As a child, I was taken to art galleries and museums. This was long before galleries had the idea of making these experiences interactive and kid friendly. But, my parents were clever – we would visit the gallery shop at the beginning of the outing and I would get to choose a couple of postcards of artworks or museum pieces I liked, and we would then go for a hunt to find these pieces. This helped me have focus and purpose and enjoy the experience. I still enjoy going to galleries and museums, and I still like to have a focus rather than just wander.
There is much written and discussed about children’s art; there are textbooks, conferences and parts of teacher education focussed on the process, including the dos and don’ts of engaging with children and their creativity in the visual arts.
For some of us at Carey ELC, a ‘bible’ in our training was by Frances Derham – Art of the child under 7. While this small book has gone in and out of fashion, there was much to be admired and learnt from it. Derham’s advice included the notion of honouring the child’s work, including by not writing anything on the front of it, and never asking what the subject of the work is if it isn’t immediately obvious: recognising that the true artwork is the process of creating. She also suggests to never interfere with the child’s creative process by making suggestions with your own opinions, and to dress them in plain smocks so they aren’t distracted from the paint colours.
However, over time, there have been some new thoughts, understandings and pedagogies in child development and about the visual arts. One such practitioner is Australian artist, art educator and lecturer Ursula Kolbe and her wonderful works, It’s not a bird yet, Rapunzel’s Supermarket and Children’s imagination. Kolbe looks at children’s creativity and challenges our thinking and ways of interacting with children through the arts. She suggests offering provocations, like asking children to draw their interpretations of what they have understood or learnt in a particular music or science lesson. Then, encouraging children to reflect on their art – what were they thinking about when they created it, where did the idea come from, what else could they add to it? Although for some children, the artwork might have been all about the process of creating, playing with colours, textures and shapes, sometimes there will be an interesting story and they might even want to name the artwork. We can then ask the children if they would like us to write on the paper to tell the story.
When talking to children about their creations, ask open-ended questions that don’t lead them in any direction. The old idea of asking, ‘Tell me about this?’ doesn’t always work – I can remember a young child replying to me, ‘You can see it’s my house and my family’. Indeed, I could see that – I would have been better served to ask more insightful questions of the work.
In the ELC, we like to honour the children’s visual arts. Take a walk through the centre, though the different rooms, hallways and common areas, and you’ll see it is an exhibition space where the children can proudly point out what they have created. It is noteworthy that the Art and Design Exhibition of Years 7 to 12 opened on Friday night, showcasing some amazing pieces: a reminder of the value of honouring children’s work. Many of the artworks on display are from students who were in the ELC not that long ago, learning about colours and shapes and all the different ways to make art. Their families may still have special pieces at home to look back on and see how their creativity and expression have developed over the years.
Do you have a favourite famous artwork you could share with your child? Explain to them why it speaks to you and what you think the artist did to create it. Or, perhaps you could discover a new favourite artwork together the next time you go to a gallery or exhibition.
Wendy Seidler
ELC Director – Kew campus
