Experiences in Critical Inquiry: Approaches for Use in the Art Methods Class

Abstract

Not long ago while visiting a rather large midwestern high school, was introduced to a young art teacher who was about to begin the first of a series of classes in art appreciation. expressed interest in the program, and the teacher responded by telling me of the hours he had spent the previous evening with his college art history texts preparing for that first class. He then pointed to a carousel slide tray filled to capacity and said hopefully, I only hope don't run out of slides before the period is over. As look back on that and other similar encounters, it seems to me that many art teachers have experienced the same kind of problem, that is, wanting on one hand to provide their students with opportunities to see and discuss a broad range of art works, but limited insofar as the knowledge, skill, and confidence required to do so. Too often the solution is to brush up on their art history and make sure that they are armed with more slides than they can ever hope to show in the course of the art period. Unfortunately, such an approach frequently results in little more than a shallow chronological survey in which students are provided a one-shot exposure to a number of art works accompanied by a few brief comments regarding the artist in question, the style in which the work was accomplished, and the period in which it was completed. Most art teachers are at least partially aware that this approach is not generating the kind of learning experience they desire for their students. Rather than providing these students with an opportunity to perceive aesthetic qualities and their relationships in works of art in order that meanings might be comprehended and personal judgments made, teachers are perpetuating a narrow standard of judgment closely modeled upon their own limited past experience with art exemplars in university art history classes. Moreover, by providing largely historical experiences under the guise of art appreciation, teachers seem to be implying that knowledge restricted to a work's origins, function, style, and influence is sufficient if students are to understand and