"The arts of our time are advertising, blockbuster movies and participatory rituals like the Super Bowl or the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games." - Ellen Dissanayake
(Source: https://www.washington.edu/alumni/columns/march09/art.html)
Ritual --- "Making Special" is art behavior everyone has and is part of human evolution.
Why do we need art?
How can art be thought about as a behavior that all humans do, rather than a product or a process that only certain people do?
What does art mean?
Most people think of art as a product--a painting, a piece of pottery, a print, or possibly a process--drawing, throwing on a potter's wheel, or taking a photograph. Some people believe that art is a fundamental human behavior and that the trait of artmaking is tied to human evolutionary development. This art making behavior is called "making special" by expert Ellen Dissanayake. She says that arts (the behavior of "making special") are in all cultures, all over the world, and all across time. She observes that in most human societies the arts are integral to life activities. She also believes that arts are a source of pleasure. She thinks that art may have evolved from ceremonies.
Prompt: What does art mean to you? In what ways does the process of "making special" appear in your own life or the life of your family.
Ellen Dissanayake
In her book Homo Aestheticus: Where Art Comes From and Why (first printed in 1992), Dissanayake argues that art was central to the emergence, adaptation and survival of the human species, that aesthetic ability is innate in every human being, and that art is a need as fundamental to our species as food, warmth or shelter.
She views art as the product of "making things special", and these things may be objects as well as behaviors. That is to say, art evolved to make certain events, tentatively important for survival or social cohesion, more salient, pleasurable, and memorable. Artifacts of art are also said to result from efforts to deal with uncertainties of nature by exerting control over it.
It is claimed that art experiences are physically pleasurable, and distinctively so because one appreciates how the creators of art have shaped the raw materials. However, Dissanayake also contends that some of these raw materials may be pleasurable in themselves, i.e. "protoaesthetic" (p. 54), as may be the process of creation or some percepts in themselves without symbolic meaning, e.g. by means of obeying the Gestalt Principles. In general, the process of "making things special" is described as drawing on those aspects of the world that evolution had led us to find attractive: visual signs of health, youth and vitality, as well as a balance between uniformity and asymmetries.
The chapter The Arts as Means of Enhancement is a collection of cross-cultural evidence for instances that fall under Dissanayake's definition of art; a criticism of narrow European-centered notions of art in the 19th and 20th century. This criticism is developed further in the books' last chapter that advocates the necessity to promote art in education and everyday life, as it is said to be a universal, biologically rooted human behavior.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Dissanayake
Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.
By Cindy Ingram, Art Class Curator Founder
Art is more than just crafts. Art is deep. Art is human.
Art class is a place to tap into that core humanity and explore the stories we all share, as well as the stories that are unique. Art touches every person and every other subject. History, math, science, and all the rest.
If we want art to be respected as the powerhouse subject that it is, we have to remind our community of the limitless benefits and learning opportunities art class provides.
What Do Kids Learn From Looking At Art?
Focus. When students look at art and keep noticing the elements of the artwork for 20+ minutes, they learn to focus on what they see. In our world of fast-paced media and short attention spans, this is an important exercise that will serve them well.
Higher Order Thinking. Interpreting art allows students to use their brains in more complex ways. When looking at art, students evaluate, analyze, compare, criticize, and construct meaning.
Empathy. Looking at art helps students understand and better recognize the feelings of others across social and cultural boundaries.
Connection. Looking at art in a group connects you with those in the group, but looking at art also connects you to the past, to the artist, to the culture, and to anyone else who has also stood before that artwork. It’s a powerful feeling when you step back and see all the ways we are connected.
Respect. Connecting with other cultures and new ideas through art invites students to step out of their comfort zone and into the world. This process can help them learn to respect the people and things that are different from them and their experiences.
Observation and Awareness. Disciplined looking gives students a chance to notice details they may not have seen with a quick look. It trains the student to be more aware of the world they are in.
Understanding Media/Images. The world we live in is flooded with images. Our kids need to be well-versed in recognizing the messages those images send.
Understanding of Self. Art helps us figure out our thoughts and feelings and see the world and ourselves in ways that nothing else can. Our lives can be changed forever by an artwork that feels like it was made for us.
Curiosity and Wonder. Art helps foster a sense of wonder and excitement about the world, inspiring creation and creativity in all aspects of life.
The importance is clear. The need is immediate.
We are art teachers. We are advocates.
We are improving lives with art every single day.
Reprinted with permission from artclasscurator.com