Day 25 - Arty Bollocks

Well the most exciting thing we did today was to put up the IB Year 1's (Favorite class!) Exhibition, in the performing Arts centre. They are such an amazing group, there is 22 of them which is a big group for 6th form, but in a way I think that's part of why they are so good, because the energy in the room when they are working is phenomenal. There is a certain amount of healthy competition as well, in that they are really out to impress and out do one another. Every project they have done this year has been better than the previous one they have just grown so much, and there is so much diversity from 8 foot by 5 paintings to conceptual magazines. One thing that is really good about the IB visual Arts curriculum compared to the English A-level is that it is so flexible, but also it is all about the meaning, and the message they convey through their work. So it has been essential to have lots of debate about the meaning of Art itself, and to get across to them that if it has no meaning it is not Art, by definition! I guess it was quite daunting starting to teach a new curriculum at the beginning of the year, being the only Art teacher in the high school and owing to the huge amounts of money the students pay to be here, I did feel an enormous amount of pressure all on my shoulders. Just yesterday and seeing the work they have produced in this final project though has made me so proud, I am really happy with the curriculum that I developed as I am confident the students are well on track to getting some really good grades next year.
Although I felt the upper 6th this year pulled it all together in the end, I think that they were sort of already doing their own thing by the time I arrived half way through their 2 year course, and so it was much more difficult to have a huge impact, rather just to encourage them, but so much of their work lacked real meaning. Whereas my first years I have been able to manipulate and mold by forcing them to listen me talking constant bollocks! I think one thing that has also been really valuable to their progression is the fact that I have displayed every single final piece they have created. As I keep on telling them Art is about communication and therefore the audience is as much a part of the work as the artist, just as in music or drama, where the audience is considered imperative. Artists can often be consumed by their own egos and their own pieces and loose that sense of sharing. So I have really learnt the benefit of displaying all their work constantly so they have an established audience, that is the rest of the high school, and have therefore created a dialogue between themselves and their audience. The concept of their work has now become the driving force behind it and the medium has become simply but essentially the vehicle. I would say they were pretty lucky because it took me about 30 years to work that out!!
Anyways the Exhibition is starting to look great, few more bits to do so will post some pics after. Had a great afternoon, listening to 'The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love' album with Hye Joon (favorite student!) Whilst worked on my cross and she was working on her clay hand, which is amazing. The evening was uneventful!