First day of school and drawing

On the first day of school I want to help my students deconstruct the first day of school and their conceptions of art. 

We'll start with a getting to know you activity. We'll maybe start with a conventional getting to know you activity where each student asks the person next to them the conventional questions. 

"What is your name?"
"Where are you from?"
"What do you like to do?"

I'll then spend some time deconstruction the first day of school, starting out with a discussion of what students expect from me on the first day of school.  We might make a list on the board.  I'd expect it'd say "going over the syllabus, getting to know you activities, introductions, etc." 

We'll then talk about the process of getting to know someone, and why we often start it the same way.  Why do we ask the same questions? Are those things important to them?  Do we even remember them?  What do you want people to know about you?  What do you want to really know about someone else?

We'll then do an activity where everyone will write a question and send it in to me.  I will answer the questions (unless they are inappropriate).

Next we'll take a test!  This will be a Dr. Graham test.  I want to ask them questions like this:

What is an artist? 
What will happen in this art class?
What makes an art class a good art class?
What makes a teacher good? 

I'm considering putting a scale on there that looks like this:

And having them rate themselves on the scale:


Not artist -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Artist


Then I'll have them answer the question of why they are or are not artists.  We will deconstruct this idea next time.

Now onto the topic of DRAWING.

I do think it's important to teach drawing.  Whether or not drawing is going to be a main part of each student's art practice or not, I think drawing connects us to art history and to the art discipline.  I think for me, most importantly drawing teaches us to see.  I would want a drawing foundation course to be about that.  About learning to see the world around you.  I think it is important for them to grapple with representational and observational drawing.  I think it's also important for them to explore conceptual drawing.  I want them to expand drawing past their original conceptions.  I want them to break their idea of "artist" and "not artist" and also consider what it is that makes art important or relevant.  I also want them to spend a significant amount of time drawing things that are relevant to them.  I want them to really consider what is significant to them and then make iterations and push themselves further.  I want them to deconstruct the world through drawing.

Springville

I honestly have quite a difficult time looking at spiritual art.  I feel this inner conflict about how to handle it.  I don't know if I should judge it, give in to the representational and/or cliche things that might be depicted, or if I should even treat it the way that I treat contemporary art.

One thing I do know is that when I look at spiritual art I definitely feel the reality of the pressure I feel to like or dislike something.  I kind of find myself wondering if I'm allowed to like or dislike something and I have a hard time letting go of that pressure.  These were non-representational and so they felt safer to judge than a large image of Christ.  I like the colors and shape and feel of the first one, and then I wonder if that was a correct judgment of it or not. 

This piece is similar.

Then there are other things that I like but I'm not quite sure if it's because I've been conditioned to think that it's a certain way or not.  I thought that this was an interesting piece because it freshened my perspective of Alma 32 without painting a little picture of a seed growing and writing faith in swirly letters next to it (which I have probably done at some point in my life).  I felt refreshed by it.  It breathed new life into those chapters for me.

This one made me feel similarly.  I felt refreshed by it.  The artist felt genuine to me. 

Then finally there are a number of things that I like but I don't like and I'm not sure why.  I can feel the pressure that comes from the general population.  Her hands and face and clothing are beautifully painted, they are realistic.  And then I read the plaque and I can't help but be drawn in by the story, it's the kind that you find in the Ensign.  It's only a short little blurb but it has the power to draw you in, rip your heart out, and amaze you all at the same time.  I'm not sure if I like it or if I just like the principle that is being taught by it.  I'm not quite sure if I should call it good art or not, but in my heart I feel like it's not supposed to be good art.  So I'm not sure how to consider it.  

 This representation of the Savior I actually did kind of like, but again I feel a little part of me wondering if I'm allowed to.

There was also a part of me that liked something like this.  I have no idea how accurate the clothing style or portrayal really is, but I do think it's beautiful to contemplate Christ and Mary when Jesus was a tiny baby.

It's really a difficult thing for me to grapple with.  I wonder if part of me is a little bit resistant to give into either party.  When I see 97% of the population (or at least the Mormon population) falling in love with most of these paintings, especially a certain kind of painting, I feel resistant to it.  When I see something that I (and others) like in my art classes, I feel conflicted.  Part of me resists giving in to what everyone likes and the other part of me is confused about what I really like.