Log in
Critical Pedagogy and the Arts
Hi everyone.
I decided to take the plunge and put up a new forum topic in the area that I wish to explore. As an artist I see an intrinsic relationship between artistic proccess and critical pedagogy through the proccess of praxis. I also see that visual art has historically been used as a tool for consent within the dominate culture. One very appauling painting that just wanted to make me puke is in the big church(name?) down in old montreal. It depicts christian nuns with Native children. The native children are portrayed as converted christians, their skin lightened, their stance is pious and the mood, victorian. I rarely find myself in churches however, I happened to go to the "Festival of Lights" last summer which was an event organized and advertised by the church and was shown in it. But, it was no festival of lights, rather it was a video of the history of christianity in Quebec - with a few strobes light on the side. After the "show" people had a half hour to go through and look at all the art, which is when I was confronted with this painting. It was just appauling to me in light of the fact that Native peoples have been struggling and fighting for emancipation for generations and hear sits this painting in the church. I call this Canada's dark history, which I'm sure is not in the new history of Quebec text. Anyways, I would like to hear your thoughts and expereinces with art - specifically visual art - paintings, mixed media, digital works, photography, sculpture, design... Has visual art ever made you see something you didn't give attention before? What do you think the role of the artist is in society?
Thanks so much
darlene
- Login or register to post comments
Printer-friendly version
tags for Critical Pedagogy and the Arts
Navigation
JOIN US ON:
Hi, Darlene! I will try to address your question. Freire in chapter 4 of the Pedagogy of the Oppressed wrote: “men’s activity consists of actions and reflection: it is praxis; it is transformation of the world. And as praxis, it requires theory to illuminate it.” (p. 119) In my opinion we have used the arts through the years as a reflection of our actions and seeing certain art we can see a different perspective of the world.
The problem as you mention is used as a tool to dominate, who decides what is good art? In the case of Mexican artists that have a great impact in society are Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo both where born in wealthy families so they had access to the Mexican elite at that time. Rarely people know about indigenous painters and their work even though they were the ones that initiated art in Mexico with mural paintings.
Visual art has brought my attention to disparity, I remember when I was at the Vatican museum and I was amazed with all the art they had there, I thought, well this wasn’t exactly what Christ preached and I remember asking a priest what would happen if the Vatican sold everything they had to cover the basic needs of millions of people and his answer was, well that wouldn’t make any difference. I disagreed with his comment and of course I was charged, no free entrance.
Continuing with today’s class discussion my hope is that through internet we have more access to artists that aren’t part of the elite.
Thanks so much Mary Anne
I do know who Diego and Kahlo are. I guess the one good thing about Kahlo's work being noticed is that it gave notice to the power of female artists and their pursuit to create outside of "floral arrangements and victorian landscape box". During the "surrealist" movement, Dali took the scene, while there were amazing female surrealists' like: Lenora Carrington, Lenor Fini, Dora Maar, Dorothea Tanning and one of my favorites, Remedios Varo - Frida was recognized as part of this group.
It is obviously similar in Western Art, where only those who had privilege were the revered artists and given the title of "Master Artists" While studying art at university, especially my first few classes, the art history (ie male western art history) was such a bore! I did not feel connected to this art world at all! - looking at all those churches to learn about architecture just wasn't for me. I found it doubly depressing to try to analyze the religious paintings when all I could see was the domination of female over and over again. "Other" art of indigenous people's were represented only through prehistoric works like cave paintings and ritual objects. It is abit more diverse now with some very interesting art courses but I think that art isn't operating in the psyche of the average person when it should be. I think that people in general are disconnected from art and the creativity that they have inside themselves and so are at a loss of a whole visual language system that informs and shapes their sense of identity.
any other thoughts?
darlene st georges. BA.BFA.BEd.SCA