Category: Expressive Arts

Expressive Arts Week 6

This week we were not in the University campus for our input. We all met at Kelvin Grove Museum in Glasgow. While we were here we learnt about all of the opportunities for school trips to all the different Glasgow museums and the different workshops that are taken place here. I would love in the future to be able to bring my class to a museum for a day out of school I think they would learn loads while having fun. While we were here it was really busy due to “Dippy on tour” which is the big dinosaur from a London museum that is touring other British museums.

While we were here we were tasked with finding 10 pieces of art to take a photo of that all connect to a theme and tell a story. I decided that my theme was going to be love, as this also connects with my evocative object due to the meaning behind it and my love for the actual object.

The first photograph I have is a drawing by Leonardo de Vinci of a brain from different viewpoints. I felt that this started off my theme and story well as your brain is the thing that allows you to love and makes you fall in love with something or someone.

The next two photographs to go along with my love theme is of birds and its called mother and child and then a statue of a child and parent elephant. These demonstrate the love between mother and child, How the bird has to go and find food for her and all her children in order to care for them and how the elephant protects her young. This is a perfect example of love.

The next is a drawing of two people in the past during the war who were at the railway station and they are having to say goodbye to each other before the man went off to war. This makes me feel a lot of emotions as the heartbreak in the photo due to the love the two have for each other. I found this drawing in the fragile art section of the French art.

The next one I thought at first was just a statue of a father and child hugging as the child went to sleep which showed love but then when I read the information about the statue was that in fact the child’s mother had died during child birth and the father was looking after the child, I felt like this showed unconditional love that the bond between a parent and a child demonstrates.

The next photo may not seem like it fits in with the theme of love as obviously as the rest of them, but when you think about the meaning of the it does represent love. It is of a tutankhamun and a mummy. I felt as though this represented love as the person who has been wrapped as a mummy would have been loved when they were alive and now will be remembered and loved. Just like anyone’s loved one who passes away.

The next drawing that I also found in the fragile art section in the French art part of the museum is a drawing of a nurse caring for a wounded solider during the war. This shows a different type of love it could represent a persons love for their job and caring for people is this persons love, or it could show the different type of love that a nurse has for each and every patient they care for as they want to help them.

The next two photographs have the same subject matter and the same meaning towards my theme of love, but one is like a cartoon colourful oil painting and the other is a real photograph. Also, one shows the beauty and the other shows the pain of the subject. The first is the cartoon one of trees getting cut down which shows how we love our planet and we love the wildlife, but we also love materialistic things which damages our love for the planet. The second shows the beauty and the side of the planet that we do love to see.

The next two photos I have chosen to round off my story of the theme of love are slightly different as they are my personal great loves. When we walked into the museum and had a quick glance around I immediately saw the giraffe and fell in love. Ever since I was tiny I have always loved giraffes don’t know why but I do so I loved the big statue of the giraffe in the animal section.

The last photo is of a large oil painting that was in the art section. This is of a ballerina dancing, and I loved it due to the colours the meaning and the size of the painting. I have loved and did dancing since I was two, so I fell in love with this painting. It links to my theme as it is my great love but also because you can see that the dancer is in love with what she is doing.

Overall I feel that my photos I have taken and chosen to include in my ten tell the story well and explain then theme well but in different ways that may not make sense to someone ese without an explanation. Overall, I really enjoyed our day at Kelvingrove.

Expressive Arts Blog Week 5

This weeks integrated arts lesson was very hands on and active within the art studio. This week we were linking back to our evocative objects that we have been using throughout the module to base the learning and to bring out emotions and ideas that we may not have if just been asked to do art. So, we were making a concrete poem using 62 words that we had made up about out evocative object. These may be descriptive like my fluffy, bunny etc. or the were emotions such as irreplaceable, heart-warming etc. there were also some words that were about the memory the object brings about mine were hospital, gran, auntie etc.

My concrete poem was in the shape of a bunny’s head. This is due to my evocative object being a bunny teddy. I decided to use wool to do the outline and face features as it gives it a soft fluffy looking touch that represents my teddy and the feelings that it brings about. I then decided I was going to write the majority of the words within the ears of the bunny and put a few special words in paint outside of the bunny to make them stand out more to show their importance. These words were Gran Auntie and then the quote from the song I chose to represent it “Angel in the shape of my mum”. I feel that these words were best to stand out in order for the whole meaning of my object to be conveyed by a glance in very few words. I decided that I would be best to work on the floor, due to the size of my paper and the space at the table due to everyone else working. I felt that because I was working on the floor that I had more room to move and didn’t let the space determine my ideas and creation. This has given me an insight that it would be beneficial for children to be allowed to work where they wanted during their maths lesson in order for them to not be confined by a desk and you may see their imagination flow and be less confined. This concept is discussed in the Room 13: The Movement and International Network (2012) where is discusses the fascination with room 13 which is an unused classroom in a school that was changed into an art studio where the children can work anywhere they want and be as big and bold as they want in the room as it was always messy to allow room for creativity.

I also think that a concrete poem would be a good lesson to do with children in school as it is cross curricular incorporation art and literacy into one piece of work. it would have to be done over a few lessons and the children would need support in choosing the words to include but I think the children would enjoy it. Maybe not using an evocative object as this may be hard for children to chose and understand as they are so young but maybe by picking their favourite toy or something along they lines.

 

Reference

Gibb, C. (2012) International Journal of Art & Design Education, Room 13: The movement and international network, Wiley Online Library

Expressive Arts Blog Week 4

This week we were in the music studio working with different instruments. We were looking at graphic soundscapes. This was in order to expand our knowledge of music and to give us a series of lessons that we could do with a class that the children could understand and enjoy but being creative and exploring different sounds and medias in order to create whatever they choose.

We learnt what a graphic soundscape is and how it works. It is when a certain sound or instrument is connected with a drawn picture which in turn makes up a key. So, clapping could be illustrated with a hand. They are then displayed in a boxed table which is read from left to right but everything in the one column is played at once. This is used to try and create an atmosphere through sound. The example we did as a whole class was fire works night. So, the individual sounds we had were bangs, talking background music etc. I thought this was a really good idea to start with as there are many different noises going on at the same time in a fireworks display. Also, most of us and children in a class will have been to a fireworks display or at least heard of them from afar. So, this means that everyone can have an input into the sounds being made to make the final sequence. We then went into smaller groups and got to chose what our soundscape was going to be and make it and the graphics to go along with it then we preformed them in front of the class.

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I feel that this would be a really good activity to do with a class of children that could be split into a number of lessons. Such as discussing and coming up with ideas for themes. Then exploring the different instruments and online resources to come up with the different sounds that are going to be used. Then an art lesson where they make their graphic soundscape drawing all the little images and making up a key. Then finally putting it all together and sharing it with the class. I think this would be a really effective task to do with children to get them engaged with music and to get to explore different instruments that they may never have seen or used before. It is also cross curricular as it brings in digital technology using the internet and recording tools to make up the different sounds they wouldn’t be able to make with the instruments available. It also brings in their creativity and art as they have to draw and make their graphic soundscape. And then obviously music for when they make the final product and use the instruments. One experience and outcome that could be connected with this lesson would be “Inspired by a range of stimuli and working on my own and/or with others, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through musical activities. EXA 0-18a / EXA 1-18a / EXA 2-18a”.

 

Reference

• Education Scotland (2004) – Curriculum for Excellence; Experiences and Outcomes [Online] https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-(building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5)/Experiences%20and%20outcomes [Accessed on 5th February 2019]

Expressive Arts Blog Week 3

This week in expressive arts we were in the music studio. Last week I decided that the piece of music that that could be connect to my evocative object was a song by Ed Sheeran called Supermarket flowers. This was because it referenced angles in the shape of your mum and this is connected to my object as my teddy was given to my auntie by my gran who is not here anymore, then gave it to me. Before we came today we were tasked with bringing in two pieces of music one to do with our evocative object and one that is the complete opposite contrast.

Due to my piece of music being quite sad and emotional I decided that a contrasting piece would be something more up beat or that brought around more positive memories and feelings when I listen to it. I decided that it would be “Beauty and the Beast” by Angela Lansbury. I chose this because I love Disney and beauty and the beast in particular as it’s my favourite film. It is also close to my heart as I named my dog Belle after the princess, so the film brings around positive emotions of her. During this workshop we all went up to the front one at a time and played our two pieces of music and we could either then share why we picked them or let the rest of the class try and guess. I decided to just share and explain why the sad song makes me feel emotional and why the Disney one makes me feel happy.

While doing this sharing exercise we could see in peoples expressions and explanations of whether they liked the other piece of music and how each piece made them feel emotionally. I in particular felt it hard to keep m y emotions in while listening to the Ed Sheeran song as so many of the lyrics are so real in my experience of my gran passing and make me think of that really hard and sad time. I felt as though I was going to cry when explaining why I love and feel so strongly about the “Supermarket Flower” as it is so close to my heart. There is an importance for music to be taught in school for the benefits of creativity and the children getting to express themselves through varied learning. Fleming, M. (2012). This emphasises that children getting to express themselves through their music choices is an essential part of development.

We then watched a few videos that talked about how much of an impact music can have on a motion picture. They explained how films can make you feel different emotions or make you think differently about a character or situation depending on what type of music is played over the top of the video. I never realised before how much of an impact this is. I always knew that music and sound can change the feeling or a movie, but I never realised just how much and how it can change the theme of the film or moment. For next week we have to make a soundtrack to go along with a short animation and being into class.

References

• Supermarket Flowers lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group
• Fleming, M. (2012). The arts in education: an introduction to aesthetics, theory and pedagogy. London: Routledge.

Expressive Arts Week 2

This week we were continuing the theme of evocative objects, but we were going to look at the music side of it. Trying to either find an already existing song that reminds you or has the same feel as your evocative object. The other option was to make a piece of music on garage band that you could relate to your object.

I decided this week that I was going to change my evocative object to another that I have that I feel brings more emotion than my ring. My new object I have chosen is a teddy which is a wee bunny in pyjamas lying on a pillow. This teddy was given from my gran to my Auntie Sheena when she was in hospital receiving chemo. I used to stay at my aunties house every Saturday night because they live in Mauchline so it was the only time in the week I would see them. And when I would stay I used to sleep with the teddy because I loved it and it made me think of how my auntie was better now. Then when my gran passed away my auntie Sheena asked me if it would be okay if she gave it back to gran so she could have it with her, but she then decided that my gran would of rather I had it, so she gave it to me. So, it now feels as though I always have a piece of my gran and my Auntie Sheena, who I am still very close to, with me in my room all the time. So, when I look at or think about my teddy I feel happy because it brings back so many memories, but it also brings back the time my auntie was ill and the fact my gran isn’t here anymore. I feel that in using this object I will be able to bring out a lot of emotions and memories that could be put into the arts.

This week I already had a song in mind that I would use. I decide on “supermarket Flowers” by Ed Sheeran. The lyrics in this song are very emotional and especially relate to loosing a very close family member in particular your mum but I can explain how these lyrics still relate to my object. The first lyrics that relate in particular are “Memories of a life that’s been loved” this is relatable as the teddy bring back these memories of my gran. The next and main part of the song says “you were an angel in the shape of my mum” this relates as my mum and my auntie both look so much like my gran, so she is the angel that is in the shape of my mum and auntie. Also, my Auntie is like my second mum, so she is also in the shape of my mum. The other reason I picked this song was because both my mum and auntie love this song and it makes them happy and cry because it reminds them of my gran. I feel that this task was insightful as it makes you realise how much a piece of music can relate to your life and how it can bring about so much emotion within you and bring back so many memories. This task has also made me feel so much more towards my object because it has made me think about it also and realise even more hoe irreplaceable it is. Fleming, M. (2012) explains how the importance of music in classes could be achieved by looking at emotions in pieces of music by saying that the central aim of all the arts being taught in schools is to develop creativity, imagination and bringing emotion to their work. This could be achieved by children describing how pieces of music can make them feel.

Reference

• Fleming, M. (2012). The arts in education: an introduction to aesthetics, theory and pedagogy. London: Routledge.
• Supermarket Flowers lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group

Expressive Arts Week 1 Blog

This was the fist week in the expressive arts module, this module was an option module and I chose to take it over others due to the interest and love I have for some of the arts. The arts I love are visual art such as drawing and painting, but mainly dance. I have danced since I was 3 and I love going to my dance classes and exams right now I assist my teacher in taking the younger classes dance lessons and I am currently now training to be a qualified dance teacher.

As this was our first week it started off with an introduction to the course and then we as a class read WHAT MAKES AN OBJECT EVOCATIVE? From the book Evocative Objects by Sherry Turkle to get a feel for what we are going to be focusing on. Through the reading of this I realised the importance of everyone having evocative objects even if they don’t mean anything to someone else if they mean something to you and bring back an emotion or story. “The meaning of even such objects shifts with time, place, and differences among individuals.” (Turkle, 2007, p.307) It also explains that the object may become of an even greater importance over time due to the passing of relatives for example.

We then went around everyone in the class while sitting in a circle and everyone explained what their evocative object is and how it makes them feel. My object is my birthstone ring. I explained that my ring was a birthday present that I got for my 18^th from my best friend and that I also got her the same ring for her birthday unintentionally, as our birthdays are so close. We never take them off, so it has become a kind of friendship charm and Goodluck token that we always have. I explained that when I think about my ring it makes me feel lucky to have such a close friend and that it makes me feel loved and close to her as we may not always be together, but we know the other always has a bit of the other with them. When everyone else was talking about their objects it made them feel emotional and it also made me feel emotional as people were talking about how much they loved the objects and why. Overall I feel that this activity was very useful as it brought out a lot of emotions that could be used when creating art as this can bring out a more reactive and personal feel to it.

Reference

• Turkle, S. (2007) Evocative objects: things we think with. Mit Press.