Being Interdisciplinary in a Brave High School Art Classroom

An “interdisciplinary” high school art classroom allows students to seek out and utilize whatever information is available to construct their vision. Such a construct accepts that there are multiple ways of knowing and teaches how few things exist in seclusion.For example, the oil industry is not only about fueling our cars, but about finding, extracting, refining and delivering oil – which is linked to a vast system of world-wide transportation, environmental and political issues – linked to plastics, chemicals, and alternative energy choices. An interdisciplinary assignment based on the oil industry would allow students to come at a contemporary issue in a plethora of ways.Using this example, one classroom could contain artworks as diverse as each human within it. Maybe one student’s project would entail constructing art from recycled products made from oil; or maybe another student would be more literal and attempt to use oil pastels or oil paint; perhaps someone would make a political poster against (or for) deep-well drilling; or devise a kinetic sculpture that is powered by air; yet someone else might be inspired to design an earth work in homage to Nature! The teacher will be there to implement/expose initial information about the oil industry and guide inspiration – but not to mandate outcomes (minus setting ethics for workmanship and intent). This allows his or her students to see themselves in a bigger picture – one beyond the four walls of a classroom and allow for research and connection to take place.An interdisciplinary curricula is based on student interests – not a teacher’s mandate. The room will still be stocked with paint, charcoal, paper, etc., but students will also be encouraged to use the Internet, their visual culture, digital apparatus’, ritual, meditation, etc. to engage with art. Often, our teenage students are deeply connected to Information Communication Technology and teachers need to embrace opportunities to allow it to teach students, too.Supporting an interdisciplinary curriculum is not as daunting as it seems. Rather, it should feel exciting to meet new students, learn about the talents and wisdom each one brings to the table, and alter ideas based on student interests and needs. A high school art teacher needs to be aware that he/she is offering most students their last opportunity to study, make and/or be exposed to art. Therefore, what type of curricula will make the most impact? Allowing for interdisciplinary study allows teachers to help their teenage students navigate their transformation through life into tomorrow. Be brave: try it!

Photography – The Finest Art Reward

It is the very foundation and the basis of photo simulation. One must consider every part of this beautiful art of photography. Selection of viewpoint, size of images, the focal length, establishment and placement of scale are some of the most important avenues that needs to be focused on in this art of photography.A true artist of photography makes use of state of art digital cameras, having clinometers, lenses that are calibrated, markers etc for the perfect placement and scale. This art also has the ability in skewing reality and can also be deceptive at times. A professional photographer has the job for minimizing the distortions of natural form occurring during the conversion of the 3D world on just a simple paper.Perception is the biggest issue in photography and these problems are influenced because of many things. If a person in spite of not standing too close to a particular object and if there is the use of lens with telephoto nature, then the object would appear in a way, as if the person is standing just in front. Such is the magic of photography.Photography is a new member in the field of various art forms as compared to the others. It is not more than 200 years of age and it is still being improvised. The uniqueness of this art is its ability of numerous print productions. Through history it has been found that most of the photographers have considered this art as a lesser form. They were referred to as ‘pictorialists’.In this modern age, the presence of automated and digital cameras has provided a great advantage and proven it wrong that artists don’t do the work but only the camera. It is not only the camera which creates a beautiful and perfect picture but also the capability and talents of the artist that make it happen.A photograph acquiring a fine art reward is because of quality, whether in the negative, print or in the composition. The various myriads in this art are inclusive of choices related to the paper’s brand, film developer, paper developer and also the print’s tone. All these aspects influence in the development of a fantastic final output. The photographer’s ability in bringing all the above aspects in one shot assists in the production of a picture that is worth referring to as ‘art’.