Thursday, December 13, 2012
To Teach or Not To Teach
Aaron, you ask a lot of questions about who’s teaching in
New York State. Every time I sit in panic mode. It’s not because jobs are
limited and disappearing like the budgets in school art departments, as the
requirements for our classes are getting more and more difficult. It’s because
I have minimal interest in proceeding with this a career.
For the past five years I’ve been a camp counselor, one of
those years being a director in the ceramic area. This is an experience that I
love doing and would like to continue. Sadly, this past summer may have been my
last year, despite being the full-time Ceramic Director at the camp for the
summer. This is an opportunity that provides me with a budget (outrageous and
impractical in any other setting), six periods per day, kilns, and glaze to
manage with two different classes, hand building and wheel. It’s a very
comfortable but close preparation for teaching. But it’s this comfort and
informality that I enjoy, which I won’t find in a public school.
This summer I plan on doing an internship within the ceramic
world to prepare me to be a working artist, my chosen path. Hopefully one day,
I’ll come full circle and teach again but perhaps at the college level where my
work won’t hurt my reputation but enhance it.
Book Sculpture Lesson
Today’s lesson was very interesting. It involved
manipulating books to create sculptures that were based off of the content in
the book itself. The unit was transformation and while I understand the
applications of transforming the physicality ad functionally of the book, the
unit theme did not expand much past there. They discussed the additive and
subtractive qualities of extracting pages and reworking them to create the
sculpture within the book. Aaron took up issues with the idea of additive and
subtractive methods in this way since it was just a movement (or
transformation) of the pages, not adding or subtracting something new. However,
this does not bother me. What I do find important in this conversation is the
construction of form or suggested form out of 2-d.
It was a lesson that everyone was completely engaged in on
an honest level. I think it was the surprise in the media and the chance the
physically construct something like our own little world that made s so
dynamic. Having that control and ownership in something that is so fun, new,
and unexpected will intrigue and inspire the students in a very positive manner
as it did for our group.
Static Vs. Dynamic Lesson
Sara and Shannon’s lesson talked about composition and
achieving both static and dynamic variations of composition. I think this is an
interesting way to introduce the idea. It forces students to act out what is
actually a successful and unsuccessful composition in terms of arrangement and
space. Having the Elements and Principles of Art be a factor in the lesson but
not the outright driving force is important. If the lesson is to learn these
elements, including composition, then no student is going to understand or want
to take the time to conceptualize how to make them work positively in personal
work. By having it been a silent but apparent factor in the lesson, it is a
more likely that students will be interested and understand the content.
This is my version of the dynamic composition. It was
explained that a dynamic composition had the objects arrange to lead the
viewer’s eye around the page and from one object to the next. I put my objects
in a way so that they were sort of stacked to create layering as an interesting
dimension as well as pointing between the objects that were carried throughout
the composition by the piece or bark.
What may make the lesson stronger is to add another level to
contribute to why some compositions or successful over others and how a
composition can work conceptually.
Kate MacDowell
Kate MacDowell is a ceramic artist
who works primarily with porcelain in order to represent life size and
realistic aspects of natures through her sculptures. She discusses ideas of
nature, environment, and our relation to these as humans.
Her process includes making hand
built life size animals and plant-life out of porcelain. Classical and baroque
marble sculpture, or contemporary tomb sculpture, are influences for her choice
of porcelain since its color focuses on form and evokes a ghostly feeling of
negative space to suggest something missing from world.
She enjoys this luminescent and ghost-like quality of
porcelain and the ability of bone-dry repair. She compiles a board of images
from picture books and Google images consisting of scientific drawings,
skeletal sketches for proportions, and photos of road kill and hunting. She
build solid around a newspaper and then hallows out the forms for it to be a
quarter inch thick. Each part is built then stored in a wet box until she is
ready to construct the sculpture together. She repairs throughout the making
and firing process, fixing any cracks that appear due to the nature of
porcelain. The work is then glazed clear in some spots and fired to cone 5.
She discusses the conflict between
our longing for love of the nature environment and our negative impacts on it.
The human body and its organs are transformed and often being taken over by and
or becoming a specific plant. Solastalgia is a dislocation and loss of what
people feel to see their home environment being destroyed or under assault,
which was a beginning focus of her work. The pieces that represent this are a
physical connection between nature and body to refer to psychological
connection. As the viewer, the work suggests that you put yourself in place of
sculpture, experiencing the sensuality, disturbing or unsettling experience of
sympathetic response to piece. The piece Venus, explores the experience of
seduction without using a woman’s body, carnivorous plants bloom from the human
heart. It is the fecundity of natural world is something that she explores
often. Based on mythology, she specifically looks at the sculpture of Daphne
and Apollo discussing the conflict between fear and beauty as the nymph
transforms into a tree the escape rape by Apollo. Her version of this Daphne
sculpture is an experience of a new issue in the environment. The Daphne that
once used nature to be her escape has been cut down in clear-cut zones. It can
be seen as an Ecofeminist analogy. She finds that what is left out is more
important than what is included. Her work forces you to explore the
subconscious and delve into fear of mortality, based on slow and painful rise
and fall of evolutionary species.
Thesis in relation to AP
My life has been consumed with Thesis. The troubles of
thinking about it, the troubles of spending other time not thinking about it
which is an all too often problem, and the troubles I’m exploring through it.
A yearlong project. Daunting. But something that is not
enough time outside of the academic world. But let’s remember that I’m here to
discuss my art within the academic setting. In high school I took AP Art
realistically as a portfolio building class. While my high school art career
was less than ideal, the experience of a yearlong project is still a factor.
You focus on a specific topic that caries throughout your work. It’s a deep investigation
concentrating and putting ideas through a visual media.
Reading Images in Common Core
Hearing Mark Graham and Dan Barney speak about Common Core
was an informative conversation. It did in fact shift the way that these can be
brought to our attention. Literacy. Not reading. Literacy in what, though, art.
Literacy in art is not just limited to text. Seems so simple and obvious. I
enjoyed their conversation about how Common Core threats should not be
threatening. Literacy in a framework of reading and analyzing and understanding
is what art is about. This is what art is. Critiquing art, viewing art, making
art involves literacy, perhaps not in the same way as English, but this is how
artists read art.
Mediums used in Schools
Painting and drawing was my only exposure to visual arts in
high school. Why is it that we focus our teaching on such fixed media? Yes,
some dabble in clay and collage, but overwhelmingly it is an adaptation of
conservative fine art, painting and drawing. Of course, people need to learn to
walk before run, however, why do we not introduce other media into basic studio
art classes. Where is the performance art, sound art, fiber art, or any
contemporary media? How can we live in contemporary society and teach
contemporary people within the confines of historical art practices reflecting
colonial thinking?
Technology in School
Technology in the classroom is new and exciting in terms of
Smartboard, which I personally don’t find too invigorating. It’s a fancy
touchscreen board to make interactive dialogic presentations come to life,
expanding the students interested and attention. However, it is not utilizing
technology in a way that advances us.
Makerspaces.
Technology class and shop class revolutionized the high
schools of the 80s pushing the non-academic students into trade-like activities
that made students create with their hands and find purpose through making.
Whether it’s because of developing state standards and shrinking state budgets,
classes like those don’t always exist so easily. If they do, who takes them?
The people that do take them are most certainly not being employed b the
potential of today’s society and the world that we live in as a contemporary
framework. How can we teach our students to move forward in situations that are
stuck in the past?
Developing skills and working with one’s hands is a means of
understanding that we lack in today’s world. Creators and makers are what move
society forward yet those are the things that are lost in schooling. Yes, some
may believe that those are the types of things that can be explored in college
where funding is different and classes are compartmentalized into specific
fields of interest. But how can we expect great thinkers to make when we’re
pushing math, science, and English. That creates potential business majors, not
the people who will find themselves in a place to make.
Here at New Paltz we’re excited about our DigiFab Lab.
Imagine what high school could do with that. Imagine tech class being infused
with all the theology that we possess today. Imagine what students could create
with computer software allowing them to invent object via a 3D printer and CNC
Router, which are the simplest of machines.
Does that not teach math and literacy?
Cheers to that Common Core.
Glenn Adamson
Where to begin. Art critics are always difficult to talk to,
no matter who they are. He’s moving on from talking about craft that was made
clear. He has indeed been an influential thinker in the framework of craft,
where it stands, where it belongs, and where it’s going. Apparently wherever
we’re going is without him. Funny how people who are detached but involved in
making can just decide to switch and talk about something else. Although on the
other hand, I do get what he is saying. While a few years with one critics
influence does not completely shift an entire societal opinion, although the
proceeding generations will probably look back on this, we can only hope that
craft has begun infusing itself with “fine art.” Oh, aren’t you special. The
separation of the two, while quite grounded in nature is interesting in our
world today. He spoke about the honesty and authenticity in craft. Everyone knows it's handmade but somehow that leads to a commonality verse the superiority or master paintings. DIY has taken over ad the handmade is becoming cool. Is it this
amateur craft that is acting as the driving force to separate craft in the art
world from the handmade world? Perhaps it’s people’s interest in their hand and
the creation on things like Etsy and Pinterest that allows the societal
separation between the crafty craft of Arts and Crafts and craft in art or art
through craft.
Well, if Glenn Adamson is telling us it’s time to graduate from lowbrow art and move on as he is, then I accept, hello art world.
Well, if Glenn Adamson is telling us it’s time to graduate from lowbrow art and move on as he is, then I accept, hello art world.
Renwick Symposium in DC
This show and symposium was a highly influential experience
for me as both an artist and art education student. It made me realize that
creating and teaching are interconnected because informing an audience in a
creative manner through art influences and teaches people’s thinking to inquire
about ideas and their community or themselves. It also made me realize the
disjointedness of the art world and the art classes we teach. Our Theory and
Practice class contained conversation that strived to bridge that gap, but it
funny and weird how different those two world are. Why are we preparing our
children with art if it doesn’t reflect contemporary art? What world are we
dumping them into then?
School Appropriate
We had a conversation today about being a working artist and
being a public school art teacher. Art can jeopardize your position in your
school. In schools we try to teach students about art, however traditionally
focusing on non-contemporary art, which is less risky. Why should my personal
work as an artist, providing the content be mature or heavy, cause a detriment
to my career as a teacher? In college, having artist like Kiki Smith or Carolee
Schneeman would be the opportunity of a lifetime, despite the content of their
personal work. Imagine the work that they would push their students to create
and the amazing influence they would have over students learning about art.
Dynamic artist would completely shape the art in the public school to by
something more that principles and elements and become what art is in our
contemporary society. So why is it a bad thing to censor teacher work? Is
administration afraid that having adult content in an artist’s personal work
may pollute the students? Perhaps in an elementary school that may be slightly
inappropriate but that doesn’t have to carry over exactly.
Art means many different things to any people. But it’s a
tool to make people think and a practice to instill problem-solving skills. Why
would dynamic, controversial, but strong work be a deterrent from this,
especially if I follow state standards?
Topic Limits in the Classroom
I think that it’s interesting what schools find appropriate
and inappropriate. In my fieldwork assignment we had a conversation about the
school’s policy for student artwork. No monster art. That was there rule, which
conflicted with one of the student’s work in another class. I understand the
need for appropriateness s in school, however I don’t know if I agree with
limiting content in and expressive media. If you can find a conceptual meaning
for it and if it’s done in a healthy way, then what is the issue besides the
image of what they are projecting. Well what if art that contains real meaning
and purpose seems dark? Are you going to fail a student for tackling a
difficult, perhaps abject, topic?
Elements and Principles of Art
Texture, form, space, shape, color, value, line
Unity, harmony, variety, balance, contrast, proportion,
pattern
Surfacing about a century ago, these concepts are obviously
out-dated. They are the tools we use as artist to express the things we want to
say. They are the tools successful artists don’t even think about truly. But
maybe it’s the fact that we already learned these ideas that has b=made them so
second nature. They have a value in utilizing and being a productive part of
art, however they are stale past using these elements and principles as more
than a tool. Infusing these ideas into the lesson and an almost hidden
objective is useful and almost inevitable since they are things that make up
successful art.
Post Modern Principles
Collaboration: two or more people working together through
ideas, conversation, or making
This is a tool that can be incorporated in some way into
almost every lesson. It can simply be the exchange of ideas that lead to
another’s development into something more resulting into an expanded concept
and visual manifestation of an original idea. Even if the final product is
individual it is the collaboration that brought each person to this end idea
resulting in a relevant, contemporary, democratic way of thinking involving a
range of schemas and understandings into the creative press.
Appropriation: the use of pre-existing objects of images
that are transformed but not exactly changed
Using something from someone else but not copying. In
reference to high school students it may be an abstract concept to know when it
is appropriate to appropriate. Funny. To most people it is a fine line, but
usually a line used in commentary an already controversial setting. It can be a
powerful tool to express an idea based off of a construct that society may
already be familiar with.
Juxtaposition: two contrasting ideas brought together
This is a fun art word that is becoming all too common in
critiques. However, juxtaposing ideas can be useful in order to make art that
says something, like most of these principles do. By comparing two seemingly
unrelated or opposite ideas it can change the meaning and understanding of the
subject.
Recontextualization: process that extracts text, signs or meaning
from its original context in order to introduce a new idea
Utilizing people’s schemas is most useful in this way.
Gaze: subject looking at viewer, viewer looking at subject
It is the power between the two people, the one gazing and
the one being gazed at. It is
typically used in a sexual way; male to female, but what happens when this is
employed in other ways. How can the gaze on other physical differences change
the dynamic of two people and adjust the tension. How does that make the
onlookers think about the context of the gaze?
Abject: extremely bad, unpleasant, and degrading
These are the topics that find themselves to be more
controversial, but often times the richest. Abjectification is defined as being
cast off. Grotesque. A way to approach subjects that high school students are
also approaching and allowing them to explore and have the opportunity to be
recognized as mature adults.
As guidelines for lesson structures, I think that the
postmodern principles are significantly more relevant and dynamic. They
challenge the critical mind of the student in ways that evoke problem solving
and examining society as well as themselves. Schools would be much more pleased
to have students doing those things than know that a diagonal line shows chaos.
Fieldwork Lesson
My mentor teacher has given me free range for my lesson and
is very willing to help. We spoke many times about the content of the lesson,
it being involved in Illustrator and exploring some basic tools in a creative
way. This will be there first creative project since they’ve only been using
tutorials to learn the program. I’ve decided to base my lesson off of the ideas
expressed in the opening growth test that he administered to the students my
second time at the Fieldwork. Revolving around identity, I decided it would be
interesting for the students to create an emblem based off of themselves
through use of the silhouette and some basic tools in Illustrator. We used
PhotoBooth to take profile pictures of the students and dropped them into
Illustrator to take a pen drawing of the contour. I also introduced them to the
artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster who use shadow and silhouette to create a new
image. I also showed them tools involving pattern and warping to enhance their
creativity in a visual way by means of the program. The students surprised me and took the project past my expectations, manipulating the program in new ways.
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| My Teacher Sample |
Fieldwork
My fieldwork placement has landed me in Graphic Design. I’ve
dabbled into some Photoshop and Illustrator but I don’t think I can use a
stronger adjective than that to describe my experience. I am going to continue
my time there with the attitude that I am given an opportunity to gain
experience in yet another area that can expand my resume and my strengths as a
teacher. The classroom is equipped with 25 Mac desktop computers similar to the
ones we have in Smiley Arts. They also have many computer programs with CS4, something
that impressed me to be in a school. My mentor teacher is very willing to help
me as a student and enable me as a teacher.
Millennials
This week’s reading and discussion made me think about my
generation from my perspective. We discussed how the article was written about
Millennials by our father generation belonging to the Baby Boomers who
generally don’t have a overwhelmingly positive opinion on our generation. This
made me think about our perception about anything. Our personal schema and the
way we wish to see things always disjoint how things are. Perhaps our trust in
authority or need for a hero truly means nothing besides our own cynical
perception of the events we lived through and what we had in our lives. Isn’t
this really the only difference that shapes overwhelming perception? So if the
Baby Boomers, yes that’s you mom, want to critique the way we are, then they should
probably critique the construct of the world they created for us.
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