Abstract

Before they leave preschool, many students have already learned to draw people as stick figures, portraits as smiley faces, trees as lollipops, suns in corners, square houses with chimneys, fluffy sheep clouds, green grass, and blue skies – seemingly without being ‘taught’. But these clichés have been heartily reinforced by the accolades of teachers and parents. Is this ‘creative’ art or merely copying ‘symbolic visual language’? I suggest that it is possible to delve into as well as draw from a much deeper inventiveness - at every developmental level. Inspired by the artistic outcome of my recent PhD which stridently blurs the line between ‘School/Community Art’ and ‘Fine Art’, participants will 1) Creatively construct portraits; 2) See this innovative approach used in several short student-constructed DVD presentations and installations broaching Fine Art; 3) Discover how these student productions re-inspire the artist to generate actual Fine Art - which would not otherwise have materialized; 4) Debate whether it is possible to ‘unlearn’ artistic clichés and preconceived references of ‘the art process’; in particular, who is ‘learning art’ and who is ‘teaching art’ in the current climate of Praxis Inquiry and contemporary art practice.