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The visual arts reveal who we are.
Visual arts blend discovery, release and expression
What are the visual arts?
The visual arts are a creative expression that can be appreciated by viewing. They may be produced for esthetic beauty, such as fine art with no functional purpose; decoration, think arts and crafts; and function, such as the applied arts, which also have an esthetic appeal.
We decorate our spaces with items that are personally pleasing, that have a purpose, that we form a connection with, and that may provoke an emotional response. These can take the form of wall hangings, that special coffee mug and the woven throw resting on your sofa. We intentionally surround ourselves with photographs, mementos, the artwork of our children, and in doing so, make a house a home.
The visual arts bring comfort and joy to an environment and reveal who we are.
What are the main genres or styles that exist in this art form?
The visual arts encompass a broad range of expressive mediums and include painting, printmaking, drawing, sculpture, conceptual art, ceramics, photography, filmmaking, video, design, architecture, textiles and crafts; however, this is not an exhaustive list. Within each of these genres lives a range of opportunities for expression and creativity. The many varieties of painting mediums require not only an abundance of different work surfaces but also technical diversity. Ceramics, as an applied design, includes pottery, tile and sculpture. It can be both for everyday use such as stoneware, and for esthetic purposes such as that dinosaur sculpture from junior high school.
Smartphone cameras give everyone the opportunity to express their values and personality. While digital cameras capture imagery one way, rolling your own black and white film generates something completely different. We even define places by their art and architecture. When we experience a European cathedral or the urban planning of Canadian architect Arthur Erickson, we can appreciate the esthetic appeal. Iconic architecture characterizes a people and their values, is used to promote tourism and makes history accessible.
What skills are required to excel at the visual arts?
The development of disciplinary vocabulary — the language of art — is essential. How does art communicate? Just as artists use mark making and gestural qualities to express their emotions about something they have seen or experienced, disciplinary literacy supports the student’s ability to develop a positive analysis of their own and other’s works, and to “make and defend qualitative judgments,” as stated in the art curriculum that Alberta created in 1986.
A shared language is also vital for students to understand how artists work. What conditions, attitudes and behaviours support creativity? As modeled in classroom discussions, questioning is integral to the process of teaching and learning art and offers students a way to develop an understanding of their motivation as artists.
To live the life of an artist, we must question and be able to defend our choices. Through this journey, growth occurs, maturity develops and technical mastery is achieved. As we foster inquiry with our students, they can authentically encounter their own truths for a deeply personal and meaningful experience.
What are the benefits of participating in the visual arts?
Creating visual art helps us learn to reflect, recognize our personal identity and become empowered to communicate. To make something requires imagination and is rewarding and enriching. Using our imagination fosters mindfulness for social emotional development and supports overall wellness.
When we look at art from around the world, we become aware of social justice issues, learn about cultures and traditions, and develop compassion. Art appreciation can then be realized in other environments from the classroom to museums, to public art along laneways near a favourite spot, and can offer a lifetime of enjoyment.
It is important to develop a love for the arts as patrons, to not only enrich our lives and that of our community, but to make meaning in a world of complexity and polarization, and to connect us to others as we realize empathy as a core value. As art teachers reveal the intention of a project — where we want to go — and allow for divergence along the way, our students develop their own connections. The arts activities we engage in support conceptualization and discovery. They permit a physical release and expression that make the arts alive.
Tamera Olsen
Fine visual arts
English language arts
Humanities
Career and technology foundations
Queen Elizabeth High School, Calgary
Years teaching: 3.5
Main artistic discipline: Painting and drawing, printmaking, photography
Who or what inspired you to be a teacher?
My passion for the artistic process and desire to share this passion with others.
What do you enjoy most about teaching?
Relationships.
Who is your favourite artist in your discipline and why?
It is hard to select just one, but if I had to, Henri Matisse, for his colour, adventure, and the way he saw and represented others in his work. My favourite photo of him is the one where he has a 10-foot pole with a piece of charcoal on the end. To wield this medium, his whole body had to commit to every stroke. I must also mention Mary Cassatt, for, in a world of men, her tender images challenged traditional roles in society. She realized an audience and was one of the first women recognized in the Paris Salon.
What work of art has inspired you the most?
La Pietà by Michelangelo. I saw this sculpture when I traveled on an art quest after obtaining my BFA. The Vatican was quiet, and I’d just come from the Sistine Chapel, where I was able to lie down on top of a table to marvel at the ceiling (I know!). My emotions were elevated and when I stood before the gauze-like marble of La Pietà, gazing into the face of Mary and feeling the weight of the body in her arms, so fragile and vulnerable, I wept. That moment is real for me today.
What is the greatest life lesson you learned from your artistic endeavours?
Patience.
What aspect of being an artist brings you the most joy?
Sparking the imaginations of others to recognize and appreciate their personal expression.
What saying or adage do you live by?
Really two, from my father: Everything in moderation, and you’re as young as you feel.
