There’s a whole world of creativity out there to explore. Most of us probably think of paintings and sculpture when someone asks us, “What is art?” but the reality is that art encompasses so much more. There are many mediums to investigate, so many different techniques and methods of producing objects of beauty, and there are the art forms that encompass movement, sound, and performance. For this series of exercises students are encouraged to think outside the basics. There’s a lot of creativity to explore, here’s your opportunity to share the things that you find intriguing.
Keeping in mind that art is culturally determined and socially constructed, locate an artform and interview the artist or owner for a greater understanding of the meaning behind the artform. The point of this exercise is to expand standard definitions of art-making and art-identifying in order to increase access and valuation of art in everyday life.
1. Identify an art piece and locate the artist (maker) or owner. (Potential sources are immense – consider public and private art venues, performance and demonstration, etc.)
2. Write a simple description of your chosen art piece and include a photograph.
3. Interview the artist/owner of the art piece in order to obtain responses for the following questions:
What is the medium?
Who is the artist?
What is the meaning behind the piece?
What was the sale price on the art piece (if there was one)?
Does the art piece reflect social status?