Art Theory Approaches
When it comes to understanding the theory and history of Visual Arts, some teachers seem to turn into zombies at the whiteboard going “Blah, Blah Blah!” Then at end of the theory session you can then walk out thinking in much the same “Blah” way! Okay the Teacher means well but they might not have to sort of passion for the theory and or history of art that others have.
It may be that the teacher is more dedicated to the “hands on” side of art. So to give yourself the edge in your studies it can be very useful to take matters into yoru own hands. Try some of these as starting points to discovering the “Vast World of Visual Art.”
- Create a time-line of art – list the main artists from each style and basic characteristics, then on a computer, create a set format or layout and add each finding from your time line via an – add image examples for each style represented. Slowly build this up into a resource you can understand and work with. Try making it up out of sheets that when taped together make a l-o-n-g line of information that can be folded out. As a class project a teacher could set this as a section for each student to explore.
- Develop a glossary of art terms and techniques – Add your own own notes and interpretations to the research you conduct. Here’s one to start with in Word format.. glossary-of-art-terms just add to it.
- Art analysis - Create a power point presentation in point form, of how to analyse a “representational artwork” using basic composition and art principles. (There are a few outlines in here somewhere…)
- Create a guide to safety principles in art - Find creative ways of presenting the information, a video on a video website could be a start, keep it stupendously simple, maybe a power point?.
- Artist interview - Create an oral presentation on one artist of your choice. (3 – 5 mins). Ask yourself what questions would I ask them, and would they be of interest to the audience?
- 2 x 1 analysis - Create a power point presentation of two works by one artist, exploring what they may communicate, outline what else was happening in history at that point in time.
- Create a formal design guide – Using the design principles often used in photography “how to” books, create a design guide that showcases these methods and then take it further to find advanced design methods used by artists in the past. Feel free to directly copy the original design outline and use the advanced methods yourself.
Then next time your teacher says to create your own assignment around art theory or history, you will now have some where to start from.
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