What are we doing?
Upon discussing how we learn art and the state of art colleges that have amalgamated with universities, it was then that I was able to assess my unique situation as not only being a student but an educator in this environment. My reflection was 2 fold:
1. How am I learning what I am learning or want to learn?
2. Am I facilitating my students' learning?
I thought of the initial link I made between learning and memory and found this:
"Learning and memory are closely related concepts. Learning is the acquisition of skill or knowledge, while memory is the expression of what you’ve acquired. Another difference is the speed with which the two things happen. If you acquire the new skill or knowledge slowly and laboriously, that’s learning. If acquisition occurs instantly, that’s making a memory" - American Psychology Association.
To put this in my art practice, learning could be a skill, life experience, thought etc. While memory is the artistic expression of drawing upon those skills, experiences and thoughts. When does the art education institution appear? If this learning isn't always linked to skills what role does the educator have on the learning artist? Or what role should the educator have?
Having experiences learning in a university/ school setting as well as with a Traditional Arts ceramic master, I find myself weighing both experiences and evaluating the artist/ person it has made me. I am curious if the university was experience was necessary, or did the traditional experience only develop artistic skill?
Elif prompted me with a question; " Can you learn from books as well as master?". My immediate reaction was no, of course not. It wasn't until Thursday afternoon, while I was working on ceramic glazes that I consulted The Ceramics Bible, by Louisa Taylor, from my overflowing bookcase. How quickly I had answered no when I have 100's of books discussing history, biology, miniature painting and ceramic glaze making. I realized I was learning from books just as much as from a master and even more so when I didn't have access to him/ her. At this point I seemed to have found myself in a point of realization when it comes to my own self driven learning process.
Spending days researching I found much of the same thing, An obsession of learning how to draw in 20 days, learning the fundamentals of art and how to use them. University program, after university program in Fine Arts from Nigeria to Canada to Mexico. I began to ask myself... what are we doing? As students and as educators? I couldn't successfully find information on the experience of the student in the learning and education process. There is even a distinction now between "digital" and "traditional" art learning. The traditional skill learning not being the traditional learning relationship I am interested in. It seems it has all but disappeared.
TED Talk: Teaching art or to think like an artist? Cindy Meyers Foley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcFRfJb2ONk&index=2&list=PLxsSUtZk_hjGXnkrwlvjFoN5yWL7Ds9g5&t=0s
1. How am I learning what I am learning or want to learn?
2. Am I facilitating my students' learning?
I thought of the initial link I made between learning and memory and found this:
"Learning and memory are closely related concepts. Learning is the acquisition of skill or knowledge, while memory is the expression of what you’ve acquired. Another difference is the speed with which the two things happen. If you acquire the new skill or knowledge slowly and laboriously, that’s learning. If acquisition occurs instantly, that’s making a memory" - American Psychology Association.
To put this in my art practice, learning could be a skill, life experience, thought etc. While memory is the artistic expression of drawing upon those skills, experiences and thoughts. When does the art education institution appear? If this learning isn't always linked to skills what role does the educator have on the learning artist? Or what role should the educator have?
Having experiences learning in a university/ school setting as well as with a Traditional Arts ceramic master, I find myself weighing both experiences and evaluating the artist/ person it has made me. I am curious if the university was experience was necessary, or did the traditional experience only develop artistic skill?
Elif prompted me with a question; " Can you learn from books as well as master?". My immediate reaction was no, of course not. It wasn't until Thursday afternoon, while I was working on ceramic glazes that I consulted The Ceramics Bible, by Louisa Taylor, from my overflowing bookcase. How quickly I had answered no when I have 100's of books discussing history, biology, miniature painting and ceramic glaze making. I realized I was learning from books just as much as from a master and even more so when I didn't have access to him/ her. At this point I seemed to have found myself in a point of realization when it comes to my own self driven learning process.
Spending days researching I found much of the same thing, An obsession of learning how to draw in 20 days, learning the fundamentals of art and how to use them. University program, after university program in Fine Arts from Nigeria to Canada to Mexico. I began to ask myself... what are we doing? As students and as educators? I couldn't successfully find information on the experience of the student in the learning and education process. There is even a distinction now between "digital" and "traditional" art learning. The traditional skill learning not being the traditional learning relationship I am interested in. It seems it has all but disappeared.
TED Talk: Teaching art or to think like an artist? Cindy Meyers Foley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcFRfJb2ONk&index=2&list=PLxsSUtZk_hjGXnkrwlvjFoN5yWL7Ds9g5&t=0s
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