Jessica A.

Williams
Unit Paper 2
2/14/2017
Unit Paper 2
Art is a powerful force within society, particularly prevalent in our modern world due to

the invasive nature of socially-enforced reliance on mass informative and recreational medias

overrun with commercial, social, and political agendas. Students are present in a world in which

school assignments require typed materials, internet research, and knowledge of current events

through many politically-biased sources. Those sources, among recreational options, are

bombarded with advertisements including their own agendas. With such a mass amount of

bombardment, we often sift through it to get to our intended sources, but the subconscious

(subvertisement) effects can have its own consequences. Thus, visual media is an infamous force

in social engineering and it is of the upmost importance that students learn to be able to, as

Barrett describes in Interpreting Visual Culture, deconstruct our visual world to interpret it

(p.1). Olivia Gude in Postmodern Principles: In Search of the 21st Century Art Education

explains how the Traditional Approach to teaching art using the Big 7 (7 elements and 7

principles) as a government mandate standard are outdated for our modern world in which one

must not only determine the methods used to create art, but also the context in which they are

created and viewed to conform meaning (p. 53). Hurwitz and Day propose two new teaching

approaches for deciphering and understanding the visual world; Radical Change Paradigm

Shift in which teaching is done to a political agenda for social reconstruction to promote

democracy, liberty, and justice according to critical theorists (p. 80); and Comprehensive Art

Education where visual culture is a part of contemporary art and comprehensive art curriculum

where fine and applies arts are high priority (p. 81-81).
 As a teacher, I would want to stay away from the Radical Change Approach afraid it is

just another addition to the propaganda problem. And while the Big 7 of the Traditional

Approach are an important foundation to create visually engaging work, there needs to be more

emphasis on societys current needs. Instead, I want to open the floor to my students for them to

discuss in a constructivist manner for them to form their own meaning and exercise critical

thinking skills. In doing so, I expect them to deconstruct the image and discuss possible

connotations and denotations and their effects, and question the messages that they are being

given to form their own opinions on them based on their own self-driven and developing sense of

morality. This skill, I believe, is vital for a successful humanity and to avoid the consequences of

gullibility and resulting submission to a potentially corrupt power reinforced by its propaganda

in all constructs of life from personal to worldly issues. I disagree with Herwitz and Day that art

educators have a formal responsibility to teach these skills to students (p. 77). Rather, I feel

them as a personal social responsibility within my community for the life-long benefit of my

students beyond their exploration of art-creation, but in the success of themselves and their lives,

the lives whom they will teach, and so on. The power of deciphering and making sense of the

word around them with their own opinions and values is what I can best bestow upon them.

Barret, T. (2003). Interpreting Visual Culture Art Education, 56 (2), 6-12.

Gude, O. (2004). Postmodern Principles: In Search of a 21st Century Art Education. Art Education, 61 (1), 6-14.
Hurwitz, A., & Day, M. (207). Children and Their Art: Methods for the Elementary School, (8th ed.). Thompson
Wodsworth.