Elizabeth Foran

Wilson Reading

This reading talked about the importance of child art within the realm of visual culture
and how the two are closely influenced. The incorporation of the two in a classroom is
critical to a child’s needs and creative mind.

“Becoming an artist meant acquiring skills and following rules - the rules established by
adults to which Gombrich points in his "Formula and Experience" (1965, pp. 146-147).
The art of young people counted, only when, after a long apprenticeship, their drawing,
painting, and sculpture had acquired the look and styles of adult artists.” (5)
- selection may have had apprentices then, but now that would seem exclusive
and would seem too focused in one area
- attention of adults = gratification of students’ work, the student is able to see
that what they are achieving is being recognized by their elder.
- Though, this idea of apprentice has changed over the years and its meaning is
now something more along the lines of assistant or someone in training, how
can this be focused in today’s teaching world? How can these children or
students be introduced to the same skills and manage to find the same sense of
progress?

“Young people's drawings also reveal the influence of their visual

culture-and even a longing for the culture from which they have been
removed.” (8)
- Where, who, what is influencing them?
- On a scale of 1-10, how many children are being influenced in
their daily lives by the culture around them?
- How is the notion of their art, what they are trying to portray,
being changed by these influences?
- If there is this so-called removal of culture, how are their
ideas shifting and changing due to this missing piece?

“It is difficult to deny that artists saw in the images of children the
expressive qualities that they had already begun to achieve in their
own work. Nevertheless, it is misguided to believe that in appropriating
the images of children, artists freed themselves from cultural
influences.”(10)
- Cultural influences? How can we free ourselves from them?
- Creativity of a child…how can one distinguish this in a
classroom?
- Discovery of child art – what was its difference?

“It is important to note that art teachers, pedagogues, theoreticians, psychologists, art
historian; oh, and children have collaboratively constructed child art-which has become
a minor aspect of visual culture.” (24)
- the importance of expression of self
- how this can affect children of certain ages – how can that be approached in
the classroom in a positive way?
- How can you incorporate visual culture into child’s art without being too
much of an influence?