Metaphoric Self-portrait
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Metaphoric Self-portrait Artist Statement
Children need scaffolding and ways to reach higher levels of learning. Art education is the perfect platform for this process. Building on the knowledge through sequential classes where students learn skills, become meaning makers and eventually achieve a sense of self is represented by the stairs of the Detroit Institute of Arts. The higher one gets in the museum the higher the cognition is required.
Art Education has the unique ability to consistently make connections for their students. This aids students in achieving through critical thinking and problem solving and broadens their scope of possibilities. By providing students a base, represented by the tree of knowledge, students will see that there are many choices. After the age of 12, students prune their trees' to make a sense of self and develop to the next level. Making art a necessary tool since one creates oneself.
In order for this to happen Art Educators have to foster kindness and support in a safe and peaceful environment for students. Art Education needs to help our students become not only skillful and critical thinkers but visually literate of other cultures and the global community we live in today.
Brainstorming
Sketches
Posts
I strongly agree with your metaphor: art education is a solid base from which a student's knowledge and creativity will expand and grow in an infinite number of directions. I also agree that it is the art educator's job to foster an environment in which the student feels safe and secure to grow. Formally I think your image is well unified and has a lot of movement. However, I think the figures in the foreground overshadow the images of the principle ideas of your metaphor, namely the tree and stairs. What if you brought the stairs to the foreground, made them more opaque, and put the figures ascending the stairs? To me this would better show the increasing technical and cognitive skills a student attains while in the art classroom. Again, good metaphor overall.
ReplyDeleteI agree, art has something to offer all students. Promoting thinking skills not typically used in academics and increasing exposure to other cultures are good justifications for the expense of an art department. Developing the art skills of those few students who demonstrate special artistic aptitude is not.
ReplyDeleteAs for the composition, Klimt's Tree of Life makes an excellent Tree of Knowledge. The eye shapes attached to some of the branches fit that role better in my opinion. And, I especially enjoy how the Buddha seems to be considering the apple offered by the ascending Eve.
Your artwork has great movement because the composition moves the eyes from the bottom to the top. I think that fits well with your theme of students ascending to knew levels of skill and creativity. I think your two symbols (the stairs and the tree) should be a little more prevalent in order to make your idea more clear. It is a great metaphor and I think that you could make it stand out more but still keep the subtlety, if that is what you are going for.
ReplyDeleteI love the image you created. It has emotion, movement, and deeper meaning. The way you have layered the images creates a very interesting and well composed piece. I also agree with your tree of knowledge being planted by the art teacher and then pruned by the student as it continues to grow. This really shows the importance of education. I was wondering about the presence of the female figure and the apple. This reminds me of original sin and temptation. how does this connect with the rest of your theme?
ReplyDeleteYour metaphoric self-portrait was interesting and eye stimulating to gaze at. There exists such a variety of components in your piece I get a different impression every time that I look at it. I really enjoyed that you used not any staircase but the famous DIA staircase. Perhaps you should higlighten/brighten the aspects of your theme that you feel most imporant. Although it took me a minute, I realized that the random swirls were connected to a tree, which is one of your main points. Perhaps by making it more bold will bring better understanding.
ReplyDeleteThe brainstorming was very helpful. It helped connect the images with the meanings you wanted to convey. The symbols were very clear after I read the statement as well.
ReplyDeleteThe transition from the original images were very interesting. Specifically how the tree grounded all the parts of the images. It held my eye and allowed me to see the whole image. The women with the apples and the Buddha were interesting.
We need to be an inventive society and art is a good path for students to take. And we need to allow students to be creative. All students need to have an education that helps them succeed and be creative. This is the educator's job- to make school interesting and purposeful. Art is a subject that should connect with their students.
ReplyDeleteThe image connected to the Brainstorming and that it builds on one another.
Elementary Art Teacher
ReplyDeleteHaving taught elementary art for over 30 years I think it is important to have an Art Program that is sequential. I believe that as a teacher we need to help students build a base of knowledge but I think we also need to help them in that pruning process.
In regards to your image, I think that although the many components make a good image there are too many. Why 3 women and three apples? Maybe you could have had Buddha holding one apple. The tree image is very interesting but it needs to be more prominent. As for the stairs, I understand the concept of higher learning but this image recedes too much. Maybe you should have chosen either the tree of knowledge or the stairs. Also, is that Dorian in the upper right corner? Nice touch, it makes it personal but maybe your image should have been placed inside his head or a shape of a head.
I like the steps/repetition aspect of the composition as a metaphor for scaffolding and building on prior knowledge.
ReplyDeleteAs an art teacher I so appreciate the desire to "foster kindness and support in a safe and peaceful environment for students." Unfortunately, students don't always make the choices they should to develop to the next level. Part of our role as educators is to develop relationships with the more challenging students and help them to engage in the process of learning.
As for the work itself I agree with KMack, increasing the opacity of the tree & stairs or in some other way giving them more visual importance would be helpful. I feel like I am missing some level of meaning--like what are the eyes for? There's lots I don't understand, but much to consider.