Archiving Nature Curriculum Sketch

Curriculum Sketch Prototype

"760 N 820 E Provo Natural Collection"

Natural Container

Favorite Places Not Built

This is the foresty part of campus that leads to the RB and Smith Field House. I love the trees and bushes and I especially love how they smell after it rains.

This is a view from outside a cabin that my family has in Woodland, Ut. I love being outside here because I feel like I can remember what things are truly important in life. 

Mandala Destruction

Chapter 2 Reading Response

Quotes worth thinking about:

"We are not there to replicate what exists in schools; we are there to complement it, or in some cases, subvert it."

"You do play a big role in setting the tone in the room. That's just something that happens when you are in a teaching capacity, even if you are pretty low-key about your role"....... I saw an example of this in a class with Joe. One day he made a comment and labelled it as his opinion, but some people sent emails feeling like they had to accept his opinion just because of the nature of his position as a teacher. He later apologized to the class and acknowledged that there is a sort of weight to his words just because he is the teacher.

"One of the most useful things a teaching artist brings to students is the time, space, and structures that allow students to respond to each other's work."

"The key to generating prompts is specificity...profound and original ideas in the arts, as in other disciplines, most often result from very specific and intense observation and investigation, rarely from the form of vague and poorly defined notions."

Questions:

Why can't removing a student from an art making project be used as a punishment? Or are there some circumstances where that could be the case? What if a student disrespects materials or supplies, shouldn't they be removed from that particular project?

Reading Responses

"Graphic Novels as Contemporary Art?"
I must admit I did not think of all the ways in which a graphic novel could be part of contemporary art discourse. However, throughout the reading I realized somethings that could be very valuable when using a graphic novel to participate in contemporary discourse. The first one being that the graphic novel could be a good introduction to the contemporary art world especially in terms of formulating and expressing content. It can be difficult for students to understand how to successfully express content in their artwork as they are just starting out. The graphic novel gives a means of using something familiar to most students--written expression, in combination with something that may not be as familiar--artistic expression. In that way I think it could be a great way to help students develop and refine both of those expressive skills.

"How the Teaching Artist Can Change the Dynamics of Teaching and Learning"
One interesting thing to me about this article was the differences stated about "standard art teachers" and "the teaching artist." The standard art teacher was supposed to stick to clearly defined standards and methods while the teaching artist could be deviant, unpredictable and spontaneous. With these descriptions I was thinking about the risk that can come with the spontaneous deviant style of teaching. However it also made me think of a saying that we stated often on my mission: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. So in conjunction with that statement I think that as teachers if we want to see different results with our students then we need to take those types of risks that will enable that.

"Engaging Minds"
The act of copying/mimicking is a very interesting way to learn. On the plus side of this method is that students see first hand what could be done and then are able to have this example to recreate. The negative thing about this approach in terms of being an artist is that it could force students to make work that isn't their own. In theory it should help show students possibilities of art making, and not end results. I think one way to make this approach of "artist teacher" to be successful in a classroom is showing your methods and practices in art making, but being generous with examples of other artists.

High School Art Show

Curriculum Sketch 1 Prototype

Final Project:

• Students will create a 3 Dimensional “vessel” of themselves. This vessel is to be a physical representation of their attributes that may not be so evident solely through their physical appearance (i.e. personal attributes and characteristics).
•  Students will be limited to use the following material: wire, fabric, cardboard, tape/glue and paint.
• To begin to formulate ideas for the project, students will answer the following questions in their journal:
• What are characteristics of yourself that you would like to be evident in the vessel? (Complexity, calmness, etc.)
•  What are 5 possible ways of representing this idea? (Think about shape, texture, color, etc.)

Artistic Work and Curriculum

What is the relationship between your experiences and ongoing artistic work to your curriculum and teaching.  

        The easiest answer to this question would be that my experiences influence my artwork and my teaching. But that's obviously the case for everyone. However, that also means that I am going through current experiences right now that are affecting how I make art and teach. What are they? Well the first thing that comes to mind is the term exploration. As an Art Ed student you are pushed to try all sorts of mediums and techniques to be a proficient and well-versed teacher. So whatever I am experimenting with tends to be what I want my students to explore and try as well. I love trying new things in art because I feel like it goes back to Dan Barney's favorite phrase: art asks what is possible. So, simply put, trying new things in art helps me explore not only what is possible in art, but  also for me as an artist. 

How do you describe what you do as an artist.
       Mostly what I do as an artist is get inspired by something then make something. Maybe its a color or form that I encounter in my daily routine. After the inspiration comes the exploration. I want to explore ways of representing this idea or thing so that it can either take deeper hold upon me or find a way out. Either way, making art is about finding a resolution. Most of my art tends to be very aesthetic and about the process and then I feel pressured to come up with a deeper meaning to fit into the contemporary art world. It's weird because I love conceptual artwork but I don't care for making it so much myself and I usually am lousy at it when I try. Or maybe my work actually is conceptual but I just don't know what the concepts are. Who knows. 

Drawing

Why would you do drawing at all and how would you do it great?

We talked in class about several reasons for drawing but I think the one that is most important to me that I would like future students to experience is making a mark. I think the experience of drawing is important because students must deal with apprehension, and intuition to be rewarded with an escape and a physical manifestation of expression.

I think the best art is that which opens our eyes to new possibilities. So in the case of drawing to make it great I think the class would need to explore the medium to find those new possibilities. Maybe we are drawing with sticks or power tools. Or maybe it's the subject matter that makes it reach for new possibilities. To take drawing to a new level, it needs to involve some sort of investigation.

What should be a “Drawing Foundation”?

I think drawing foundation should be a combination of both basic technique as well as explorative techniques. I think by focusing on both, that students will have a more broad foundation on everything that drawing could be. I think basic technique should be taught not as the emphasis of the course, but as a way to give students a tool to access a type of drawing that could hopefully further their own artistic interpretations.

First Day of Class

For my first day of class students would walk into class while Oliver Herring's TASK party video is playing.

Here is the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlEYbZhuco8

After students arrived to class we would have a TASK party of our own. I would have supplies set out such as: paper, glue, markers, tape, aluminum foil, cling wrap, etc.

After the task party, if time permitted, I would introduce a few aspects of the course, such as specific projects. And explain that we will learn more about contemporary artists like Oliver Herring.

I would introduce myself more thoroughly the next class period.

Favorite Artwork from Springville