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Contemporary Perspectives in Artistic Development

Contemporary Perspectives in Artistic Development: A Quality Art Program

Cody Thomas

ARE 6933: Artistic Development

1 March 2023
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Contemporary Perspectives in Artistic Development

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss contemporary perspectives in artistic development

through what I believe are the three most important parts of development for an individual

artistically through a quality art program in school settings and community settings. Research

through weekly course readings in ARE 6933: Artistic Development course, TedTalks, and

outside research was complete. By the time I have ended the course, I have concluded that three

main areas of the creation process in art to be important. Each three topics have an umbrella

layout. These three areas of importance in artistic development are: (1) understanding the

creative process, (2) artistic intention and personal growth, (3) impact of art in the community.

Keywords: Artistic Development; Critique; Visual Culture; Community; Art Education

Word Count: 1,775

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Contemporary Perspectives in Artistic Development

Contemporary Perspectives in Artistic Development

Since the age of four is when I consider myself a practicing artist. From scribbling circles

at the age of four with crayons on paper to now, thirty-five, using a drone to integrate into my

artistic development, I have always been a creative person. One thing I have realized from

researching my own artistic development in this course is that I have developed artistically more

quickly than most peers in my art classes from K-12 to my graduate studio courses. By the end

of my research on this project along with eight weeks of various readings on artistic

development, I have found the reasons as to why this happens and believe that with my findings

in this paper, art educators and artists’ themselves can develop their own artistic ability or teach

it in their curriculum to focus on what helped can help the students and/or artists to develop their

work progressively.

Theories of Artistic Development

Darras and Kindler (1997) define artist development as a phenomenon concerned “. . .

with human development in the domain of art” (p. 17). The interest in research studies of artistic

development did not start until 1920 with theorist and researchers Lowenfeld, Vygotsky, Piaget,

and Gardner (Fogarty, 1999). These individuals selected only specific concentrations to focus on.

For example, Piaget and Lowenfeld focused on the children’s age and characteristics of drawings

styles while Vygotsky focused on the various language skills connecting it to artistic develop,

while Gardener studied graphic symbols and expressive qualities in children’s drawings.

(Fogarty, 1999).

Contemporary theorists and researchers such as Herberholz & Hanson (1990), Kim

(2018), and Wright (2007) all have similarities between the theories of artistic development.

Children ages two to four engage in scribbling and have repetitious characteristics in their
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artwork. It was also found that despite there being simultaneous development in artistic ability,

children advance faster than others (Herberholz & Hanson, 1990).

Figure 1: Elementary student draws their family. The faces are developed however the

body is missing lower half/torse, arms, and hands.

In Figure 1 and Figure 2, two different kindergarten children draw their subject matter

their families. Figure 1 shows heads but two legs. One figure has an arm. Symbols that appear to

be hearts are present. In Figure 2, this child appears to be developing faster as they began to draw

a figure with a head, hat, ears, legs, and arms with fingers.
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Figure 2: Another elementary student in the same class with student from Figure 1 draws their

family. Here you see the face has more features such as ears and are wears hats. The body has a

torse arms and fingers.

As children progress, so does their development and artistic development. Scribbling

becomes a more controlled scribbling to distinguish what use to by symbols to now distinguished

figures. By the age of 5, children begin to form these symbols and circles by their own creative

imaginations (Herberholz & Hanson, 1990).

So What is the Big Deal About Artistic Development?

Artistic development is essential to each of us our growth and development. We develop

skills such as problem solving and find ways to express ourselves through marking art and being

creative. In fact, children in the earlier stages of their formative years have certain developmental

needs such as “. . . perceptual, emotional, artistic, and creative implications that can best be

fostered through an art program that incorporates principal concepts of art production, aesthetics,

art criticism, and art history (Herberholz & Hanson, 1990, p. 2).” With these needs and principles

mentioned, contemporary perspectives and understandings about artistic development is based

on three different implications that I have concluded as main ideas while taking Artistic

Development: understanding the creative process; artistic intent; and the impact of art withing

the community.
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Contemporary Perspectives in Artistic Development

Figure 3: A child’s artistic development from age 3 (top left) to 9 (bottom right) years old.

Understanding the Creative Process

As an artist myself, my creative process is different from another artists. On top of that,

each artist develops at different rates. We must teach how to learn about our own artistic

development in order to progress in our artistic talent. Ways to do this are to create a safe

environment in our classrooms and studios. Malin (2010) discusses art classrooms that take more

holistic approach causing the student’s environment to be safer. When this happens, the students

“can take risks, share personal stories, reach out to each other, and engage in constructive

dialogue about art (Malin, 2010, p. 18).” It is also imperative that as educators in the art room or
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studio we must encourage individual thinking and creation. E. Paul Torrence, a leading author

and researcher in the field of creativity suggests that “children reveal their intimate imagining

only if they feel loved and respected (Herberholz & Hanson, 1990, p. 91).” It was also

discovered that when children are or have been highly critical and judgmental by others

especially adults, their creative and original artwork “diminishes” (Herberholz & Hanson, 1990,

p.91). By creating a safe environment and allowing the children to express themselves freely,

they are more likely to engage in art by thought provoking discussions in critiquing (Kim, 2018).

Figure 4: Pre-K student Alexander Chitay pointing out what he wants to discuss about the

painting.

By bringing art criticism into the art program, they are aware that they are making

aesthetic judgments. “From their first guided encouragers with art, young children progress in

making careful, sensitive observations and thoughtful interpretations on works (Herberholz &

Hanson, 1990, p. 6).” Through art critiques, students are able to give and receive valuable
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feedback. When students participate in reflections on their work, “a new sense of freedom and

exploration with the use of media, self-confidence, and pride in the imagery they created, true

ownership for the process, and respect for the differences in each other (Malin, 2010, p. 21).” By

engaging in these critiques, these artists can reflect on their process to see how they can alter

thoughts and ideas for future works.

By implementing reflective work during and after making can be “an integral component

to support students as they develop these reflective skills of discovering themes and patterns in

their own work, analyzing their experiences, and making connections across courses and context

(Doren & Millington, 2019, p. 75).” Not only will engaging in reflective work in critiques, but

students will also learn how to discuss these through the discovery of art vocabulary. “Children

need repeated and regular opportunities to describe what they seen in an artwork. They may

notice how one artist used thick paint and made curving brushstrokes in another (Herberholz &

Hanson, 1990, p. 14).”

Artistic Intentions & Personal Growth

Understanding one’s own artistic intentions can help to clarify the student’s artistic vision

and goals. This can help guide the creative process into advancement and through developing the

artists style of work. With artistic intention and personal grown, development skills will lead to

exploration of different medium as well as communicate their ideas effectively. Through the

discovery of visual culture, meaning-making and mixed media research, this can be done.

Kantner and Newton (1997) define culture as patterns of beliefs, values, and ideas that

influence individuals’ behavior as well as the objects produced from their behavior. Culture

makes up a person’s self from morals, religion, language, and arts (Gollnick & Chinn, 2013).
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Figure 5: First grade cartoon characters drawing. This drawing includes two pop culture

characters, Pikachu and Mickey Mouse.

Children are constantly learning by observing and interacting with their surroundings

through play, listening to adults or peers, and perhaps the number one source today, media.

According to Eristi (2009), technology provides our students with skills to communicate and

collaborate with peers around the world, prepares them for the informative society, and provides

opportunities for experiences in new learning contexts and connections to other cultures. Within

this child’s ‘self,’ they develop their own culture and perspective on what they interpret from

others (Thompson, 2006). That being said, art is not just the colors and patterns on a piece of

clothing or artwork, but it is also about rituals/ceremonies, language, and stylization of these

group. Through play and making-meaning, discovery of culture and identity is clear.
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Figure 6: A friend of mine, Doug, who has made his creative space in his bus camper

comfortable as he creates artwork.

Dissanayake (2003) describes the idea of making-special is the approach to do just that –

by making a space or activity “something important” (p. 24). “When shaping or giving artistic

expression to an idea, or embellishing an object, or recognizing that an idea or object is artistic,

one gives a specialness that without one’s activity or regard would not exist” (Dissanayake,

2003, p. 92).” Students can think critically about society and prejudices by analyzing visual

culture. As human, we create art. This art is a timeline of our history. When young people

engage in the discovery and appreciation of different artworks and mediums of different cultures

“they come to know the different purpose that art has served and the different reasons why artists

have produced it (Herberholz & Hanson, 1990, p. 12).” When students see how and why

different art is made it allows the students to become empowered in their own learning while

studying the artwork, the history, and knowledge. This helps students have increased insight into

the view of the world which is that “students realizing new possibilities through their

interpretations (Wolcott, 1996, p. 78).”

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Contemporary Perspectives in Artistic Development

Figure 7: Gerewal Mbororo Wodaabe nomads have a yearly beauty competition in colorful

makeup in traditional clothing with the foal of seducing the women judges.

Impact of Art in the Community

Art is beneficial to everyone. Whether you are the artist creating or a bystander observing

or participating, art allows us to express ourselves, build a community, develop, and give a

different point of view of diverse perspectives, and most importantly, create social change in

society. Through connective aesthetics, artists can collaborate and create meaning work of art

that explore the collective experience of humanity (Fusaro, 2018)(Gablik, 1992). By showing

artist collaborations between one another and the community in a quality art program will show

just how important art is in society. By emphasizing connections and relationships, connective

aesthetics can help to break down boundaries and perspectives of one another. The artwork

created in these types of environments is not just a collection of individual elements but a

network of relationships that together create a larger group (Dissanayake, 2003)(Gablik, 1992).
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Figure 8: Culture of Recovery program engaging in mixed media collage at the Appalachian

Artisan Center in Kentucky.

Anthropologists that focus on arts in primitive societies have concluded that functional

arts useful purposes, however, the repeating purpose is through the system of social relations

(Dissanayake, 2002). Art is said to be a form of therapy, reflections, a thoughtless experience,

and to provide a sense to human life (Dissanayake, 2002)(Herberholz & Hanson, 1990). By

integrated these community programs into an art program, they can better the life of many, from

allowing special needs individuals the chance to express themselves freely through painting, a

rehabilitation art program that focuses their studio on opioid recovery or bringing awareness to

social changes like Black Lives Matter and women’s rights to their bodies.

Conclusion

Developing artistic ability have many different effects on the student/artist and

community. By understanding their creative process can develop their creativity by exploring
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different mediums, techniques, and artists. By self-expression the students can develop a

supportive environment for themselves as artists as well as the community in general. By

bringing in critical thinking, students can promote cultural awareness and understand the

differences of the different cultures from around the world making them more competent to one

another.
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