment. I've never considered myself overly concerned with the environment, I recycle when I think about it, but don't go out of the way to reduce or reuse items. I suppose I have a more linear thought process in this regard instead of a romanticized one. I enjoy nature and appreciate its beauty, that was evident in the survey.
DeleteI believe the earth is beautiful, mysterious, and frightening. I think that the earth itself is a work of art and that living on this planet is a huge privilege and that I need to be a wise and active steward in keeping it beautiful. I also believe that I have a relationship with the earth and like any relationship there is a give and take that can be mutually beneficial. But if that relationship becomes unbalanced it can negatively impact both myself and the earth (and everything on it). For example, I need to build shelter to protect myself from a lightning storm or whatever. But I can also be dangerous to the earth in how I choose to build that shelter. I’ve actually been really interested in ephemeral art recently which I think really captures that relationship. I remember seeing the spiral jetty before I even knew what ephemeral art was but I loved the idea of the earth and it’s natural processes playing a part in the creation of a piece of art.
Deletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_Jetty
After reading and completing the survey, I realized just how little I knew about the earth, its processes, and my personal impact. I know that recycling is good, and that fossil fuels and burning coal have negative affects on the Earth, but making connections between my personal interactions and its affect on the Earth is something I can reflect upon further.
DeleteI realized how apathetic I am towards taking care of the earth. Thinking specifically at how we clean up in my classroom, paper towels are used frequently (especially when we are painting). I feel as though it is small things like this that have great affect on the earth as I am seeing these resources as infinite and I do not often associate trees being cut down and other plant life being used to create something that will be used once and then discarded.
The theory most discussed one semester in my Art History Survey 1 class was man vs. nature and nature vs. man. Man tries to control nature but nature will eventually prevail. As I look at the survey, I cannot help but think how this may be true in some circumstances still today but the scariest thought of all is.. this may not be 100% in today’s world and I am living to witness it. Sad. I am worried nature may not prevail one day. Do I have a connection to the earth?- most definitely. My hands sifting the dirt in my garden, enjoying life that lives in the brown goodness, I am not afraid to be a part of this beautiful planet but I am most certainly afraid of the power it beholds. As artisans we are observers and part empaths. We are taught to look deeply, think openly, feel tenderly… how can we be a part of this planet without being affected by its life, beauty, and awesomeness? –also, without being affected by man, war, disease, and greed. I am looking forward to my continued reading of Eco Life to heighten my awareness of eco art as an artist.
DeleteDebbie, I often wonder if science won't eventually make a machine that turns carbon dioxide into oxygen more efficiently than a tree, and causes society to relegate trees to a luxury commodity, much like the automobile did to the car, all the while growing genetic manipulations that are kind of like fruit in petri dishes.
DeletePost marker.
DeleteWhat do I believe about the future of the earth? I believe that the earth is a beautiful place but is being taken over by humans with the structure of buildings and streets. I always wish I had more time to spend outdoors whether it be in the garden, on the beach, or hiking in the mountains. I envision having a large garden that looks out over water either a beach or a lake. I love nature and feel that I do not do enough to protect the earth. I would like to make an instillation pieces of artwork that lets nature evolve and interact with manmade recyclable or non-recyclable items like paper, Styrofoam, or metals. This summer I made jewelry using Styrofoam, copper, silver, pewter, leather, and plastic. I am not really sure what the future holds for the earth. I do believe that new and existing species will evolve. I feel that the earth
Deleteangela - I would love to hear more about your Styrofoam jewelry! Sounds interesting, and I am always looking for new ideas and materials to incorporate into my jewelry class. Not only are we on a tight budget, but I think that using alternative materials with students gets them thinking more creatively.
DeleteZack! My first comment on the personal survey of Earth is almost the same as yours! Cool.
DeleteEarth is mysterious, frightening, beautiful, and intimidating. It is uncontrollable. The Earth sustains all forms of life therefor it is our responsibility to keep it healthy - we are, at best, Earth's custodians. I enjoy paying attention to the spirit of life that resides in nature and, as weird as it may sound, I am quite in tune with electromagnetic fields! I got a big kick out of this being listed in the survey!
I believe the state of the planet today is in flux just as it always has been. I anticipate that humans will continue to evolve and assimilate in ways that compliment the changes of the planet.
Preface: Is that all?
ReplyDeleteIs that all? And, it's so beautiful? What can happen when I explore further the products of my own answers to these two questions? Questions such as how do my art practices contribute to the sustainability of the environment/world and my community are very new to me. What can Weintraub's thesis of including these artists and histories do for me as an artist and a teacher? My studies? My curriculum? Why was I never taught about any of these artists? Those are just a few questions mulling around my head. I think about West Texas where I live and the big sky and flat terrain and how land is used.
No one ever talked to me about what kind of cultural or environmental steward or teacher or artist I might be. So, I wonder--what are--will be my responses to this book and the land? Your thoughts?
It is one thing to read about the practices and ideas of one individual and another to to ask yourself the question. I am not sure I have ever really thought about sustainability of the environment when it comes to my art practice. Mainly because it has never been an issue brought up to me. Interesting that it is not something talked talked about more among a group of people who spend at least some of their time dumpster diving, scavenging and recycling in order to create their next project, either for themselves or their students. Is there any other teacher in the school who openly send out a request via email to "bring me all your used magazines, cardboard, bottles, etc. Yet most of us don't really think of sustainability or the environment on these terms. Just this summer, I learned about an eco friendly way to clean oil paints. Turns out, vegetable oil is easier to use than mineral spirits. Why did I not hear of this method earlier?
DeleteI am curious to know why we haven't discussed environmental artists up until now. I think that studying old masters has a purpose, but also that, during these times of change to our land and animals, it would benefit us greatly to have expose to perspectives from artists that are currently living and addressing these same concerns. In the Preface the author mentions- why wouldn’t you want these ideas to be included in your lessons when it’s helping the environment. I agree with that wholeheartedly. I was intrigued with the comment, “eco art is a mission, not a style”. I believe the author stated this to explain what some of the opponents to this movement are saying. My response is this: haven’t most styles of art started off with a mission? I can see where this will one day, very soon perhaps, be referred to as a particular style of art in the textbooks. I wouldn’t mind being on board as one of those artists! If anything, you’d think artists would be grateful to approach this in regards to using materials that save them money!
DeleteCandie, I have always had that similar question. Is is really valid to spend all our time talking about the old masters and Modernism, when modernism ended 50 years ago? It reminds me of in high school when my world history class was behind in the text and just barely got to Reagan. It took me years until I was told the Cold War ended. Granted that's probably my fault for getting all of my world political knowledge from James Bond movies, but I digress. Anyway, when I see art curriculum rooted in modernism and the elements and principles, I wonder if that is still valid. The elements and principles represented a sort of basic skills, but I don't really see those skills being the most essential skills used when looking at contemporary art. Are we preparing our students to make the art of the past instead of the art of tomorrow? A major problem I see is there being no interdisciplinary curriculum in our classes. I don't see too many people sticking exclusively to one medium or methodology. Even in the Jackson Pollock show that was recently in Dallas, they showed Pollock's work experimenting in sculpture and printmaking using similar concepts to his painted work. Why don't we encourage our painting students to explore how their work would translate into sculpture?
DeleteTo address the prompt first, then building on Candie and Justin's posts:
DeleteWhen I was reading the preface I started to imagine the Catskill Mountains around me and found some peace there just for a moment. I have recently been thinking about getting away from it all, buying some land and maybe building a yurt or something of the like. I would grow my own garden, maybe keep a few animals and try to live off of the land. It is wishful thinking, however I do think it is an attainable goal if I can figure it all out! Sometimes I just want to be more connected to the land and away from all of the distractions the modern world has to offer us. As a human race we are slowly getting more and more disconnected to our land. I am already certain that the artists Weintrub has chosen can help me as a teacher. We often forget to focus on the contemporary arts, or art that has a social connection or cause. They are bringing issues to light that are very important.
I agree that ecoart is a “mission”, something more deep and educational. I'm already surprised on how many ideas I am coming up with to introduce to my own students. On the topic of interdisciplinary/cross-curricular lesson- wouldn't it be awesome if every school was required to do that? I know a lot of teachers would roll their eyes (me included if I didn't have time to plan for it), but if it was the norm for schools it would be a positive thing. I think it would make learning more meaningful for students and they can find more connections to the real world. Sometimes I feel like I'm not just an art teacher, but a life coach in a way because art isn't the only thing we talk/learn about. As corny as it sounds, I find myself telling my student that art really is life, and life is art.
Personally, I feel as though the reason Eco based artists are not as widely celebrated as European painters and sculptors is that their work is not always inherently commercial or mainstream. One of the artists that I recognized while looking through all of the related artists was Superflex. Their work is both surreal and ecological. One of their most influencial pieces, to me, is an installation they did in which they flooded a McDonald's with water and recorded the interactions between the natural and mechanical. Light's flickered, inorganic food materials floated, registers stopped working.
DeleteThis artwork is not something that you can find in within the canon of artists introduced by MoMA or any other insitution of power.
In my personal artwork, I often used found materials from home. Many of my artworks are auto-biographical in nature and I feel as though materials in the raw can tell more of a story than if I manipulate them. Arranging different materials together like in my piece "As Seen on TV" feels more like poetry than sculpture. The TV, dirt, wax, glass, rocks, and video all work together to discuss religion. The materials work together like words, and I am able to remove and add things to create a new artwork without destroying a resource that i can use again.
Good point about getting our students to explore the other mediums. I'm sure most of us do that already in terms of pushing our students out of their comfort zones and trying things they normally wouldn't. But the idea of having painting students explore how it would look as sculpture could really change the dynamic of how we approach building a lesson.
DeleteAlso, though, I still believe it is important for us to study the old masters as well as what history has said about them through the years. They way art is perceived tells more about the social environment and time period of the author than of the actual artist or work of art. Art is viewed different at different times in history and think that is important to point out when teaching art history. But that also transitions nicely into a discussion about modern art. What does this piece of art say about our society? What does it say about our society that artists are now concerned about environmentally sound practices.
DeleteI think our relationship with the earth is totally different now than it was 100, 500, or 1,000 years ago. Humans used to be more intimate with the planet out of necessity. E.g. a person had to grow their own tomatoes and raise their own chickens or buy them from a local market. Nowadays we're so separated from the earth and it’s processes that dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets are more normal to us than an actual chicken. I think the reason we’re just now exploring these questions is because we as humans never had the time to, because we were trying to survive off the earth. I wonder what it would have been like for Michelangelo to call up his colleagues and say, “If you have any spare goats laying around, will you save them for me? I’m working on an art project.” But I think it’s not only important, but also interesting for me and my students to understand, for example, where our paints come from and all the steps that they don’t see from the time they are taken from the earth to the time that they get into tubes and into the classroom. And exploring ways of making art from materials that they got directly from the earth. It’s fascinating to me
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI feel that Weintraub’s five reasons for writing a textbook about eco art are also good reasons for making eco art and teach children about eco art. I feel as an art teacher of elementary students that introducing eco art will empower the students to make needed changes for the future of the planet. Teach the children to want to make a difference and to ask the question “Is That All?”. I feel that we plant the seed and they are the future that is going to make the push and drive for change. I really can’t wait to learn about the eco artist so that I can past on what I learn to the students.
DeleteWhen asking, "Is that all?" my thoughts go immediately to our Texas Essential Elements, sections 3 & 4 under knowledge and skills for Middle School (I reference Middle School since that was what I taught my last 16 years in public education.) Under C: 3 & 4 you can easily introduce Eco Art and many of us did. Is it specifically required - no. Do I think it is important - yes. Two subjects dear to my heart are Monarch Butterflies and bluebonnets where we could discuss and explore habitat, climate change, and resources. Monarchs migrate right through San Antonio! Creating beautiful gardens with plants the Monarch needs to survive is a wonderful example of Eco Art that my students could so easily identify with and thus open their thoughts to more global needs.
DeleteChapter 117. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Fine Arts
Subchapter B. Middle School, Adopted 2013
(c) Knowledge and skills.
(3) Historical and cultural relevance. The student demonstrates an understanding of art history and culture by analyzing artistic styles, historical periods, and a variety of cultures. The student develops global awareness and respect for the traditions and contributions of diverse cultures. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze ways that global, cultural, historical, and political issues influence artworks;
(B) analyze selected artworks to determine contemporary relevance in relationship to universal themes such as belief, cultural narrative, life cycles, the passage of time, identity, conflict, and cooperation;
(C) compare and contrast relationships that exist between a society's art and its music, literature, and architecture; and
(D) identify career and avocational choices in art such as various design, museum, and fine arts fields.
(4) Critical evaluation and response. The student responds to and analyzes artworks of self and others, contributing to the development of the lifelong skills of making informed judgments and reasoned evaluations. The student is expected to:
(A) create written or oral responses about personal or collaborative artworks addressing purpose, technique, organization, judgment, and personal expression;
(B) analyze original artworks using a method of critique such as describing the artwork, analyzing the way it is organized, interpreting the artist's intention, and evaluating the success of the artwork;
(C) develop a portfolio that demonstrates progress;
(D) investigate and explore original artworks in a variety of venues outside of the classroom such as museums, galleries, or community art; and
(E) demonstrate an understanding of and apply proper exhibition etiquette.
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter117/ch117b.html#117.203
Just a note--Don't forget to look at the online Auxiliaries for Instructors and Students--those appear in my kindle edition, directly after the table of contents. Weintraub has syllabi and lessons; teaching guides and student resources. Well worth investigating at some point. Just a heads-up on that for now.
ReplyDeleteI already have the hard copy of the book. Should I also get the kindle version?
DeletePost marker.
DeleteSchematics/Indexes/Glossaries
ReplyDeleteHere we find a layout of multiple contemporary methods/genres (different ways to create research/art) that artists utilize: paint, print, sculpture, performance,photo/video, bio art, generative art, social practice, digital, public art, design, and installation. Some of these should sound familiar. Others will sound new--possibly strange. Welcome to contemporary methods. Note in glossary that these are all defined for us.
Next, Weintraub lists visual of Art Strategies--objectives if you will--and that may be too narrow of a way to look at them, but a beginning:
instruct
intervene
visualize
metaphorize
activate
celebrate
perturb
dramatize
satirize
investigate
...calls to action; calls to learn; ways to begin to heal... Weintraub cross references these with the artists we will learn about. The words look like a poem--a call to action to me. You?
This is a great way to view the overlapping! I love this and think I can use this in the classroom to help me to help the students I teach....esp the students taking the two It's Your World classes with me!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWow, that formatted horribly, feel free to delete if that is too distracting.
DeleteI absolutely loved this section...It created an easy to follow map of these concepts that I'm somewhat unfamiliar with. I haven't looked ahead, but I'm hoping that we'll dive into these even more!
DeleteI reformatted...
DeleteSUBTRACT- Simplify. Omit. Remove a part. Take something away. Compress it.
REPEAT- Reiterate. Echo. Restate. Duplicate.
COMBINE- Connect. Arrange. Link Unify. Mix. Merge. Bring together. Wed, Weld
ADD- Extend. Expand. Augment it. Advance it. Supplement. Magnify it. What else can be added?
TRANSFER- Adapt. Relocate. Dislocate. Transpose. Move Transformation.
EMPATHIZE- Sympathize. Relate to the subject. Put yourself in its shoes. Transpose yourself into your subject.
ANIMATE- Control the pictorial movements and forces. Repetition, Progression, Serialization, or Narration. Bring it to life.
SUPERIMPOSE- Overlap. Cover. Place over. Overlay different moments in time simultaneously.
CHANGE SCALE- Bigger. Smaller. Change proportion. Relative size. Ratio, Change dimensions.
FRAGMENT- Separate. Divide. Split. Take it apart. Dissect it. Chop it up. Disassemble it.
ISOLATE- Separate. Set apart. Chop. Detach. Use only a part of your subject. Use a viewfinder to crop.
DISTORT- Twist out of shape. Re-proportion. Misshape it. Melt it. Crush it. Tear
it. Fictionalize. Prevaricate.
DISQUISE- Camouflage. Concea,l Deceive. Hide, or Mask
CONTRADICT- Deny, Disaffirm, Reverse. Make opposite. Flip-flop. Or Satire
PARODY- Mimic. Ridicule Mock “Roast it” “Visual pun — Visual fun” Make ludicrous.
PREVARICATE- Equivocate, Fractionalize. Fantasize. Present information to confuse.
ANALOGIZE - Compare. Draw associations. Seek similarities. Stretch perceptions.
HYBRIDIZE- Cross-fertilize. Wed with improbable mate.
METAMORPHOSE- Transform. Covert, Transmute. Depict a state of change. Structural progressions. Time and speed progressions. Movement Action
SYMBOLIZE- Make it stand for something other than what it is. Integrate with public and private symbolic images.
MYTHOLOGIZE- Build a myth around your subject. Transform your subject into an iconic object.
FANTASIZE- Think “What if …” thoughts! Topple mental and sensory expectations. How far can you extend your imagination?
Post marker.
DeleteSchematic of Eco Issues:
ReplyDeleteenergy
waste
climate change
technology
habitat
sustainability
resources
chaos
complexity
systems
reforms
...a list of dynamic issues facing teachers, artists, students, communities. She connects these issues to specific artists.
And finally, a schematic of approaches:
conservation
preservation
social ecology
deep ecology
restoration ecology
urban ecology
industrial ecology
ecosystem ecology
sustainable development
...another list of exciting possibilities to merge art making and pedagogy. To learn more about my community. A gift of a contemporary vocabulary list.
Your thoughts on the words and possibilities?
I think the list of Eco Issues can be given to my students. They could then chose one that they feel they're drawn to the most then create an artwork based on the approaches from the second list, using only reclaimed materials. The pieces could pose the answers to the problems, in a sense. It's a small step for big problems, but every little bit helps, I believe.
DeleteI value and appreciate the work involved in creating these lists. I have begun to dissect the lists with the artists listed under each category. These make excellent conversations even with elementary students. Art history is my love and I can see how this is a necessary study/comparison/component to enrich the education.
DeletePost marker.
DeleteIntroduction
ReplyDelete1960s watershed years for eco art. Artists looked for ways to work with nature rather than have power over it. Green Revolution created new ways to think about land and life:
zero population growth
voluntary simplicity (I love this one)
back-to-land movements
organic farming
vegans
birders
solar energies
recyclers
alternative architectural practices
sustainable land developments
community-supported agriculture
...multiple ways to sustain futures. I read that eco art is: diverse, experimental, ways to explore and inquire--words I use in teaching and in my art making. Historically, I read that in the Middle Ages infinity and eternity rule--and today, materiality and progress rule. Entirely different life and land approaches to thinking, learning, creating and living.
What happens when humans are part of the life equation; but not its entirety? In ecocentrism, humans are not center. What happens to me as an artist and teacher if I think about and apply the Gaia hypothesis?; of interdependence and mutuality? What might that mean for my teaching, making art and living?
I imagine we would have to completely rethink the way we approach art. Most of what has been made throughout western civilization has been created to survive as far into the future as possible, to dominate. If we were to hold ourselves and nature equally, it would force us to respect the natural process of deterioration. Art and architecture would be designed to be absorbed back into the earth just like everything else. Our current view of artmaking is in its very purpose at odds with the nature of existence. Most art is designed with impact and longevity in mind. Art intuned with nature would have to be much more subtle, barely breaking free from the surrounding landscape, and allowed to erode back into that landscape. No one would ever think of preserving or sealing away artwork by separating it from nature.
DeleteI agree with you and also know that that would, unfortunately, be a hard sell because of this attachment we have to materialistic items, selfishness, and indifference to issues until they directly affects us. I'm worried that by that time, it will be too late for change.
DeleteSo many people tally their life's value based on the objects they acquire. My brother's life motto is "he who dies with the most toys wins." Needless to say, they have a lot of excess.
DeleteI agree that we would have to rethink our approach to art. We would also have to rethink our approach to living on the earth. Many people think that humans being at the top of the food chain allows us to use the earth however we please. If we though consciously about the impact, we had on earth I could imagine us living like the elves in Tolkien’s novels alongside the earth. Our architecture would interact with the earth instead of destroying it. We would respect the earth more and use it resources more efficiently. I imagine art would be more found and recycled. We would use more natural processes in the creation of our materials such as brushes, paints, and canvases.
DeleteWow, what a great topic for a high school classroom of any subject. Or maybe it's not. I feel like every year we are becoming more and more of a narcissistic society and therefore so are my students. I don't allow phones in my classroom, but when we are 2 minutes from that bell ringing, they can't help themselves. Out comes the phone for a quick duck lip selfie. Can you imagine the boos at the teacher that tells Americas youth that they may not be "The Special." God created all of us special, but we are also very good at making ourselves even more so. The earth was also created very special, and I personally try to find time to appreciate it as often as possible.
DeleteThe one part of this list that is odd to me is zero population growth. It seems like it's the easy/wrong solution to the sustainability of the planet. I mean, if the human population plateaued today, I don't know that the earth would last very long if we continued to treat it the way we do. So, I don't think the problem is population, I think it's the way we treat the earth. And the assumption underlying the theory of zero population growth is that resources are scarce. But If we applied the Gaia Theory we could live interdependently with the earth and it’s natural processes would renew and take care of it. As an artists/teacher I’m excited to learn more ways that I can work with materials and make art that can be easily absorbed back into the earth etc.
DeletePost marker.
DeleteOK, I promise I won't respond to Zack's comments every time but my thoughts must really be inline with yours on these subjects.
DeleteThe Gaia hypothesis, also known as Gaia theory or Gaia principle, proposes that organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on Earth to form a synergistic self-regulating, complex system that helps to maintain and perpetuate the conditions for life on the planet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_hypothesis
I do feel the Gaia theory is utopian and the Earth is not to be counted on to be controllable.
Eco Art is...
ReplyDeleteinterconnection, dynamism, and ecocentrist.
Eco art is not...
Check out Weintraub's discussion of the distinctions of three vanguard artists. In terms of what she puts forth as her thesis. Notice the differences between ecocentrist and anthropocentrist. According to Wikipedia, "[Fernand]Braudel has been considered one of the greatest of the modern historians who have emphasized the role of large-scale socioeconomic factors in the making and writing of history." I learned about him in grad school in the 90s. Rather than write histories about the world in terms of people, he wrote histories about the land.
Note how Warhol, De Maria, and Kawana address their art in terms of power over and not sustainability. The differences showcase what eco art has to offer us as research strategies and inspiration as artists and teachers and community members. Different approaches to think about learning and making--in union with the earth.
Your thoughts or reactions....
Post marker.
DeleteEcological Imperatives
ReplyDeleteIntroduction
Weintraub defines ecology and environmentalism. She notes how Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring launched an environmental movement. The beginning of Earth Day in 1970.
Eco Art Themes
Eco artists weigh breakthroughs and breakdowns; they see themes within spans of time. The question posed was: "What possibilities captivate my attention and inspires my creative?" I do know that there are some writings by teachers in RethinkingSchools.org, an urban journal, where students and teachers set out to investigate environmental issues within their schools. (You can google RethinkingSchools.org--a great resource.) I think you have to pay now. But parts may be free.
Weintraub lists foundational ecological concepts
Habitat
Range
Niche
Systems
Energy
Life/Death/Extinction
Sustainability
How has her explanation of foundational ecological concepts piqued your curiosity or imaginations? What is sticking in your mind? Resonating? What is troubling?
For example, some of the strategies mentioned under the heading Humans & Extinction/Biodiversity for overhunting, monocultures, paving, disrupting migration patterns, pesticides, and toxins are: green roofs/gardens, parks, conservation, wild areas--strategies that are occurring in urban areas--community gardens, shaded resting places, etc. She has given us a lot of terminology. I hope some of it is sticking with you. I took over six pages of notes--single-spaced. Living in Lubbock, Texas, I learned about xeriscaping years ago and dug up my lawn (I didn't really want to cut grass). When waiting for hot water to come out of my sinks, I capture cool water in watering can to water outside to not waste water. We will be in some drought condition soon again. Also, google place-based education. It's an interesting and exciting topic.
Post marker.
DeleteEco Art Aesthetics
ReplyDeleteWhat happens when art or learning about art is more than learning about beauty? The early part of the 20th century expanded notions of what art might be.
Remember elements and principles of art? Weintraub defines and describes nature's design efficiencies:
Multiplicity
Lines
Outlines-Borders
Lines: Tubes
Spirals
Progressions
Complexity & Chaos
Fractals
Scale
Dynamism
Stability/Flexibility
Systems
It's as if she has given me a more dynamic way to integrate making art/living/and nature. Is anyone else excited about these ways of organizing learning and thinking?
Specifically, for me, I like how Weintraub describes the histories of words and ways of thinking--under shapes for example; how we live in a "box" world mentality. Or earlier under outlines and borders--how calendars and time are human constructs. The way night falls and seasons change are so much more interesting and complex. I was at a College of Education meeting where a professor talked about how "to kill two birds with one stone." I wanted to shout back--that's a power-over mentality. I would have rather offered, "to feed two birds with one seed." Your take on this section?
As I was reading this week, I was sitting outside. When it got to this section, I started really evaluating the things around me using the tubes and outlines-borders as a guide. It was interesting to me to look at the same thing in a different perspective. I kept thinking about how I could take this back to my elementary art students and let them experience the same thing I did.
DeleteI also loved the history of words section. In the complexity and chaos section, Paul Cezanne was quoted as saying, "Everything in nature can be viewed in terms of cones, cylinders, and spheres." After reading this, I really started examining everything in my vicinity to see how true that statement was. I don't know if it's just that we take for granted this idea or that our eyes/mind have adapted. It's just fascinating to me!
Okay, I'll have to admit, my mind was just blown after reading that quote "to feed two birds with one seed." I never looked at it from that perspective and it all goes back to resourcefulness and making things last. Just like what we need to do with our natural resources while we are on this earth. After reflecting on the reading, it really is true- the land has everything needed to make art. The Elements of Art and Principles of design reside in plants and living things naturally. It's almost as if nature organized itself to make beauty. Humans are "hardwired" to know good aesthetic yet it is a difficult thing to teach to my high school students sometimes. Often it will just click and they understand. But for the beginners, it takes a little time to learn, or actually recognize, what good aesthetic is.
DeleteThe most interesting section to me was the one over line. Right now in my classroom we are finishing up a project that discusses different types of line and how they work together to make successful works of art. The best part of this assignment was when I was teaching my students about implied line. The example I gave them (without telling them I was talking about a type of line) was pointing at the clock and asking them to look at it. The kids thought it was cool that lines did not need to be seen in order to exist. When the author began talking about veins and pipes as lines in our world I had a similar reaction as I never considered these things to relate to a principal in art I thought I fully understood.
DeleteAndrew, I had a similar reaction when reading this section. WE just finished up line in one class. It would make for great conversation incorporating this chapter of the book into a class discussion. I could also use parts from the next section about outlines. The author makes a great point how there are not actually any real lines outlining real world objects. We invented them and they exist in art to define shape. In another class I have, I talked with my students about shading and not actually drawing a line. Rather, having your values making contact with each other to create the line makes the object more believable and realistic. That line you drew does not actually exist. Her breakdown is much better than explanation I gave.
DeleteNature is a fantastic resource for aesthetics. From gritty, obsessive textures to seemingly infinite rhythms and patterns, I have often found artistic and psychological inspiration for the natural environment. I think that is how I came to appreciate abstract art. In my undergraduate classes, I was focused on realism/ surrealism and expressionism, never really giving abstraction more than a “huh” thought. Occasionally though, I found myself looking across to the geometric abstraction. Those silly ones on raw canvas, with the oil already bleeding away from the color. Later, I became attracted to the loose, layered paints, that didn't really follow 'sensible' rules or have hard, defined shapes. Many of the abstract designs and effect that I enjoy in art are also abundant in nature. I have always loved the colorful deposits of sedimentary earth and the dull, metallic nature of rusted sandstone. At some point, I collected a stone and began carving into it. I found the forms that I wanted to create, but about half of the sculpture was just the raw, uncarved stone. I knew, it was already beautiful. Vines, flower petals, veining, pebble fields, spiraling shells have all fascinated me and contributed to my personal aesthetic sensibility. The idea of actually utilizing or fostering that visual splendor, not just incorporating its imitation, seems wonderful.
DeletePost marker.
DeleteEco Art Materials
ReplyDeleteThinking in these ways can radically alter how we might think about learning in schools and assessments as well. Not to say how art making in schools could be impacted.
I once took a non-art major class to a local park where we could do one or more of three things: create a temporary piece of art using what was available in the park and take a digital image of it; sit and draw and watercolor something in the park, or create and document digitally a performance piece. I was trying to rethink materials and what is available and also utilize the park as a natural classroom. I encouraged students to bring a friend, food, a blanket--whatever it took to feel comfortable. Overall, it was interesting that some couldn't manage the freedom--they were being trained to operate within the confines of a building. One of my points was that outside the school walls counts equally.
use existing
use discarded
use living
The above feels poetic to me. What about an assessment for an art lesson like:
Did we recycle? Reuse?
Did we create or use renewable energy?
Were any of our wastes beneficial?
What was the impact on people and ecosystems?
That's revolutionary thinking. Any thoughts?
I am fascinated by artists who use materials from nature to create a work of art and their material choices that leave very little harm to our eco system. Artists that leave the material in its natural state allow the material to keep its spirituality, its voice, if you will. This kind of art moves me. Working with your hands and the material… it truly is a beautiful experience. Artist Thea Alvin from Vermont creates pieces with stone with her bare hands and a chisel. Her pieces are lovely and old world like. To me, ecological art comes in many varieties; recycle, reuse, repurpose, and just using the materials as they are with a lot or little manipulation. As a mixed media artist, my students and I look for ways to use the 3 R’s to create a new art out of typically discarded items. As art teachers we are taught early to scrap, save, hoard, and hunt, for art materials because of small budgets not really realizing the positive impact on the environment. Currently, teachers and students are thinking about the global impact those salvaged art materials have on our landfills and ecosystems and taking recycled art to a whole new level. It is exciting to see the art that is created from being more cognitively aware of our environment.
DeleteHi Debbie, Very cool...One of my students actually is doing the same,going to carpet stores to get thrown away remnants for the new contemporary crafts project I am assigning called just that"remnants"the same student is using scrap metal from junk yards to make some newer sculptural pieces ..re purposing is his theme...
DeleteI agree with y'all- it very much becomes about the process as well as the product. Maybe the process even more so. I feel that sometimes my students get so lost in trying to make something perfect that they don't pay attention to the materials, the surroundings, and the experience. By incorporating nature and recycled materials it somewhat throws the students off, forcing them to address and pay attention to these things. I love the idea of trying to get them to think in terms that anything can be art materials.
DeleteDebbie, I am fascinated by the same thing. It reminds me of the old saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure." What I see some artists use, I would probably throw out. In my classroom we use all sorts of things to create art, but in my own world, I just don't see it!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI have always admired artist that use what they have around them to create art. I love pieces from artist who take drift wood and carve and create pieces out of these materials. Being trained as a graphic designer I have moved away from thinking of art in the terms of the 3 R’s. Yes, we did projects where we had to think of eco designs. But in the real world and with a real budget it sometimes does not become feasible. Most clients don’t have the budget to explore eco alternatives. I’m guilty of not really thinking of ways I could use existing, discarded, or living materials. But as I move away from the commercial art world and get back to creating things by hand, I’m excited to explore these facets of art. I also excited to explore other less destructive strategies of creating art such as using digital programs to create art. Why have tons of paper and canvases sitting around my space when I can save and use less materials creating my art using a digital format.
DeleteI especially like this question, Ed. This has me thinking of the next school wide community project. In conjunction with the lists and these questions stated above, I feel my students could reach an area of focus and create something to symbolize it, improve their community, or create art for both enjoyment and ecology.
DeletePost marker.
DeleteFootprints
ReplyDeleteEcological Materialism
Enchantment: one's nerves turned up and recharged.
Prudence: good judgment in practical matters.
Your thoughts on these two concepts: enchantment and prudence.
I have experienced enchantment when in the presence of artworks. The history and social significance of a work of art can be very powerful. When the artwork is integrated within the natural environment, massive in scale, the effect can be even more intense. In grade school, I wrote a report and became fascinated with large British land structures. As an adult, I had the chance to visit the Stonehenge and other ancient stone constructed sites. The experience had a significance physical and emotional effect upon me. If artist could create significant monuments such as those and the land designs of the Nazca culture, which were also structurally, or functionally beneficial for the ecosystem, I believe this would really be a meaningful contribution to our world.
DeleteI believe prudence is reaching a functional balance. Denying humanity the ability to prosper in order to reach an idealistic reality is a naive endeavor. I do think it is important to strive for a small eco footprint, both as a society and an individual. Artists using prudence in their mediums, supplies and the manner in which they exhibit their artwork really seems like it would have a positive impact on the future of our world. As art educators, such an eco-centric curriculum could make even more sustainable, farther reaching effects.
Delete
DeleteI am not sure artists being more conscious of how they are using materials would really put that much of a dent into the problems we face globally, although I have read a theory that all the stucco production for Mayan temples led to the civilization’s downfall. On the other hand, there is something to think about in Weintraub’s quote, “art has long served as conscience of a culture.” It has become highly fashionable for architects to design LEED certified and energy conscious buildings. I don’t know if that is a stylistic trend or a long term cost saving measure, but it would be something if we could find a way to construct only environmentally friendly structures from here on out. But is that the conscious of the artist/architect effecting change, or something else? I couldn’t say.
Well what about Frank Lloyd Wright and his Falling Waters Home..that is trying to incorporate nature with art.so maybe we have been doing this or trying to do this for a long time...maybe we need to change the art discussions in our classrooms to emphasize that this is not a new concept but one not discussed enough
DeleteIn the last 10 years or I have become enchanted with the idea of being eco-friendlier in my approach to living. I have experienced enchantment when I saw people using alternative materials in their approach to home building and Xeriscape landscape design. I fell in love with shipping container homes and homes that work with the land and not against it. I have become enchanted with the idea of build and alternative home and having a Xeriscape landscape when I am ready to settle down. But I have to be prudent and consider if all these things will be within my financial means in the future. I feel enchantment can lead to prudence. When we become enchanted with an idea or work of art and then try to emulate or incorporate that style into our own work; I feel that as artist we have to make judgement calls on whether or not this technique is with our abilities or works with our style. It’s not wrong to try, but when things don’t work out, it takes practical thinking and good judgement call to know when to move on and try other things.
DeleteOn the topic of ecological footprints, I think I need to be more aware of the impact of my art practices in the classroom as well as out. I am only one person yet I teach close to 200, so that is many more people I hold myself responsible for. This section really got me thinking. Jane Bennett pushes the notion of "environmental materialism" that promotes relationships with material items. I think I have always done that, and that contributes to my semi-hoarding behaviors. I am too sentinmental with objects. I have old city bus tickets from high school still and that was over a decade ago. However, I do not consider myself superifical with these material things because I collect junk. Bennett's belief of "thing power" gives even daily objects signifcance. I have had similar ideas on that and just never could put it into such simple words. It reminds me of the teachings of vastu, a yogic science of design. With this idea, clutter and abundance of material things will block energy flows in our homes, work areas, and even bodies. Enchantment and prudence are two concepts that should drive not only every eco artist, but every human.
DeletePost marker.
DeleteI really like the idea of making art out of found objects, especially if those objects are hard to recycle. I guess the biggest issue I have is building an aesthetic from predefined material. I am still very much under the spell of creating a traditional sense of beauty or a picturesque effect in my artwork. I know that will purposeful imagination, I would be able to reach a new, pleasing visual sense using the materials.
ReplyDeleteHaving the earth be my canvas, also fascinates me. Using ground, stone, vegetation and water as art materials, which also continue to benefit the surrounding habitat, is really very exciting. Of course, such projects require an available space, raw resources and a substantial about of time to execute.
I am not really keen of using animal life as materials. Such a concept is well out of my comfort and interest zones. The capacity for and rate of change is so great that I have difficulty envisioning it as a truly artistic endeavor.
As for instruction, I think these basic concepts could certainly be investigated within the classroom setting. Once a concept has been explored and developed, I could see the students/ teacher working with school and community leaders to make the project a reality.
I agree with James, although, I feel I am still bound with predefined traditional art materials. Looking to manipulate paint, crayons, and clay into new ways much like recycled materials. Problem based learning is on the front burner in education. This creative right brain way of solving problems within a group setting has been happening in and out of the art room for years. From experience, children are open to giving new life to discarded materials, strange and odd items, and natural items from this earth whether it is in a creative form or creatively has a new purpose. Students enjoy discovering how the Native American Indians survived and even felt the need to create with materials from mother earth including using animals. Georgia O’Keeffe used animal bones, taxidermy is an art form, even Annette Lawrence is a woman artist who used her own femininity to create art. I don’t feel there too many boundaries when it comes to looking at materials for making art.
ReplyDeleteBut maybe what James said.."it is outside my comfort zone "is the key..maybe we should be doing just that..making art that is beyond our comfort zones... and maybe just maybe we should be giving art projects that are just that...as a matter of fact I may just do that....sure it may be difficult,it may be hard to go to a beach and make a temporary art piece out of all the plastic water bottles we find on the beach... but maybe we will communicate to one person about that problem..I think you cannot think that you have to do something huge to make a change, I think it begins with one person or one student.That is the attitude to embrace.
ReplyDeleteAdding to Debbie's comment- you are totally right, there really are no boundaries when it comes to making art. When I was in undergrad outreach we asked United for their floral department scraps for an elementary art project. These were perfectly fine scraps that would have been thrown out! We created nature quilts and dried out the flowers, leaves, etc and sewed them onto quilt squares. The end result was amazing it was a fun project.
ReplyDeleteAnother artist I would like to throw in the mix here is Larry Fuente. I was going through an old stack of National Geographic magazines that were donated to me and saw his art on the cover of the April 1983 issue. “The Fascinating World of Trash” read the cover and it was totally on point because what Fuente does with found objects/trash is amazing. I later saw him on an episode of American Pickers and it was fun to see the artist on his home turf. He was a collector of many many things (aren't we all?) and was quite humble as well. His work is actually in The Smithsonian, check him out if you haven't already!
I love national geo and probably have that issue.. I will be looking him up. Thank you for sharing. I particularly like and artist that uses junk, salvage, scrap to make her art. Look up Michelle Stitzlein's metal art.
DeletePost marker.
DeleteI love reading Nat. Geo too! It has been my favorite magazine for as long as I can remember. To this day my dad still passes along his Nat. Geo. magazines to me - a month late though, he gets them first.
DeleteI love this idea- esp the idea of using living materials in your artwork. Some examples that I can think of are plants and vegetation. Having plants grow out of sculptures that are outdoors. I have seen a student piece where they did a plaster cast of the chest and belly of another student, carved tunnels throughout the belly, put a plexi-glas cover over it, then filled it with dirt and live ants, so they could begin tunneling throughout the piece. The viewer was able to see the ants at work. I find things like that fascinating and I believe, as you all have mentioned, that it helps the students to consider things that may not have normally been in their comfort zone. One artist that I had my sculpture students study was Andy Goldsworthy. He uses primarily, if not all, materials from nature to create his work. My students were then tasked with going out into the desert or their own backyards to create land art. They had to document it's natural deterioration through photos and submit for the grade. My favorite was some spirals a student made in the snow in their backyard that slowly melted as the sun came out.
ReplyDeleteAre you all familiar with "I Like America And America Likes Me," the 1974 performance by Joseph Beuys? I always like introducing it to my high school kids because they find it confusing and fascinating. He basically locks himself in a room with a Coyote.
ReplyDeleteI shared a lesson (below this post) involving nature "scraps", floral trimmings from the local florist. It was awesome to create a nature quilt as a collaborative effort. The students also learned how to sew, which is a good life skill to know. Thank you for sharing Andy Goldsworthy. I am always looking for more 3D artists to use in the classroom and I love how resourceful he is! I think a walk around the neighborhood or to a local park would be fun to collect materials for an assignment. Or, even tying in a lesson on native plant species and resources in the area.
ReplyDelete> Making art "outside our comfort zone" is important as well as reading about art that is "outside our comfort zone". I think that is what I am doing now. This world of ecoart is totally new to me but it parallels ideas and notions I have had on land conservation and overall awareness of our habitats.
There are many aspects of the materials section that aligned itself with my work and teaching practices. I talked about this a bit in the intro section of this discussion but a lot of my work uses materials that are only slightly altered.
ReplyDeleteI think that sometimes material is overly manipulated and that more can be said by simply presenting something for the viewer to reason on their own.
One exercise I did with my 6th grade students last year was making a house for bugs. It was incredibly silly, but we talked about what bugs ate, for example leaves. If your bug was a caterpillar, then you could not simply use leaves for walls and the bug would eat their home. Some kids really got into it, but others just saw it as an excuse to play outside, so all in all, it was still pretty fun.
I am with April on this one. I have been aware of land conservation for some time, but not in this format. All new to me also.
ReplyDeletePost marker.
ReplyDelete