Why Study Art? | TateShots

Summary

The script emphasizes the integral role of art in human history and its profound connection to life, identity, and critical thinking. It argues that art education is essential for nurturing creativity and innovation, which are vital for all fields of study. The speaker warns against the erosion of art in schools, highlighting its importance for Britain's creative industry and the development of children's formative years. Art is portrayed as a mirror reflecting society and a unique avenue for self-discovery and intellectual stimulation.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Art is a fundamental human expression, with a history of over 30,000 years of drawing.
• 👀 Teaching drawing is essentially about teaching people to observe and see more deeply.
• 🤔 The speaker's perception of art evolved from viewing it as merely decorative to recognizing its deep connections with life, history, philosophy, and politics.
• 🌐 Art education is unique because it is centered on the individual's personal expression and creativity, unlike learning a language like French.
• 💡 Creativity in art is akin to critical thinking, allowing for the exploration of new ideas and challenging existing ones.
• 🚪 Art provides children with access to diverse ways of thinking and 'other universes', which is vital for their development.
• 🏆 The absence of art in education stifles innovation, as creativity is crucial across all disciplines, including history, geography, and science.
• 🇬🇧 The erosion of art in British schools is seen as disastrous for the country's creative industries, which are among its best.
• 🏛 Art and cultural production are central to a society's identity, and neglecting this aspect can lead to a loss of cultural and visual history.
• 🌟 Art education benefits not only future artists but also individuals by helping them develop aspects of themselves that might otherwise be overlooked.
• 🧠 Art has the unique ability to engage parts of the brain, body, and spirit that other disciplines cannot.
• 🖼 The experience of viewing great art is described as stimulating, exciting, and consoling.
• 📚 Art should not be sidelined in education but should be a central part of the curriculum, as it enhances the understanding of the world and enriches other subjects.

Q & A

What is the significance of drawing in human history according to the transcript?

Drawing has been a significant part of human expression for 30 thousand years, indicating its deep-rooted desire within us.

How does the speaker describe the teaching of drawing?

The teaching of drawing is about teaching people to look and observe, which is a fundamental aspect of the learning process.

What was the speaker's initial perception of art before attending art school?

The speaker initially thought that art was just about making pretty pictures, without realizing its deeper connections to life and other disciplines.

How does the speaker view the relationship between art and other areas such as history, philosophy, and politics?

The speaker sees art as interconnected with history, philosophy, and politics, rather than existing in isolation.

Why does the speaker believe that art cannot be taught in the same way as a language like French?

The speaker believes that art is centered within the individual and requires a different realm of skills that are not asked of traditional literate subjects like French.

What role does creativity play in critical thinking according to the transcript?

Creativity is equated with critical thinking, and it is essential for opening up new ways of thinking and asking harder questions.

In what way does the speaker suggest art should be integrated into a child's education?

The speaker suggests that art should be a part of a child's education to expose them to different modes of thinking and to foster creativity.

What impact does the speaker predict if art is eroded from schools?

The speaker predicts that the erosion of art in schools would be disastrous for Britain, as it would hinder the development of the creative industry, which is a vital sector.

How does the speaker connect art and cultural production to the identity of a society?

The speaker sees art and cultural production as central to defining the identity of a society and believes that denying access to this history is akin to denying one's own identity.

What does the speaker believe art education does for those who are not going to become artists?

The speaker believes that art education allows non-artists to develop aspects of themselves that might otherwise be ignored, undeveloped, or repressed.

What quote does the speaker reference to emphasize the importance of art in the curriculum?

The speaker references a quote by John Ruskin: 'Art shows us what it is to be human', to highlight the fundamental role of art in understanding our humanity.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 The Vital Role of Art in Education and Society

The paragraph emphasizes the innate human desire to create visual representations, tracing back to 30,000 years of drawing history. It discusses how teaching drawing is essentially about teaching observation skills. The speaker reflects on their art school experience, realizing the deep connections between art and broader life aspects such as history, philosophy, and politics. Art is not merely about creating aesthetically pleasing images but is intrinsically linked to life itself. The paragraph argues against the conventional teaching methods, stating that art originates from within and requires a unique set of skills that differ from traditional academic subjects. Creativity is equated with critical thinking, and its absence would limit the capacity to question and explore beyond known boundaries. Art is portrayed as a gateway to new modes of thinking and a crucial component in a child's education, fostering innovation and diverse thought processes. The importance of art in schools is underscored, as its erosion is seen as detrimental to Britain's creative industry, which is a leading sector. Art and cultural production are identified as central to societal identity, and a lack of art education could lead to a loss of cultural and visual history, thereby denying a generation its identity. The paragraph concludes by asserting that art education benefits not only future artists but also those in other fields by nurturing aspects of their personality that might otherwise remain undeveloped. It highlights the unique access art has to parts of the human experience that other disciplines cannot reach, and ends with a quote by John Ruskin that encapsulates the essence of art as a reflection of humanity.

Keywords

💡Creativity

Creativity is the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, and patterns to create meaningful new ideas, forms, and interpretations. In the context of the video, creativity is highlighted as a critical form of thinking that enables individuals to ask complex questions and explore beyond the known. The script emphasizes that creativity is not just for artists but is essential across all fields, including history, geography, and science, where the most successful individuals are often the most creative.

💡Art Education

Art education refers to the study and practice of the visual arts in educational settings. The video script underscores the importance of art education in developing a range of skills that are distinct from traditional literacy subjects. It is portrayed as a vital component of a child's formative years, offering a non-prescribed, 'dangerous' world of possibilities that encourages exploration and self-discovery.

💡Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment. The script mentions creativity as a form of critical thinking, suggesting that without the ability to think creatively, one cannot effectively challenge existing ideas or propose innovative solutions. This concept is integral to the video's message that art fosters a mindset that questions and expands upon current knowledge.

💡Cultural Identity

Cultural identity is the sense of belonging to a cultural group, which can be defined by various factors such as nationality, ethnicity, religion, or social norms. The video script argues that art and cultural production are central to defining a society and its identity. It warns against the erosion of art in schools, suggesting that a lack of exposure to art and culture could lead to a denial of one's own identity and history.

💡Innovation

Innovation refers to the process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay. The script posits that innovation at a societal level is impossible without the presence of art. It implies that the creative industries are a driving force for innovation and that art is a fundamental component of these industries.

💡Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. The speaker in the video script discusses the realization of the interconnectedness between philosophy and art, suggesting that art is not merely about creating aesthetically pleasing images but is deeply entwined with broader intellectual and existential inquiries.

💡History

History is the study of past events, particularly in human affairs. The script mentions history as one of the disciplines that is interconnected with art, indicating that art can serve as a historical record and reflect the societal conditions and cultural values of different time periods.

💡Politics

Politics is the activities associated with the governance of a country or area, especially the debate between parties having power. The video script touches on the relationship between politics and art, implying that art can be influenced by or reflect political ideologies and power structures.

💡Self-Discovery

Self-discovery is the process of becoming aware of one's own character, abilities, and beliefs. The script highlights art as a medium for self-discovery, suggesting that engaging with art can help individuals understand and express their unique identities and potential.

💡Visual Arts

Visual arts are art forms that involve creating images or objects in spaces, primarily for visual perception, such as painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and video. The script refers to the visual arts as a means of expression and communication, emphasizing their role in defining the identity of a nation and providing a mirror to society.

💡John Ruskin

John Ruskin was a prominent 19th-century British art critic and social thinker. The script quotes Ruskin to emphasize the humanizing aspect of art, suggesting that art reveals the essence of what it means to be human. This quote encapsulates the video's argument for the importance of art in education and society.

Highlights

The deep human desire to create visual art has been present for 30,000 years.

Teaching drawing is fundamentally about teaching people to observe their surroundings.

Art school education revealed the interconnectedness of history, philosophy, politics, and art.

Art is not merely about creating aesthetically pleasing images but is deeply connected to life itself.

Art education cannot be taught in the same manner as language education, as it originates from within the individual.

Art requires a unique set of skills that differ from those needed for more traditional, literate subjects.

Creativity is synonymous with critical thinking, allowing for the exploration of challenging questions.

Art provides pathways to think beyond established knowledge and conventional thinking.

In education, children should be exposed to diverse modes of thinking, with art being a crucial component.

Lack of innovation at a systemic level is directly linked to the absence of art in education.

Creativity is essential across all fields of study, including history, geography, and science.

The erosion of art in schools is detrimental to the UK's creative industry, which is a leading sector.

Art and cultural production are central to a society's identity and the understanding of its visual history.

Art serves as a mirror to society, reflecting and shaping the identity of a nation.

Art education helps individuals develop aspects of themselves that might otherwise remain unexplored.

Art education is about self-discovery and embracing the uniqueness of each individual.

Art has the unique ability to engage parts of the human experience that other disciplines cannot.

The experience of viewing a brilliant painting is unmatched in its stimulation and emotional impact.

Art should not be sidelined in education but should be a central component that enhances other subjects.

John Ruskin's quote emphasizes the human essence of art and its importance in the curriculum.

Transcripts

There's a deep desire in us to make pictures

I mean we've been drawing for 30 thousand years

The teaching of drawing is

teaching people to look.

That's what it's doing.

It was really when I was at art

school that I started to see the relationship between history, philosophy

politics and art. Prior to that I thought that art was just making pretty

pictures.

Actually, art is connected to, you know, life.

You can't teach art in the

same way you can teach French.

French exists whether whether you do it or not

but when you're doing art, the centre of doing art is in yourself.

Most of the literate subjects do not ask that of them, so this develops an

entirely different realm of skill.

Creativity is critical thinking and

without it, how are you going to really open up and ask harder questions?

And art

opens all of those kind of passages and possibilities to think beyond what we

already know.

In a child's education, the doors need to be open to other universes

other modes of thinking, and art is a non pre-described, dangerous world full of

possibility, and I think it's a vital space for children to have in their

formative years of their education.

From a top down level you don't have

innovation if you don't have art.

It's as simple of that.

It doesn't matter if

you're gonna study history or geography or science, you still need to be creative

because the people who are the outliers in those fields are the most

creative people.

To have art in schools be eroded, which is happening at the

moment, is disastrous for Britain, I think, because our best industry is the

creative industry.

Art and cultural production is at the

very centre of what makes a society what it is, and for an entire new generation

not to know what is the cultural and visual history of ourselves is kind of

denying our own identity.

Art is a reflection of the society that we are

the kind of mirror that art holds up, the way that art helps define the identity

of a nation, that you can trace that back historically, it's deeply embedded in humanity.

What art education does to people who are not going to be artists

is giving them the opportunity to build certain aspect of themselves that

otherwise will be either ignored, undeveloped or repressed.

It's all about kids finding out who they are, and they're all different.

That you can be whatever you want to be is something that art's only taught me.

It can access a part of your brain, body, spirit, mind that nothing else can.

Nothing is more stimulating, exciting, consoling than looking at a brilliant painting.

Art in schools shouldn't be sidelined, I think it should be right

there, right up in the front because I think art teaches you to deal with the

world around you. It's the oxygen that actually makes all the other subjects breathe.

There's a great quote by John Ruskin: 'Art shows us what it is to be human'

and really that's why art should be on the curriculum.