Connecting with the Creator

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Bryan Boone 11th, Art I Watercolor
Elyse Lovelace 12th Art II, Photomontage
Mary Skidmore 10th, Art II, Photo/tissue collage
Sarah Crase 9th, Art I, Drawing
Connecting with the Creator
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Visual
Literacy
for
EVERY
Classroom
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In the session today you will

• Consider Why you teach what you teach.

• Discuss the importance of the Creator and
  creating in your classroom

• Receive practical suggestions for connecting to
  the Creator for every level and every subject
  area

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Intent is one of the most important parts of art
making. Francis Schaeffer says, begin work as
an artist by setting out to make a piece of art.
In the classroom then should we not consider,
What exactly am I setting out to accomplish? We
will only accomplish that which we intend to
accomplish.
What we teach always stems from what we
believe! What do you believe about why teaching
is important?
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• If you havent already, please fill out the next
  page in your handouts.
• Please realize that money and Gods calling are
  assumed reasons for teaching.
• We want to examine more specific reasons for
  teaching so we may be led to consider that which
  we intend to accomplish in the classroom.

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• My example
• I teach High School Art because I want to
  communicate the importance of Jesus Christ as the
  Creator to my students by teaching them
• to SEE/Criticism
• to LOOK/History
• to THINK/Aesthetics
• and to CREATE/Production

• I intend to teach them, inspire them and
  encourage them to love learning
• About God and His creation,
• About mans works of art,
• To think about the basic Worldviews or
  philosophies represented in the art
• and to create while exploring and express their
  own worldview.

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Now you know WHAT YOU INTEND TO TEACH
Why is it important to incorporate Visual
Literacy into EVERY classroom?

• Once again quoting from Francis Schaeffer, author
  of How Should We Then Live,
• PHILOSOPHY/How we think ?
• ? ART/How we express the thinking
• CULTURE/How we live?
• For as a man thinks so is he in his heart
  (Proverbs 237)

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For many this idea prompts a modern question.
Which came first the chicken or the egg/ART or
CULTURE? Creation came first. ART influences
culture. God is our example for this idea. In
Genesis chapter One who spoke? What was the
result? What was the intent? Art reflects the
heart of the person who created it. Art cannot be
created in a box, therefore, it reflects the
worldview, philosophy or system of beliefs which
have influenced and are embraced by the artist.
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Why is Art so important?
It is the second step in the processing of a
worldview. Our students must be taught to
incorporate ART as part of their being in every
facet of their lives in order to most greatly
influence our culture for Christ.
Three reasons why

• The use of the VISUAL is everywhere.
• Pop culture reflects an addiction to the visual
• Students must be taught to discern GOOD and EVIL
  in the visual

• 2. Art in all forms empowers a culture. The
  Renaissance is a perfect example.
• The Church of Jesus Christ must first be
  empowered by God to make art.
• Students must be educated and disciplined to see
  the importance
• of supporting art.

The Church has given its visual voice to the
world.
3. Art is the legacy a society or culture leaves
behind. ART IS THE LEGACY THE CHURCH WILL LEAVE
BEHIND.
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The Virgin, and Child with Saint John the
Baptist, Raphael, 1507, Oil on Wood
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There are many lies that we have embraced as a
culture. These lies also have been embraced by
the church. They seem to be harmless ideas about
art that do not effect the way people live.
Lets take a lie detector test. Not the kind you
would think of with arm bands, wires, a strange
looking administrator and such. But, the kind of
test that evaluates a lie we have believed.
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Lie 1
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
If this statement is true, then the viewer
decides what is beautiful. This statement MUST be
FALSE!
The world (and the ruler of this world) have
convinced our culture that the individual chooses
that which is TRUE AND BEAUTIFUL for themselves.
This lie allows the thinker and the viewer to
play GOD by making truth and beauty or goodness
relative to a situation.
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The Virgin and Child with Saint John, Leonardo
da Vinci, 1500s High Renaissance,
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Lamassu, From the gateway of Sargon IIs at the
palace of Dur Sharrukin (now Korhsabad, Iraq) 720
BC 14 Limestone
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Three Musicians, Pablo Picasso 1923 Oil on
Canvas
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Installation in a Japanese Museum
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Blue, Yves Klein, Minimalism, 1950
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Lavender Mist
Why A Painting is Like a Pizza A Guide to
Understanding and Enjoying Modern Art
Nancy Heller PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS 2002
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Radioactive Cats, Sandy Skoglund, 1970,
Installation
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When we look at some art we must consider the
fall of man. Patrick Carruth, Literature teacher
at ECS said, Fragmentation is our nature.
Fragmentation is the idea being conveyed in most
impressionistic art and all modern art. It truly
depicts the need for a Savior.
Art shows the heart of a culture. Art reveals the
need for a savior or Gods glory. God uses all
things. Either things made by Him out nothingness
or things made by His creation. God wastes
nothing.
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This truth can be seen in the following
Scriptures. ?Romans chapter one ( For since the
creation of the world His invisible attributes
are clearly seen, being understood by the things
that are made, even His eternal power and
Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 120)
?Colossians chapter one, (For by Him all things
were created that are in heaven and that are on
earth visible and invisible, whether thrones or
dominions or principalities or powers, ALL things
were created through Him and for Him. 116)
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Because of this truth we must not believe lie 2!
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Lie 2
Art isnt relative or RELAVENT to the subject I
teach.

• I cant teach art in my classes. I dont know how
  to draw a straight line.
• Art really is only in museums anyway. We dont
  visit museums.
• Art doesnt really have anything to do with a 1st
  grader learning to read
• or a 9th grader learning about the countries
  around the world,
• or a 6th grade math student preparing for Algebra
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• or an 11th grade English class
• or a 4th grade Bible lesson

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• I want to address two specifics at this time
• Art is not drawing anymore than dribbling is
  basketball. Dribbling is undeniably important to
  basketball. However, it is not even the most
  important part. Making a basket (scoring) is the
  most important part of basketball. Making art is
  not drawing. Making a piece of art is the most
  important part of creating.
• You do not need to know how to draw to
  incorporate art into your classroom!
• 2. Please help your grade level art teacher by
  working with him or her in an interdisciplinary
  way. Communicate with us. Tell us where you are
  and what your students are studying, so we may
  create the unity Paul teaches of in Philippians
  chapter two.

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• Art is important to each discipline we teach. Art
  is important to every area that we teach. Because
  God uses it to reveal Himself. It is the highest
  most glorious way to communicate His character,
  His nature, His ways, His truth, His everything.
• If art is the outward expression of the hearts of
  man and God lives in the hearts of man through
  His Spirit, what responsibility does that leave
  us as educators?
• We must incorporate the truth of art into every
  subject area and at every level in order to be
  the most effective in a Christ hungry culture.
  Art can and must be integrated to emphasize a
  Biblical worldview in our Christian schools.