SUSTAINABILITY USER GUIDE
“Without art the Earth is just Eh.” Demetri Martin, performing artist.
The Australian Curriculum states ‘Through the priority of Sustainability, students develop the knowledge, skills, values and world views necessary to contribute to more sustainable patterns of living’ (ACARA, 2019). This is an important mindset in the discipline of Visual Arts, especially considering the significant use of natural resources, materials and mediums in the production of art works. Sustainability is also a significant and worthy theme on which to base art works.
This resource has been developed for Year 10 students looking to participate in VCE Studio Arts (VCAA, VCE studio arts, 2017). Ideally, this resource would be utilised in the last term of Year 10 but could be accessed, and the tasks undertaken, across summer between year 10 and the start of year 11. It would also be suitable as an introduction to media, materials and techniques if students need to upskill in Year 11.
The focus of the resource is to enable year 10 students to ease into the mindset of VCE Studio Arts while still addressing year 10 visual art content descriptors that are outlined at the end of each activity. Through engaging with this resource, students become familiar with the terminology (for example, aesthetic qualities), some of the expectations (annotation for example, and also engaging with artists across history) and tasks (potential directions). This resource also introduces students to the notion of art vocabulary in an appealing and unthreatening way. The use of sophisticated words in their written compositions is facilitated in an annotation activity with a provided list of words. Students are also introduced to Art Elements and Principles across two activities, and provided with a resource that defines the Art Elements and Principles
This resource provides students with practical art activities that allow them to experience a variety of art media, materials and techniques. The progressive activities are designed to be easy to achieve. They are small scale, on A5 size paper, and are therefore unintimidating and manageable. The intention is that the student will be delighted with each lovely little artwork they produce, and excited to explore further. Together, these pages can be hole-punched and tied together to form an artists’ book.
These interactive art activities are spliced into an Art Journal based creative process I undertook to provide students with an example to refer too, and as an ideas generator. I have shown students an example of a ‘Theme’ mind map and an ‘Art forms and Materials’ mind map, and provided them with associated activities that utilise High Impact teaching Strategies of Collaborative learning (HITS, 2017, pg. 18-19) to get them started.
What follows is an annotation activity based on two pages of images of ideas and inspiration that appealed to me, which also serves as an example. The practical art activities to produce an artists’ book, is the significant middle of the resource. These hands on activities utilise HITS structured learning (2017, pg. 12-13) through easy to follow steps that are open ended and encourage individual interpretation. Embedded in these activities is an opportunity for students to continue to familiarise themselves with annotation and the use of arts vocabulary.
This resource is rounded off with three annotated explorations of art forms with sustainable practice applied and detailed. The art forms are cyanotype photography, which is an early form of photography involving painting a specific medium onto paper, allowing it to dry and then exposing it to sunlight briefly with an object like a leaf or feather laid on top of it. Sunlight reacts with the medium and leaves a silhouette of the object. The second art form explored, was random weave basketry which is not only sustainable but benefits the natural environment when environmental weeds are harvested as basketry material. Details of the techniques of random weave basketry are outlined. They are followed with potential directions and a photograph of an artwork I produced. Lastly, I explored eco dying which is also wonderfully sustainable. Simply put, fabric made of natural fibre (cotton, wool, linen or silk) is overlaid with flowers or leaves, and is then rolled up tightly around some short copper pipes and tied. The bundle is placed in an iron pot and boiled for an hour. The chemical reaction between the two metals causes the organic matter to print onto the fabric. Delightful and surprising results are obtained. Any waste can be put onto the garden. Potential directions are included with the intention of triggering creative trajectories in students.
The resource finishes with the idea for a final artwork that utilises some of the art forms, materials and techniques explored.
Open ended learning and free exploration are major aspects of learning in arts education pedagogy Dinham (2014) informs us. We aim to cultivate this mentality and confidence in students so that they discern and follow their own creative trajectories. To motivate and support student engagement, it is beneficial for teachers to know their students well, that is, knowing the students’ funds of knowledge (Moll et al, 1992). For example, what they have experienced, what they know and what they are interested in. This information enables the teacher to make art, and the art work the student produces relevant to the student and also gives them a voice. This level of engagement and investment in students’ is an important part of Relational Pedagogy. Reeves and Le Mare (2017) inform us that relational pedagogy supports students’ social, emotional and academic development. Through relational pedagogy, we are better able to teach students, as well as provoke though around the issue of empathy and sustainability.
Inclusive strategies implemented in the resource are differentiated tasks titled ‘Extending’ and ‘Streamlining’. This is included to facilitate the education of all learners. Suggestions have be made for the ‘making’ and ‘responding’ tasks.
Support material in the form of links are included in the art making and responding activities to expedite learning as students don’t need to search for related resources.
Formative assessment is best achieved and conveyed from a position of personal experience. I would encourage any teachers that were utilising the practical activities included in this resource to first undertake the task themselves as so that cognitive and kinaesthetic knowledge is gained which can be passed onto students.
© Copyright Ingrid Schmidt