This blog is intended to encourage others on their journey into their creative "artscape". I have enjoyed many years as an artist learner, creator, and teacher. Life is inspiring, and I want to share the vantage point that I have been fortunate enough to view life from. I want to move a smidge over, and invite you to sit right next to me, and enjoy a 360 degree view of my "artscape". Join me in discovering and uncovering the creative soul that we all possess.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

revelation: "Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny" and crayonology...

Search Amazon.com for art history books
"Crayonology" the study of art students as they create with crayons and related art materials. 
I believe I am an expert "Crayonologist" :)
As I watch my students grow and challenge themselves in art, I see them going through some of the same problem solving approaches,  reasonings, and struggles that I have also experienced. From my small sampling of artists, I am drawing the conclusion that given the opportunity all of man probably goes through these same processes; collectively and individually.  I think it's fascinating that given the same materials for means of creating, students at like stages will do the similar things with them. Their stage determines their interaction with the materials, with the other students, with me- the stage they are in determines how they will manipulate the materials, what they will be interested or fixated with, what they will think is funny, what they will think is "dumb". I don't get tired of watching them go through these stages.  
Just as all of man drew simple shapes on cave walls- I see young children draw these same simple shapes.
At about 9 or so they strive to be realistic, it's what they call "good". It reminds me of the "good", proportional realism of classics. As they are striving for this, they go through some rather awkward disproportional phases- Mideivel?
Then, the rebellion against classical as the search for answers to questions about line and color, they experiment, and stretch, and look for ways to express themselves- Modern?



No comments:

Post a Comment