What do you get out of Art?

Aly_Kav

Hi Guys,

I'm doing a Case Study for college on skills and abilities learnt through the arts.

I'm looking to see, apart from the obvious creative talent gained, what skills people learn or develop from the Arts. If anyone has experience they would like to share I'd love to hear them!!

Also what are peoples opinions of the arts in education?

Thanks a mil

Aly

irishlostboy

define the Arts?

breadandjam

Here's something worth reading:

http://www.communityarts.net/readingroom/archivefiles/2002/05/why_not_footbal.php

I work as a Facilitator in Community art as well as having my own visual arts practice.
For me art helps me make sense of the world and my place in it. I think it works that way for a lot of people. Art can be very personal thing and can help people develop how they think about themselves and the world around them.

It also helps people develop problem solving strategies. When you're making art you making decisions all the time about form, colour, direction, light, etc. This habit of making decisions can be carried over to other aspects of life.


Arts in Education?

Well if you're talking about art up to the end of 2nd level, something strange happens around ten or twelve years old. Ask a child up to about nine to draw anything, a dragon or Jedward or a spaceship and they will do amazing drawings right away without even thinking about it.

Ask a ten year old or a secondary school student and they'll say "I can't draw" or "I hate drawing"
and instead of addressing this loss of confidence and teaching children to use art to interpret the world the system teaches them that there is only one right way to draw. And this is done as a way of getting people to pass exams.

I've also met a lot of secondary students who weren't offered the choice of Art for the Leaving cert or were offered a choice between Art and Business studies or some other subject they were told was more useful.

jennypaul2009

it is more of an expression whether it is through words or drawings

eleven

For me art is kind of a burden. I have this thing in me that means I need to draw and make and paint and look at things and dream, but I don't always enjoy it!

Which leads me into the arts in education thing... part of the reason I end up not enjoying it is because such a high level of importance is placed on how 'good' something is, without any real explanation of why it's good or not.

But to be fair, I place that pressure on myself. If I lived in a box with no commitments or anything I'd be as happy as that Larry fella.

Ell69

I second everything bread and jam has said.

For me art is everywhere, not just in my creations.. I admire art in all forms. I won't say I personally like everything I see. However I do admire the work that has gone into what that person has created.

As an art student myself, I recently did a couple of weeks work experience at secondary level. While I loved every bit of it and haven't changed my mind about wanting to teach at second level, I didn't like what I saw.
I saw kids that had been given pictures to copy at first year level. When I questioned this that it wasn't very challenging etc, I was told "Oh sure most of them don't keep it on after first year anyway" I went away thinking "not if I was teaching" shouldn't they be encouraged to keep it on?.
Also I found Art as a subject to be deemed inferior to other subjects taught.
Also chatting to student some of them aren't encouraged to keep it on by parents as other subjects are seen as more important.
Kids should be allowed to be creative, also art gives them a break and allows them to relax and chill out a little form all the chaos that is secondary school.
At exam level too, it is too structured, they should be given free reign to create what they want.
I feel art learns children patience, when they see a project from start to finish.
For me personally art is something I'm still learning, and I feel if I get to teach art, as planned, I will continue to learn. For years I hated abstract art, now I'm warmimg to it, not saying I now like it, just i understand it more. That was through my 12 year old son, who totally gets abstract, and pointed out to me, as he was zooming in on a photo we had to the point of where you couldn't make out the object anymore, and he said if I took this and painted it, it would be still a portion of the object but yet it would be abstract. He also gave me a lecture on Picasso, and got me to see him from a different angle.

As Edgar Degas said " Art is not what you see, but what you make others see!"
He also said " Painting is easy when you don't know how, but very difficult when you do!"

looksee

I agree that Art is not taken seriously as part of education - except of course in a specific Art environment. In the mix of general subjects though it is regarded just as a 'nice bit of relaxation' for the students. Which it is, or can be. I have no problem with that. But I do believe that students can learn a great deal though what could be loosely termed 'Art' and I would prefer to call creativity. I am not talking about Art students here, but the students who would not consider themselves artistic.

Many students would be afraid of attempting Art as it is usually interpreted - life drawing and painting for example. But there are lots of ways that they can benefit provided the teacher/subject is able get away from the narrow interpretation of Art.

I teach subjects which are based in creativity, though there is very little drawing or painting in the conventional sense. I approach it as a way of getting the students to solve problems imaginatively - how to turn a (hopefully fantastic or bizarre) idea into something concrete, how to get two bits of wood or cardboard to fit together, how to 'see' found objects and use them to represent something else, how to make a three dimensional shape from a two dimensional drawing, how to use tools - how to decide which tool to use.

I hope that if they can solve the problems involved in producing an actual object that they have made with their own hands, it will help them realise that problems can be solved, and they will become more open to dealing with life, rather than letting life deal with them. Possibly this is a rather optimistic attitude, but at worst they just enjoy it, at best it does make them start to think outside the box. It also teaches them to look at the world around them and hopefully begin to appreciate it.

Most of them have not had any contact with art or creativity since primary school, and the satisfaction they get from creativity, and the willingness to make the effort to think is very gratifying. Many of them have difficulties with writing and academic study, and I think that offering an opportunity to use a practical, creative approach to learning is a good way of improving their confidence and self-esteem.

My own preference is for abstract and representational art, there are so many projects in my head, but I seem to use up my 'art energy' in teaching. I hope I will find the time and energy to express some of these ideas. I do prefer work that is positive rather than introspective or anguished! I feel that there is enough ugliness and unhappiness in the world without dwelling on it in art. I am not talking about twee and pretty, I like strong, confident statements and thoughtful narratives. I can get my dose of reality from reading newspapers, I prefer art to be something of an escape.

1071823928

i love art, i always have and i always will. i dont know what it is about it that i love but i do anyway, the freedom of self expression, how its so unlimited. im not sure but i could spend all day drawing. i love going to museums and looking at paintings and just feeling like ive been transported! it was always my strongest subject in school but i was never encouraged to persue art as a career. iv chopped and changed around in different art courses but i think im finally onto a winner now.

artieanna

For me art is a personal journey, sometimes I don't know what I am doing or where I am going, but it always pleases me when I have produced some work, and usually I am happy with the outcome. I use my art practice to learn about things I am interested in, subjects which I would have known very little about. I explore these things until I have a good understanding of them. My art is a result of learning, understanding and my own creativity.

ThOnda

Changing thoughts in my head, not thinking about work, relaxation and almost therapy.

Tiriel

ThOnda wrote: »

Changing thoughts in my head, not thinking about work, relaxation and almost therapy.

Very same for me.