art of the narrative: interpreting visual stories

National Art Education Association

Art of the Narrative: Interpreting Visual StoriesAuthor(s): Beth GoldbergSource: Art Education, Vol. 58, No. 2 (Mar., 2005), pp. 25-32Published by: National Art Education AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27696062 .

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INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES

Art of the Narrative:

Interpreting

Visual Stories

BY BETH GOLDBERG

Recommended for students in grades 3-6

Images with narrative intent are ideally suited for beginning art viewers. As cognitive psychologist Abigail Housen has discovered in her research on aesthetic development, viewers at this stage?children and adults alike?look

for stories in art, even when the artist did not intend them. In this first "Aesthetic

Stage" viewers are considered "accountive" storytellers. They make concrete

observations about an artwork that contributes to a narrative.

If selected appropriately, artworks with narrative content have the potential for many levels of interpretation and are especially intriguing for young viewers. Themes about work, play, and family interaction, which relate directly to a child's life experience, are especially ideal for exploration. While some of the most

engaging scenes may involve stopped action, children will also enjoy interpreting less active themes that focus on human relationships and quiet activities if they contain narrative potential. Images should be accessible and provide points of

entry to which children can relate, but they should also be open to interpretation, with a range of possible meanings. This allows children to experience a variety of

points of view as they and their classmates mine the images for stories. With careful guidance, students can move gradually to more complex images over time.

This Instructional Resources follows the Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) developed by art educator Philip Yenawine. Yenawine collaborated with Abigail Housen to design school and museum programs that foster cognitive growth through interaction with art images.

MARCH 2005 / ART EDUCATION 25



Art of the Narrative:

Interpreting Visual Stories

The key to the VTS technique is the discovery process, not

pre-existing "truths" or correct answers. The discussion

revolves around open-ended questions about the images, and

builds confidence in the students' own ability to construct

meaning. Three primary steps stimulate student thinking, communication, and visual literacy skills: 1) looking at art of

increasing complexity; 2) responding to developmentally-based questions, and 3) participating in group discussions that are

carefully facilitated by the teacher. This approach invites students to focus, become reflective and to question?the basis

for thinking critically. It encourages students to listen, concentrate, and respect their fellow students as they work

together on the discussion.

In this Instructional Resources, some of the VTS strategies are

applied to classroom activities designed to help young children

interpret the visual stories that can be discovered in two dimensional images. The four images in this Instructional Resources all refer to the artists' memories of their own early childhood years.

Objectives Students will:

identify narrative elements in visual images.

suggest interpretive meanings for actions and attitudes

depicted in visual images. write or talk about personal experiences that share similarities with experiences depicted in visual images. create self-portrait collages that communicate important information about themselves.

Four Narrative Approaches

Mary Case Dekker

Thin Ice on Crazy Woman Creek, 1994

Pastel and acrylic, 58" x 42"

"Growing up in Wyoming with nary a playmate less than ten miles away I learned to explore the wide open spaces of the

land, the sky and my own imagination. Drawing, making things and make believe was play, expression and comfort."

Mary Case Dekker's images often spring from family events and visual memories. She likes to indulge in a passion for

making marks, telling tall tales, and exploring the fine lines between reality and imagination.

Lucy Traeger First Grade

Acrylic on canvas, 60" x 72"

"This painting is about my experience in first grade. I felt

compelled to paint after coming across my class picture from that year. My preliminary sketches included a teacher, other children and a classroom filled with drawings, stories and lots of fun things to do. I began to paint this scene. As I continued

painting almost everything disappeared, leaving only a massive

blackboard, one tiny chair, and the six year-old me. This is how I must have felt, alone anxious to please, and not sure what

was expected of me."

Sandra Ortiz Taylor

Measuring Up Mixed media, 11.5" x 14.5" x 2.75"

"'Measuring up' is a process that frequently has its beginning in childhood. Parents set standards and expectations early in the socialization and educational process. School further empha

sizes measuring and standardizing and adds the formal process of grading. By the time one reaches adulthood, much of the

process is internalized. Sometimes it works for you and sometimes against you.

26 ART EDUCATION / MARCH 2005




Thin Ice on Crazy Woman Creek, 1994. Mary Case Dekker. Pastel and acrylic, 58" x 42". Collection of the artist.

MARCH 2005 /ART EDUCATION 27



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F/rs/ Grade. Lucy Traeger. Acrylic on canvas, 60" x 72". Collection of the artist.

Beneath the piece a ruler-like object forms the bottom of the

image. It is a stick that was used to measure the gas in the tanks of early automobiles. The three-dimensional black chair has a game piece that says "no" and physically as well as

psychologically prevents the child from sitting down. She is excluded and reduced to her child identity by the process of once again measuring up. The child holds a light bulb

representing her ideas and thus her creativity?this becomes her compass, her self-identity from which she will not be

deprived." Sandra Ortiz Taylor's mixed media pieces are like small theater where the actors, objects and symbols unfold in

miniature dramas.

Beth Moon

The Gates of Dawn, 2000 Platinum Palladium print, 16" x20"

"Daydreams influence my work ... childhood experiences, or

an image found in a book sometimes becomes the inspiration for a photograph. Having just started a family myself, my attention was drawn into the seemingly private, enchanted world of children, their minds full of fantasy and colorful

imagination."

This image is part of the artist's photographic series called "Seen But Not Heard." A boy looks up at an imposing gate.

Where is he going? What is he thinking? For the artist, the

story is like looking through a mysterious keyhole.





MEASURING UP

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Measuring Up. Sandra Ortiz Taylor. Mixed media, 11.5" x 14.5" x 2.75". Collection of the artist.

Activities

Group Discussion Guidelines for Examining the Images. All students should have ample opportunity to point out what they see in and

express their opinions about the art they examine. Students must know that their thoughts are heard, understood, and valued. Students should provide visual evidence to explain their interpretive comments. They should also see that each comment contributes to the group process of mining the art for

multiple meanings?the diversity of insights helps students

grow beyond the tendency to see things from a single perspective and leads to habits of valuing different viewpoints

First, give students a minute to look at the image silently before you start. Ask: "What's going on in this picture?" This

question opens up the discussion and suggests that the image is about something that can be figured out. The question plays into the natural tendency of beginning viewers as storytellers and encourages the accountive storytelling of beginning viewers. In contrast, merely asking "What do you see in this

picture?" often leads to students making lists of what is

depicted. Making meaning is rewarding in a way that list

making is not. It engages students and nudges them toward

deeper thinking.




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777e Gates of Dawn, 2000. Beth Moon. Platinum Palladium print, 16" x 20". Collection of the artist.





"What do you see that makes you say that?" This question forces the child to refer to visual evidence to support his or her

opinion, encourages critical thinking, and evidential reasoning.

"What more can we find?" Here students are led to discover that there is always more to be found in visual art images through careful viewing. The question encourages students to

go deeper into the image and mine the story for multiple interpretations.

Listen carefully to students. Make sure that you hear all of what they say and that you understand it accurately. Ask students to clarify their comments. Point to what they are

mentioning in the picture. Use encouraging body language and facial expressions to encourage participation.

Paraphrase each comment. For example, "Eric thinks this

woman looks happy because she is smiling." This makes each student feel acknowledged and heard, and provides the teacher with a chance to further clarify the points students make.

Accept each comment neutrally. Do not encourage "right" versus "wrong" answers.

Link answers that relate, even when there are disagreements. Show how the students' thinking evolves, how some observa

tions and ideas stimulate others, and how opinions change and

build. Conclude by reminding students that viewing art is an

ongoing, open-ended process.

When Students Ask Questions. When a student asks a

question, the first response should be, "Can we answer that by looking?" or, the teacher can open the question to the group by asking, "What do you think the answer to that might be?" or "Does anyone know the answer to that?"

How long should each image be discussed? Fifteen to 20 minutes per picture is a good rule of thumb for discussions, although there is no prescribed length of time. Silence does not

always mean that students are finished; they may just be

thinking. If students seem restless and unresponsive, or if comments are repetitive or silly, it might be time to move on.

Closing the Discussion. Efforts to bring closure to the discussion through consensus are not necessary. One of the

most wonderful aspects of art is the fact that it can be revisited

productively many times. There is no "right" or "wrong" answer.

Summarizing or trying to render some kind of consensus is

unwise, as it is difficult to remember all that was said. Summaries seldom do justice to the art or the discussion. One way to end a class discussion is to compliment students on how well they worked to probe a particular image or listened

respectfully.

Interpretive Writing Activity In this assignment, students write about an image and are

given a chance to make choices and to work on their own.

Writing is one way to obtain concrete evidence of what students are learning in the discussions. How do writing skills

compare to students' abilities to speak in class? How do they think when they are not prompted with questions and are without the insights of other students?

Write the following statements the board: "What's going on in this picture?", "Make sure you write what you see that makes

you think that," and "Keep looking and thinking about what more you can find." Give students as much time as they need

to write their responses.

Reviewing Student Writing. Notice the student observations. How many are there? How varied are they? How complex are the observations? What conclusions do the students draw? Do

they see just one or a number of possibilities? What visual evidence do they supply to ground their observations and

opinions (e.g.: "I think this is because..."). Do they speculate? (e. g: "It might be..." "I could be..." "Maybe it is..."). Compare

their writing to other examples of their own work, and not to other students' writing.

Personal Experience Creative Writing Activity One way students make connections to works of art is by recognizing what they see or know about themselves. In this

activity, students tell their own narrative about a personal

experience. This activity can also be done verbally in front of the class or with a partner.

Use the Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) approach to discuss Thin Ice on Crazy Woman Creek by Mary Case Dekker. After the discussion, the children should write or talk about a sport or activity in which they have participated. How did they learn this sport? Did they ever feel scared? What do they enjoy about this activity?

Discuss First Grade by Lucy Traeger using VTS. Ask the children to write or talk about their first day of school. What do they remember about that day? Did they feel nervous? Excited? Confused? Why?

After discussing Measuring Up by Sandra Ortiz Taylor, ask the children to write or talk about a time when they felt they were

being "measured up." Students should describe the experience, including the time, place, and other people involved.

Use VTS to discuss The Gates of Dawn by Beth Moon. Next, ask the children to write or talk about a time when they were in an unfamiliar or mysterious place. What did this place look like? Smell like? Sound like?




Artmaking Activity Students can create artworks to tell stories about themselves

and their lives. They can make self-portraits derived from

photographs to create these narratives.

Time Required: Three 45- 50-minute sessions.

Supplies Needed: Digital, Polaroid?, or disposable camera; carbon paper for tracing; 8Y2" x 11" cardstock white paper; multi-colored assorted papers; colored tissue paper (optional); a wide variety of magazines with images relevant to young

children's experiences; markers, pens, pencils, oil pastels

(optional); glue sticks; scissors.

Session One. The students should practice different facial

expressions?such as surprise, anger or delight. Student

should take photographs of each other making interesting expressions.

Divide the students into pairs to take the photographs. The student who is having his/her photograph taken should stand

against a plain backdrop, such as a whiteboard or projector screen. Show the other student how to use the camera. When

the subject is ready, help the student photographer position the camera and take the picture. Photographs should depict just the students' faces.

After class, print the photos. If using a digital printer, print them at 8 Va" x 11". You do not need to print in color for these

photographs, as they will be used for tracing. If using commercial photo processing, the pictures should be no smaller than 4" x 6".

Session Two. Spread the colored papers, magazines and

markers on a table in the room. Students should examine their

self-portrait photographs.

Give each student an S1/^ x 11" piece of card stock paper and the same size piece of carbon paper. Next, students should lay

the carbon paper, carbon side down, over the card stock. Now,

they should lay the photograph on top of the carbon paper, image side up. Help them to attach the carbon paper and

photograph with paper clips to avoid slippage. Using a pencil, students hold the picture firmly in place and trace the outlines of their faces and hair onto the paper. The teacher should

explain that they must press firmly with their pencils in order for the lines to transfer. When they have finished tracing, students should remove the photograph and carbon paper. Next, they should use a colored marker or pastel crayon to

redraw the lines they traced to create their self-portrait.

Begin a class discussion about what students will include in their self-portrait collages. Ask the students to discuss their favorite activities, places, and people with questions such as

"What are your favorite places?" "What are your favorite

foods?" Validate each idea by writing it on the board. Ask for

visual, descriptive details. For example, "I like to ride my bike to the park," might be followed up with "What do you wear

when you go there?" or "What does it look like there?"

Give each child a glue stick and a pair of scissors. Students should create a collage about themselves in and around their faces with different colored papers and magazine clippings and. They can also use markers to color in parts of their faces.

Encourage students to return to the supply table as they need more materials.

Session 3. Facilitate a discussion about the students' self

portraits. Ask the students to hold up their portrait and answer

this question: "What is going on in your picture?" Follow-up with further questions to encourage more detailed responses.

Invite the other students in the class to participate in the discussion. Invite students to suggest titles other than their own names for their portraits. Display the portraits along with the titles and students' names on the bulletin board. Take a

photograph of the display and print copies for all students to take home as a group picture of their class.

Beth Goldberg is Curator of Exhibitions at Falkirk

Cultural Center, a contemporary art center and national

historic site in San Rafael, California. She is Director of Learning to Look, an arts education outreach program

for Marin County elementary school students. E-mail: Beth. Goldberg@ci. san-rafael. ca. us

RESOURCES Housen, A., & Yenawine, P. (2000). Visual Thinking Strategies:

Learning to think and communicate through art. New York: Visual

Understanding in Education.

Yenawine, P. (2001). Basic VTS at a glance. New York: Visual

Understanding in Education.

Yenawine, P. (2002) Jump starting visual literacy: Thoughts on image selection. New York: Visual Understanding in Education.

NOTES For more information about Visual Thinking Strategies contact:

http ://www. VUE. org Artists' quotes are from statements written for the exhibition, "Art of the

Narrative," at Falkirk Cultural Center, September 30-November 23, 2003. The exhibition was curated by the author.




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