Title: Alternative Display
1Alternative Display
- The potential of unique surface choices in the
exhibition of childrens art. - George Fisher/VREC
2My own ideas have been changed.
- In my own work, it is the act of creating art
that is important, and after the piece of art has
been made it ceases to have much relevance. Yes,
the art-making process itself is cathartic. It
brings relief in the form of en-masse release of
pent-up creative impulses. - But, I am also a teacher, so display methods for
the students work have been pushed to the fore of
my considerations.
3- Ive long been weary of the black frame, white
mat, centered at 60 inches, each work equidistant
from the other way of hanging a show that I
learned as an art student. - Kids have the ability to think in new ways
unrelated to our formal ideas about gallery
display. Childrens ideas about display can be
more fertile than established display norms.
They generally look away from convention, and
have outsiders unfettered perspectives on forms
of display. -
4Dirty Car Art GalleryScott Wade,
2006http//www.dirtycarart.com/gallery/index.htm
5More of Scott Wades workhttp//www.dirtycarart
.com/gallery/index.htm
6- Student Involvement
- If the students have a hand in the mounting of
and the display of work, they will take
ownership of it. Even if there are limited
possibilities for standard locations regarding
displays outside the art room, it should be our
duty to at least give students some choices.
Their decisions can be arrived at democratically,
by voting. -
7- Places of Display The kids want to have
something on their doors, and most parents will
let them decorate the door to their room. Will
we? Perhaps we should consider decorated doors as
door canvases, on which souvenirs from fast-food
restaurants, family photos, and concert ticket
stubs are playfully arrangedthe door is
constantly worked on its messages to the family
keep changing (Szekely, 2001, p. 21). The
privilege of decorating the art room door should
at times be awarded to the students.
8Toronto TransitThis collection of drawings,
entitled ?Tricked Out TTC was created by
students from Oasis Alternative Secondary School
and West End Alternative Secondary School. An
exhibit featuring images of an advertising-free
TTC is on display from today until Sunday at
XPACE Gallery at 303 Augusta Ave. in Kensington
Market.A possible door displayhttp//transit.to
ronto.on.ca/archives/data/200601050100.shtml
9Other Places
- Walls - provide the most space
- Windows - sills and the panes themselves are good
for translucent and transparent objects because
of sunlight - Ceilings - things can be hung from tile dividers
and/or netting can be installed to hold things.
Tiles can be painted. - Floor - has a lot of unexplored possibilities,
can be painted upon if okayed by administration,
can be roped off to make the space for kids
only - Trees - are custom made for hanging items from
- Columns - have similar outcomes in comparison
with displays in trees - Fences - Can be viewed as a less static wall
space - Abandoned buildings - with restrictions
- Sidewalks and streets - similar to floors, but as
with all outdoor display, items on display should
either be disposable or weatherproof
10Heidelberg Project, Animals Hung in
Treehttp//images.google.com/imgres?imgurlhttp
//www.heimat-erde.de/extrem/detroit/bilder/hdkermi
ttree.jpgimgrefurlhttp//www.heimat-erde.de/extr
em/detroit/exdetroit_h01.htmh300w443sz18hl
enstart47um1tbnid9RJTa_hRAh9fNMtbnh86tbn
w127prev/images3Fq3DHeidelberg2BProject26st
art3D4026ndsp3D2026svnum3D1026um3D126hl3D
en26safe3Dstrict26client3Dsafari26rls3Den26
sa3DN
11Lets not forget furniture!
- http//www.murals4u.com/furniture1.html
12-
- Furniture
- All kinds of furniture can be utilized for
display, including t.v.s, bookshelves, cabinets,
and on and on. Boxes and crates also can figure
prominently in the display of items. Sometimes
kids will create a scenario for a pet.
Envision a hamster with a display of figurines
and toys grouped around his cage. This is a way
of arranging dominant themes organized as
artworks around the personal concerns of the
artist (Szekely, 2001, p. 23). -
13- Carry-around displays
- Some displays can be deemed portable made to
travel easily from one place to another. Hot
Wheels cases or some of the Barbie cases come to
mind. Children could make portable display cases
without much difficulty. Cardboard or wood or
even a transformed found box can fill the bill.
They could become the Cornell Boxes of the 21st
century.
14- Postmodernism? Yes!
- Are these groupings that children indulge in
to be defined as art? It is for the same reason
that maybe Duchamp figures to be more influential
than other of his contemporaries (subjectively)?
Ready-mades from mass production make it easy for
us to collect, hence the popularity of the
figurines and trinkets we collect these days.
Yes, its true that a lot of stuff the kids will
display is mass-produced. They all have a lot of
the same stuff, but its in their arrangements of
the items that elevates their displays to
original art levels (Szeleky,2001). Lets just
call each display of different items a combine
a la Raushenberg. And remember, were supposed
to have an inclusive total view of all art, not
just the black frame/white mat kind.
15Unique Exhibitions
- Maryland Newsline, Mural Fever
- http//www.newsline.umd.edu/etcetera/murals/muralp
age1.htm
16More Heidelberg Project Work
17Heidelberg Project, established by Tyree Guyton,
1986, Detroit, MIAll at http//www.agilitynut.com
/h/heidelberg.html
18recycled buseshttp//detroityes.com/art/16heidel
berg5.htmThe city (Detroit)declared the
Heidelberg project an eyesore, and dismantled
part of it in 1999. It had been conceived by
Tyree Guyton, and consisted of found objects
strategically placed around both occupied and
abandoned buildings. Some objects were hung
in/adhered to trees. The buildings and other
parts of the scenery were painted in a mostly
polka-dotted motif.
19http//www.thisnext.com/media/230x230/More-Art-for
-the-Floor-kewl_813DC71F.jpgCarpet can sometimes
be floor art.
20Floor lightshowhttp//cache.viewimages.com/xc/52
446027.jpg?v1cViewImagesk2d17A4AD9FDB9CF193
CC300C081D9F47009A389AB24635D626647233FC966B2051A5
5A1E4F32AD3138
21- Proposed Plans
- The children will be asked how they wish to
mount their work for display. They will be given
the chance to do the mounting themselves with my
assistance as needed. The students can try a
display area besides the usual bulletin boards
and hallway walls. This display area will be on
the floor. It will be roped off and no adults
will be allowed to enter (besides me). The
display will consist of school-approved items the
students bring from home or make at school. - It is important for us to give children a
chance to display on as many different surfaces
as possible. With limited space for display at
our school, it is probably pragmatic to attempt
some outdoor displays in trees or woods, and
possibly on fences too.
22- Scheduling
- To organize such displays, a rotating curation
schedule should be created. A day during a class
period could be assigned to the student curator
in which with the help of a student assistant and
the teacher (if needed), the curator could set up
the display. The display could stay up two weeks
before another student gets a chance to curate.
If there is more than one possible display
location, then even more students can immediately
become involved. - What do kids have to say?
- As educators, we need to know what kids are
interested in what makes them tick. If we
provide a forum and sufficient freedom for their
ideas to find expression, we will gain knowledge
about their ideas and the interests they have.
23- Childrens immediate interests
- If the connection to our students is to be a
strong, fundamental one, we need to stay abreast
of their customs and interests. To a child, the
past and future do not have quite the value that
right now does. This immediacy is of greatest
value to a child because he/she has the need to
develop foresight. Our listening and recognition
needs to be directed to them. Lets give them a
chance by letting girls and boys create art
displays.
24References
- Szekely, G., (author), Dalton, R., Zuk, B.
(Eds.) (2001). Student Art Exhibitions - New
Ideas and Approaches. Reston, VA. The National
Art Education Association. -
- More books and writings by George Szekely at
FindArticles - Szekely Articles