Critical Reflecting || Philosophical Inquiry: A Practical Approach to Aesthetics

National Art Education Association

Philosophical Inquiry: A Practical Approach to AestheticsAuthor(s): Carole HenrySource: Art Education, Vol. 46, No. 3, Critical Reflecting (May, 1993), pp. 20-24Published by: National Art Education AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3193394 .

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Philosophical Inquiry: A Practical Approach to Aesthetics

Carole Henry

Despite the complexity of the literature in aesthetics, many art educators believe the material can be made understandable and relevant to children (Crawford, 1987: Hamblen, 1988; Lanier, 1986; Lankford, 1992). In order to do so, one must first agree on a definition of aesthetics. Al- though there are other possible definitions, a readily comprehensible definition is that aesthetics is philosophical inquiry into the nature of art (Hagaman, 1988: Hagaman, 1990). To quote Hagaman directly, the "content (of aesthetics) deals with general questions about art such as "What is art?", "What's the difference between a work of art and a copy?", "Are there criteria that can be used in evaluating all works of art?", and "Is the concept of originality in art a meaningful one" (1990, p.1)? These are questions that can become the stimuli for philosophical inquiry in the classroom. The task for contemporary art educators is to develop and test methods for teaching aesthetics appropriate for grades K-12 (Erickson, 1988).

Lankford (1992) identifies two basic approaches to the introduction to aesthet-

ics into the curriculum: 1) the information- oriented approach, in which information about concepts and theories is transmitted to the students through traditional teacher- centered means such as lecture and 2) the issue-centered approach in which students confront philosophical issues in art before being introduced to aesthetic theory. According to Lankford, an issue-centered approach begins with the students' obser- vations and thoughts and can include the introduction of related theory. Dialogue and discussion are central to this type of activity. Most importantly, teaching methods which encourage higher level thinking skills and provide the opportunity for children to develop confidence in express- ing and supporting such thought are necessary to make aesthetic inquiry an active rather than a passive activity.

Practical Implementation As I was reading Lankford's work, I thought about a lesson I implemented several years ago. At that time, I was a middle school art teacher teaching seven classes of predominately lower economic level

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urban children each day. These children had many of the problems typical of urban youth nationwide, and a sizable percent- age of children in each class could be classified "at risk" because of academic difficulties or behavioral problems. My own research (Henry, 1985) had convinced me that middle school students were able to think about aesthetic issues; I believed that my students held their own beliefs about the nature of art but had not been given sufficient opportunity to express and examine these beliefs or to compare these beliefs with those of others. I was also interested in determining whether or not these students would be interested in learning about aesthetic theory and the possibility of incorporating hands-on activities. The lesson described below was the result of these concerns and focused upon definitions of art as realism, formalism, and expressivism. There are other equally important ways in which art can be defined and/or not defined (see Dickie, Scalfani, & Roblin, 1989), but this lesson was an attempt to introduce the students to the concept of aesthetic theory. Simplifica- tion was necessary for instruction to occur; I believed that focusing on three commonly held beliefs about art would help the students understand and relate to the potentially complex subject matter.

Class began with a brief discussion of philosophy. Questioning strategies were used continually to encourage student involvement (see Lankford, 1992, pp. 64- 66, for suggestions). For example, students were asked if they knew the definition of philosopher. An answer that was typically given was that a philosopher was... "a person who thinks." It was pointed out that the word originated from the Greek philos meaning love and sophia meaning wisdom (Simpson & Weiner, 1989). I explained how philosophers spent their lives trying to understand what most of us try hard to forget (the meaning of life, the existence of death, etc.) and that aestheticians were philosophers who tried to identify what makes art different from other things. In order to make this brief introduction less teacher-centered, efforts were made to relate the information to the children's lives. For example, it was explained that there had been many different definitions of art proposed throughout time and that each philosopher

was so committed to his/her definition that if they were all in the classroom together and told they could not leave until they all agreed, they probably still would not agree. "The fact that someone could be that committed to an idea impressed the students and helped establish interest. The students were then asked to discuss what they considered essential for something to be considered art. The most frequently given answer was that art must express an emotion, but some students said that the art should look "real" or that it should be "pretty" or "beautiful". These are beliefs commonly held by the population in general (McDermott-Lewis, 1990).

Using Works of Art to Stimulate Discus- sion At this point, attention was directed to three large reproductions of works of art that had been taped to the chalkboard prior to class.

Francisco de Goya, Spanish (1746-1828). Don Manuel Osoro de Zuniga. Oil on canvas. 50x40 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Jules S. Bache Collection, 1949.

Art Education/May 1993 21



Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937). The Banjo Lesson (1893). Oil on canvas, 49" x 35 1/2 in. Hampton University Museum, Hampton, Virginia.

One work was extremely realistic, one was strongly expressivistic, and one was more formalistic. It was explained that although it was common for works of art to possess more than one of these qualities, these works were selected to help the students better understand specific definitions of art. Questioning strategies were again used to encourage student involvement; once the students had responded to an individual image, they were introduced briefly to the relevant theory of art.

The first work discussed was Don Manuel Osario de Zuniga by Francisco Goya and, as the students noted the realistic qualities, they were given a brief description of Plato's mimetic theory of art. The students were told that Plato believed that for everything in reality there existed

an ideal form; that reality was an imitation of this ideal form; and that art, as it existed in Ancient Greece, was an imitation of this imitation. They were also told that Plato excluded art from his concept of an ideal republic and that for over 2,000 years in Western art, the idea that a work of art should accurately represent the observable world was extremely important (Dickie, Scalfani, & Roblin, 1989). The students were encouraged to comment and ques- tion throughout this brief exchange. "Art as Realism" was written above the reproduction to help the students retain the concept.

The idea that art is an expression of an emotion was conveyed by a number of the students, and the students were very involved as they were asked to talk about the quality of emotion apparent in the second work discussed, The Banjo Lesson by Henry Ossawa Tanner. As the students talked about the emotional aspects of the painting, they were told about the philosophical positions of Leo Tolstoy and Suzanne Langer, two philosophers who felt that the power to represent or communi- cate emotion was what separated art from all other things (Dickie, Scalfani, & Roblin, 1989). "Art as Expression" was then written above the Tanner reproduction.

The third image, a reproduction of Piet Mondrian's painting Broadway Boogie- Woogie was chosen to stimulate discussion on the idea of art as a visually pleas- ing arrangement of lines, shapes, colors, etc. The students readily identified the elements of design and how they were used by Mondrian. Clive Bell's definition of art as "significant form" and the resulting "aesthetic emotion" were outlined for the students (Dickie, Scalfani, & Roblin, 1989). Some references were made to the impact of Formalistic theory on modern art, and "Art as Formalism" was written above the Mondrian reproduction.

Utilizing Small Group Settings Each table of four or five students were then given three art postcard reproductions; the images were selected to best epitomize realistic, expressivistic, and formalistic theories of art. The students were instructed to debate among them- selves and to arrive at a consensus as to which theory could best be used to support each of the postcard images as works of art. Three to five minutes were allotted for

22 Art EducationlMay 1993



this activity. One student from each table was then asked to hold up the work that the group agreed best represented each theory. Open discussion was encouraged; differences in opinion had to be supported by visual evidence.

Individual Application Approximately 20 minutes of a 45 minute period had now been used for instruction. Students were then given 8"x1 0" sheets of drawing paper. They were asked to select one theory of art that had been discussed in class and to make a drawing that could be supported by one of the identified theories. The students were given lead and colored pencils as well as felt-tip pens, and allotted 10 to 15 minutes to complete their work. They were instructed to indicate the theory they were using on the back of their paper and not to share this information with any of their classmates.

Closure Activities About ten minutes before class ended, the students were asked to carefully place their work on the floor so that the rest of their classmates could view it. Another student helped me quickly arrange the work into a quilt-like rectangular format with spaces between each piece. The rest of the students stood quietly in a circle around the artworks. Questioning strategies were used to briefly review the three basic theories of art discussed in class. It was explained that as each work was discussed, the students would be asked to decide which theory of art was most likely used as a basis for each image. This part of the activity was conducted at a fairly rapid pace, with students responding orally. The student works exaggerated the central focus of each aesthetic theory; for example, student works grounded in the theory of art as expression typically were strongly emotional in conient. Generally, consensus was reached immediately, but in cases where different opinions were expressed, students were asked to support their statements, and the work was turned over to reveal the student's original written intent.

The final stage of this activity consisted of an exhibition of student works in the front hall of the school. A description of the activity explaining the focus upon theories of art and a brief definition of each theory

was prepared. Student works were sorted according to the theory of choice, mounted and signed carefully, and displayed beneath the appropriate description. The idea of aesthetic inquiry then became a possibility for anyone walking into the school building, but, most importantly, the exhibit demonstrated that the students were capable of responding to aesthetic concepts when those concepts were made relevant.

Summary and Conclusion Thinking about this lesson leads to the conclusion shared by many others in art education: aesthetics is an area of thought which can be exciting to implement into the normal art curriculum. The students enjoyed thinking about the nature of art. They gained valuable practice in express- ing and supporting their own thoughts. The lesson incorporated an introduction that involved the entire class, provided an opportunity for a small group activity, required an individual hands-on assign- ment, and, finally, included a closure activity that summarized the key points of the lesson. The activities were varied, and, as a result, the students remained interested and involved.

The reproductions of works of art

Piet Mondrian. Broadway Boogie Woogie. 1942-43. Oil on canvas, 50 x 50". Collection, The Museum of Modem Art, New York. Given anonymously.

Art Education/May 1993 23



described as exemplars for this lesson were selected from resources available within the classroom. Other works of art would work equally well. The works used can be two-or three-dimensional and should be selected with attention to cultural diversity. Works by artists such as Thomas Eakins, James Audubon, Janet Fish, and Marilyn Levine could be chosen to emphasize realistic qualities. Michelangelo, Mary Cassatt, Faith Ringgold, and Edvard Munch are all artists whose works are strongly expressive of human emotion. Louise Nevelson, Alma Thomas, Victor Vasarely, and Henri Matisse each created works of art which emphasize formalistic qualities. Many other choices are possible depending on the availability of resources and the judgment of the individual teacher. Future lessons could be developed in which the students explore these philosophical issues in greater depth. Numer- ous alternatives to the ideas presented in this article are obviously possible; the description of this particular lesson is intended to merely illustrate one instruc- tional approach to aesthetics.

In order to develop meaningful instruction, teachers need to be able to apply the principles generic to successful teaching to the area of aesthetics. Mastering the skills necessary to encourage student dialogue is essential. The use of questioning strategies, the creation of a supportive environment, and an emphasis on higher level thinking skills are most important. Additionally, teachers who are being encouraged to incorporate aesthetic inquiry into their curricula (Getty, 1985) must know something about aesthetics as a discipline. Institutes such as the 1991 IVAE Seminar on Aesthetics held in Cincinnati are helping teachers gain the competency that is required. Additionally, Puzzles About Art: An Aesthetics Casebook (Battin, Fisher, Moore, & Silvers, 1989) presents numer- ous issues that can be utilized to stimulate philosophical dialogue. A creative teacher can develop similar scenarios for discussion that reflect aesthetic issues in the students' own communities.

Aesthetics need not be an area of trepidation. Philosophical inquiry can provide valuable opportunities to involve students in active intellectual discourse. It is not necessary that teachers know "everything there is to know" about aes-

thetics, although the more they become familiar with the body of knowledge, the more comfortable they will feel implement- ing aesthetics into their classrooms. As Lankford (1992) writes:

What art educators need to know is what aesthetics is basically about, and how to match this knowledge with principles of teaching. Art educators do not need to be aestheticians to have teaching and learning of aesthetics in their classrooms. What is required most is an informed and imaginative approach to conveying the spirit of the discipline to students. (p.2)

It is the attainment of that informed and imaginative approach that art educators must work toward. Aesthetics can then truly become an integral part of art instruction.

Carole Henry is Assistant Professor of Art, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.

References Battin, M., Fisher, J., Moore, R., & Silvers, A. (1989).

Puzzles about art: An aesthetics casebook. New York: St. Martin's Press.

Crawford, D.W. (1987). Aesthetics in discipline-based art education. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 21 (2), 227-239.

Dickie, G., Scalfani, R. J., & Roblin, R. (1989). Aesthetics: A critical anthology, 2nd ed. New York: St. Martin's Press.

Erickson, M. (1988). Is teaching aesthetics a reasonable goal for K-12 art education? In E.J. Kern (ed.), Pennsylvania's Symposium on Art Education, Aesthetics, and Art Criticism, 37-51.

Getty Center for Education in the Arts (1985). Beyond creating: The place for art in America's schools. Los Angeles, CA: The J. Paul Getty Trust.

Hagaman, S. (1988). Philosophical aesthetics in the art class: A look toward implementation. Art Education, 41 (3), 18-22.

Hagaman, S. (1990). Aesthetics in art education: A look toward implementation. Bloomington, IN: ERIC: ART. (ERIC Digest No. EDO-SO-90-11).

Hamblen, K. (1988). Approaches to aesthetics in art education: A critical theory perspective. Stodies in Art Education, 29 (2), 81-90.

Henry, C. (1986). A content analysis of student response eighteen months to three years after a structured museum experience (Doctoral dissertation, University of Georgia, 1985). Dissertations Abstracts International, 46/07A, p. 1814.

Lanier, V. (1986). The fourth dimension: Building a new art curriculum. Studies in Art Education, 28 (1), 5-10.

Lankford, E. (1992). Aesthetics: Issues and inquiry. Reston, VA: The National Art Education Associa- tion.

McDermott-Lewis, M. (1990). Through their eyes: Novices and advanced amateurs. In The Denver Art Museum interpretive project (pp. 7-39). Denver Art Museum: Denver, CO. Simpson, J.A. & Weiner, E.S.C. (Eds.). (1989). The Oxford English dictionary (Vol. 11). Oxford: Clarendon Press.

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Critical Reflecting || Philosophical Inquiry: A Practical Approach to Aesthetics