Theory and Practice: Revisiting Critical Pedagogy in Studio Art Education

Abstract

Art educators have long been concerned with the relationship between theory and praxis. These concerns have been manifested in extensive debates about the role of critical theory in studio art programs.1 There is a widely held assumption in art teaching that theory gets in the way of creativity and spontaneity. While all educators must consider the interrelations of theory and practice, in art departments there is an all too frequent dismissal of theory. Resistance can be related to the theoretical questioning of deeply held beliefs about art, such as truth and originality., in the context of an understanding that the construction of meaning is inseparable from the production of power.2 In these discussions, the theoretical adage of theory into praxis has often mutated into the pedagogical opposition of theory versus practice. This divisiveness does not fully consider the particular challenges that arise in the studio art classroom.