ndalism? Explores art and social action
Aſter some further investigation into the work of other artists from around the world which explore social issues in their work, students were asked, “What do you want to see more of in the world? What do you want to see less of?”
Now it was their turn to use art to communicate their feelings on a matter of importance! Choosing a topic that was relevant and personally meaningful enough to prompt them to take action was a key component of the process. The notion of an audience was also very important.
For the project, students were tasked to create works of art that would be installed within the school in such a way that the art would interrupt the viewer’s normal school day experience. Students could use any medium they wanted and they could collaborate with a partner. Before planning, students had to make clear what their intent was. What did they want their message to be? In the development of their projects, they had to consider how the interplay of form, theme, and context would help them communicate their intent.
To get started, students investigated an artist of their choosing from among the artists that we had looked at as a class. Part of the process of responding to the artist’s work was to find a way to use the work as inspiration in the development of their own. This forced students to learn and explore new techniques.
Students then made a proposal and presented it to the class for feedback before continuing with their projects. They chose topics such as education for girls, child soldiers, bullying, and self-esteem. Aſter receiving feedback from the class, the creation process began.
Students had to learn new techniques and processes to execute their plans. As a teacher, it can be uneasy to offer so much choice in media, but the rewards of seeing students engaged in learning a process of their own choosing and using their newly gained knowledge is the benefit. Allowing freedom of materials reemphasized the importance of form, theme, and context working together. Students took over the third floor open studio. At the end of the process students titled their work and wrote artists’ statements to hang alongside the work. I had the pleasure of witnessing two students installing their work, standing back and jumping up and down with excitement.
When passers by asked the two students about the work, the students turned the tables and asked what the viewers what they thought it meant. Could the viewers see their intent as artists? The power of being able to clearly communicate a message of importance was evidenced by the smile on their faces.
At HKA, secondary students in the MYP visual arts courses are not exclusively developing standard art skills. They are also developing their creative thinking skills. They do this through the process of exploring their ideas, experimenting, planning and responding to the work of others.
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