Alejandra Lozano

Professor Amber Ward

ART 133-07
9/09/15
The Big Idea
In Chapter one of Walkers book Teaching Meaning in Art making
(2001) the author is trying to explain what is a big idea. Big ideas are
important to the work of professional artists- and of student if student art
making is to a meaning-making endeavor rather than simply the crafting of a
product. Big ideas are what can expand student art making concerns beyond
technical skills, formal choices, and media manipulation to human issues and
conceptual concerns. Walker (pg1.) Walker also explains how students can
take their personal interest and find out what their big idea is. Teaching
students how to translate the big idea into their own work can help them
come up with a theme/subject for their own artwork.
Helping students focus on what the artist idea, rather than the subject
of the art piece can help students understand the relation between artwork
and the big idea, Walker (pg7.) There is a good example in page 12 of
Walkers book how not focusing on the big idea but the material and
subject matter can mute down the original artists focus; in this situation the
instructor had the material in mind, but not Andy Goldsworthys focus.

Questioning the Artists motive to make art rather than the materials, can
help students understand and that way incorporate their own big ideas into
their artwork.