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MA Art and Design in Education, Institute of Education, 2013

How can experiences and transitions of environment develop inherent

potential in Art and Design Education with its developing global cultural

connections and patterns?

I agree that the content of this thesis is made publically available

Anisa Tahzib, 2013, ‘Universal connections series’, Paint on canvas and projection.

Anisa Tahzib

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Abstract

In this thesis I will be analysing the connections and patterns formed in different

significant phases and transitions in my life reflected through my artwork and

educational experiences in different cultural, rural and urban contexts. I will also

critically examine the dynamic interrelationships between dialogue, action and

reflection processes in Art and Design Education in these diverse contexts.

Analysing experiences from my up-bringing in Africa and travels in different

places from China to Tonga. As well as analysing my experiences of teaching art

and design in different cultural contexts and settings from teaching in a small

island in Tonga to a multicultural city such as London.

I will be looking at common patterns and cultural connections of artists such as

Sharizeh Houshiary, Zineb Sedira and Zarina Bhimji. In particular looking at their

approach to making art, the themes in their thinking and making of their works of

art, life and environments in relation to how it effects the development of their

artwork and its wider implications to Art and Design Education.

I will be analysing my own practice as an artist and educator to understand how I

developed my visual language to develop inherent capacities from analysing my

educational experiences, looking at the transition from different phases of

Education as well as how culture and environment can effect development.

Examining my film practice in relation to capturing the transforming potential of

these learning environments, transitions and the complexities as to how potential

could be developed in different phases of Education and life. I will be using a

creative approach to film making, with a particular focus on cultural patterns and

their connections. As well as using metaphors to emphasize key learning during

these different phases of Education and life. I will be examining examples of

students work in Tonga and London, exploring and understanding more deeply as

to how they develop their visual language and how their inherent capabilities are

developed in these different contexts and environments to effect individual and

collective experience as well as identity. Finally analysing how these insights and

explorations have impacted me as an artist and educator and exploring its further

implications.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the tutors and staff at the Institute of Education for their

constant support, encouragement and guidance during the Masters programme as

well as my friends and family.

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Contents Page Page number

Title Page………………………………………………………………………………….1

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………2

Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………….3

Introduction: A critical analysis of my experiences of developing patterns and its

further cultural global connections: context and background as an artist and

educator………………………………………………………………………………..5-12

A critical analysis of my educational experiences and observations in urban and

rural settings: Cultures and

transitions…………………………………………………………………………….12-18

A comparison of Teaching and educational learning experiences: London and

Tonga…………………………………………………………………………………18-23

Examining common patterns and cultural connections: artists and theorists

approach through experiences and transitions in life and

art..................................................................................................................................23-33

Conclusions: How have these insights and explorations impacted me as an artist and

educator, further

implications..................................................................................................................33-36

List of Figures………………………………………………………………………..37-38

Bibliography…………………………………………………………………….........39-41

Anisa Tahzib, 2013, photographic stills from film ‘Universal Patterns and Connections’.

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Introduction: A critical analysis of my experiences of developing patterns and

its further cultural global connections: context and background as an artist

and educator

Patterns with universal themes and cultural connections have been a recurring

visual language and thread that has run throughout my thinking and artwork. For

example, patterns formed in Iranian carpets, in architecture and distinct natural

patterns from nature in different environments such as Africa and the United

Kingdom provide inspiration and insight into the development of work as an artist

and educator. The content, colour and form of the patterns in these diverse

contexts symbolize universal and relatable global themes to people from different

cultures and backgrounds. For example, patterns of a blossom in Persian carpets

symbolize the season of spring and the colour red symbolizes courage, joy and

faith. These themes can start to form concepts and ideas in curriculum content,

such as identity and the environment.

Patterns can reflect in pieces of artwork each person’s inner and outer expressions

of their inherent creativity and potential with specific cultural connections. For

example, the colour green in the pattern of a lotus flower in Persian carpets

symbolizes the holy colour of the prophet Mohammed as well as spring, life and

hope. These outer expressions have inner significances and deeper meanings that

the creator of the piece of work has considered and that people from different

cultures can relate to. James Hall highlights that ‘Art and religion have always

had an intimate relationship and share a quest for meaning, purpose and direction

in life’ (2004: 144). This process of making and drawing on personal and cultural

connections develops insights into certain global themes such as identity and

belonging, developing qualities such as understanding and patience. These specific

cultural expressions can develop a person’s skills, abilities, perceptions and

potential to contribute to the betterment of society and create connections with

others at the same time.

It could be claimed that we each have unique and individual patterns of thoughts,

behaviours and interests. These could be based on our upbringing, education,

family heritages and cultures that can further contribute to rich and dynamic ways

of seeing and doing, to effect a positive change towards an organic flourishing on

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individual and collective consciousness and action. Knowledge of diverse cultures,

the learning that can be derived from their personal narratives shared provides

transforming learning experiences. Patterns can be found in architecture designs,

fabrics and in multidisciplinary work which I will explore and analyse the

personal narratives, purposes as well as potential that this can unravel individually

and to society.

Ensuring each pupil can reach and fulfil their unique and individual capacity is a

complex process that I will explore throughout the thesis. There is potency in the

use of dialogue and language as a means to understand, connect and relate to

others to higher levels of coherence and action. Each student has their own diverse

backgrounds, ways of expressing and exploring realities through Art and Design

as a starting point. As Rasheed Araeen mentions enrichment that can happen when

bringing together different cultures and backgrounds which can impact global

learning:

If human society comprises a multiplicity of diverse cultures,

then something must bring them together into a communion of

exchange for their mutual enrichment.

(in Addison and Burgess 2013:96)

Alain Badiou reinforces that ‘the task of education is to ‘arrange the forms of

knowledge in such a way that some truth may come to pierce a hole in them’

(2005: 9). The truths and knowledge that can be derived from various pieces of art

creates deeper connections and understanding of oneself and others. Nicholas

Addison highlights and builds on the evidence of the power of dialogue and

knowledge development in Art and Design, as well as the truths and realities that

it can convey to flourish individual potential, in relation to suitable conditions with

consideration of the implications on the individual and society:

…one that signals a dynamic and dialogical way of relating to

others and the environment, which can be developed by most

people given suitable social and pedagogic conditions.

(2010: 43)

The process of how inherent capacities can be developed through key interactions

in diverse settings and cultures for mutual development and transformation

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individually and to society will be explored in this thesis. Paulo Freire highlights

these important processes that can contribute to develop potential to people from

various cultures:

All human activity is understood as emerging from an

on-going interaction of reflection, dialogue, and action-namely

praxis-and as praxis, all human activity requires theory to illuminate

it and provide a better understanding of the world as we find it and as

it might be.

(in Freire, Ramos, 1993: 15)

Each student has latent potential and capacity, as a teacher knowing how to

nurture and unlock these hidden potentialities for each to reach their potential will

bring about positive and lasting change. Claire Robins in ‘Art, academe and the

language of knowledge’ quotes Nicholas Addison (2011) who shows the unique

qualities and susceptibilities of art to affect and transform the individual that

produces an array of different works of art:

It could be claimed that the work of art, in distinction from other forms

of human communication, is specifically organized as a constellation

of aesthetic and semantic invitations and provocations, the

primary purpose of which is to affect us…making and looking at works

of art is potentially a transformative event through which an

engagement with alterity (the other) motivates us to act

differently, whether that difference is cognitive, affective or conative in

its effects.

(in Addison and Burgess, 2013: 165)

Engaging in making of artworks is a unique and transforming process as the quote

suggests that brings about a change in thought, emotions and sincere effort. Self-

actualization, level of engagement in activities and motivation are important

concepts and ideas that can relate to the topic of releasing and fulfilling ones

inherent potential as well as relate to personal growth. Psychologist Abraham

Maslow’s theory of a hierarchy of needs and self-actualization highlights

important ideas about how to fulfil individual and inherent potential. Contrary to

other psychologists like Sigmund Freud who mentions adolescence as a period of

mental illness. Instead Abraham Maslow introduces a perspective that each person

has inherent potential and capacity that can be developed by fulfilling different

needs. According to an article written by Kendra Cherry (2013) self-actualization:

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…refers to the desire for self-fulfilment, namely…become actualized in what

he is potentially. This tendency might be phrased as the desire to

become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is

capable of becoming.

Self-actualization and reaching ones potential are important to think about as

educators and artists to release and fulfil ones inherent potential and capabilities in

oneself and in others. The importance of taking into consideration the social

context, the influences of others who shape and change us and the shifting desires

that we may have are vital to be aware of furthermore. These include certain

characteristics of self-actualized people such as having realistic perceptions of

oneself, being able to solve complex problems ethically, spontaneity, a high level

of creativity, accepting oneself and others for what they are, independence and

viewing the world with awe and appreciation are some examples. Furthermore,

Saul Mcleod (2007) shares Abraham Maslow’s perspective about self-

actualization: ‘…a person is always “becoming” and never remains static in these

terms. In self-actualization a person comes to find a meaning to life that is

important to them.’ Maslow (1954) created a 5 stage model (Figure 1), each

person can reach the 5th

stage through different means and processes as well as life

circumstances that can effect the development from one stage to the next. Starting

from basic needs to higher order needs and being the best and most that one can

be. If a person was deficient on a need this would be a reason to motivate them

into action. As well as individual and societal circumstances and values can effect

progress.

Figure 1: Abraham Maslow (1954), ‘Hierarchy of needs 5 stage model’.

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Questions start arising from this new perspective which I will explore throughout

this thesis. How does ones upbringing and education effect and define an

understanding of ones latent potential and self-actualization? Does everyone have

the same opportunities to reach self-actualization and how best can that be

achieved? How does one become motivated to fulfil ones needs and to reach self-

actualization?

One of Maslow’s needs according to his hierarchy of needs is the need and desire

for order, beauty and symmetry. This may be a reason why I have always been

fascinated by nature and uplifted by things that show forth beauty and symmetry

as it is meeting one of these higher order needs leading towards self-actualization

and transcendence. This is shown aesthetically in my works of art through

symmetry, geometry and pattern. There is a unique vastness and potency in nature

that provides wonder, inspiration, engagement and self-actualisation of all the

senses of touch, smell, sound, sight and hearing. It connects with something

internal, higher, beyond a material existence. There is a dynamic interrelationship

between art and the environment, from a rural to an urban environment where

enduring learning experiences can occur: ‘Educational projects that create links

between art, design and the environment establish new relationship between

learners and their surroundings’ (in Coutts and Joleka, 2010: 125). The

characteristics of these different environments can create an awareness and

consciousness of social aspects of ones understanding of themselves and a space.

For example, in an urban environment the nature and characteristics of the

buildings and surroundings could create challenges for social interactions in

comparison to a smaller rural town where there are different spaces and paces for

interaction. Countryside environments could provide a different pace and dynamic

of social interactions and development of ideas from exposure to a range of

spaces. Individual connections start to develop of how nature, the natural patterns

and rhythms of nature can be a starting point for self-transformation, at the same

time it can be used in educational projects and curriculums. This provides exciting

and new ways of interacting and understanding the possibilities of learning within

natural environments. This can furthermore create a sense of calm, peacefulness

and mindfulness. Reflecting on my experiences of working with children in a

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more rural and natural environment such as Tonga compared to a more urban

environment such as London, it was apparent that these different environments

changed pupils perceptions and interactions with one another. For example, pupils

in Tonga had exposure to learning in nature and this would be incorporated

visually in their work as well as in teaching and learning activities. They would

approach their life and learning differently as a result of the culture of learning in

the natural environment.

There are natural forms and patterns created in nature and its organic, changing

characteristics have inherent beauty and harmony that can uplift and inspire noble

sentiments such as service, unity and understanding. Each person connects with

different aspects of reality and art that can develop their inherent potentialities and

qualities according to their abilities and capacities. Education as well as individual

and societal circumstances play a significant role in each person’s development.

This can be expressed through Art with moments of transcendence beyond the

material plane and give an experience that could be called spiritual. It can uplift,

inspire and connections can be made with themes such as natural rhythms and

patterns. Furthermore, by looking at nature one can appreciate and learn about

cycles of transformation from the changing seasons and colours as well as develop

a deeper and wider understanding of these themes and mysteries that can be

communicated and translated into a piece of art. This furthermore develops

qualities such as patience, perseverance and understanding for example, from

studying a vast theme such as nature. Madalena Laboa (2012) quotes the famous

painter Georgia O’Keefe and her fascination with natural forms and her desire to

share this through her artwork: ‘When you take a flower in your hand and really

look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone

else.’ The learning beyond the classroom manifesto reinforces the power of

learning experiences that can happen outside the classroom and the benefits and

transformations that can happen as a result:

By helping young people apply their knowledge across a range

of challenges, learning outside the classroom builds bridges between

theory and reality, schools and communities, young people and

their futures.

(DfES, 2006: 5)

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Experiences of being brought up in Nigeria, the landscapes and wide array of

colours from the changing vibrant skies and the cultural surroundings, have

provided inspiration and effected how I see art and develop future choices.

Patterns emerge and develop from the way people view and live their life in

different settings and contexts. For example, in African textiles and weaving

which are part of the cultural heritage, the process of making pieces of art have

symbolic significances and meaning. Spinning and weaving thread is an analogy

of human reproduction and resurrection. In Textiles each tribe would have their

own distinct patterns as symbols and images that represented their identity and had

features that would have spiritual meanings that people could immediately

recognize. William Morris Tapestry and textiles have a distinct process of making

the form with a purity and elegance in the form as well as richness of colour and

exquisite precision in detail that people from all backgrounds can relate and learn

from. He had a preference to medieval textiles due to his experiences and

apprenticeship with G.E. Street, who had written a book called Ecclesiastical

Embroidery in 1948, who preferred a more expressive embroidery technique.

The vast landscapes and experiences have affected how I see myself and create art.

Being surrounded with a creative family who used to sew, weave and create fine

art paintings and carpets (Figure 2) has shaped how I see and create art. From the

patterns formed in Persian carpets, to detailed paintings reflecting a rich cultural

history, as well as social and political realities of a countries long-standing history.

The Persian carpet is essential in the culture of Iran; Persian arts vary across many

disciplines such as weaving, architecture, calligraphy and fine art painting, with

artists’ distinct styles from the Islamic culture and design being integrated into

their works of art. There is a vibrant mix of colours, natural materials and design

that it encapsulates unique and culturally specific patterns and designs. The

designs on each carpet have a unique purpose and reveals narratives about the

individual and society. Often with repeated geometric patterns with natural forms

and species such as flowers and birds included in the design of the carpets. The

choice of colours in the carpet is often stronger due to practical reasons such as

dirt spillages. Furthermore, the colour green is used sparingly in some parts of the

carpet that people are less likely to walk on, as it is symbolic of the Holy

Manifestation Mohammed. Carpet weaving has been embedded in the ancient

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Persian culture. The designs share a common style with other Persian decoration

in miniatures and in tile work for example. The distinct and cultural specific

narratives told in each part of the design can transform and inform people’s

perceptions and consciousness about themselves and society:

A piece of the fabric transmits information about the society which

created it in a manner not dissimilar to a written language, except in

this case the grammar is printed in the cloth’s fibre, pattern, dye,

and method of production.

(Kruger, K. S, 2008:11)

Working with existing patterns from nature or narratives that could be embedded

in architecture furthermore can produce vast, new ways of approaching and

understanding Art and Design in Education and the potential of modes of

expression to create a range of works:

Teaching was designed to guide the student in acquiring the means of

artistic expression by appealing to his talents and to develop

an atmosphere of creativity in which original works become possible.

(Itten, 2003: 41-42)

Figure 2: Persian carpet and Fine art paintings, 2011.

A critical analysis of my educational experiences and observations in urban

and rural settings: Cultures and transitions

As I start reflecting on how potential was released from childhood and throughout

my educational experiences it is apparent that during these different phases,

influences from the cultures and environments I was exposed to as well as

environments and realities I was in formed my identity and practice. From

teaching in Tonga to London it became clear of the importance for children to be

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able to critically reflect and to also draw on their range of experiences. Each

society and culture has their own visual, political realities that shape their

experiences and how they see themselves and society. For example, the artist

Shirin Neshat explores in her work social, political and psychological boundaries

and experiences of the Iranian society, looking at notions of femininity and

identity. Each artist expresses their experiences diversely according to their

perceptions of reality and conditions of society which vary from place to place.

Emily Pringle reinforces this idea of the processes of discovery, conversations

about Art and Design that can create developments in the mind as well as in other

aspects of pupil’s holistic development:

…knowledge is essentially constructed by learners, who actively generate

meaning through discovery, discussion and making connections, rather than

passively received from external sources. And because learning is not only

an intellectual, but also a social and emotional process, these aspects

need to be recognized as well.

(2013: 114)

Knowledge formation in education and the ethical complexities and modes of

learning and expression for each student to fulfil their potential is varied and could

effect their development and progress depending on various factors such as

approach and suitable learning environments. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1954)

and theory of self-actualization also mentions in the higher order needs, the need

for morality in ones actions. This is something I can relate to from all my

childhood and educational experiences in my thoughts and actions within

education that have created works of art and ways of producing works of art with

an ethical and moral framework. I was working on various educational

programmes in Tonga in 2011-2012, that had a key element of using arts to

empower and release potential in students and the community (Figure 3). This not

only transformed pupils approach to thinking and making art but also their

surroundings with multi-disciplinary and collaborative work.

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Figure 3: Pupils work at Ocean of Light International School, 2011-2012.

They had a common purpose and meaning within the holistic curricula with a

moral framework, that produced effective and fruitful collaborations and

friendships. For example, they would have a virtue of a week such as empathy

and have structured collaborative activities in which pupils would explore the

practice and implication of this virtue to their individual and collective lives.

Virtue classes were implemented into a one hour block across the primary School

hours as well as innovative youth empowerment programmes for 11-14 year olds

that explored moral issues, identity and community service. This further had

implications for how pupils would define, see themselves and address the needs of

the community through the use of arts. Storr further reinforces nurturing this need

further:

…Storr suggests, there is a need to identify how contemporary

art practice might be conceptualized as a human and

cultural phenomenon that addresses present day issues that have

personal and public relevance.

(in Sullivan,2008:1)

In Tonga where I was teaching from January 2011 to January 2012 at the Ocean of

Light International Schools there was a small community and collective spirit

within the school community with family and community identity being an

important part of the culture. Pupils and teachers would consult and collectively

find the needs of the community and find ways to address and support its needs

with the use of arts playing a key role. We would create art projects as well as

community projects personalized to the community and needs of the pupils,

creating different and specific skills within each pupil. For example, groups of

students collaborated to teach English reading and writing to the primary school

students as well as helping out with sports activities. They visited a mental health

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institution sharing prayers and songs as well as created fundraisers, cleaning the

environment and transforming with their creativity uplifting environments for

learning. Inden (1998) directs our attention to how a group of people can have a

significant impact in the environment they are in with purposeful and diverse

action and reflection:

The power of people to act purposively and reflectively, in more or

less complex interrelationships with one another, to reiterate and remake

the world in which they live, in circumstances where they may

consider different courses of action possible and desirable, though

not necessarily from the same point of view.

(In Addison, N, Burgess, L, Steers, J and Trowell,J. 2010: 127)

Having a clear unified vision, sense of purpose and reading the reality of different

School environments produces transforming effects in the individual and to

society. I was working as a school counsellor with a group of pupils who had

social emotional problems and they would express visually some of the problems

that they were facing in a variety of art forms. This was initially by talking about

the specific issues that were effecting their education, making realistic goals and

plans for improvement, intervention with moral educational classes as well as

closer collaboration with families and extra support in class. The use the art was

central to their transformation and progress as well as a tool to address and solve

these issues. Their behaviour and outlook improved and changed as a result. This

was shown in the development of attitudes, behaviours and there was a

progression in their academic grades as a result. The importance of finding a

balance between holistic curriculum content and its engaging delivery to a wide

range of pupils’ needs and capacities was explored in Tonga. As well as the effects

of the curriculum delivery on how pupils see themselves, others, their future paths

as well as how it can personally transform how their potential and capabilities can

be nurtured and developed through a creative teaching style. A more unified

conception of what it means to be a person, acknowledging all parts of a person’s

character and intellect are important to think about furthermore. Sir Ken Robinson

(2011) furthermore mentions in his talk about educating the mind and the heart the

importance of personalizing education and curriculums to engage the whole

character which has personal and public relevance to be able to fulfil potential. He

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highlights the unique capability of art as a way to express each individual’s unique

humanity, to connect with oneself and to share this unique perspective with others.

It has been a constant journey to strive to find meaning and understand the

learning and transitions that can occur during different phases of education. Roy

Prentice mentions, referring to Pollard (2002) that ‘central to transition from one

school to another is a capacity to adapt while retaining a sense of self.’ (Prentice,

2003: 37). The notion of the individuality and ‘self’ in Art and Design is

integrated in the curriculum content exploring complex topics such as identity

through a multi-disciplinary approach to include perspectives from various

cultures. According to the Gilbert report ‘20 20’ (Dfes, 2006) personalized

learning ‘is a matter of moral purpose and social justice and has the potential to

transform education’ (in Addison, Burgess, Steers and Trowell, 2010: 71). Art and

Design has always had a power and significance in people’s life whether to share

common meanings, uplift, create purpose and inspire new and higher ideals within

oneself and the environment. It can effect ones perception of reality, truth and

knowledge. Timo Jokela highlights this potential further of creating art that

‘…surpasses the local people’s everyday experiences and knowledge of a place…’

(in Coutts and Jokela, 2008: 6).

The potential of the use of arts to tackle complex issues and experiences that can

instil positive attitudes, learning experiences and behaviours could have varying

effects on gender. Pen Dalton highlights some of the discourse surrounding the

complexities and role of gender in Art and Design Education, with hierarchies and

identities developing through different educational phases and environments with

a need for perhaps more equality and a gender balance between male and females.

This could be linked to how education has the potential to create a new visual

language that has the capacity of ‘acknowledging the multitude, contradictory, and

complex subject positions people occupy within different social, cultural, and

economic locations’(Giroux,2005: 13). The perception of how each person

defines themselves at different stages of their education could be influenced by the

environment in which they have been educated in as well as the one that the

teacher creates within the curriculum and school setting:

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…modernist art education has been and continues to be a complex

of gendered discursive practices: saturated through with masculine

and feminine divisions and hierarchies which in turn produce

gendered identities as hierarchical.

(Dalton, 2008:8)

Reflecting on how my own subject specialism in Painting developed historically

as well as in Art Education was inseparable to the approach of the teacher and the

curriculum content. The curriculum content in 2011 and how it was presented to

engage all abilities of students developed through the different levels and phases

of Education with an absence of a prescribed curriculum in England and Wales is

important to reflect on. This has implications for the subject knowledge that the

teacher is creatively trying to share with the student to make sure they are

engaging in the learning according to their ability, cultures, talents and interests

covering a broad curriculum and its content. For example, the subject knowledge

could cover a range of art history and multi-disciplinary skills in the arts that can

develop transferable skills and qualities for different settings. As the National

Curriculum for Art and Design (2007) under ‘the importance of art and design’

further reinforces the unique ability of Art Education that provides a rich and

diverse meaning and value in their life that extends beyond the classroom:

In art, craft and design, pupils…learn to appreciate and value images

and artefacts across times and cultures, and to understand the contexts in

which they are made. In art, craft, and design, pupils reflect critically on

their own and other people’s work, judging quality, value and meaning…

They develop an appreciation of art, craft and design, and its role in the

creative and cultural industries that enrich their lives.

(QCA, 2007:17)

As I entered higher education from 2005-2008 there was a wider exposure to

students to a diverse range of contemporary artworks ranging from Tracey Emin to

Damien Hurst. There was also as an encouragement from the tutors to bring

cultural and personal narratives into the works of art. This exposure to new ways

of thinking and making provided new skills, critical thinking and innovative ways

of making. There are different approaches whilst engaging pupils in contemporary

art in relation to abstract art for example as the subject content of the work with

the endless scope of artists to introduce pupils also varies. From my experience of

working in London and Tonga, having a varied range of artists from different

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disciplines and cultures that suit the capacity and individuality of different age-

groups and pupils proves to be effective in the level of engagement of the pupil as

well as in their progression of their learning. Thomas Heatherwick highlights

some important aspects that the making process with which I can identify:

Through making we can learn to solve problems, adopt more practical

ways of thinking, understand the way things work, the nature

of materials…as well as witness the realisation of our ideas…making

should be an integral part of the curriculum for all schools and colleges,

not just as a means of teaching art and design but as a source of learning

and inspiration about the world around us.

(Heatherwick in Burgess and Schofield 2007: 183)

The skills, qualities and ways of making that Thomas Heatherwick highlights can

be developed in different phases of Education. There are clear changes and

interpretations that arrive when changing from one phase of education to the next,

from primary to secondary. Roy Prentice mentions that: ‘Traditionally, primary

school teachers have viewed art and design as a practical subject’ (Prentice, 2003:

34). This would focus perhaps more on developing ones aesthetic judgements and

understandings of line, shape and colour for example rather than to:

Have more than an agreed set of skills with which to make responses to

experience, if learning in art is to have personal significance throughout

schooling. What is required is the development of a reflective dimension.

(Prentice, 2003: 36)

This reflective dimension was developing more during different higher phases of

education. As educators striving and ‘…engaging students in the interpretation and

analysis of visual and material culture through classroom dialogue’ (in Addison,

Burgess, Steers and Trowell, 2010: 76) will help to acquire wider skills and

potentialities in pupils.

A comparison of Teaching and educational learning experiences: London and

Tonga

Varying landscapes and nature have always been part of my surroundings from

childhood and throughout educational experiences. This has provided inspiration

to the development of ideas in my art-practice and as an educator. Desert and

tropical landscapes from being brought up in Africa and teaching experiences in

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vast eye-opening landscapes and surroundings from Tonga to China have provided

new dynamic perspectives. The inherent delicate, changing qualities and memories

that nature and the environment has as well as themes that it can inspire such as

transformation, environment, education, service, unity and justice have been

evolving in my art-practice. Figure 4 is an example of work I made in 2008 using

a variety of materials and processes at Camberwell College of Arts as well as

during my PGCE from 2009-2010.

Figure 4: Anisa Tahzib, Organic patterns and Universal connections, 2008 and 2010, Netting, metal rods, flowers, pins,

plastic, paints, paper, string, tracing paper, wood and perspex.

I work with a variety of everyday materials, some of the materials like flowers

change their qualities, shape and form as time goes on. To symbolize and make

the viewer think about how everything in the world is in constant motion,

connected, transitory, in change, fleeting and advancing. This reflects societal

changes and developments affecting both the individual and community to

educational and institutional changes. The installations usually vary in scale and

materials so one can interact with them and relate to the pieces and experience the

changing forms and qualities close up and from different views and perspectives.

These different experiences, developing concepts and perspectives can be used in

different educational settings and locations developing enduring skills, as John

Dewey States:

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…education must engage with and enlarge experience; that thinking

and reflection are central to the act of teaching; and that students must

freely interact with their environments in the practice of

constructing knowledge.

(in Battodano, Darder and Torrer, 2003: 3)

My art practice at university led me to a growing intrigue in different materials,

the processes, transformation and the qualities of these materials. Especially

simple, everyday, accessible materials such as string, pins and paper. This has led

to my interest in areas such as installation art, public art, site-specific and

environmental art. Furthermore with implications connected to the built

environment and citizenship as it enriches pupil’s experiential and holistic learning

in the school environment and beyond. Moreover, an interest in how pupils

develop an inquisitive and exploratory approach to their work using a range of

materials to develop their ideas started to emerge from this phase of education.

Connections started being made to the critical relationship to art contexts, notions

of the public as well as audience participation within different spaces. Miwon

Kwon (2002) sympathises for ‘…a functionalist ethos that prioritized public art’s

use value over its aesthetic value, or measured its aesthetic value in terms of use

value.’ The importance of meaning, purpose and value that art can cultivate in a

public setting produces personal and public relevance. The artist does have a

humanizing effect in creations of art that can help break down alienation or

disconnect that can occur in urban environments, with a personal and humanistic

approach to thinking and making works of art. Moreover, Miwon Kwon further

highlights the imperative role of public art to transform spaces not only

aesthetically but it could also effect well-being:

Public art works were meant to play a supplementary but crucial role in

the amelioration of what were perceived to be the ill effects of

the repetitive, monotonous, and functionalist style of

modernist architecture.

(in Kwon, 2002: 64)

Teaching in a new culture and educational system such as Tonga made me aware

of the diversity and flexibility of a teacher to be able to address a wide variety of

needs and backgrounds. In the schemes of work I developed there was an overlap

and exploratory use of art, craft and design in different contexts with reflective,

21

critical, dialogic and evaluative skills. There was also multidisciplinary work

created and encouraged, exploring a range of materials, topics, reflecting their

social, cultural, religious, spiritual and intellectual identities. For example, Figure

5 (2011) shows a dynamic use of materials and range of art works from pupils in

Tonga to reflect student’s diverse upbringing from China to Australia reflected in

their drawing of the China wall and use of symbolic cultural designs. Pupils’ work

also referenced cultural sites in Tonga and personal narratives of joys and

hardships in their lives integrated into the fabric and pattern of their work. As

these had a big influence in their surroundings, thoughts, influences and

upbringing. Virtues such as unity, cooperation, equality, respect and understanding

were explored artistically to enhance their inner values and develop skills to be

more effective learners. Local artists and themes to do with their social realities

were included into the curriculum, such as cultural sites, local materials such as

tapa cloth, colours from natural materials and fruits, as well as local techniques

such as group weaving and Tongan designs were used to make pieces of art. The

topics each pupil chooses and how pupils from different cultures express their

ideas vary from their diverse cultural background, realities, cultural heritage and

perspectives. Each place and environment has distinct themes, topics, processes

that shape pupils attitudes, perceptions and that they can draw on for ideas and

inspiration for their work. It is vital for the teacher to be aware of current and

relevant themes to intersperse into the curriculum addressing these wide cultural

needs.

22

Figure 5: Pupils work from Ocean of Light International School and community art work, Tonga, 2011, Tapa, paints, prints.

and cardboard

The fusion of learning from different cultures and settings will allow for the

exploration and development of a sense of identity and purpose as well as a higher

consciousness of connections that can impact creative ways of thinking and

making art. There are endless opportunities for learning within diverse settings:

In radically integrated educational settings we all have the opportunity

to learn in the context of diversity, to be critically conscious of

difference without allowing difference to keep us apart.

(Hooks, 2003: 80)

The potential for change in diverse environments and places will inform and

influence ones art practice as well as thinking about themes to include in

curriculums. Using the power of creativity and imagination as the National

Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education highlight that ‘Creativity

is possible in all areas of human activity, including the arts, sciences, at work, at

play and in all other areas of daily life’ (1999:6). Furthermore, being aware of the

transforming effects that accessibility to diverse cultures, historical periods and

viewpoints can have on students will bring about positive results. Baljit Barlow in

Mason and Eca (2009) further reinforces the power and complexities of cultural

identity (1998) and discusses the process of adaption to various cultures and the

longevity of cultural roots remaining in ones developing consciousness and

expressions in pieces of art.

Olivia Gude (2009), in a journal article ‘Can Art Education Shape Society?

highlights that ‘As Democratic citizens, we must believe that what we do affects

the world around us...’. Art and Design has an integrated role to play in the

process of self-transformation and developing unique areas in releasing the

23

capacity of each student. This ultimately changes ones thought’s and actions into

the wider community, as Richard Hickman highlights ‘educating young people as

citizens who can make a meaningful contribution to society’ (Hickman, 2003: 85).

Examining common patterns and cultural connections: artists and theorists

approach through experiences and transitions in life and art

Each artist and educator has different ways of seeing reality and approaching art

that affects their thoughts, behaviours, actions and identity. Art is a powerful tool

to express this from different perspectives and to connect others with their

personal narratives with global implications. Topics such as identity have been

explored in different contexts from Tonga to London and by different artists such

as Richard Hamilton and Mona Hatoum. Each student and artist has interpreted

this topic differently according to various factors such as education, upbringing,

values and how they perceive and express reality according to their perspective are

some examples amongst many others. At the same time allowing each student to

express their ideas innovatively with wide ranging materials are important to think

about in relation to finding personal and global connections. Integration of a

balanced approach can enable effective education, Beetlestone (2006) states that

education is:

Conceptualized as arising out of a holistic teaching practice that value

all aspects of a child’s experience and personality. It is

interactive, incorporating discussion, social context, sensitivity

to others.

(in Banaj, Burn, 2006: 50-51)

Having been brought up in varied landscapes with different spaces to reflect and

uplift at the same time, the emotional changes that can occur are very apparent

from different phases of education accompanied with environmental changes. For

example, the countryside has always seemed to have a calming joyful

transcendental effect personally, with the vibrancy, experiential experiences that

nature and the environment can cultivate in gaining inspiration and learning.

Understanding the moments of joy, development of ideas and art work in these

contexts is complex and the Affect theory developed by Silvan Tomkins sheds

some clarity. Affect refers to a biological portion of emotion that each person has

that when triggered can be claimed to produce certain patterns of biological

24

expression. For example a positive state of affect would be feeling excitement

accompanied by joy on a higher level of intensity, showed in the facial expression

of smiling. Tomkins listed nine of these affects with various emotions ranging

from interest to fear, the emotions with positive effects are said to cause maximum

mental health. There is evidence to show the positive effects that art education can

have in forming student’s identity, channelling their emotions and developing

holistic characters:

From early childhood to adolescence, the arts can foster youth

movements for social change through positive development. Students

who experience high levels of arts enrichment show greater

academic performance, enrolment in and graduation from high school

and college, civic and community service, news consumption,

and engagement in local politics. Moreover, participation in the arts—

even as a spectator—predicts increases in civic engagement, tolerance

and altruism, regardless of age, race, or education.

(Ho, 2012:1)

Developmental psychologist Howard Gardner developed a theory on multiple

intelligences with an awareness of the potentialies this can release. This builds on

the ideas that Ping Ho has researched that creates in students important qualities

such as tolerence and altruism. Integrating both Ping Ho and Howard Gardner’s

concepts into teaching and learning as an educator and artist can help each student

to reach their unique potential and capacities. This should be connected closely

with curriculum development. Carla Lane (1991) draws our attention to Howard

Gardener’s Theory and its impact on the individual:

We are all able to know the world through language, logical-

mathematical analysis, spatial representation, musical thinking, the use of

the body to solve problems or to make things, an understanding of

other individuals, and an understanding of ourselves. Where individuals

differ is in the strength of these intelligences - the so-called profile

of intelligences –and in the ways in which such intelligences are invoked

and combined to carry out different tasks, solve diverse problems,

and progress in various domains.

Sharizeh Houshiary is an Iranian installation artist and sculptor. Her work could be

said to engage the multiple intelligences that Howard Gardener highlights with her

cultural heritage integrated into the work. Her work has a distinct and strong

Persian influence and she integrates this into her art work and transforms spaces

with her unique use of personal patterns in her approach to making. This is

25

interspersed with spiritual themes and concerns that run throughout her work with

inspiration from Sufism and Rumi, a poet from the 13th

century. She uses a range

of materials to give the audience a spiritual experience that transcends the material

and uses themes such as unity and beauty. This work below, ‘East window’, 2008,

Figure 6, transforms a church space with its meditative and intuitive design. These

themes and approaches can be used to introduce different ways of thinking and

making with universal themes and concerns that each pupil can respond to

individually. Enabling students to draw from their cultural backgrounds, develop

interpretations and present their ideas through Art and Design.

Figure 6: Sharizeh Houshiary,’East window’,2008, stainless steel framework, glass panels and handmade paintings.

Zineb Sedira is another artist who has travelled to different places and landscapes

connected to her heritage from France to Algeria, these experiences and changing

landscapes have influenced her outlook and work with themes such as language

and storytelling running throughout her work. Her work interrogates Algeria as a

French colony where she is originally from. After her return to Algeria the after-

math created by the civil war became apparent in her work with landscapes

heavily appearing in her work. There are different qualities that appear in her films

with a reaccuring image of the Mediterranean Sea being one of the key features in

her films. With connotations of the history and culture of the Sea with notions of

separation and movement apprearing in her work. She is able to juxtapose

different themes to do with identity, religion, gender and culture with contrasted

poignant and mesmerising images such as ships, wreckages, beaches, birds,

objects and transitions shown by people or birds. The images are poetic with their

subtle references creating connections and distances between personal narratives

26

with political and historical references as well as connections and relvance with

themes as well as debates such as globalisation. The unique visual language that

she creates from her peronal heritage and narrative in her work for example from

2007-2008, Figure 7 and Figure 8 gives the viewer a rich visual language in which

different positionalities can be explored personally,in relation to society and

integrated within pedagogy can produce transforming effects:

. . . Entry [into a work] is facilitated when the public perceives the

work as performing some useful task…To be guided through space in

a way that rewards the passer-by is of prime value to the public.

(in Kwon, 2002)

Figure 7: Zineb Sedira, 1997,’Quatre Génération de Femmes’, Computer-generated designs silk-screened onto ceramic tiles.

Figure 8: Zineb Sedira,2008, photographic still from movie MiddleSea.

Zarina Bhimji is a Ugandan artist who uses the medium of film like Zineb Sedira

as a tool to express her ideas. Her film ‘Out of the blue’ (2002) portrays a rich

visual history, her personal narrative of her experiences as well as capturing the

period of time when President Idi Amin ordered the expulsion of all Asians from

Uganda is portrayed powerfully throughout the film. As a result of these events

Bhimji and her family had to remain in hiding in the country for two years. The

27

turmoil and after-math has left emotions and stories that are told throughout her

movie. Many of Zarina Bhimjis films are related to her personal history as well as

narratives from her experiences and environments she has been in which can be

connected to the artist Zineb Sedira. In her film ‘Out of the blue’, 2001, Figure 9,

she captures a sublime landscape contrasted with a landscape on fire with sounds

of gunshots, birds, mosquitos and laughing at different points during the movie.

This creating an intense atmosphere as well creating physical and psychological

spaces for the audience to reflect on and experience of that particular reality. She

successfully conveys universal human qualities and emotions such as love, grief

and longing. There are natural rhythms and visual qualities that the landscapes

portray, she opens up spaces and takes the viewers on a journey of new

discoveries and emotions.

Figure 9: Zarina Bhimji, 2001, photogrpahic stills from film ‘Out of the blue’.

Gabbeh (Figure 10) is a film made in 1996 by the Iranian film director Mohsen

Makhmalbaf. The name is from a hand-woven persian rug often characterized by

an abstract, playful geometric design. Like Zarina Bhimji and Zineb Sedira the

stirking use of moving images in the film Gabbeh integrated with personal cultural

connections brings an appreciation and understanding of cultural unity and

diversity. The name Gabbeh also refers to a girl in the film which follows her life

story with her family. With themes to do with finding a husband running

throughout the movie as well as the ritual of cleaning the carpet, with a rich

history of the family depicted in the design of the Gabbeh as well as the courtship

of the women to a stranger which is depicted in the colourful personal narrative of

the Gabbeh. The images are striking and poetic, with the phrase “All life is color”

running throughout the movie and reflected in the landscapes and scenary.

28

Figure 10: Mohsen Makhmalbaf, 1996, photographic still from movie ‘Gabbeh’.

Sergei Parajanov’s film the ‘Color of Pomegranates’ (1968) is a rich visual

tapestry of the biography of the Armenian Troubadour Sayat Nova (King of song),

with poetic metaphorical scenes depicting different scenes to do with growing up,

falling in love, entering a monastery to death. All of which are from his

imagination as well as from poetry by Sayat Nova. Dialogue is not present but

instead replaced by a colourful and artistic use of costumes, design, interior,

exterior décor and props, with one actor playing six roles (Figure 11). It celebrates

the Armenian culture in the midst of oppression in the country. The image of the

red pomegranate leaving a stain projects an image of the concept to do with

boundaries of the Kingdom of Armenia. Sergei Parajanov claimed that his

inspiration was derived from Armenian miniatures. He wanted to create a dynamic

narrative from the images themselves. The images and themes could be relevant to

each person as they can bring their interpretation and meaning into the poetic and

timeless images.

Figure 11: Sergei Parajanov, 1968, photographic still from movie ‘The colour of Pomegranates’.

29

The tobias twin brothers (Figure 12) modernist geometric work made in 2012 also

have a connection with patterns of daily life drawing narrative images and patterns

from folk art with decorative motifs such as plants,embroidery and flowers. There

is a surreal dimension to their work and transformation of the objects to create

their personal visual narratives. Boundaries between fine art and craft start to

emerge from their work, with an integration of modernity and tradition.

Figure 12: Gert and Uwe Tobias, 2012, ‘Untitled’, Paint on Canvas.

Figure 13: Yinka Shonibare MBE, 2013, ‘Ballerina with Violin (Swan Lake)’Mannequin, dutch wax batik fabric,

violin,globe and ballet pointed shoes.

Yinka Shonibare’s work, 2013, (Figure 13) explores various issues covering, race,

class and colonialism. He particularly analyses the construction of identity as well

as the complex interrelationship between Africa and Europe with their economic

and political histories. He uses a range of media from painting, sculpture to film

and performance. His work raises questions about one’s collective contemporary

30

identity as well as meanings surrounding cultural and national definitions.

Recognizable features of his work are brightly coloured African fabrics, each with

their own personal and cultural narratives. He re-creates famous paintings as well

as British landscapes. His work can be contrasted with William Morris’s designs

and prints, 1866, (Figure 14) in which the landscapes and images he chooses are

from his personal surrounding and heritage. The pomegranate is a fruit that he uses

that can have various meanings across different cultures such as health, fertility,

prosperity and ambition.

Figure 14: William Morris, 1866,’Pomegrante’ Wallpaper print.

Monica De Miranda is an artist who has experienced various landscapes.

Originally from Portugal, she explores transcultural, multiple identities and

different ways of being in these spaces. She analyses her work when exhibiting in

Iniva (2008):

Art is a constant travelling experience within ourselves and others. Art

as life, is an endless journey; it is as a broad road that extends

infinitely into the distance. Art provides a vehicle to travel in that

road. Our own journey consists of various life experiences.

The experience of art allows us to become aware of all the textures

of that pathway, which is where the journey starts.

She forms her own visual language and moves beyond convention. Incorporating

and exploring themes to do with the interconnectedness of globalization as well as

between power, space, geopolitics, suspension, arrivals and departures (Figure 15,

2012). Travel and movement are expressed with personal emotions in her piece

through a variety of mediums and geographies. Shifting paradigms of self appear

in her movie with a longing of belonging during different transitions and phases.

Narratives are built between fiction and reality with the environment of home

31

having no fixed location and could be described as being in the imagination, as an

emotional state or refuge of belonging. She evokes feelings of intimacy and

familiarity through her intricate and unique use of media. Through her work the

viewers can experience the intersection and connections related to identity and in

relation to experiences in the physical as well as perceptions surrounding this

world. Cultural complexities and diversities are explored, closely tied with themes

to do with conceptual states of freedom, restrictions and the parameters of this

within different settings and contexts. She maps out different cultural traces and

connects the viewers with memories of childhood in conjunction to how she

expresses this in her artwork. Nicolas Bourriaud in his essay about ‘The work of

art as social interstice’ explores the possibilities, transformational and educational

effects that works of art can have within different spaces as well as developing a

wide variety of qualities within the participation of the audience as well as its

effects to society:

…an exhibition can generate a particular ‘domain of exchanges.’

And we must judge that ‘domain of exchanges’ on the basis of

aesthetic criteria, or in other words by analysing the coherence of

the form, and then the symbolic value of the ‘world’ it offers us or

the image of human relations it reflects. Within this social

interstice, the artist owes it to himself to take responsibility for

the symbolic models he is showing: all representation refers

to values that can be transposed into society…and inserts itself

into the social fabric.

(Bourriaud, 1998: 162)

Figure 15: Monica De Miranda, 2012, ‘Once upon a time’, Photographic still.

32

The film ‘Universal patterns and connections’, 2013 (Figure 16) captures and

visually narrates different significant phases of my educational life with

personal,cultural,emotions and connections conveyed metaphorically as well as

visually throughout the film. A fusion of sounds from Africa, Iran and the UK are

blended througout the video to highlight the learning experiences that can occur

from diverse perspectives and environments. Notions of the passage of time from

the positioning of the camera,as well as changing and transitions of seasons and

environments are conveyed and a theme that also runs througout the movie.

Personal connections and heritages from a diversity of landscapes and cultures are

juxtaposed throughout the movie. For example, persian dancing images, of

childhood growing up in Africa, scenes of the British Landscape to images of the

pomegranate fruit, which is well-known persian fruit. The pomegrante symbolizes

love in Iran, the fullness of Jesus’ suffering and resurrection in Christianity as well

as a personal reference to a grandfather who was martyred for his belief in the

Bahai Faith in Iran and also a symbol of good things that God creates and paradise

according to the Quran.

A recurring image of a persian carpet is a key feature that symbolizes the history

and changes that occur in different transitions and phases of life. Universal

themes,emotions and aspirations that each person has such as hope,fear,calm,

happiness are referenced in the various scenes and array of colours from the red in

the pomegrante scene to the greens from the countryside scenes as well as

changing landscapes.

Although each person comes from distinct and diverse cultural backgrounds with

unique personal narratives to tell, there are patterns and connections that bring

people together. Some of the scenes transition into new scenes qucikly to show

how some aspects of life are fleeting. I wanted to inlcude images that had

universal connections as well as ambiguity in the image so that viewers from all

different backgrounds could connect their interpretation and experiences with the

image. For example,the sky with images of birds contrasted with boats,

pomegrante scenes, landscape images. As well as an integration of designs in the

paintings and images from diverse cultures could also be a metaphor for the

33

journey each person goes through,each with individual diverse narratives and

connections that mutually enrich and transform thought, action and life.

Interest in universal themes and a unifying aesthetic was a popular idea in the

1920s, promulgated by Clive Bell and later Roger Fry then by Clement Greenberg

in the 1940s. These ideas for universal values or constants in our understanding of

art and aesthetics were subsequently discredited for the ways in which they often

masked Western hierarchies and perpetuated canons in which subaltern voices are

suppressed.

The images could have multiple interpretations and also be a symbol and

metaphor of the potential and capacity that each person has, with the

transformations and journey each person takes to find their individual meaning as

well as purpose to contriubute their unique talents and capacities for the

betterment of society. This can moreover be applicable for teaching and learning

in the approach the teacher takes, the environment created conducive to

developing each persons inherent potential as well as integrating these ideas into

the curriculum content for each pupil to explore their own personal cultural

narratives and identities, its links to global learning as well as realizing the

transforming implications for their individual and collective lives.

Figure 16: Anisa Tahzib, 2013, photographic stills from movie ‘Universal patterns and connections’.

Conclusions: How have these insights and explorations impacted me as an

artist and educator, further implications

A critical analysis and exploration of personal cultural narratives from various

contexts, artists, theorists and from diverse global experiences has made me more

aware of how this is a multi-faceted, complex and evolving learning process.

Moreover, this can be applicable for teaching and learning in the approach the

34

teacher takes as well as integrating this into the curriculum for each pupil to

explore their own personal cultural narratives, identities and realize the

transforming impact on their individual and collective lives. ‘Identification,

including cultural and historical frameworks, is how we group and identify

ourselves and how others do the same’ (Morris, 2013: 43). The development of

identity expressed through a piece of art is multi-faceted and has different

universal and personal cultural dimensions as well as intercultural creative

connections as ways of understanding identity further that can be developed in Art

and Design Education from different starting points. These starting points could be

personal heritages and narratives amongst other relevant multi-discilpinary cross-

cultural approaches and methods through the use of Art and Design. Alternatively

it could be exploring how and why one creates and develops their own personal

visual language in Art and Design. Adolf loos, 1908, mentions about the quality of

joy and purpose that can be developed from ornaments in relation to others:

…when they constitute the joy of my fellow men. Then they are my

joy too…for they all have no other way of attaining the high points

of their existence.

(Loos: 24)

An attitude of learning, constant planning, consultation, action, reflection with joy

are important steps and attitudes needed to constantly improve as an artist and

educator. Maslow mentions as one of the higher order needs as service to others as

well as transcendence accompanied with showing and developing the qualities

needed to release ones own potential as well as other peoples potential. Further

links could be made with the Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

and his studies on happiness, creativity and a state of consciousness that he calls

flow (1990) that impacts happiness and improves the quality of life (Figure 17).

He mentions that when one is in a state of flow you are completely absorbed in an

activity with goal-related thoughts activated:

Being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls

away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows

inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being

is involved, and you're using your skills to the utmost.

(Geirland, 2004)

35

Figure 17: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi,1990, ‘flow model’.

The notion of flow can be applicable and develop potential in each person in a

range of artworks. Each piece of art whether it is a painting, sculpture, weaving or

performance has their own personal narrative as well as cultural, historical,

intellectual history and identity to convey and inspire others. For example:

Literature from Ancient Greece often illustrates how a woven object

embodies the psychology of its weaver and how weaving can become

a metaphor for the weaver’s thought processes.

(Kruger, K. S, 2008: 15)

Jacques Lacan a psychoanalyst and Kerry Freedman an art educator mention

education as a process of identity formation and a learning process through which

universal global connections in diversity are developed. This quote highlights

some ideas to consider about the processes in which learning can change ones

subjectivity and form an identity. Jacques Lacan, 1977 writes:

The creation of self is based on the subject being invested with

certain characteristics through symbolic representation. The effects of

images shape an individuals self-concept, even in the ways they shape

the notion of individualism. Individuals appropriate characteristics of

visual representations, adapting these representations as a description

of himself/herself.

(in Freedman, 2003: 23)

Nicholas Addison further explains and clarifies that how one expresses themselves

individually or as part of a community ‘…allows them not only a degree of self-

36

representation, or voice, but helps them to form an identity…’ (2010:63). Each

student has unique talents and abilities that can collectively create and form

patterns of behaviour to change oneself and society, so that each person can

flourish and grow according to their capacity and be the best that one can be with a

paradigm shift to understand how education can release and develop ones inherent

potential. This can also be linked to altermodernism a useful term that Nicolas

Bourriaud defined in which art could be referenced as being made in a global

context against standardisation as well as a translation of cultural values to be able

to connect with a range of groups and similarly allow students to form their

identity. This can be connected to developing qualities as an artist and educator

such as having a spirit of service to others as well as bringing these concepts into

curriculum content to aid with developing potential. This can create an

environment that is not only positively encouraging but allows for the exploration

of pupils identity and how that can effect their environment: ‘Commitment to

service helps teachers remain accountable to students for ethical content in the

classroom’ (Hooks, 2003:91). Rasheed Araeen further states about how to use key

processes such as the power of contemplation, freedom of thought, creative and

purposeful action to bring about a creative force, positive change and unique

potential in the individual and in society to create enduring transformation:

Only when people have freedom to think, to reflect and contemplate,

can they confront the norms that have become fixed dogmas, and

so reactivate society’s creative energy. In other words, new

ideas produced by individual creativity, underpinned by freedom

of thought, create a society able to change and transform itself into

a dynamic force in history.

(in Addison and Burgess, 2013: 96)

37

List of Figures

Figure 1. Maslow, A (1954) Hierarchy of needs 5 stage model [Model], [Online],

Available at

http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html#sthash.5qxqvhAu.dpbs (Accessed

8 April 2013).

Figure 2. Persian carpet and Fine art painting (2013) [Weaving and watercolour

on paper], [Image from my laptop] (Accessed 8 April 2013).

Figure 3. Pupils work at the Ocean of Light International school, Tonga, (2011)

[Mixed media], [Image from my laptop] (Accessed 8 April 2013).

Figure 4. Tahzib, A. (2008-2010) Organic patterns and universal connections

[Mixed media], Anisa Tahzib art [Online], Available at

https://sites.google.com/site/anisatahzibart/ (Accessed 8 March 2013).

Figure 5. Pupils work at the Ocean of Light International school, Tonga, (2011)

[Mixed media], [Image from my laptop] (Accessed 8 April 2013).

Figure 6. Houshiary, S. (2008) East window [Stainless steel framework, glass

panels and handmade paintings], [Online] Available at

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/shirazeh-houshiary?language=ja_JP (Accessed 8

April 2013).

Figure 7. Sedira, Z. (1997) Quatre Génération de Femmes [Computer-generated

designs silk-screened onto ceramic tiles], [Online], Available at

http://www.universes-in-universe.de/car/venezia/bien49/auth-exc/e-sedira.htm

(Accessed 19 May 2013).

Figure 8. Sedira, Z. (2008) MiddleSea [Still from movie], [Online], Available at

http://www.frieze.com/shows/review/zineb_sedira/ (Accessed 19 May 2013).

Figure 9. Bhimji, Z. (2001) Out of the blue [Still from Movie], [Online], Available

at http://www.zarinabhimji.com/dspseries/12/1FW.htm

http://art.newcity.com/2009/08/24/review-zarina-bhimjiart-institute-of-chicago/

(Accessed 19 May 2013).

Figure 10. Makhmalbaf, M. (1996) Gabbeh [Still from movie], [Online],

Available at http://clubul-cinefililor.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/miercuri-30-

noiembrie-2011-443-gabbeh.html (Accessed 19 May 2013).

38

Figure 11. Parajanov, S. (1968) The Colour of Pomegranates [Still from movie],

[Online], Available at http://www.armradio.am/en/2012/11/22/the-color-of-

pomegranates-to-be-screened-in-turkey/ (Accessed 20 May 2012).

Figure 12. Tobias, G and U. (2012) Untitled [Paint on canvas [Online], Available

at http://www.whitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/gert-uwe-tobias (Accessed 20

May 2012).

Figure 13. Shonibare, Y. (2013) Ballerina with Violin [Mannequin, dutch wax

batik fabric, violin, globe and ballet pointed shoes], [Online], Available at

http://www.stephenfriedman.com/artists/yinka-shonibare-mbe/artwork/ballerina-

with-violin-swan-lake (Accessed 2 June 2013).

Figure 14. Morris, W. (1866) Pomegranate [Wallpaper print], [Online], Available

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