Chapter 5

Title:
Interpreting Visual Culture
Constructing Concepts for Curriculum (Ch. 5)

Author(s):
Dr. Kerry Freedman

 

Source/Date:
Teaching Visual Culture: Curriculum, Aesthetics, and the Social Life of Art

 

 

Main Idea/Purpose:

Chapter five delves into the realm of perceiving art and the revolving factors that affect how one perceives such art. The relationships between various forms of visual culture influence how an individual interprets what they are exposed to. This chapter also explains new methods for curriculum reform in efforts to teach students how to construct meaning from what they perceive.

 

Short Overview (including any important quotes):

The subject of art has always been regarded for its open-endedness and its ability to have multiple meanings. Freedman (2003) suggests that “through mixes of popular visual culture and fine art, new images are produced and new meanings of art (as a category) are learned” (p. 86). This notion of integrating popular culture with fine art is a selling tactic that is being utilized in advertisements today. Through the power of association, large corporations are juxtaposing fine art with retail goods to elicit a sense of desire from their audience. Through popular perceptions of fine art, “the targeted audience is thought to associate an appreciation of fine art with being cultured or enlightened” (p. 88). Subconsciously, the viewer associates the qualities of being cultured or enlightened with the product being advertised and therefore, feels the need to possess that product in order to achieve those qualities. Freedman also covers the notion of suggestiveness and its ability to stimulate further thought in regards to something. In regards to curriculum development, the notion of suggestiveness is quite crucial. Teaching students how to think critically about what they are exposed to and how to decipher suggestions of meaning. In addition, Freedman adds that students “need to actively engage in reflecting on their own art and their responses to postmodern culture (what they are, where they came from, how they relate to experience, and so on)” (p. 104). Teaching students to perceive visual culture in a reflective manner will help them to decipher the meanings and intentions of advertisements and imagery. In addition to teaching students how to interpret visual culture, postmodern principles focus on concepts that help us organize curriculum. Teaching things such as art as cultural production, temporal and spatial flux, democratization and a concern for otherness, acceptance of conceptual conflict, and teaching multiple ways for reading and deciphering art are all an integral part of contemporary art education.

 

Response/Critical Reflection:
After reading this chapter, it is apparent that there are subconscious forces that affect the way we perceive things. Being able to deconstruct the motives behind certain advertising strategies and selling tactics is quite beneficial. Advertisements in magazines and on television are a large factor in generating self-esteem issues in adolescent girls. I know from experience that for girls in middle school and high school, image is a big deal. Understanding how to construct meaning from an advertisements and then applying the notion of suggestiveness can help a student understand the intention of the ad.

As I recall my experiences in my high school art class, I can admit that I was never really encouraged to look past the formal qualities of an artwork. I would easily dismiss any conceptual works of art and only look at them for their formal and technical qualities. I had never even participated in an art critique until my freshman year at NorthernIllinoisUniversity. After my first art critique, I realized that there was much more to art than aesthetics. We weren’t just painting pretty pictures to look at. I could not believe the number of doors that opened in my mind once I understood the conceptual element of art. Applying my own experiences to Freedman’s research regarding the interpretation of visual culture, I know that I will make a sincere effort to encourage interpretation, discussion, and feedback in my classroom. Getting students in the habit of analyzing and interpreting the multiple meanings that a work of art can exhibit will teach them how to decipher the messages that are presented in our visually oriented world.