1. Asking Critical Questions
in the Secondary Classroom
Dr. Judith Briggs • Dr. Ed Stewart • Dr. Colleen Brennan
Andrew Adamczewski • Kristen Houlihan • Sam Cook
Illinois State University
2. The Advent of Formalism
• Children and Their Art:
“The quest for a universal
language that “lies at the core
of all understanding” led to the
articulation of elements and
principles of design, or “form.”
What mattered more than content
was form—consequently the label
“formalism” *was born+. (p. 32)
3. Formalist Dreams
Sequential Knowledge
Elements & Principles First
Access to Consistent &
Adequate Art Instruction
4. The Hook for Teachers
• Formalist approach =
how a work was/is
made
• Elements and Principles:
• can be easily
identified in work
• students can easily
be assessed on this
knowledge
• make for great lesson
objectives
5. Critical Questioning to the Rescue!
• Students learn to read
images
• Fosters independence
• Natural curiosity is
honored and nurtured
• Students’ interest is
piqued
• Students can transfer
this thinking to their
own studio practice
6. Growing Natural Artistic Thinking
• start with content and concept
• offer us tools to go deeper and broader
in aesthetics discussions with students
• are inclusive of formalist qualities
• start with questions you might naturally
ask yourself when viewing artworks
7. Starter Question Examples:
• What is this work • What is the
about? inspiration?
• What is the message • Why is it important?
or meaning? • What is/was the
• Why did the artist artist’s intent?
make it?
14. The Frames
Subjective Structural
• Feelings & emotions • Reading work as systems
evoked of signs, symbols, codes
• Intuitive reaction, • Visual and formal
observation & qualities of work
deciphering meaning • Representations of rules,
• Viewers’ personal conventions, values,
experience when traditions, beliefs
encountering the work
15. The Frames
Cultural Postmodern
• How work challenges • Exposing disjunctions
issues/culture of the between texts in work
time • Recontextualization
• Art movements, styles challenging established
• Artists’ influences patterns of authority
• Societal ideologies, • Relationships between
views, values, beliefs meaning & context
surrounding work • Tracing a history of
the text
23. Subjective Frame
“My still life evokes a deep
understanding of Native
American culture.”
“My experience with the
bracelet makes this work very
meaningful to me… My mom
bought me this Native
American made bracelet for
my birthday”
“The dream catcher also
reminds me of my mother.
[She] has always been
interested in Native American
history.”
24. Structural Frame
“In Native American culture,
dream catchers were hung in
the dwellings or homes of the
natives… The code behind the
dream catcher is protector.”
“The symbol was very
positive and appreciated
in the Native American
culture. The meaning can
be read by the audience if
they understand the history
behind the dream catcher.”
25. Cultural Frame
“My belief is that many people
use the dream catcher as a
symbol, but they do not give
credit to the Native Americans.”
“This contextualized work is
influenced by modern interest
groups. Today, the dream catcher
has become a symbol [used by
people who+ don’t
value it’s meaning in the Native
American culture.
“The *Edgar Allan Poe+ quote
is used to make the audience
ponder the meaning. The quote…
is a reference to consumerism
and the “dream life.”
26. Postmodern Frame
“*The+ quote, from the poem
A Dream within a Dream is very
loving, and it goes along with
the romantic notion of the
dream catcher.”
“The disjunction between the
text and artwork is that Edgar
Allan Poe had nothing to do with
Native American culture, the
only connection is “dream”.
“This brings awareness of the
dream catcher’s new
context…many people do not
have any correlation with the
Native American culture, yet
they feel entitled to wear or own
dream catchers.”
27. Time to Frame!
Use the handout provided to participate in a group discussion
29. Thank you!
Dr. Judith Briggs jabrigg@ilstu.edu
Dr. Colleen Brennan ckbrenn@ilstu.edu
Dr. Ed Stewart eostewa@ilstu.edu
Editor's Notes
Much of our curriculum and field literature focus on formalism and discussing formalist qualities in art when addressing teaching aesthetics in the classroomE&Ps as a construct for discussing and questioning artworks is only one approachToday we want to discuss getting over the hurdle of using one approach and venturing into an additional questioning construct
Art learning builds sequentiallyStudents need to learn E&Ps before they can progress in their art learningStudents have consistent and adequate access in elementary school to art classes taught by an art specialist
This is a great beginning and a strong universal language for students to learn and use, but after a while where’s the hook for students? Where’s the curiosity, intrigue and excitement from their point of view?
Ties to literacy ideas that an image is a text that can be readStudents eventually learn to question on their ownStudents’ natural curiosity is honored and nurturedStudents can transfer this thinking to their own studio practiceto develop a conceptual, personal voice
offer us tools to go deeper and broader in aesthetics discussions with studentsstart with questions you might naturally ask yourself when viewing artworks in a gallery or museum contextare inclusive of discussing formalist qualities
SUBJECTIVE FRAMEQuestions such as:What feelings does this artwork evoke?What do you intuitively feel is the meaning of this work?What are the qualities of the artwork that make you feel this way?Using your imagination, what other ideas or experiences can you relate to this work?STRUCTURAL FRAMEQuestions such as:How can the artwork be read as a system of signs?What are the visual and formal qualities of the work?What are the conventions, traditions or rules that construct the codes, symbols or signs that are used in the artwork?What values and beliefs are represented by the signs in the work?
CULTURAL FRAMEQuestions such as:How does the work reflect or challenge issues in the culture of the time?Is the artist, craftsperson or designer part of a movement or a style?How has this artist, craftsperson or designer been influenced by others?What are the ideological views, values and beliefs of the society that surround the work?POSTMODERN FRAMEQuestions such as:Trace the history of the text. What other text is it a part of?How has the meaning of the text changed in its different context.How has the recontextualization challenged an established pattern of authority?Expose the disjunctions between texts in the artwork (irony).
Important contributor to Harlem RenaissanceRecognized by W.E.B. Du BoisIllustrator to 2 of most important magazinesKnown for unique style and muralsUses very similar lines in Building More Stately Mansions and Song of the Towers. What do you think they mean?
What emotions do you see coming across in Douglas’ work?Why do you think Douglas chose to use Ancient Egyptian and European influences?What is Douglas’ overall message?How does the artist’s style contribute to his message?
What do you think is the purpose behind him taking pictures and arranging them in this way?How does breaking up the subject, as in the photos to the left, affect how you view the work?Why do you think the subjects he used in The Character Project acted differently in front of the camera?Why do you suppose the photographer chose the same background for everyone for The Character Project?Can you think of any other artists, even those who are not photographers, who depict everyday people just as they are in their artwork?
“My still life evokes a deep understanding of Native American culture. The drawing consists of a dream catcher and a Native American turquoise bracelet. My experience with the bracelet makes this work very meaningful to me. When I was 16, my family and I took a road trip to visit my cousins in Arizona. We stopped at an Indian Reservation in New Mexico to camp. My mom brought me this Native American made bracelet for my birthday. The turquoise is beautiful!”“The dream catcher also reminds me of my mother. My mother has always been interested in Native American history. We have explored the whole West on family vacations, and we often stay on Indian Reservations to camp.”
“The dream catcher wards away bad dreams. In Native American culture, dream catchers were hung in the dwellings or homes of the natives; the dream catcher would catch evil thoughts and dreams in its web during the night, then these negative dreams would be destroyed by morning’s light. The code behind the dream catcher is protector. The symbol was very positive and appreciated in the Native American culture. The meaning can be read by the audience if they understand the history behind the dream catcher.”
My contextualized piece includes an Edgar Allan Poe quote, “All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream”; the quote curves along the hoop of the dream catcher and the dream catcher’s feathers frame the words. My belief is that many people use the dream catcher as a symbol, but they do not give credit to the Native Americans. The contextualized work is influenced by modern interest groups. Today, the dream catcher has become a symbol for peace, love, and beauty- it is used by the “Hippie” or “Hipster” trend. These trends do not value the dream catcher for its’ meaning in the Native American culture. The quote is used to make the audience ponder the meaning. The quote, in my mind, is a reference to consumerism and the “dream life”; but everyone can interpret the quote differently.
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author and poet that is considered to be a part of the American Romantic Movement; however, his writings are often dark, eerie, and mysterious. “All that we seem or seem is but a dream within a dream” is a quote taken from his poem A Dream within a Dream. The poem is very loving, and it goes along with the romantic notion of the dream catcher. The disjunction between the text and artwork is that Edgar Allan Poe had nothing to do with Native American culture, the only similarity between the two are “dream”. This brings awareness of the dream catcher’s new context in today’s generation. Many people do not have any correlation with the Native American culture, yet they feel entitled to wear or own dream catchers.