Pre-service visual art teachers in one university identified nine issues within available literature that addressed their concerns about their future artistic practice. These can be summarised into three common themes; a perceived... more
Pre-service visual art teachers in one university identified nine issues within available literature that addressed their concerns about their future artistic practice. These can be summarised into three common themes; a perceived conflict of identities, whereby neither the artist nor teacher identity sits comfortably in their respective worlds; questions concerning art education pedagogy and whether artistic or educational priorities drive good art education; and fears about systemic disadvantages that purportedly exist within schools to the detriment of art teaching and making. This paper presents a summary of these students’ immersion in the literature, in the process exploring the nature of fears they have concerning their capacity to combine teaching and art making in one career. The paper identifies a need for practitioner/teacher issues to be included in teacher training programs, and for schools to better support graduating teachers’ artistic practices.
Digital technology and culture continue to radically change the conditions for art’s production, distribution, interfaces, and forms. With a point of departure in the book Digital Dynamics in Nordic Contemporary Art (Intellect, 2019) that... more
Digital technology and culture continue to radically change the conditions for art’s production, distribution, interfaces, and forms. With a point of departure in the book Digital Dynamics in Nordic Contemporary Art (Intellect, 2019) that examines how digital technology and culture influence contemporary art, this conversation addresses the topic of ‘art’s new making’ by asking: What drives creative artistic pursuits today? How can we understand art’s ecologies when involved in making the ‘new’? What might the pursuit of art’s ‘new’ making promise, demonstrate, and feed forward?
Participants of this conversation include (in order of response) Laura Beloff, Elizabeth Jochum, Saara Ekström, Morten Søndergaard and Mette-Marie Zacher Sørensen. It is initiated and introduced by Tanya Ravn Ag and edited by Vanina Saracino.
Flourish takes you on a journey of self-discovery of the inner life. Unlike many other creative guides, I do not stay with the self but work to move your creative energy into the community and instil a larger awareness of our place within... more
Flourish takes you on a journey of self-discovery of the inner life. Unlike many other creative guides, I do not stay with the self but work to move your creative energy into the community and instil a larger awareness of our place within the cosmos. My doctoral research, and personal reflection on my creative practice over the last ten years, has taught me that creativity is driven by our connection with life force energy, a divine force concurrently within and beyond ourselves. Being aware of, and connecting to, life force energy can inspire our creativity and remind us that we are indeed a unique spark in the cosmos. Our life force is creation in process and irrevocably bound to living and non-living matter, desirous of manifestation into distinctive and ever changing forms which are possible at this moment in time (Mackay 2014). The way we experience our particular expression of being will influence the way we fashion our life, and is the most creative endeavour we can pursue. Despite the challenges of bridging disparate worlds, Flourish is a testament to my roots in community practice and acknowledges my lived wisdom gained in grounded life experiences. Likewise it is an invitation for you to walk an inspired, aware and connected spiritual path, whatever your cultural traditions and beliefs.
Circulation and imitation are key factors in shaping the material world. The authors in this volume explore how technical knowledge, immaterial desires, and political agendas impact the production and consumption of visual and material... more
Circulation and imitation are key factors in shaping the material
world. The authors in this volume explore how technical knowledge,
immaterial desires, and political agendas impact the production and
consumption of visual and material culture across times and places.
Their essays map multidirectional transactions for cultural goods in
which source countries can be positioned at the center. Rhapsodic—
literally to stitch or weave songs—paired with objects—from thrown
against—intertwines complexity and action. Rhapsodic objects thus
beckons to the layered narratives of the objects themselves, their
making, and their reception over time. The concept further underlines
their potential to express creativity, generate emotion, and reveal
histories, often tainted by violence.
The Open Studio is a publicly accessible art-making space grounded in ideals of collaborative community development, Adlerian theory, social justice, and feminist thoughts. Our project involved visual art-making and exploring high school... more
The Open Studio is a publicly accessible art-making space grounded in ideals of collaborative community development, Adlerian theory, social justice, and feminist thoughts. Our project involved visual art-making and exploring high school immigrant students’ experiences of inclusion and belonging. The purpose was to help immigrant and refugee youth to adapt to a city in Newfoundland, where newcomers often face an insider/outsider dynamic of disconnection. The Open Studio was structured along seven parameters: focus on intentional art-making; no judgmental commentary (positive or negative); non-evaluative in nature; no forced participation, including witnessing and sharing; and as importantly, participatory involvement of facilitators. The participant-planned and hosted final school exhibit contributed to learning, sharing, and group cohesiveness. A plain language needs assessment, semi-structured interviews, and focus group, were also used to generate data on how an Open Studio infor...
This paper argues that an unusual line in a relief sculpture does not belong to the horn of a unicorn, otherwise unattested in contemporary imagery, but is a drafting line and as such rare evidence of sculpting processes, further... more
This paper argues that an unusual line in a relief sculpture does not belong to the horn of a unicorn, otherwise unattested in contemporary imagery, but is a drafting line and as such rare evidence of sculpting processes, further systematic study of which could provide insights into the formation of varied visual cultures in their historical, economic and geographic frameworks.
Abstract: This paper considers the practice implications of literature from the Hearing Voices Movement (HVM) and from UK Art Therapy. It points to what is said by voice-hearers about the importance of peer-support and group work, and... more
Abstract: This paper considers the practice implications of literature from the Hearing Voices Movement (HVM) and from UK Art Therapy. It points to what is said by voice-hearers about the importance of peer-support and group work, and the use by HVM of plain destigmatising language and direct communication. Life stories published by voice-hearers in HVM explain what has helped them and what is meant by acceptance within the movement. For those voice-hearers with a psychosis-related diagnosis, HVM could mean they find hope, even though the diagnosis means that they face prejudice and their unusual experiences are frightening. The paper also looks at UK Art Therapy literature which publishes the voice of service-users: small but increasing numbers are offering their perspective on art therapy. Although smaller in scope written responses, given to a professional regional group, offer additional indications that the profession is responsive to service-user perspectives and to HVM. The key issues considered have implications for practice. Implications for future research are introduced more briefly.
An illustrated examination of six drawings I did alongside students in the college teaching studio following my assignments aiming at awareness of seeing and awareness of the drawing itself as co-equals.
The Open Studio is a publicly accessible art-making space grounded in ideals of collaborative community development, Adlerian theory, social justice, and feminist thoughts. Our project involved visual art-making and exploring high school... more
The Open Studio is a publicly accessible art-making space grounded in ideals of collaborative community development, Adlerian theory, social justice, and feminist thoughts. Our project involved visual art-making and exploring high school immigrant students' experiences of inclusion and belonging. The purpose was to help immigrant and refugee youth to adapt to a city in Newfoundland, where newcomers often face an insider/outsider dynamic of disconnection. The Open Studio was structured along seven parameters: focus on intentional art-making; no judgmental commentary (positive or negative); non-evaluative in nature; no forced participation, including witnessing and sharing; and as importantly, participatory involvement of facilitators. The participant-planned and hosted final school exhibit contributed to learning, sharing, and group cohesiveness. A plain language needs assessment, semi-structured interviews, and focus group, were also used to generate data on how an Open Studio i...
