National Art Education Association

Postmodern Principles: In Search of a 21st Century Art Education

Author(s): Olivia Gude
Source: Art Education, Vol. 57, No. 1 (Jan., 2004), pp. 6-14
Published by: National Art Education Association
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3194078 .
Accessed: 09/01/2011 11:34

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at .
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless
you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you
may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use.

Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at .
http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=naea. .

Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed
page of such transmission.

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

National Art Education Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Art
Education.

http://www.jstor.org
 nAtof timei ,
? ?~\o
,
Postmo
BY OLIVIA GUDE N 0-
An infinite amount of time
Princi
is wasted in misdirected
effort because tradition
T he 100th Anniversary issue of School
has a strong hold... Arts magazineexplainedthe roots
-Arthur WesleyDow, 1920 of today'selementsandprinciplesof
designin the workof the early20th-
centuryarteducator,ArthurWesleyDow
(Walkup,2001).ThearticledescribedDow's
commitmentto teachingstudentsto apply
formalprinciplesto all aspects of the "fine
arts"as well as the objectsandenvironments
of everydaylife.Thearticletrumpeted
Dow'sinfluenceon greatAmerican
modernistssuch as GeorgiaO'Keeffeand
AlfredStieglitz.A headlinefora companion
articleon the teachingof elementsand
principlesin today'sschools proudly
announced,"Accordingto a recentNAEA
survey,teachingunderstandingof the
elementsandprinciplesof designis the
majorcurriculumgoal [emphasisadded]
for artteachersat the beginningof the 21st
century"(SclIoolArts, 2001).
WhenvisitingK-12school artprograms,
I rarelysee meaningfulconnectionsbeing
madebetweenthese formaldescriptorsand
understandingworksof artor analyzingthe
qualityof everydaydesign.I ponderthe
piles of exercises on line,shape,or color
harmoniesleft behindby hundredsand
hundredsof studentseachyear.I wonder
why whatis still consideredby manyto be
the appropriateorganizingcontentfor the
foundationsof 21st centuryartcurriculumis
but a shadowof whatwas moder, fresh,
andinspirational100yearsago.
In
ART EDUCATION / JANUARY 2004
'
o-
3-
The elements and prinies?
Theelementsandprinciplpsof artare
enshrinedin most arted(ition
textbookstoday(CrystalProductions,
2000;Hobbs&Salome,1995;Ragans,
2000;Wachowiakand Clements,2000).
Note the shift fromelementsof design to
elementsof art.'Theseelementsand
principlesareprofferedas universaland
foundational.2 Thedefinitearticlethe
suggeststhatthese lists proposeto be
morethanattemptsto presenta descrip-
tive vocabularyof observedform.They
arenot presentedas somevocabulary
wordsor concepts thathavebeen
identifiedas usefulfor constructingart
or interpretingthe workof others.The
elementsandprinciplesarepresentedas
the essence of artmaking.If not literally
engravedin stone, the big seven
(elements)+ seven (principles)are
reifiedin print,achievingtheoretical
unity,not throughpersuasiveargument,
butthroughseeminglyendlessrepetition
in formallyorientedtextbooksor,during
the last decade,as government-
mandatedstandards.
Search of

If one consultsa numberof classic
modernisttexts aboutteachingartand
design,such as ArthurWesleyDow's
Composition:A Series of Exercisesin
ArtStructureforthe Useof Studentsand
Teachers(1920),JohannesItten'sDesign
and Form:theBasic Courseat the
Bauhaus (1964),or Mauricede
Sausmarez'sBasic Design: TheDynamics contain
of VisualForm (1971),the now familiar
7 + 7 arenot found.Thereis no single,
agreed-uponset of termsor constituent
elementsof the visualin these books.
Instead,variousstructuresof organiza-
tion areproposedwith different
emphases,principles,andsuggested
areasfor investigation.
Thereis some degreeof overlap
amongthese lists as they all attemptto
systematicallyrecordvisualconcepts
usefulto artists,teachers,andcritics
when drawingattentionto andanalyzing form,thereforestudentsoften do not
variousformalfeaturesof a workof art
or design.Eachauthorpresentshis own
vision of contemporaryartteachingand
the visualexamplesaccompanyingthese
texts are often quitebeautifulandunique. atic use of the artof "others"is almost
Whetherembodyingthe gracefuldignity
of an Artsand Craftssensibility,idiosyn-
craticearlymodernism,or hip sixties
a 21st CenturyArt
Education
chic, the studentexamplesin these works
differgreatlyfromthe listless lines and
uninterestingcolor schemes resulting
fromcontemporarytextbookart
exercises.
Manyof these modernisttexts also
differsharplyfromtheirderacinated
contemporarycousinsin thatthey
culturallyspecificaestheticrefer-
ences, such as Dow'spromotionof notan
(a Japaneseworddenotingthe balance
betweenflatplanesof lightanddark)or
Itten'sreferencesto the philosophyof
traditionalChinesepainting(Dow,1920;
Green&Poesch, 1999;Itten,1964).In
manycontemporaryarteducation
textbooks,the artof "others"is often
utilizedto illustratevariouselementsand
principles.Theartworksareviewed and
understoodusingthe streamlined7 + 7
Euro-American systemof describing
learnthe aestheticcontext of makingand
valuinginherentto the artistsandcommu-
nities who actuallycreatedthe works.
Thisungroundedandhighlyproblem-
inevitablein classroomsthatuse 7 + 7
concepts as a foundationalcurriculum
structurebecausethe modernistphilos-
APPROPRIATION:
Studentsrecycled catalog
imagesto create
Surrealist
characters who
comment onconsumer
culture.SpoiledBratby
highschoolstudent
Tiffani
McDuffy created
at SpiralWorkshop 2001.
Photocourtesyof
Universityof Illinois
at
Chicago.
ophyof elementsandprinciplesprivileges
formalistWesternconceptionsover other
ways to valueandunderstandart.For
example,in the introductionto his classic
workComposition,Dow (1920/1997)
makesslightingremarksaboutartthatis
"onlystorytelling"(p. 64). The well-
meaningteacherwho uses artfrom
diverseculturesto illustrate7 + 7
concepts sincerelyattemptsto infuse
multiculturalism into a mono-cultural
curriculumstructure.Unfortunately, this
only succeeds in modeling for students
thatthe artof otherculturescanbe
ahistoricallyappropriatedfor current
uses of Western,ostensiblyneutral,
educationalandaestheticsystems.
TheOxfordEnglishDictionary (1971)
definesprinciple as "fundamental truth,
law,or motiveforce."Fromthe perspec-
tive of 21st centuryaesthetictheory,the
notionof ascribingfundamentaltruth
to anyvisualformseems naiveand
uninformed(Wallis,1984).Early20th-
centuryartcriticallanguagedescribed
authenticmeaningas arisingfromthe
purelyformalaspects of artmaking
(Harrison&Wood,1992).Today
discussionsof the meaningof art,
includingmoder andcontemporary
JANUARY 2004 / ART EDUCATION
 abstractart,aremorelikelyto centeron
the contextwithinwhichthe artwas
madeandseen andthe culturalcodes the
artistchooses to referenceandmanipu-
late (Riemschneider&Grosenick,1999).
Thenotionof hermeticartistic
experiencesin whichmeaningis created
in directformalcommunicationbetween
artistandaudienceis no longerconsid-
ereda credibleexplanationof how
meaningin visualartis generatedand
communicated.
Form-basedteaching,originatingwith
traditionssuch as the GermanBauhaus
andmodernistAmericanarteducators
such as Dow,was not originallyconceived
of as preliminaryto in-depthartisticinves-
tigations.WhenPaulKleeaskedstudents
to do a line exercise,it was not becausehe
felt they shouldlearnmarkmakingbefore
doingmoremeaningfulart.Rather,it was
because Kleewas excited aboutthe
meaningof line.Inthe spiritof those
times,studentswere askedto makethe
radicalmoveto eschew whatwas then
seen as extra-visualelementssuch as
narrativeandinsteadexplorethe deep
spiritualandsocial energyreleasedby
abstractart.
Dow advocateda new systemof art
educationhe believedwouldbringto the
student"anincreaseof creativepower"
(1920/1997,p. 65). But 75 yearshave
passed since he wrotethose words.We
owe it to ourfield andourstudentsto
studythe artof ourtimes andto begin,as
Dow did,withprobingquestionsandfar-
reachinggoals.Whatdo ourstudents
need to knowto understandthe artof
manycultures,fromthe past andthe 21st
century?Today,what knowledgedo
studentsneed to stimulateandincrease
theircreativepowers?
I knew tht a curriculum
based on the bland and
formal 7 + 7 would not
engender in teen artiststhe
commitmentto get out of bed
on chillySaturdaymornings.
ART EDUCATION / JANUARY 2004
Founding Principles
In 1995,I plannedthe firstSpiral
Workshop,the Universityof Illinoisat
Chicago'sSaturdayartclasses for teens.
I lookedfor ways to articulateto the
preserviceteacherswho wouldbecome
the workshopfaculty,some guiding
principlesfor developingourcurriculum.
I didnot considerusingthe elementsand
principlesof designbecauseI wantedthe
youngteachersto experiencethe thrillof
teachingyouthin a way thatwould
inspireimpassionedartmaking.I knew
thata curriculumbased on the blandand
formal7 + 7 wouldnot engenderin teen
artiststhe commitmentto get out of bed
on chillySaturdaymornings.I wantedan
artcurriculumthatcouldsurvivewithout
a compulsoryattendancepolicyto back
it up.
Inspiredby the spiritthoughnot the
contentof modem arteducation,I wanted
the SpiralWorkshopcurriculumto give
studentsa sense of participatingin the
unfoldingof contemporaryculture.3
Studentsin a qualityarteducation
programgainthe capacityto reflecton
culturalissues relatedto self andsociety.
Throughstudyingandmakingart,
studentsbecome attunedto nuanceand
complexity.Theylearnto recognizethe
culturalchoices thatunderlieeventhe
most mundanemomentsandactionsof
everydaylife andconsiderwhetherthese
arethe choices they themselveswish to
make.
SpiralWorkshopevolvedthreecriteria
for ourcurriculum:
* curriculum based on generative
themes thatrelateto the lives of
studentsandtheircommunities;
* studio art projects based on diverse
practices of contemporaryartmaking
andrelatedtraditionalarts;
* art as investigation-understanding
the artof othersandseeingtheirown
artmaking,not as exercises,but as
researchthatproducesnew visualand
conceptualinsights.
In 2000,I was appointeda GreatCities
FacultyScholarat the Universityof
Illinoisat Chicago.TheGreatCities
Institute'smissionis to improvethe
qualityof life in metropolitanChicagoand
otherurbanareas.I was pleasedthatmy
colleaguesfromurbanplanningandthe
social sciences sharedmyvision of the
importanceof arteducationto a
democraticsociety.Myprojectfor the
yearwas the ContemporaryCommunity
Curriculum Initiative(CCCI).TheCCCI
introducedinserviceteachersto the
SpiralWorkshopphilosophyandcreated
workingpartnershipsbetweenart
teachersandcontemporaryartists.The
projectsdevelopedby these groupswere
taughtin areaschools andthe resulting
curriculumwas showcasedat a student
artandcurriculumshow at the university
gallery.4
Recently,as I prepareda lecture
summarizingmy GreatCitiesresearch,
I surveyed5 yearsof SpiralWorkshop
curriculumas well as the 25 projects
createdby the CCCIparticipantteachers.
I hadoriginallystructuredmytalkto
focus on the social themesthatemerged
in the youths'artworkwhen I noticed
othercommonalitieslinkingthe projects.
A commonvocabularycouldbe used to
describevariousvisualandconceptual
strategiesin the students'artworksandin
the contemporaryprofessionalartworks
on whichtheywere modeled.I also
noticedthatthe traditional7 + 7 elements
andprinciplesvocabularycouldnot
adequatelydescribethese artworks.
Originally,I identified15categoriesor
principles that describedthe students'
artworkandrelatedcontemporaryart
practices.Noticingthe criss-crossingand
overlappingsimilaritiesof some of the
categories,I havesince editedand consol-
idatedthe list to highlighteightimportant
postmodernartmakingpractices.These
"newlydiscovered"postmodemprinci-
ples are oftenthe fusionof a visualform
anda conceptualartmakingstrategy.
Theyarehybridsof the visualandthe
conceptual.Thishybridizationis itself a
hallmarkof manypostmoderncultural
productions,eschewingthe boundaries
imposedby outmodeddiscipline-based
structures.

Appropriation
Oneof the most strikingthingsabout
manyof the curriculumprojectswas the
routineuse of appropriatedmaterials.
Whethercreatedin the spiritof Romare
Bearden'shistoriesof the African-
Americanexperiencecomposedof
fragmentsof foundphotos (Bearden&
Henderson,1993)or KennyScharf's
Junkie,in whichpaintedpurplevines
entwineon a yellow fieldof retro
insecticideads (TonyShafraziGallery,
1998),the studentartworkoftenused
printmaterialsas the stuff out of which
theirartwas composed.Forthe students,
recyclingimageryfelt comfortableand
commonplace.If one lives in a forest,
wood will likelybecome one'smedium
for creativeplay.If one growsup in a
worldfilledwith cheap,disposable
images,they easilybecome the stuffof
one'sown creativeexpression.
Juxtaposition
RobertRauschenbergrevolutionized
expressivepaintingwhen he substituted
the seeminglyrandomjuxtaposition of
foundimagesforpersonallygenerated
abstractmarks(Forge,1972).The
modernistprincipleof contrastis not
adequateto describethe energy
7-'
1*
6K>
L- -
A JUXTAPOSITION:
A D\3TANT COuS^ OF ?)9LL
) Tf T
,T OS' H- P OV.AXDL
o?FTr HOUE?
, Oo-%5.Eo IA5
^^Fo
^ ^ *MNWON.
,-yA^f/Miflt -L r v- ::
J-
I Il
generatedby bringingtogetherradically
disparateelements,an artisticstrategy
utilizedsince Dadaphotomontageand
Surrealistobjectssuch as Meret
Oppenheim'sfur-coveredteacup
(Burckhardt&Curiger,1996).Theterm
juxtaposition is usefulin helping
studentsdiscuss the fanmiliarshocks of
contemporarylife in whichimagesand
objectsfromvariousrealmsandsensibili-
ties come togetheras intentionalclashes
or randomhappenings.
Recontextualization
Often,positioninga familiarimagein
relationshipto pictures,symbols,or texts
withwhichit is not usuallyassociated
generatesmeaningin an artwork.Hannah
Hoch,an earlyDadaproponentof the
new mediumof photomontage,created
provocativeworksby recombiningfound
imagery.InDie Braut of 1927,winged ?.4
objectsswirlaroundthe centralimageof
a traditionalbrideandgroom.The
woman'sheadis replacedby an oversized
imageof a youngchild'sface (Makela&
Boswell, 1996).Thissimplevisualmove
changesanypotentialromanticfantasy
readingsof the bridalcouple,shiftingthe
focus to society'sdegradinglegal,
religious,andculturalconventions
regardingthe status of women.
-C IJ l-
IV
contemporary
Students
choiceof materials
explored
createsmeaning
artbyimagining
of non-art
juxtaposition
the
materials.
how
in
Herea
teenartistcreateda psychological
self-
1r
11t Marshmallows
portrait, andFire,atthe
-
SpiralWorkshop 1996.
RECONTEXTUALIZATION: Thefamiliar image
of a fashionable
accessorizedBarbie?doll
takeson newmeaning whenrecontextual-
<QVr izedwiththereality
of poorMexican women
I- seekingto cometo theUnitedStatesto find
employment. BorderBarbiebypreservice
teacherGinaIbarraforSpiralWorkshop
2002.
Photoscourtesyof University at
of Illinois
Chicago.
2004 / ARTEDUCATION
JANUARY

LAYERING: Students exploredtheirfears
andhopesafterthetragedy of September
11 bymutingandlayering
imagesandtext
ontotheheadline newspaperpages of those they
terrible
days.AreYouThereYet?byhigh
schoolstudentKristy Purituncreatedat
SpiralWorkshop 2001.Photocourtesyof
of Illinois
University at Chicago.
Thoughdeconstructionhas a more
specific meaningin the theoryof Jacques Multiplelayersof varyingtransparency
Derrida(Glusberg,1991),in everydayart
worldparlance,recontextualizationand
deconstructioncan often function
synonymously.The magazineAdbuste's
has manyexamplesof deconstructing
contemporaryadvertisementsby pairing
the originalads with fragmentsof other Interaction of Text & Image
imagesandtexts thatcontextualizethe
consumerfantasieswithinenvironmental Krugerpaireda photographof a woman,
andglobaljustice discourses.'
ART EDUCATION / JANUARY 2004
(Emerson,1999,p. 127).Thetext does not
describethe work,nordoes the image
illustratethe text. The interplaybetween
the two elementsgeneratesrichand
ironicassociationsaboutgender,social
possibilities,andcleanliness.Students
who makeandvalueartin the 21st
centurymustlearnnot to demanda literal
matchof verbalandvisualsignifiers,but
ratherto exploredisjuncturebetween
these modes as a source of meaningand
pleasure.
Hybridity
Manycontemporaryartistsincorpo-
ratevariousmediainto theirpieces, using
whateveris requiredto fullyinvestigate
the subject.Contemporary artists
routinelycreatesculpturalinstallations
utilizingnew mediasuch as large-scale
projectionsof video,soundpieces, digital
photography,andcomputeranimation.
Indeed,multi-mediaworksof artarenow
encounteredin contemporarymuseums
andgalleriesmorefrequentlythan
traditionalsculptedor paintedobjects.
Theconceptof hybridityalso
describesthe culturalblendingevidentin
manyworks.New YorkandTokyo-based
Layering Mariko Moridrawson costuming,make-
As images become cheap andplentiful, up, popular culture,andtraditional
areno longertreatedas precious,but Buddhistbeliefs to createcomplexphoto-
insteadareoften literallypiledon top of graphicandvideo installations.Herwork
each other.Layeredimageryevokingthe exploresboundariesbetweenspirituality
complexityof the unconsciousmindis a andcyberculture,betweenthe humanand
familiarstrategyin Surrealistartandof the re-creationof the humanthrough
earlyexperimentalapproachesto photog- technology(Fineberg,2000).
raphy.Inpostmoder worksby artists
such as DavidSalle,SigmarPolke,and Gazing
AdrianPiper,the strategyevokes the In BetyeSaar's77e Liber'ationofAunt
layeredcomplexityof contemporary Jemima, the traditionalmeaningof the
culturallife (Fox, 1987;Grosenick,2001). saccharineimageis challengedwhenit is
presentedwith an even morestereotyp-
will increasinglybe a readilyavailable ical depictionof a wide-eyed,red-lipped
strategyto studentsbecause it is a African-American womanholdinga
commonfeatureof most digitalimaging broomin one handanda riflein the other,
programssuch as AdobePhotoshop? juxtposedwith a life-sizeBlackPower
(Freeman,2001). clenchedfist (Broude&Garrard,1994).
By shiftingthe context withinwhicha
fanmiliaradvertisingimageis seen,
Ina 1990montage,artistBarbara studentsspontaneouslyquestionwho
createsandcontrolsimageryandhow this
peeringthrougha magnifyingglass, witha imageryaffects ourunderstandingsof
greatlyenlargedeye, with the text "It'sa reality-an importantactivityof visual
smallworldbut not if you haveto clean it" culturearteducation.
7 ~
.. 1r
-Jf~~ it :

i HYBRIDITY: ArtteacherMathiasSchergen
led studentsof JennerElementary School
in makingthe 2000 multi-media installation,
"MemoryMuseum,"as a tributeto the
closingof the old school andthe changein
the communityas gentrificationdisplaced
publichousing.Theinstallationincluded
arrangedfoundobjectsandstudentartand
writingas wellas videointerviewsof school
andcommunityresidents.Photocourtesyof
the Contemporary Community Curriculum
Initiative.

GAZING: Inspiredby the riskyandsometimescontroversialworkof contemporary artists,the SpiralWorkshopteens andteachersin the Chiaroscuro
groupmadethe installation,"WhenI Lookat YouI See"in 1998. Thetextaccompanyingeach portraitdescribedthe messages thatthese urbanteens
saw reflectedin the gaze of adultswho lookat themand makestereotypicaljudgmentsaboutthem.Photocourtesyof Universityof Illinoisat Chicago.

The term g(zc(,is frequently used in
(ontemporary discourses to recognize
that when talking about the act of looking,
it is important to consider who is being
looked at and who is (loing the looking
(Olin, 1996). Gazing, asso(iated with
issues of knowledge and I)leasure, is
also a form of power and of cont rolling
lerceptions of what is "real"and
"natural."Much critical theory in alt
histloy and film studlies makes use of the
term to investigate how our notions of
"others" are con'structted(through prol)ri-
etary acts of looking and representing.
For examl)le, consider the stantlar(l alt
historical (liscussion of Gaughin's
lelict ion of Tahitian women in which his
(rientalist theories and Iprojectionsof
sl)irituality, timelessness, and sensuous-
ness (letermine outrplercel)tion of the
woImen(Janson, 1968).
Representin'
lU.S.urban street slang for proclaiming
one's ildentity and( affiliations, )represeti)lli/'
(lescribes the strategy of locating one's
artistic voice within one's own lpersonal
history and(culture of origin. David
Wojnarowicz groundedlhis art in his
experiences as a young, gay man in New
Yorkduring the emerging AIDS crisis
(Scholder, 1999). Tracey Emin makes
fuiky mixed media paintings and objects
that investigate all aspects of her life,
including crummy jobs, alcohol abuse,
and sexuality (Riemschneider &
Grosenick, 1999). Shirin Neshat creates
video installations andlphoto text works
that explore the psychological conditions
of womenl in Islamic societies (Grosenick,
2001). It is important that alt classes
p)rovidest udenltswith opportunities for

JANUARY 2004 / ART EDUCATION


REPRESENTIN':
Makingautobiographical comics
createscomfortable opportunities
for studentsto represent
themselvessituatedwithintheir
familiesandcommunities.Ina
MixedMediaclass at Whitney
YoungHighSchoolin Chicago,
HaibinhHguyencreateda haunting
storyabout
story abouthow
howimmigration
immigration
affectsfamilyrelationships.
Photo
courtesyof artteacher,LisaWax.
... artexamplesandprojectsin
schoolartcurricula
shouldnot
bereductiverepresentations
oftheoretical but
principles,
shouldreflectthecomplexity
ofactualart.
ART EDUCATION/ JANUARY2004
I
meaningful self-expression in which they
become 7representin',self-creating beings.
These opportunities should allow
students to see examples of contempo-
rary artists using artmakingto explore the
potentials and problems inherent in their
own cultural and political settings (Gude,
2003).
v *.a
A Principled Position on the
Future of Art Education
The elements and principles of design
were never the universal and timeless
descriptors they were claimed to be.
Indeed, they are not even sufficient to
introduce students to most moder art
because modernism has always been a
tradition with two sharply different
manifestations, the "coolly formal"and
the often "enragedengaged."
Much art education has been associ-
ated with what critic Clement Greenberg
referred to as "cold modernism" (1971),
focused on artists such as Manet, Seurat,
Cezanne, Matisse, and Picasso. "Hot
modernism,"characterized by artists such
as Duchamp and the Dadaists, has not
been adequately represented in K-12art
discourses despite the fact that such
artists are far more likely to be cited as
influential to today's artworld.
The list of postmoder principles
described in this article is not meant to be
exhaustive. The principles were empiri
cally derived from curriculumprojects
based on contemporary art, developed by
a nexus of Chicago area teachers and
nexus of Chicago areateachers and
artists. Further curriculum research
wil no doubt identy other imporant
postmodern concepts and practices that
ought to be considered for inclusion in
contemporary art education curricula.
In true postmoder fashion, these
principles are not a set of discrete
entities, but are rhizomatic. Because
these principles overlap and crisscross,
the illustrations of professional art and
student work provided above often
exemplify more than one principle. That's
okay; art examples and projects in school
art curricula should not be reductive
representations of theoretical principles,
but should reflect the complexity of
actual art.
It can be frustratingand disconcerting
to lose the certainty of an earlier time,
but I do not think that it is wise to
prematurely sniooth away these amnbigui-
ties and create a 21st century orthodoxy.
I do not hope to see a generation of art
education texts that merely add a few
postmodern principles suchsasjli.l'frt)osi-
tioe and (l)ppropr)i(tlioil to their lists of
modcernistelements and principles and
thenlproceed to use them to structure and
justify a curriculum..
A basic tenet of all postmodern theory
is a suspicion of totalizing (liscourses andl
grand narratives-the belief that there is
one right way to organize an(dundlerstand
things. Nevertheless, much contemporary
art education has clung to narrowly
p)rescriptive theories, such as t1he
elements and principles, the four
disciplines that ostensibly include all the
concepts neelded to adequately under-
stand art, or tlhesequence of steps one
should always follow in approaching an
artwork.
Postmodern thought embraces the
heterogeneous, the local, and the specific.
It affirms the choice-mlaking capacity of
individulalswho select from the past those
things that will best serve theli as starting
points for today. These choices will be
different in (lifferent places deplendingon
the history and present issues of each
school community. By structuring art
projects to introduce students to relevant
contempioraryart andlthus to postmodern
principles-strategies for understanding
an( miakingart today-students will gain
the skills to participate in and shape
contemporary cultural conversations.
Olivia Gilde is Associalte P'rofi,ssor (ltd(
Coordlinl(torof 'Art (Educattliol tt1ihe
UJiiil,esityl o['Illinlois (it CI icagqo.
E-Ilat il: (Jltde('ltic'.cdll
REFERENCES
Beard(en,R., & Ihenderson, II. (1()993).A historJ
o1 Alrica(l-Aiinr'ricani
(il'lisIs: 1 792 to I/ic
))rese(')I. New York: Pantheon 13ooks.
Burckhar(dt,.J.,& ('uriger, I3.( 1996()().
Mcrcl
lin:
Oppl,lnh b/ond t1h(Ictaclt. New York:
Ind(leenlent ('Curators,Inc.
Brou(de,N., & (iarrard, Mary I). (1994). 77he
poirer of fii))lin isl a rt. New7York:IIarry N.
Ab)rams,Inc('.
('ryst al ltProdctio(ns.(2000). E'leme(i Is (and
p)ri ii(i)l(' s ol 'd(l('si(l posters: Sthdent'
( i(le('itl i a 'itices. (lenview, IL:('Crystal
IProduct ions ('o.
Crystal IProd(uct ions. (1996). El(emiies a(id (Grosenick,1'. (2001). Wo1 timen(irtisls i, tlihe
principh's of ldesig(lJ posters: 7'eacher's
gydide. (;lenview, II: ('tystal Irod(luctions
('o.
(deSausmarez, 1M.( 1964/171). Basic desiti(:
the dtl/lla i1 ics of' riisuillfoi'iR. New York:
Van Nostrand l einhiold.
I)ow, A.W.(1920/1).997).Composition: A series
of(.cl(rcises ill (1t.Istrlucturiclfr t/i( use of'
situdl(ctIs a(d lt('(l
ac/('rs. Berkeley:
I niversity of('alifornia Press.
Emerson, S. (1999))).Ba(rba(
r KiJrugeri.
Los
Angeles: Museum of ('ontlemporaly
Art/IMITPress.
Fineberg, ,J. (2000). Art siiice 194: .St cegi(es
oflbeil.. Upper Sa(ddleRiver, NJ: Prentice
Iall.
Forge, A. (19)72).R( uiscl(llib(rc(.New York:
Ilarry N. Abrams, Inc.
Freeman, M. (2001). 771(c(olmph)le.(giiide to
New York:Iark
dligit(l lphoto.(/r(tph/ll.
Books.
Fox, II. (1987). Ai,t(nI-.(( id1 tiihe (i.(ehti(ies.
IA: Los Angeles ('CountyIMuseumof Art.
(lusberg, .J.((19()()1/199()6).
I(constluct/ion: A
studenit .(guide. Great Britain: International
TUniollo' Arch(it(ects b)y A(cademy Group
Ltd.
Green, N., & Poesch,Jl. (1999). A4rthurii Wes/li
Do 1u(tit( A icic(a i (lr ts(t it1 (cr)
I11 afls. New
York:the Americ(anlFderat ion of Arts.
(reenberg, (. (1971/19(78).Necessity of
"f'oirmalism." In R. Kostelanetz (Ed.),
E'sthicics co('ontemipoly'rIJ.(20()7-211).
Buffalo, NY:Prometheus Books.
2011i (1a1d2lst c('('Int
,r. New York: Ta'sclhn.
(ultde, 0. (2()():3)."There'ssometlhing queer
alout this (lass." In L. Iampela aind E.
('heck (Eds.), i'Fromour' lioices:Art
duct((tors (nd1( (tists sp)('(akot (ItboIt
('sbi(lan, ga.(, bise('.'it(ia, a(1d i'n(1s,(nd('i('r('d(
issues. (73-86). I)ubuque, Iowa:
Kendall/I hIlt IPublishing ('ompany.
INTERACTION OFTEXT& IMAGE:
Studentsrespondedto insipidinspirational
postersthatliterallymatchtextand images
withplayfulnon-literalpairingsof images
andwords.SimpleThingsKeepYou
Grounded createdin 2000 by JenniferBean
and KellyCarlsonin responseto a project
by teacherDenaCavazosforthe
Contemporary Community Curriculum
Initiative.Photocourtesyof Universityof
Illinoisat Chicago.
JANUARY 2004 / ART EDUCATION
Harrison, C., & Wood, P. (1992). Art in theory School Arts. (2001, September). Voices from and principles, pairing these with a variety of
1900-1990: An anthology of changing the past: Enduring priorities. interesting approaches to studying the social
ideas. Oxford, UK:Blackwell Publishers. Tony Shafrazi Gallery. (1998). Kenny Scharf. and cultural implications of artworks, some
Hobbes, J., & Salome, R. (1995). The visual New York:Author. educators have inferred that this common
experience: Teacher's edition. Worcester, Wachowiak, F., & Clements, R.D. (2000). denominator among texts-the lists of
MA:Davis Publications, Inc. Emphasis art: a qualitative art program elements and principles-represents founda-
Itten, J. (1963/1964). Design andform: the for elementary and middle schools. New tional and universal ideas that are thus more
basic course at the Bauhaus. New York: York:Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. intellectually credible as a basis for curriculum
Reinhold Publishing Corporation. Walkup,N. (2001, September). Arthur Wesley structure than the more subtle and diverse
Dow: The father of foundations. School aesthetic or social themes also included in
Janson, H.W.(1968). History of art. New York:
Arts, 23. these textbooks.
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
Makela, M., & Boswell, P. (1996). The Wallis, B. (1984). Art after modernism: 3For information on Spiral theme-based
photomontages of Hannah Hoch. Rethinking representation. New York: curriculum, visit the Spiral Art Education
Minneapolis, MN: WalkerArt Center. The New Museum of Contemporary Art. website: http://spiral.aa.uic.edu
Olin, M. (1996). "Gaze."In R. Nelson & R. Shiff 4For information on the structure and
(Eds.), Critical termsfor art history. NOTES programming of the Contemporary
(pp.207-219). Chicago: University of Community Curriculum Initiative, visit the
Chicago Press. 1The nomenclature in the 2002 textbookArt: A Spiral Art Education website:
Oxford English Dictionary (1971). Oxford, Personal Journey by Eldon Katter and Marilyn http://spiral.aa.uic.edu
UK:Oxford University Press. (p 2303) G. Stewart is a welcome reversal of this trend.
5Back issues of Adbuster are available at bulk
Ragans, R. (2000). Arttalk: Teacher's In this book, the elements and principles of
rates for educators. Their many theme-based
wraparound edition. Woodland Hills, CA: design are the basis of a single chapter and the issues are a good start for creating visual
Glencoe Division of Macmillan/McGraw dominant organizing strategy for a curriculum
culture curriculum units.
Hill Publishing. is clearly presented in a series of chapters
http://www.adbusters.org
Riemschneider, B. & Grosenick, U. (1999). exploring the various roles of artists.
Art at the turn of the millennium. New
2Many authors of art education textbooks
York:Taschen. have deep and complex understandings of the
Stewart, M., & Katter, E. (2002). Art: A visual arts that extend far beyond a limited
personaljourney: Teacher's edition. formalist emphasis on the elements and princi-
Worcester, MA:Davis Publications, Inc. ples of design. Unfortunately, because many
Scholder, A. (1999). Fever: The art of David texts reiterate nearly identical lists of elements
Wojnarowicz. New York:Rizzoli
International Publications.

Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation

1. PbkactinTMl 2. Pubmctloion
umba DuW
Rung
NumerCo
n)245 19,259
Art Education C 01 3121_16 1611 October31, 2003 paid/Requested OJtid.CounyMalSubwdp6of Statedon
Subs (1) Form.3541f. (hdf* opies) 18,397 18,366
4. sueFraquenc Bi-Monthly L Pce fitpewidstge
AS.Nou riptiond
$50 Pad onsSedon
March, May, June, Sept, November 6 n-CountySubs
January, b. Paid andlor (2) (In-udwrwblosad
soJorm 34
Requested
National
Add
7. CormpleteMailing
Art Education Natior^~~~~nal
~AssT~oci~~artion
E^~d'~ucation
Associaetion
Art ~ t
d KnownOIce of Publiration(N^tpmtare7(Ser9 ci% "r state, d'apP.4) Person
ContaCt Circulation ThroughDelers ad
3)Sales
(3) Counter Saie Cwarm,
and Omer NonaUSPS
Stret Vendors,
Paid Distibution

1916 Association Drive TIephoam,

National Art Education Association [Sumor5b..(1).22(37,a ( 18,397 18,366

1916 Association Drivere ) Ouid nsSdonFo354
VA (7R 7fi
RP,tnn0 0191-1590inDistribuion e
anp
8. FuCoNamesaoap Ming Addrar of Pubshr. Editor, Ocbeo(Do no Er
Managingeditor by
Moal
(2) I aC tauStatedonFonn3541
Pubisher (N&n.74WWff0- & '22t) (Sa4-0s,
Dr. Thomas A Hatfield t i a.psa a,
Assoa (3)
1916 Association Drive osyen
0 Free Distdbuion Outsidetor Mal
Rditon & vA 291l-q1A -d MtM) or herEr
F:(Owtnbers
Edtor lNestr. 0w0II: mliMgFngd
B. Stephen Carpenter,II o
-Cated nwans4 >
Virginia ComnonwealthUniversity, Dept of Art Toa, FreeD,ib,on 0iof156 768)
P.O. Box 843084. Richmond,VA23284-2519 19,075
19,075 19
19,134
clto (Nae OwerDos bye Pn
dassO7ef nA F noweby w r7eWu TotaleDistribulion(Sin of 1Se an
E. r r,~hag~ a 0, (/tinte,orn dDc1otllr ears} opE ale
nunesgssd?dSbusr s dmr ^h o rs If oOt qp^wrl
-p 4r^o erap*msdlFmZ pLs
nan oadss as es J7a of hCopies not Distributed o 125
5
eah in Onr. Spe p y nr, I
h
Total(Sum of 15g.andh) ~51
Full Name ComopletMailingAddM
t yL k.,II, c0(2252)19.253
.253 19,259
19,259
P dr
m 45 95 899
Art
National F(ll
Name
Comp Education
ilng-APrms
Toita) Association e 1916
t Association
M Dr., Reston, VA20191-1590
d6r.equ.redC5.- (15
(l.os of an& 100) 9r6
15g. 99%5
96 45 95
(Non-Prof it) 6.Pb,onoSt at,nentof Own,hip
01.wuabep,md,5l January 22004 i sueofthis p2,iob D Publicatio,no equired.
. afNae,,q
11. KnownBondholde.s. onpgetes, andOtherSecurityHoldenrs Owning or 17 S ate tme
and of Editor,PuJaturBusines Manger, or Owner Date
Holding Pwecentor a Toual ountd Bads. Mortgages,or1 * asM
None I
0oher
1 1oher
saxStcuriis
ft n. dmk box
Se25ees.m. If
non., cho box dz d mast CsM Nonew /f I
Business Manager October 30, 2003
inf n on thisform
I erti ata1 Inorma heon
h hisrmn b s e and t hat who uns
an hyone h tmidg
sor
The purpose,fudio andnonpl sttus ofs
organization ond te exempt stas forlteal Inoame taxpurpose:-- r eri or o n the
Om ompoate.
be undeat mg
to criminalsanctr (mcdungfand andimponnt) andlor sanctions
form may
)X
CXHas Not
Cha.ng,d Preceding12 Mor^pshw^s
DuthgPndrq
NolChed DuPnrg pnas). u nts a ubjmtct
0s. asciv
cil
,o sals eof
,,lra3MOnV'Zau s2-,.la
j m4.n~:
n, WI-"C~mned
Wr-
- auH~e r- Is ,S,uOa
,v Pra 12 -Mf%6[at3,l21J,fmM
13 PublicationTle DataBelow
14. Issue Datelo Circuation
Art Education September 2003
15. AvenrgeNo Coples Each lue I No. Copil of Single Issue
Extentand NatumorCirculation Dudng Preedng 12 Months -
I Published - to FllingDate
Naret
I i

IART EDUCATION / JANUARY 2004