Literature and Visual Arts

Well, the school year has started. After only 3 days, I am tired.  17 classes in 3 days!  8 on Friday alone!  But, it was worth it to see the kids laugh, learn and have fun drawing, and working together as a team!  
After learning the art ARTSY rules, each for almost every class, I read and we discussed the main ideas of  the book/story.

The Crayon Box that Talked, and drawing crayon friends=Kindergarten; Friends and Jack Rabbit Jack and drawing the characters=First; The Kissing Hand, and creating one for a team member=2nd grade; T-shirt team share and design=3rd grade; Rapunzel's Escape Route teamwork=Fourth; and Compliment Game and Random Drawing=5th grade.

I soon lost count how many times I told each story, for some crossed over into other grades, and we discussed how important respect is and if we don't show it, we hurt people, or we get hurt, too.

What a three days!  Now, on Monday and Tuesday I will tell the stories all over again, to a different set of students, at one school to 19 classes!  New students, new art drawings to be completed and shared.

Teachers that include a literary concept (book) and language arts like I do and integrate it with visual arts, will see a difference in student's attention span and behavior. The minute I began drawing or reading, they were with me doing as I asked and listened.  Five minutes=it was worth it. It set the base for the lesson.  Another fun thing was to have them guess the acronym of my rules: ARTSY.: Always; Respect, Think, Start, and You.  I won't give away my set of rules, but for K-5 you can probably figure them out. 

And the art terms we covered: Random, lines: vertical, diagonal, horizontal; shapes, colors,  rhythm. 

So, off I go again to teach my students. Their smiles, and genuineness to really learn and have fun in art is why I teach. Intrinsic rewards for me, and I hope for the students when they are successful.

Another School Year

copyright 2013 LGates/Artteacher1359

Another school year is upon us teachers. My school begins on Wednesday.  The students will come in quiet, shy and or happy to see old friends. Others, like me, will come in ready to meet all my new art students. 

Everyone will be kinda scared as they don't know what to expect from their teachers.  Let me assure you, students, we teachers are scared, too.  Some of us have new schools, many schools, and some are just starting their teaching careers.  No one knows what to expect, we just hope for the best.  There is always someone to help.  Everyone needs help.
  
I got this little book from Unity, called "Keep the Faith!" by Martha Smock.  I really like this quote:  
"You are learning, you are growing, and you have much more faith and understanding than you realize."
Enough said.  

Together, teachers, students and even parents will learn and grow this new school year.  Let's keep the faith!  Keep it positive! Good luck everyone! 

Rauschenberg's "Bed" Is it art?

The following art criticism post is adapted from page 210 and page 37 of the book,  Puzzles about Art by Battin, Fisher, Moore & Silvers.

Image from creativegames.org uk

Robert Rauschenberg's 1955 "Bed" (see at right)  is a portion of his bed in a "work of art".  One may question:  Is this really art?  Using linens, a quilt, a pillow and paint, Raushcenberg has attached parts of his bed on a stretcher, framed it, and entitled, the piece, "Bed".

The book, Puzzle about Art tells that in 1958, Rauschenberg was asked to participate in an exhibition in Italy. Wishing to participate, he submitted "Bed".  The curators of the show were taken aback at his submission, and were very disgruntled to say the least.  They would not display this "artwork" in the main gallery of the show.  The "Bed" was instead put in a storage area.  What was the reason the curators were so shocked about this work of art?  Given that this was 1958 and 55 years has passed since, do you think this type of art is now acceptable for a show?  Or, do you think that it is still a questionable submission for a show?  What would you do as a curator of the show?

Would you say it is a conceptual art?  Conceptual art meaning that the viewer or audience forms their own opinion about the artwork. The audience forms an idea or their own concept about what the artist's message is to the art world about the piece or about himself?

Most importantly, is it art?  What exactly is art?  George Dickie, the writer, argues that the term, art is undefineable.  He originally stated that art is based on whether it is seen as an artifact or based on a set of creteria by the artworld.  This definition did not suffice; and then he reasoned this--his "new" definition of art --catergorized into five criteria:
 1) artists create and understand making art
 2) artwork is an artifact that is created and seen by the public
 3) the public are people that are able to decipher with some intellect what art is being shown
 4) the artworld is the sum of all artworld systems
 5) the artworld system is a set of criteria for presenting art to the artworld by the artist

Confused?  Does this really define what art is?  I think we might all agree on #1?  The other four, I'll leave up to you to decide for yourself.  Consider this:  Are any of the statements facts or opinions?  Remember, one can have an opinion about art, which is stating their feelings or interpretation of the art; but to state a fact, means it can be proven or is in fact, true.  So, I would consider Dickie's criteria opinions.  For myself, though, I would say that artists definitely create art (fact) whether they understand their own art could be a (fact) or (opinion).  A fact about the artwork:  There is tactile texture, color, pattern, and other elements and principles of art per se.

So, is Rauschenberg's "Bed" what?  Art? Conceptual Art? Not sure? Expressionism? an aesthetic dilemma?
Acceptable?  Unacceptable?   You decide. 


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