Chairs, Cars, and Bridges

I found this article to be interesting but not very useful in the terms of art. This article described many components of the uses and apperance of art in chairs, cars, and bridges. For example, this article asked the reader to observe a chair and look at it for the functions it is providing and how it does that. In my room alone I have a chair at my desk that is perfect for studying. It is made out of wood but has a padding on the seat. It also rocks back if the person seated wanted to stretch out. I think this chair was chosen specifically for a studying chair because the wooden backing is very supportive, yet the padded seat allows someone to be comfortable sitting for hours doing homework. 

The other chair in my room is specifically designed for lounging. It has yellow and green florals printed over the entire chair. The back of the chair is tilted back to place the person sitting in a more comfortable relaxed position. I guess this way of thinking about everyday objects is a way I never have before. After reading and reflecting I understand now that everything can be art it just has its purposes for specific reasons. 

The Sweet Role of Art in Literacy

In this reading I learned that it is difficult for some people to express their ideas in words. It was explained that it is good to give chances to students to draw their ideas or use art in communicating their thoughts. I think this is a great idea and unfortunately I don't think I had enough opportunities in my K-12 education to do so. I am so comfortable with writing now I would prefer writing a paper to describe an idea I have rather than draw. This pressure on being able to write lowers the expectations of being able to draw. It is rather seen as very talented if you are an artist and 'normal' or average if you can write a paper well. I wonder, why art hasn't been more apparent in classrooms? 

Tattoos and Teenagers

I found the article "Tattoos and Teenagers very entertaining. The beginning of the article seemed pretty repetitive to me, and told me things I already know. When I started to think about it though I guess it would make sense for me to know a lot about tattoos already being a 20 year old in this day and age. I don't have a tattoo myself but my boyfriend is covered in them, my brother has two, and I have seriously considered getting one. 

I understand that there are many different reasons people get tattoos. For example, my boyfriend Dave has Japanese art on his arms solely for the reason that he likes and appreciates the style of art. In contrast, my brother Levi has a tribal tattoo on his chest from the Maui culture because he spent 2 years of his life in New Zealand. Levi wanted to remember his time there where and what he learned where Dave is tattooed for the art and appearance of his tattoos.

I read the end of the article to Dave and he as well as I agreed with the last sentence, "We may not be able to prevent our students from getting tattoos they may later regret, but we can help them recognize that tattoos carry multiple messages and that wearing one involves social responsibility." I see first hand how his tattoos are seen in society. Also, I have a shirt with tattoo sleeves on the arms. When I wear it I get some looks of surprise and disgust when people look at my arms. I am able to see and feel how some types of people react to tattoos. I think it is everyone's personal decision and people shouldn't be judged by that. Tattoos are like clothing, it is a form of expression. 

ATTATCHED: The first picture is Dave showing the camera all of his tattoos. (His tattoos on his chest are unfinished... he's in the process of getting it colored.) The second picture is of me wearing my tattoo shirt with fake sleeves. 

Autism The Way I See It & Not Thinking In Pictures

When reading the two readings "Autism the way I see it" and "Not Looking in Pictures" I agreed more with the second article by Donna Williams titled "Not Looking in Pictures". The first article discussed three types of learning styles. When reading the descriptions of each I felt like they were too specific. I have seen and experienced many learning styles in myself and children I have worked with over the years. I don't agree that everyone thinks as one of the following:

1. Visual Thinking

2. Music and Math Thinking

3. Verban logic thinking. 

The way that Dr. Temple Grandin explained these styles of thinking made it seem like you were either one or the other. It is important to understand these styles of thought but I think it is wrong to categorize children in such different categories. 

To go along with the categorizing and labeling the second article further supports my thoughts. Donna Williams has autism but she has learned to use signing to be able to communicate. She has a very different process of thoughts than I have ever heard about. Rather than seeing a cat when she was little she saw a tail, ears, and fur. It was hard for her to put the picture together and see it was an animal. She is lucky she has been able to find what works for her to communicate and although signing isn't "very autistic", as someone in the article mentioned, it works for her. 

This reading opened my mind to different styles of thought and the drastic differences they can have. I need to remember these articles and bring them into my classroom. I can do this by incorporating music, pictures, words, and activities to help every student in my classroom be successful. 

Response to "Why Art?"

I was privileged enough to be able to have art throughout my schooling growing up. When I really started to appreciate art though was when I found my own art form. For me, that form was dance. Although I enjoyed studio art like painting and printing I never thought I was very good at it. Just like Robert in this story I too gained a lot of confidence when I started to succeed in my favorite form of art, dance. When I was in high school I had the opportunity to take dance as a period throughout my school day. I loved being able to have this type of art form available to me.

When I was a senior I was able to bring this opportunity to children in elementary school. I went to my local elementary school in my town after school once a week and taught a mix of five 4th and 5th grade girls dance. I had the opportunity to teach them a routine, cut the music, get them costumes, and see them perform. Within this year of working with the girls I saw first hand their confidence boost. They had a final performance at the end of the year school talent show. They were the finale of the show and couldn't wait to show their peers what they had been practicing all year. 

My question for educators is... If art is a way to boost confidence and attendance in students then why don't we give them more opportunities in different styles of art in schools?

Attached is a photo of me and the girls I was able to teach at Trailside Elementary School in Park City, UT. 

Response to "What are the functions of art?"

When I read, "What are the functions of art" I was surprised to see that this author decided that there are usually three categories for the functions of art. I would have guessed there would have been more but when I tried to think of another function everything I thought of could have been placed into one of these categories. I was happy to read that the viewer is half of the art. I agree with this completely from personal experiences. Every time I have viewed a work of art I have noticed the pieces that mean something to me, or the pieces that I enjoy are because of how I can relate to them. Every piece of art can be viewed differently depending on the viewer and their personal experiences. 

I grew up dancing since I was in the 4th grade. This form of art has been very important in my life. The form of dance I enjoy doing and watching the most is modern. This form is very easy for me to look into and understand in different ways. Every time I attend a dance performance the different pieces react to me very different than to other people I go with. I usually try to make a story out of the movements, or try and see what they are trying to tell us. I think this style of art could fall into all three functions of art. It is physical because dance is obviously a physical form of movement. Dance is also social and personal as well. It is social because it brings people together to view the performance. Dance is also very personal especially since I have been a dancer I understand that to perform well you have to feel the dance and make it your own in a way. The choreographer can only do so much, it is up to the dancer to tell the story and make the art come alive.

 I attached two pictures. One is a picture of me dancing and the second is a photo of a work of art my friend did from the picture taken. 

My question here is... Is it wrong for an artist to attach an explanation to their artwork so that the viewer gets the point that the artist is trying to make? Would that ruin the idea of art?