BY ROBIN MULLER, SECONDARY VISUAL ARTS TEACHER


Art Van or


Grade eight


During a recent Grade 8 art class the question was raised, “Is graffiti art or vandalism?” We had been investigating the work of Banksy and his use of provocative stencil art on the streets of England that question the role of authority. The focus of our unit was art and social change. Our primary question of inquiry was, “Can art change the world?”


As a class we analyzed and discussed the work of Banksy. We began by looking at the artwork. We described the work and did our best to analyze and interpret it based on evidence. Some of our discussion raised questions such as,


Why might an artist use graffiti as a form of expression on issues relating to authority?


Moving into the new campus has allowed us not only to stretch out into more space; we are also stretching our notions of what is possible. The third floor studio is starting to buzz with creativity, walking around you are likely to find everything from large painted canvases, installations, sculpture, ceramics and works on paper. Our new art space gives us all enough physical space and room to explore the many questions we encounter as part of the artistic process.


Why does Banksy’s true identity remain a secret?


What is the role of an artist in society today? Is it an artist’s job to make social commentary?


What does it do to a work of art to move it from a street context to a gallery context?


If we dig deeper when we look at art we can start to un-peel the intent of the artist using the lenses of form, theme and context to investigate it further. Looking closely can help us to understand the work better. Gone are the days of memorizing dates and movements in art history. What we are interested in is context. How can the work we investigate help us to understand time and place and its effect on culture and globalization?


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