Alanna Gaylord's Art Education Portfolio

Description:

            Aesthetics refers to the concepts and questions on the nature of art as well as cultural and personal ideas about beauty. In practice, aesthetic judgment refers to the sensory contemplation or appreciation of an object (not necessarily an art object), while artistic judgment refers to the recognition, appreciation or criticism of art or an artwork. Understanding the Art World, on the other hand, is the process by which students come to understand the many art worlds in which artists engage. These artists and their art can include: contemporary, modern, ancient, prehistoric, non-western, outsider, folk, popular, etc. Within this concept of the art world, there is the domain and community. The domain includes artists, media, practices, and styles across history, while the community means learning about and participating with people involved with art. Both aesthetics and understanding the art world are two valuable concepts that students should learn in the art classroom.

 

Analysis:

            Aesthetics allows for educators to address topics that pertain to what makes art beautiful as well raise students’ awareness of the fact that people look at art and beauty differently, which allows for students to gain a broader perspective. Through learning about aesthetics, students may be taught to reserve judgment and think about what something might mean to another person or culture. Learning about the concept of aesthetics can also help students to be more sensitive and understanding of others. It encourages students to be more introspective, which can help them to identify what they believe. Sequentially, students can work towards an understanding of the concept that before you can understand others, you need to be able to understand yourself. Engaging in a conversation about aesthetics and how we perceive beauty will open the eyes and minds of students to the idea that there are infinite ways to look at the world.

Understanding Art World can be broken down into two components: Domain and Communities. In Domain, students are taught about art history and current practices in art as well as students’ own relationship to the domain of art. When students are taught about the communities of people and institutions that shape the art world, they learn about how they, as developing artists, relate to its various components, and also students learn the importance of working together. In this way, students are able to learn about their own relationship to this broader art community. It is important to make the art world relevant to students so they can understand how it relates to their own lives.

 

Reflection:

            My experiences in the art classroom have allowed me to gain a great deal of insight about learning opportunities regarding both aesthetics and the art world. I have found that when teaching about aesthetics, students can not only work towards an understanding of what makes art beautiful, but they can also work towards an understanding of the different perceptions around the world pertaining to beauty and how it is important to always have an open mind. Similarly, when students learn about the art world, an abundance of information is opened up to them, including art and artists throughout history to the present day and how they as artists relate to this broader art community. Both of these topics are extremely important to teach to students in order for them to both better understand the world around them and understand how it relates to their own lives.