“Printmaking is a great way for pupils of all ages to experiment and explore visual art” (Learning At YSP, 2017).
During this session, we explored print making. I was originally printmaking themed around my evocative object, unfortunately my piece was incomplete and did not really turn out how I planned. However, I still enjoyed the session and felt it was a valuable experience and one I think would be worthwhile in the classroom.
Having participated in printmaking during this module and within the Integrated Arts module I feel that it is a very liberating process. It is messy, unconventional and allows the learner to break free from too much structure that they often experience in the classroom. The printing process is also an activity that takes time and may require a number of sessions to produce a finished piece. This allows children to experience a progression of coherent and meaningful learning over time, in contrast to art lessons that are often rushed and do not give learners the “opportunity to explore a thoroughly creative challenge” (Craft, 2007). Activities such as printmaing ensure art is not just being “slipped in” to other subjects but the lessons are a valuable learning experience in their own right (Gibb, 2012). In addition, If the children are not rushed and concerned with meeting deadlines they will be able to fully engage with creative process and not stress so much about quality of the final outcome, allowing them to enjoy the experience.
From the teacher’s perspective it encourages them to tolerate mess, to step away from rigid time constraints and to embrace a tolerance for ambiguity. This is the sort of teacher i hope to be and I plan to introduce activities such as printmaking into my classroom to ensure children get to fully enagage with the arts in the same way as literacy or numeracy.
There are a number of benefits from print making including: problem solving skills, reflection, team work, listening skills, communication, critical thinking, fine motor skills as a result of the use of tools and the hands on nature of printmaking, artistic skills and literacy skills. Printmaking also “enhances a sense of integrity and ownership” over the piece of work made (Learning At YSP, 2017).
References
Craft, A. (2007) Creativity and Possibility in the Early years [Online]. Available: http://www.tactyc.org.uk/pdfs/Reflection-craft.pdf [Accessed 7 April 2017].
Gibb, C. (2012) Room 13: The Movement and International network: International Journal of Art and Design Education. Vol.31 (3).
Learning At YSP: Yorkshire Sculpture Park. (2017). Exploring Printmaking. [online] Available at: http://moodle.uws.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/872850/mod_resource/content/1/ignite-teacher-resource-printmaking.pdf.
