Lowenfeld

Title: “Importance of the Gang Age”

Author(s): V. Lowenfeld & W.L. Brittain

Source/Date: Creative & Mental Growth, 1987

Main Idea/Purpose: It seems as though Lowenfeld has captured every minute detail of a child’s psychological development in relation to creating art. The term “Gang age” is used to refer to the age at which a child begins to understand the importance of groups and social interaction. Several stages of child development are encompassed in this study and reveal to us that a child’s perception is continuously changing as they grow. Art serves as the medium in which we can determine and identify each stage of their artistic and psychological growth.

Short Overview (including any important quotes): As children reach this “Gang age,” as Lowenfeld calls it, they begin to express a desire for social independence. This is important for a child to explore as they will grow tremendously from being exposed to numerous individuals with different perspectives and opinions. Allowing this exposure gives way for more social interaction and thus, creative and mental stimulation. Children start to take notice of things that they had overlooked before, such as the lives of other people or details of things that they had never been interested in before. In the stages before the Gang age, the child is mainly focused on themselves. Once this stage has passed, the Gang age sets in and the child becomes curious of their surroundings and of other people. They no longer draw objects for the sake of objects, but start to take note of the relationships between objects. These changes are apparent in the drawings of children. “And the man no longer stands aloof beside the house, but is now seen in relation to the tree and may be coming out of or going into the house.” (Lowenfeld p. 313) Objects begin to overlap, showing an understanding of depth and space while also indicating the relationship between objects. Encouraging socialization and group interaction among children of this age is crucial in the development of this understanding.

Response/Critical Reflection: “The Importance of the Gang Age” is sincerely eye-opening to me because it allows for a better understanding of what is truly going on with children during each of these stages. Knowing the stages of a child’s psychological development and comparing those stages to how it can relate to art is certainly beneficial and will help tremendously in the development of my lesson plans. I can format any lesson plan around these stages and use them as a device to enable children to develop say, a drawing with multiple perspectives or landscapes with more than one baseline. I fully agree with Lowenfeld’s assertion that children should be encouraged to work within these groups or “gangs” and to learn to become social and expressive beings. Encouraging them to take notice of the changes of the season and the true beauty of nature is a great way to instill within them a sense of appreciation for their environment as well. When children start to notice things on their own, like the differences between a collection of leaves or the texture of one patch of dirt compared to a different patch of dirt, it will result in a greater sense of perceptual sensitivity, which is a large factor in becoming a successful artist. I appreciate this reading because I now know what to expect when I assign a landscape or perspective drawing to an 8 year-old versus an 11 or 12 year-old. This reading allows for a greater understanding of the delicate and complex minds of children at any age.