What is art
Posted on April 22, 2008
Filed Under Education | Leave a Comment
OK, so Hang won some art competitions last year, including securing a merit for the prestigious Istana Art Competition. But, in my opinion, he is not an artist in every sense. An artist is not necessary one who draws well, lest winning competitions.
So what is art? What makes an artist?
In my definition, an artist is someone who explores the world around him and communicates his thoughts and feelings using a variety of mediums. Thus, the art is a personalised interpretation of the artist’s environment.
Translating this into my teaching of art, I would not ask children to copy from pictures – which is what Hang has been doing for the past year during art classes. At the end of the session, everyone’s work look somewhat similar, lacking individuality and creativity.
Last evening, I wanted the boys to draw a lion in wilderness. So, instead of giving them step-by-step instructions, I asked them to draw based on their observations and imagination. I used a stuffed toy and they ran their hands through the lion’s body, face, tail and mane. Then we discussed about shapes, sizes, texture (i.e long tail, round face, etc) before drawing.
I love how the boys drew the wilderness based on their imagination, since both have never entered a jungle. Hang used long, bold strokes of yellow and green. To him, the jungle is probably a vast bright plane.
As for Xiang, in his own words, he drew zee zee zaa zaa. He probably felt that the jungle is a somewhat chaotic, gloomy and a scary place. These could be the mental pictures formed from books they read.
So the true art lies behind the masterpieces that your children create. Aptly, its the process and not the product.
Recommended reading : How to Teach Drawing to Children by Marvin Bartel
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