Process art is the antithesis of “coloring inside the lines” or us- ing basic shapes to draw a realistic horse. It’s a form of deep play, and a powerful way to access the dynamic life force of creativity that comes so naturally to children. With the support of understanding adults, it becomes a revolutionary way for children to engage with art materials. There aren’t any rules, aside from mutual respect and safety, and the emphasis is purely on the experience that children have of their own aliveness as they follow their impulses. The teachers at Second Street
ums. They may conjure up ideas about people they consider “creative” and instantly classify themselves as decid- edly not in that category. They may not have touched paintbrushes, clay, or any other art materials since elemen- tary school, when a teacher told them they didn’t have artistic talent. These negative associations neglect a critical distinction—the difference between art as product and art as process. In process art, the goal isn’t to make a pretty picture or a saleable work of art. Instead, the goal is to “let out what- ever wants out.”
Imagine looking at five paint- brushes of different sizes on a table and letting your hand decide which one to pick up. The impulse to choose one paintbrush over another may
14 Tucson
Process Art W
A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION by Kira Freed
hen people hear the word art, they often associate it with Picasso, Rodin, and art muse-
come from a “felt” attraction to a par- ticular brush—a body-based pull. Or it may come from a persistent, not-to- be-ignored sense that a certain weight of line wants to be painted—perhaps a bold slash, a delicate squiggle, or a jumble of fat dots. Now imagine scan- ning a row of paint colors and allow- ing yourself to be drawn to the one that seems to have the most energy or seems to be calling to you. This
Children’s School in Tucson are huge fans of process art. The students, ages 3–6, engage in process art every day. Jenny Douglas, director of the school, explains, “Teachers at Second Street School don’t instruct students to create specific projects, such as to make a caterpillar from an egg carton. Instead, they demonstrate the use of unfamiliar materials so students know how to manipulate them. Then they let students follow their own inclinations while learning to take risks, combin- ing shapes, textures, and materials in experimental ways that have never been modeled for them.” The results can range from minimalist collages inside bottle caps to elaborate three- dimensional sculptures from found ob-
approach is very different from begin- ning a painting with an idea already in mind, such as an outdoor scene with green grass and blue sky. In process
painting, even if such an impulse arises at the start, the grass may turn into rocks or waves or a volcano, and the sky may become filled with flames or a flock of giant black birds. The key is to follow the trail of impulses that arise in each moment, while gently inviting ideas about the painting to step back and get out of the way.
A participant is absorbed in a Painting Experience workshop.
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