Responding to Visual Arts

Responding to the arts is an interactive process. Students bring their own varied perspectives and associations, including their unique cultural and personal backgrounds, to a presentation. Because of this, an atmosphere of trust and respect must be established. A safe and nurturing environment allows students to feel comfortable about expressing their personal opinions, knowing that their unique perspectives will be represented and will enhance other students' response experiences.

In providing opportunities for students to respond to visual arts presentations, teachers should consider and encourage a variety of aesthetic responses, including:

• emotions--feelings evoked by the presentation
• associations--with previous personal, social, and cultural experiences
• intellect--analysis and interpretation

The suggestions listed in the Responding to Visual Arts chart can help teachers to structure formal response activities. These steps may be combined or rearranged as appropriate to each situation (e.g., students responding to their own work, to the work of their peers, or to professional presentations). Note that it is entirely appropriate for students to respond intuitively to a work without always having to provide an analytical qualification.

Responding to Visual Arts

	Preparation--establish the focus for listening to the work. 
	First impression--encourage students to respond spontaneously (no "wrong" answers).
	Description--ask students to describe what they saw.
	Analysis of content and effect--encourage students to: examine how the components (e.g., elements, principles) worked together to achieve certain effects identify evidence of particular cultures, styles, or time periods represented in the work use appropriate vocabulary to describe elements, form, and design consider the expectations for the given context (e.g., Is this a final production or a work-in-progress? Student or professional? Original or print?
	Interpretation--encourage students to: reflect on and discuss what the work means to each of them analyse how their responses are influenced by their own experiences and perceptions of the world
	Background information--provide opportunities for students to learn about the artist and the historical and cultural context in which the work was created and presented. This might include: the origin of the artwork the purpose of the work (e.g., social, ritual, ceremonial, celebratory, occupational) the physical and political geography of the artist's country of origin the beliefs and customs of the culture or society any historical events that might have influenced the work the symbolism used
	Informed judgment--ask students to consider their first impressions and whether or not their initial opinions have changed as a result of discussions, research, and reflection.

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