Teaching Visual Arts in Modern Languages Departments

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Teaching Visual Arts in Modern Languages
Departments

• Workshop
• Cambridge, 23rd November 2007

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Introduction (I)

• An overview of what we see as some of the
  fundamental questions
• Why is it useful to teach visual arts?
• Why this workshop?
• What might be distinctive about teaching visual
  arts in modern languages departments?

Emma Wagstaff (University of Birmingham)Matthew
Treherne (University of Leeds)
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Introduction (II)

• What are the central difficulties faced by
  students (and their teachers) when approaching
  the visual arts?
• How can we help each other?
• Brief introduction to an online resource on art
  analysis
• Our aim is to open up discussion of questions we
  all face, rather than present answers

Emma Wagstaff (University of Birmingham)Matthew
Treherne (University of Leeds)
4
Importance of visual art in ML courses

• Popularity of courses on art and on the visual.
• Frequent limitation to film, TV, advertising.
• Popularity of blockbuster art exhibitions.
• Increasing role of digital technology in
  students lives and in contemporary artistic
  practice.

Emma Wagstaff (University of Birmingham)Matthew
Treherne (University of Leeds)
5
Students interests and abilities

• Used to encountering visual images.
• Sophisticated visual analytical skills
• but little familiarity with fine art.
• Reluctant to read long texts in the foreign
  language.
• Opportunity to engage students interest
• Sorry to interrupt. Do you actually like that?
  (Birmingham 4th year UG, 2007, of an abstract
  painting)

Emma Wagstaff (University of Birmingham)Matthew
Treherne (University of Leeds)
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Why this workshop?

• Lack of pedagogical research on teaching visual
  art outside art history.
• Need to identify challenges in teaching art in ML
  courses,
• to discuss possible solutions,
• and to share best practice.

Emma Wagstaff (University of Birmingham)Matthew
Treherne (University of Leeds)
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What is distinctive to Modern Languages?

• Cultural studies approach.
• Images demonstrate aspects of the culture, eg.
  Images of the Revolution (French, Birmingham).
• Analysed along with other cultural artefacts.
• Other courses aids students analysis of art.
• ML departments collaborate on European art
  courses.

Emma Wagstaff (University of Birmingham)Matthew
Treherne (University of Leeds)
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Links with literature

• German / Italian / Hispanic / French studies by
  nature interdisciplinary.
• Often strong links with literature, eg. France
  since Eighteenth Century.
• Historical / social context interests students.
• Read criticism in the original language.
• Range of learning activities.

Emma Wagstaff (University of Birmingham)Matthew
Treherne (University of Leeds)
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Research context

• Increasing interdisciplinary collaboration on
  Postgraduate courses and among researchers.
• Future focus on disseminating research to wider
  public. Art exhibitions and interpretation ideal.

Emma Wagstaff (University of Birmingham)Matthew
Treherne (University of Leeds)
10
Specific challenges

• Methodology
• Need to build students skills in a new type of
  analysis, over a relatively short time period
• Confidence
• Lack of confidence in a new subject area excess
  of confidence in a field they sometimes see as
  less intellectually demanding
• Dubious nature of writing on art which students
  might have encountered

Emma Wagstaff (University of Birmingham)Matthew
Treherne (University of Leeds)
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Student responses to the visual arts

• Three key questions
• Could the logic be clearer?
• Could clearer evidence be provided?
• Could the terminology be more accurate?
• Extracts not taken from the weakest student
  essays student work mixed with material found on
  the internet

Emma Wagstaff (University of Birmingham)Matthew
Treherne (University of Leeds)
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(No Transcript)
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Quote used in class

• The light in the painting is very interesting.
  As we know, Titian and other artists were more
  concerned with light itself rather than just the
  way in which it falls. The painting in general
  gets brighter from the bottom up.

Emma Wagstaff (University of Birmingham)Matthew
Treherne (University of Leeds)
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Quote (2) used in class

• This painting shows that Titian is a master of
  the use of light. Light is an object in its own
  right the beauty of light is what makes this a
  masterpiece.

Emma Wagstaff (University of Birmingham)Matthew
Treherne (University of Leeds)
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What can we do to help each other?

• Sharing of resources and ideas?
• Creation of support groups or networks?

Emma Wagstaff (University of Birmingham)Matthew
Treherne (University of Leeds)
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Analysing Art An Online Introductory Course

• Resource based in the Department of Italian at
  the University of Leeds
• Resource will be freely available
• Course takes approximately 12 hours to complete
• Currently being piloted with students
• Initial findings suggest such a resource is both
  popular and useful
• Course will be put online in January 2008

Emma Wagstaff (University of Birmingham)Matthew
Treherne (University of Leeds)
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Analysing Art An Online Introductory Course (II)

• Aim of course is to introduce students to
  techniques of art analysis, enabling better use
  of contact time in seminars and lectures
• Course is based around activities, thereby making
  students active learners (as opposed to more
  passive readers of textbooks on art analysis)
• Course also attempts generally to replicate
  students learning processes (e.g. using case
  studies)
• Course uses examples taken from a range of
  cultural and historical contexts

Emma Wagstaff (University of Birmingham)Matthew
Treherne (University of Leeds)
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Analysing Art An Online Introductory Course (III)

• Course has four parts
• Part I Case studies
• Part II aspects of artistic form
• Part III genres of painting
• Part IV Case studies (2)

Emma Wagstaff (University of Birmingham)Matthew
Treherne (University of Leeds)
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Analysing Art An Online Introductory Course (IV)
advantages

• Initial feedback from students, and their
  performance in early assessment, suggests that
  the resource has helped them analyse art in more
  sophisticated ways
• Course has reduced need to spend seminar time
  explaining basic concepts
• Students have shown greater confidence

Emma Wagstaff (University of Birmingham)Matthew
Treherne (University of Leeds)
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Analysing Art An Online Introductory Course (V)
disadvantages?

• A staid, traditional view of the visual arts?
• Need to work to avoid (outmoded?) ideas of
  connoisseurship and art appreciation

Emma Wagstaff (University of Birmingham)Matthew
Treherne (University of Leeds)