Art Criticism and Aesthetics in the Classroom

Ms. G told us that these can be tricky subjects to approach in the classroom, but she tries her best to incorporate them as much as possible. She says she does not teach aesthetics explicitly, but sometimes thinks that she should. Rather, she tends to take more of an art criticism approach by teaching the students the Principles of Design and Elements of Art. They are each listed in posters that she has hung along one of the walls of the art room, and she makes sure to incorporate these into each of her lessons. Ms. G explained that it is important to ask the students, "What to you see?" She wants them to be aware that their opinions and thoughts are valuable too, and that they are capable of speaking about art in an educated way. She also tries to include art history into each of her lessons by teaching the students about the work of a certain artist. An example that she gave was showing the class a picture of Picasso's "Guernica" with a person viewing it to give them a sense of scale. That painting is incredibly emotional, and showing them how large it is heightens that sense of emotion. These are concepts that students might not consider when they think about art, because it is unlikely that they have ever created a painting that big. That's why it's important to show them what's out there, what is possible in art, and what impact certain qualities of art have. She does not teach art history as a separate unit, rather she integrates it into each of her lessons. That way, when the students create their art, they have something to connect it back to. I thought this was an excellent way to teach art criticism. The students are active and involved in learning about art and how effective it can be.