This week, we had to incorporate a piece of art material into the outdoor environment surrounding the university. We were instructed that we could take any materials that we wished to create our art piece. This is a good technique to use with children as it provides them with a choice and the teacher is not limiting the child’s creativity. This type of activity would be great for children as their outdoor environment can be a stimulus for them and give them more creative opportunities than they would have inside a classroom.
“Education that focuses on the built environment and public art can contribute to young people’s intellectual, emotional and social development as well as their moral and cultural well-being” (Adams, E. 2008)
My group choose to use string to create our art piece, in both pink and purple shades. To create our piece we started to wrap the string around some fencing in a triangle shape to create a bridge-like appearance. This type of activity would teach the children that art does not have to be a painting or sculpture but can be anywhere using a stimulus such as an environment and emotions.
Below is the before and after pictures of the surroundings.
The contrast in colours made the piece stand out. Although my group felt that the piece was “not very good”, this illustrates that there is no right or wrong in art, there is only creativity. This is a vital lesson for children to learn as they can fully express themselves without concern.
References
- Adams, E. (2008) Art and Design Education and the Built Environment. In Coutts, G. and Jokela, T. (Eds) Art, Community and the Environment: Education Perspectives. Bristol: Intellect
