All things big and small

Art and Design is often considered as having relatively low status within the curriculum (Herne, 2000), with teachers often using the subject as ‘a glorified visual aid for other subjects’ (Barnes, 2003:16) generally producing an identical set of thirty pieces from their class. This convention needs to be challenged, or Art and Design will continue to be seen as a less valuable subject when it is the quality of the experience that is poor and teacher’s understanding of its purpose and value which is misconstrued.

 

An argument for the importance of Art and Design can easily be formulated; including its ability to allow for freedom of expression and feeling, developing children to be ‘visually literate’ and supporting children’s physical skills through handling and manipulation of materials (Herne, 2007; Barnes, 2003). Nevertheless, the subject is not contested due to undeniable benefits but rather because of its ‘immeasurable qualities’, which can make it hard for a teacher and the government to assess a child’s achievement. However, Art and Design is a creative subject and therefore allows for creative and individual outputs which should be embraced and celebrated by all, especially with the rise in careers in creative industries (NSEAD, 2012). With ‘creativity’ becoming an ever more present word and approach within new legislations, Art should be viewed as a valuable opportunity to embed this approach, especially through cross-curricular links. Barnes states ‘art can be a means whereby children reconstruct and assimilate the experiences they have had’, suggesting its importance in supporting and enriching children’s understanding of concepts within varying contexts. For example by getting children to look closely at a piece of aboriginal art’s visual details, it can allow for links to be made to their own learnt understanding, in addition to providing new insights and questions they may not have considered.

 

It is the ability to be ‘visually literate’, which involves children having specific purpose in their looking, that embodies the Take One Picture approach (Take One Picture, 2014). In our own visit to the National Gallery, we were taken on a journey through paintings purely through close visual focus and questioning, which allowed for deeper understanding of an image easily. Galleries are a valuable teaching and learning tool and can extend children’s experiences of art (Charman & Rose, 2007) and I hope this website can be viewed in the same way.

 

The title of my theme for the resource is ‘All things Big and Small’ and focuses on a sequence of images that feature an aspect of ‘small’ or ‘big’ in relation to scale. This is very much linked to the ‘design technique’ featured in the National Curriculum (DfE, 2014) referenced ‘space’ and would be introduced within a Year Four setting whereby the children would be developing this technique which will have been previously introduced in Key Stage One. The children will be learning about how ‘size’ and ‘scale’ can be manipulated by an artist for effect and purpose and how this can affect the person viewing it. The concept of ‘big’ and ‘small’ can be exciting and engaging for children, as they are unique from the ‘norm’ and can therefore evoke curiosity amongst children. In addition, when looking at ‘small’ and ‘big’ things the children will be relying heavily on using and developing their ‘visual literacy’ skills which will provide individual insights into art.

 

Word Count (excluding References): 544

 

Bibliography:

Barnes, R. (2003) Teaching Art to Young Children 4-9, London: Routledge

Charman H, and Rose, K. (2007) The Art Gallery Handbook, London: Tate Publishing

Department of Education (2014) The National Curriculum, London: Crown Copyright Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210969/NC_framework_document_-_FINAL.pdf

Herne, S. (2000), ‘Breadth and balance? The impact of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies on art in the primary school’, The International Journal of Art and Design Education, 19(2): 217-23 Available at: http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=ae96b319-0dcd-4d30-8caa-14f09f88309c%40sessionmgr4001&vid=4&hid=4114

Herne, S. (2007) ‘The Subject of Art and Design’ in (ed.) Cox, S. & Watts, R. ‘Teaching Art and Design 3-11’, London Continuum

NSEAD (2012) Why do we teach art, craft and design?, The National Society for Education in Art and Design accessed by: http://www.nsead.org/Downloads/EBulletinNov23.pdf

Take One Picture (2014) ‘About Take One Picture’ Available at: http://www.takeonepicture.org/about/index.html