Critical Reflections from 544
After reading Writing Effective Lesson Plans while utilizing the work of lesbian and gay artists and considering a lesson plan on identity to help nurture as the teacher did, it occurred to me again to personally engage my class as to why the inclusion of GA and lesson plans should be included into my curriculum. As the article also states, disagreement was found solely having focus singling out only gay and lesbian artists may not be the most effective or agreeable, but the lesson plan certainly was approved. This communication from the school board and the intricacies of media discussions about the subject drove me to remember my experiences breaking down in Laramie, Wyoming, as a young man. My VW Van, girlfriend, two friends, and a dog were asked if we would like to stay the night within the locked gates of the repair shop. I found out later the following day it was purely for our protection as the local mentality was fierce with discrimination and harassment I had not experienced before. Turns out months later, in this same town, Matthew Shepard was taken from us. This, sadly, did not surprise me at all. The article I chose, “The Politics of Negotiating Public Tragedy: Media Framing of the Matthew Shepard Murder,” directly discusses the significance of how this event was portrayed, even to this day, and provides a platform of neutrality to recognize the significance of eliminating hate crimes, homophobia, and significantly increase our discussion of inclusion on a public platform. Developed biases occur but can be safely redirected for a positive motive/outcome. Though perhaps focusing only on hate and dissimilarities is not appropriate, addressing the topic and relating it to my identity’s developmental experience can help nurture a positive lesson plan like the article’s lesson plan on identity.
References
Lampela, L. (2005). Writing effective lesson plans while utilizing the work of lesbian and gay artists. Art Education, 58(2), 33-39.
Ott, B. L., & Aoki, E. (2002). The politics of negotiating public tragedy: Media framing of the Matthew Shepard murder. Rhetoric & Public Affairs, 5(3), 483-505.
FACILITATION
Mike Lyon
Freedman, K. (2003). Teaching visual culture: Curriculum, aesthetics, and the social life of art. Teachers College Press.
Main Idea/Purpose
Teaching Visual Culture Chapter One investigates and defines the term visual culture and how, more than ever, it disseminates the relevance of visual imagery as it defines societal and individual identity. As an introduction, the chapter provides a platform for our visual culture, with aspects of education, theory, and interpretation throughout other fields of study. In the past, fine art primarily focused on the art education curriculum and now encapsulates a broader spectrum of visual elements that must be considered when teaching and understanding the world around us.
Short Overview
Considering that “Stories of the past can help us understand that art education has continually changed in response to contemporary experience, while at the same time helping to maintain larger social structures of a culture and its institutions”( p.9), we know the visual imagery we see reflect an identity upon an individual as to how one reacts or is influenced by it. The same goes for society as a collective. Anything a human makes can be considered art for interaction on at least three levels. These include face-to-face, mediated, and mediated quasi-interaction. As Freedman states, “ Mediated quasi-interaction is monologic, involving a one-way transmission of information through space and time’( p.4); one can surmise this interaction affects and transfers an interaction to the experienced, therefore, must have significance. Since the inundation of visual culture exists around us much more prolifically than just “fine art,” such as in popular arts like film, video, television, advertising, computer games, and toy design, we must consider the repercussions of this interaction and effect on the individual and culture around us even more than thought before. Citing two critical social theories that have shaped art and education to include both a neo-Marxist “particularly the work of critical sociologists of the Frankfurt School, such as the aesthetics of Theodor Adorno”(Freedman, p. 6) viewpoint and then of “Brazilian educator Paulo Freires’ theory that grew out of the efforts to promote literacy borrowed from John Dewey’s pragmatism and ideas about progressive education,”(p.6) the foundation and platform exist that we must continue to broaden and define a much larger scale of visual culture’s significance and influence that represents societal and individual identity. While “The ideals of the Enlightenment are still at the center of advanced democratic culture, which exemplifies the interactive relationship between modernism and postmodern life” ( p. 12), we can deduce the significance of how the interaction and interpretation of visual culture define a society. Doing so can also be done on an international scale. Significantly, “The ways we represent through the realm of visual culture shapes people’s thinking”(p. 14) is incredibly accurate and provides a distinct premise for further study, especially in how sociological and psychological effects are attained and influenced. In contrast, the artistic realm eludes just “fine art.”
Critical Response:
When I first read this chapter and learned of visual culture, I was extremely excited to finally have a defined concept of the nature of our surrounding's influence on us as a society. The broad encompassing aspects defining visual culture helped me establish a vocabulary that enables me to explain/teach others how and why what they see influences them and their identity. Grasping visual culture's more significant influence on society, our visual culture/environment has a profound effect. It is worth detailed scrutiny of unbiased research, and it overreaches our educational past of simply defining art seen and experienced as human expression or “fine.” As we challenge the boundaries of what constitutes art aesthetically and why in what forms, we continually discover more significant truths in what we view as changes in individual and societal norms. When we explain, critique, and observe these forms as educators, we first have to respond and assess the criticality of how this is determined. Utilizing these results transcends into building rapport with other sciences, as we understand, to some extent, how the visual nature of our environment affects us and can be studied to its benefit. We are genuinely now just beginning to scratch this surface. As we further understand visual culture's influence, the analogies needed to ascertain significance are now coming to light. This could be a new era of enlightenment, mainly as new technology provides us with imagery that is not human, which we must be critical of.
FACILITATION
Mike Lyon
Girls, G. (1998). The Guerrilla Girls' bedside companion to the history of Western art. Penguin.
Sandell, R., & Speirs, P. (1999). Feminist concerns and gender issues in art education. Translations: From Theory to Practice, 8(1), 1-6.
Main Idea/Purpose:
The above articles have researched why feminist ideals are needed to promote equality in art education. With countless examples, some obvious and some not, art and art education continue to challenge assumptions and equality in contemporary society. The feminist movement that started in the early 70’s has yet only scratched the surface.
Short Overview
In Guerilla Girls' bedside companion to the history of Western art, chapter 6, some of our world’s best popularized and diversified female artists are recognized. These include and are not limited to Frida Kahlo, Augusta Savage, Georgia O’Keefe, and Käthe Kollwitz. As patronage to modern art still has inequalities in representation, presence in galleries, or sought-after collections, Guerilla Girls make a solid case proving sexism still is intertwined within the art community and art education by a social construct built upon white male dominance still ingrained in curriculum and society. Guerilla Girls says, “They have made people aware that what most of us learned as objective reality was white male reality” (Girls, p. 90, 1998). While also familiarizing readers that “All our research shows the farther you get from New York and Western Europe, the better it gets for women and artists” (Girls, p.90, 1999). One can ascertain the richness and ingrained idealisms throughout the history of white male dominance within the arts; women have been so excluded, making it much more challenging to change the core belief our art and art education history should be considered accurate with the unprecedented exclusion and recognition of women. Sandell and Speirs also not only believe this deep-rooted problem but point out subtle details of our pedagogy that male roles and/or gender roles are honestly still promoting sexism to this day. In Feminist Concerns and gender issues in Art Education reads, “Most educators are unaware of the subtle infiltration of gender lessons taking place in their classrooms that harmfully affect both boys and girls in the classroom and outside in larger society” (Sandell, Speirs, 1999)
Critical Response:
My experience is not quite firsthand in the art classroom, but I agree with the prevalence of inequality and sexism still alive and influencing curriculum and the modern-day workplace. I reflect on even the chronic “Hey guys” habit when addressing a crowd or group. As unintentional as I know it to be sexist, it has the underlining grain of thought in modern-day language to misrepresent gender roles that affect the outcome of influence through association. Through these subtle references and nuances, a significant effect can be had if one consciously recognizes the benefit of alternating even slight phrases to become as appropriate as they should be. Having worked in what is considered one of the most diversified and educated public workplaces, I know there are reasons and extreme best practices like language change that have occurred. Some are even borderline racist, sexist, and inappropriate, but success is worth the effort. Actively recognizing women artists, eliminating white male artists, and promoting diversity is absolutely the way to go. I say this wholeheartedly and personally as a white privileged male in the humblest way. What is the best way to ensure change other than to enforce and just do it, no matter what. Forward necessary change can only be delivered if it is mandated and made aware publicly and socially, besides in art and art education pedagogy. This starts at the personal level and then through the enlightenment of why change is necessary. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes extreme effort, sacrifice, and especially time for change to occur, but encouraging it in the process is undoubtedly making a difference as we unearth even more reasons to do it.
FACILITATION
Mike Lyon
Efland, Arthur. (1990) The Expressionist and Reconstructionist Streams in Art Education (pp. 187-223) in A History of Art Education: Intellectual and Social Currents in Teaching the Visual Arts.
Guerrilla Girls. (1998) The 20th Century: Women of the “isms” (pp. 58-64) in The GuerrillaGirls’ Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art.
Lawton, P. H. (2017) Hunting for Hunster: A Portrait of Thomas Watson Hunster, Art Education Pioneer in the District of Columbia, Studies in Art Education, 58:2, 100-114
Lowenfeld, V. & Britain, W.L. (1970). Creative and Mental Growth, 5th Ed. New York: The Macmillan Co.
Central Idea/Purpose:
Identifying critical stages in art education’s history where the curriculum focuses on the individual child, art school accessibility and availability remained influential factors negating people of color and women’s history of inclusion. As reconstructionist and Expressionist movements intervened within an established scientific movement, German influences engaged art programs within the US at the highest levels having an overreaching effect once the Nazi Germans broke apart and refuted the Bauhaus movement in the early 1930s. The exclusion of potential talent of black student artists and women during this difficult during the Great Depression was exemplified by the limited access to art education in general, besides the predisposed curriculum that did not include or recognize such artists.
Short Overview:
Instead of focusing on the social and personal development of the creative child as Dewey’s influence reigned throughout America, Lowenfeld examines and directs attention to the individual child’s growth. As he states, “While our high achievements in specialized fields, particularly in the sciences, have improved our material standards of living, they have diverted us from those values that are responsible for our emotional and spiritual needs”(Lowenfeld, p. 5) Feeling attention should be focused here instead of how education should develop a child ready for a social construct or material possession, Lowenfeld also states, “Our educational system has done little to change the increasing loss of identity with oneself”(Lowenfeld, p. 14) This certainly helps define a new direction in American education’s art philosophy as well as distinct problems of diversity not being addressed during the same period after World War I. As schools had limited access to art education, did not have art teachers, and only “directors” overseeing curriculum for multiple schools, access to artistic development declined. Though now focused solely on the individual positively in their development, fewer institutions could apply what knowledge was available. Even though Efland describes this period as when “Artistic freedom was the metaphor for the freeing of other social institutions from the weight of tradition, especially the school”(Efland, p. 222), the minorities and women in art education were tremendously affected even more so in declining numbers. Dr. Pamela Lawton writes, “Black school children with exceptional skill and talent did not have exposure to original artworks or training beyond the public school art program, denying them the opportunity to develop and pursue careers as artists”(Lawton, p. 109) even more so reaffirming opportunities were diminished but also declined the chance for any recognition of fine artists or educators of color. This similar applies to women of the period. To this day, this still resonates accurately. Though the individual learner is centralized and forefront to educate, “If our White pre/in-service educators seldom encounter Black art educators how will they learn to sensitively teach, encourage, and affirm their Black students?”(Lawton, p. 112) This is some 90 years later as well.
Critical Response:
I am reminded of how difficult change slowly occurs collectively in our society. I find strides of positivity, but I know the proof is limited. As art is considered one of the most essential forms of human expression, surrounding ourselves with as much diversity as possible will only have a little short-term effect until it remains constant within society. Our current transitional efforts to gain fluidity and diversity in the roles of our society will ultimately go down in history as a period of transformation and acceptance of efforts to do so. I recognize why any repetition of curriculum and institutionalized mentalities should be looked at critiçally as well. One can not change them if they are reinforced or left to remain. Unfortunately, it does take time, and more than I would like. By enforcing and directing a curriculum focused on inequalities of the past, logically, outcomes will be encouraged in a positive way more often. This includes supporting more art teachers and communities and having role models that are absolutely diverse, if not almost disproportionately, in favor of change occurring more quickly.
FACILITATION
Mike Lyon
Freedman, K. (2003). Teaching visual culture: Curriculum, aesthetics, and the social life of art. Teachers College Press.
Main Idea/Purpose:
Teaching Visual Culture chapter two dives into the evolutionary interpretation of aesthetics in art education and its influence through the late 19th and 20th centuries. Multiple layers of the aesthetic experience are discussed concerning emotional and intellectual responses, starting with the inception of aesthetics, psychological influences, and dynamic tension in aesthetic responses and how they can be interpreted. Formalism, Modernism, and Post modernistic views are discussed with how the aesthetic attributes of visual culture have been interpreted, can be interpreted, and delineate aesthetic value in today’s curriculum as to why these different viewpoints should be reevaluated and processed further.
Short Overview:
As most postmodern critique utilizes analytic critique as the basis of discussion and theory in education, formalism still influences our curriculum. Stating Kant’s opinion that “aesthetic judgment is grounded in a necessarily universal, immediate response of pleasure to certain objects perceived by the senses without concepts and involving no practical interests or desires” (p.26), one can attain a higher level of understanding or consciousness. Historically, one must have had the socioeconomic ability and education to formalize an appreciation for aesthetics and art. In the past, when one viewed work and had an emotional response, it did not mean the viewer knew anything about the work itself unless educated on how. This belief and idea still permeate modern art criticism today, as does a similarly high level of formalism. Formalism has had such influence on curriculum today the term itself is used in definition to describe the qualities of an aesthetic response. One must use an educated, formal diagnosis to render descriptions such as line, color, or shape to discuss and analyze work only. Symbolism came into play early in the 20th century, enabling the less educated and more opportunities for interpretation by the “untrained” eye. Postimpressionists declare that “their symbolist aesthetic resonates now because it illustrates the importance of social mediation between the internal, subjective and the external, objective realms” (p.28). This desensitizes the formalism of the period. This period establishes a separate discussion of the delineated popular and “fine” arts. Having expressionism rejected unfairly due to the communist connection also delayed the discussion of aesthetic values we still look for today more pragmatically. First analyses of art curriculum dial in on writing art curriculum based on Greenberg’s and Rosenberg’s ideas on aesthetics and had communist affiliation. Commenting on this, “Although art education had been in the public schools for more than a century, this was the period that art curriculum became an issue to be studied” (p. 31); one can presume a critical eye on the milieu of art education was justified. Knowing what was aesthetically pleasing was not necessarily “right” contributed to an interest in modern art and promoted further discussion. Dewey, at the time, announced that “awareness of form attunes us to the psychobiological conditions of being human and our senses work together to promote aesthetic connections, enriching our experience of form” (p.39) and establishes a relationship between material, the actual process of making, and ideas of art/visual culture. Knowing individuals create their meanings of popular images of the visual culture around them, studying and appreciating its effect on culture have sociological implications still explored similarly today.
Critical Response:
I believe that having a communist concern and association with expressionism was valid at the time, though very unfortunate, as were the misdirected conclusions that shaped and influenced the art curriculum. Even today, we learn more about how the visual culture around us profoundly affects an individual or culture. Having artistic freedom of expression challenged with such societal concern surely intertwined its way into the curriculum; we still must be critical poignantly to this day, as we missed the opportunity to focus correctly during the time over a half-century ago. It is pertinent to continue the study of the connections Whistler sought with the visual arts and music itself, especially when it comes to visual culture. Musical Culture does have very similar aesthetic analogies that also portray similar psychobiological responses that can be associated socially through the mind’s echoic store. I recognize and am unearthing similar analogies currently. In a classroom, the more aesthetic responses one can attain associatively in learning visually, including sound, surely increase cognitive ability and learning. In other words, similarly to Bloom’s taxonomy, all stages of learning can utilize better understanding/learning visually and musically(iconic and echoic store with association. A classroom has a plethora of learners with individualistic personality traits that can be addressed with the commonalities of aesthetics and musicalities. I feel symbolism still has its place and transcends discussions on a platform of commonality for learning, though I question how universal and culturally diverse such language translates or, more specifically, how well.
FACILITATION SHEET
Mike Lyon
Freedman, K. (2003). Teaching visual culture: Curriculum, aesthetics, and the social life of art. Teachers College Press.
Main Idea/Purpose:
Teaching Visual Culture Chapter three constructs a platform using art history, how it has been discussed in the past, and how now more distinctly correlates to our art curriculum in contemporary society. In the past, art history significantly negated connection to social, political, and economic concerns. We now, more than ever, significantly understand the correlation alongside the visual culture we live in having direct correlation with popular culture, as so much has been left out in our history portrayed in the arts. If one takes the time to address the historical cultural and societal connections of the visual past, we will continue to find relevant attributes to art that has been left out prior in our visual history.
Short Overview :
When looking at history, one must reconstruct it with cues left behind including the visual. As “Art history is grounded in the serious and thoughtful research of selected objects, but it generally gives little attention to larger social, political, and economic concerns that are the contexts of artistic production,” (Freedman, p. 44) we continue to find relevance unearthing connections, similar to an archeologist or sociologist, comparing the significance of any given work in context to the visual culture of the time left out of context. The social influences of a time are significant and do also have relevance to the work itself, besides how it may have influenced culture in general. One way to consider this as Freedman points out how in traditional curriculum has “in some ways inhibited understandings of the past, for example, it has limited an appreciation of the profound consequences of influence by certain social, gender, and cultural groups” (p. 48). If one only discusses certain traditional aspects of aesthetics, one increases the odds of misrepresenting or underrepresenting conceptualized relationships between and across cultures on earth. As general as this may sound, discussing context and quality in work broaden our ability to gain judgements in which they were originally created. We can then gain perspective and can ascertain even more precisely how these correlate with modern day society, though difficult to access, especially by modern day standards. Beauty is found in both good and bad art that relates to this discussion, therefore also validates, at minimum, visual culture that does not include artwork that has “stood the test of time” be considered. It may be more difficult again to discuss “bad” art, but has just as much significance culturally than “fine” art. As the traditional “fine” art world collides with the nature of the visual culture we live in today, we continue to find significance transcendence in many modern-day artists utilizing traditions of the past to help describe their work in a contemporary way to relate to an audience.
Critical Response:
Utilizing art history and especially the underrepresented context one can find in period work surely opens opportunities for extra critical analysis. This is on top of the traditionally known concepts in cognitive development as well we know as teachers. I feel this pertinent and relate by knowing not only the significant aesthetics of the great works in art history, but also how they also misrepresent and even are apathetic to culture and society at the time. It indeed is a variable in the work that has not been scrutinized until recently. Even more importantly, knowing this and how we now know what we see affects us psychologically and developmentally, we need to pay much more attention. As other fields like sociology, psychology, and even the sciences embrace the significant influence visual culture has upon us, especially recently as our society becomes more aware of visual culture's influence, it is no less important to focus on the quality or context of one’s artwork than ever. Research continues to understand and unearth significant causal relationships with the visual culture we grow and develop in other fields. Some certainly are not so casual and quite significant. As a teacher, I am more bound and determined to help make sense of these findings, especially for my students. I feel this it also empowers an individual/society/culture and provides the opportunity to understand the world around us so much better to promote positive progress. We then can also avoid unnecessary ignorance and power of influence upon us as a society and keep the human condition safer moving forward. Making sense of our environment around us, knowing the cause and effect of only our visual culture, demands our attention just as much as our written, oral, or musical past. I would also love to hear how the lack of the context Freedman so urges might have played out in your history as a student.
​
​
Judy Chicago
After watching this film, I was relieved that The Dinner Party had found a permanent home at The Brooklyn Museum. There were critical aspects to this film, as working with such large groups of women on creative projects is something I am familiar with. I noted this with the discussion with the few men trying to support and be part of this incredibly intimate art project. This includes being the only male student, let alone white, in many of my classes, including my professional career. I remain cognizant, empathetic, and sensitive as much as the environment allows me to be. Luckily, I have found ways to support others and grow while simultaneously being embraced for doing so. Having the underlying platform and discovering women’s influences over the ages was a tremendous act. This includes not only who to include in the final work but also the process itself, learning and defining the history of the work to be displayed permanently. This work far exceeds an individual artist’s effort and depicts a beautiful collective struggle highlighting the women of influence in history. The difficulty in creating the piece also permeates the struggle it represents while remaining attractive and a historical record.