This research study looks at the correlation between writing art research and critique and/or art reflections and achievement in visual art. One group of students will have an assignment to do research and writing prior to a visual art project. The research is centered around contemporary visual culture. After being introduced to this unit of study, students will complete online research a contemporary street artist or a style of body art. The research will include information about the artist or style, images of the artwork that is being used and a paper that will include the information and ideas that students learned. From their research they will create a design for “tattoos” on a plaster hand that they will cast themselves. The second group of students will simply sketch their design after an introduction to the unit. They will create their artwork first and write a self-reflection about their own work at the conclusion of the unit.
By: Melinda J. W. Arrigo
At the beginning and conclusion of the project, students will complete a survey about their views on writing, research, inspiration and creativity. I expect students will not be terribly excited about researching anything in an art class but the idea is that they will come to recognize the benefit (if any) of finding their own voice through online research. I am curious to see if students that only write a self-reflection are as successful in their overall creativity as the students that had the experiences of looking at and writing about this movement before designing their own artwork. The other information that will be very interesting to see is if students will recognize the benefit of writing about art and if they feel as if it was inspiring and motivating in creating their own work.