Active learning ideas
Defining art is one of the most challenging tasks in aesthetics. Students investigate the criteria used to distinguish 'art' from 'non-art,' including the role of the artist's intention, the institutional theory of art, and the importance of context. This topic aligns with the Ontario curriculum's focus on analyzing different philosophical definitions of art.
Activity 01
Provide groups with images of controversial works (e.g., Duchamp's Fountain, a child's drawing, a sunset). They must use three different philosophical definitions of art to argue why each one is or is not art.
What is art?
Activity 02
Students act as a government committee deciding which 'art' projects to fund. They must create a set of criteria for what counts as 'art' and defend it against 'artists' (other students) who are pushing the boundaries.
Does art need to have a purpose or meaning?
Activity 03
Show a work of art that was created by accident (e.g., a spill). Students discuss in pairs: 'Does the lack of intention mean it's not art?' and 'Does it matter if the viewer *thinks* it was intentional?'
How does context change our understanding of an artwork?
A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Art has to be 'good' to be art.
Something can be 'bad art' but still be art. Active learning that separates 'classification' (is it art?) from 'evaluation' (is it good?) helps students understand the philosophical task of defining art.
If I can do it, it's not art.
This ignores the role of the *idea* or the *context* in modern art. Peer-led discussions about conceptual art can help students see that 'art' is often about the question it asks, not just the skill it took to make.
Methods used in this brief
The Nature of Beauty
Students explore the philosophical definition of beauty and whether it is an objective property or a subjective experience. They examine how aesthetic judgments are formed.
8 methodologies
Art, Morality, and Society
Students examine the relationship between art, ethics, and society, including issues of censorship and the social responsibility of artists. They debate whether art should be judged on moral grounds.
8 methodologies