Wunderkammer: A Century of Curiosities

Last semester, I took a museum studies class at the UMMAA and Mark Dion's name came up in one of our articles about contextualization/recontextualization of artworks/artifacts, curatorial decisions, and pedagogical intent in museum display. We had been talking about the Wunderkammer or "cabinets of curiosities" and in searching for additional articles, I ran across this MoMA exhitition. The Mark Dion piece that Kathy showed us this evening is included and it made me think of the image collection activity we just did. For your viewing pleasure, here it is.

http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/272

Gajin Fujita Info

I saw Gajin Fugita's exhibition at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in K.C. when it opened in 2006.  My 5th graders were lucky enough to see it also (except for the shunga paintings) and they were blown away.  He prepares canvases with gold leaf and then paints and tags on top of them.  His work is breathtaking! Here is an image and a couple of articles about the artist, his "big idea," and his work.  I have the exhibition materials that were given to us at a Teacher Friday; even a couple of transparencies of exhibition pieces if you'd like to see them. (and if you have one of those "old fashoined" overhead projectors, you can even borrow them!)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lifeontheedge/2738827184/
The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art owns this Gajin Fugita painting.

http://www.lalouver.com/resource/fujita_kemper/fujita_Kansas_City_Star.pdf
K.C. Star article

http://www.artscenecal.com/ArticlesFile/Archive/Articles2002/Articles0902/GFujitaA.html

Images & Art Education

Perhaps it's this time of year, as I watch for the tulip bulbs planted on that chilly fall day to bud and bloom, that I think of art education in terms of sewing, reaping, and nurturing the growing season in between.

"The Reaper (After Millet)" by Vincent van Gogh

This is why I chose van Gogh's "The Reaper" as my first image.  We reap what we sow, and if we are good stewards of the content, resources, and students we are blessed with, we will plant the creative seeds for a 21st citizenry that will image wonderous things; that will love, support, and practice art as we do; who will make the future a brighter place.  I chose van Gogh's interpretation of Millet's painting, because 21st art education is inspired by the art and artists of history, but our challenge is to modernize it, carry it forward, and make it our own as we teach in the Post-Modern era. In so doing, we will model for our students to do the same.



"Blossom"
By Polly Apfelbaum



Polly Apfelbaum's "Blossom" seems an appropriate addition to my metaphor because of its theme and because of the way it visually radiates from the center. I see the cluster of yellow in the center as the students who are currently in our charge and the emanating rings of color as the generations of students we have impacted and then sent out into the world.  Though each ring belongs to a color family (just as each group of students belongs to a learning community we establish each school year), each individual unit or student is hand-dyed and therefore unique; we have left our imprint on them in differing degrees but the manner in which they accept the dye remains beyond our control. Unexpected beauty is the surprising result.





This image of dandylions by Andy Goldsworthy seemed appropriate to show how beauty can spring from the weeds; the object of art education is to find the beauty and creative capabilities in all students and to nurture them. The opening in the center symbolizes the freedom we give them to express ideas and construct meaning; freedom that  gives structure and support to their learning before they mature and cast seeds of their own. 

Horse's Skull with Pink Rose
By Georgia O'Keeffe

The object of art education is to bloom where it is planted; to add life and color to an otherwise lifeless educational system.  Art education is life, growth,continual rebirth. For this reason, Georgia O'Keeffe's skull painting seemed appropriate. Despite limited resources, scheduling burdens, challenges to meet multiple student needs within oversized classes, and more, we must thrive....and we do, BEAUTIFULLY!  Art education is hope for the future on a sometimes barren educational and social landscape. We must continue to sew, to reap, and to nurture the growing time inbetween.

I've chosen to add Sheri's green balloon to my collection.  If art education were a color in my metaphor, it would have to be green. Green is the color of sewing, reaping, and growth; it pushes up through barren soils (Education would be dry and barren without art!), it supports the blossoms (or students) and lifts them toward the light of inspiration; it is present perhaps most notably in the weeds whose need is great and who, without it, would wither and fall away. (How many students would turn away from school without art?) The balloon is manmade, however, requiring work to produce, breath to inflate, and effort to retain.  By our own hands as art educators, we form our content; we fill it up with creative breath, excitement, possibility and life; and we hold on tightly so that the winds of educational change can't pull it from our hands.