Art 310

Background

The main idea I explored through my concept map, was art as experience. I thought about how contemporary artists use history, memory, and process to create work that people don’t just look at, but actually feel and carry with them. Across all three artists I researched; Candice Lin, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, and Ragnar Kjartansson—there was a really strong connection between the past and present, and a focus on transformation through the process of making. My concept map was centered on “Art & Experience,” with different branches going out into themes like history and memory, layered meanings, immersive installations, and imagination and play. Even though their work looks really different from each other, they are all kind of asking similar questions about how art can hold memory, identity, and lived experience.

Candice Lin’s installation work, especially Hard White Body (2017) and Sleep, Rot, Rest, Weep (2021), explores historical narratives through organic materials and immersive environments (Lin, 2017; Lin, 2021). What I appreciated most was that her work really focuses on how materials and process can carry meaning and also change over time. Right now, there are some questions in the state as to how we can measure student outcomes and success from year to year, and have a way to measure gorwth; through studying Candice, I believe for my curriculum, that diamond I mine, is all in the process. Njideka Akunyili Crosby also pulls from history, but in a different way, through layered paintings that combine personal and cultural imagery. Her artwork blends Nigerian and Western influences (Crosby, 2016). Her work shows how identity is shaped through everyday experiences and visual culture. Ragnar Kjartansson approaches these same kinds of ideas through performance, using repetition, play, and imagination to explore emotion and identity over time (Kjartansson, 2012). Across all three artists, the idea of process stood out the most—art isn’t just about the final product, but something that evolves and shifts and creates meaning through the experience itself.

Part Two: Engagement Experience

To engage more directly with these ideas, I chose to spend time reflecting on a student art show that will be happening in May, and thinking about how students naturally engage with process, identity, and storytelling in their work. Even though the show hasn’t happened yet, I started paying closer attention to student work in progress and the choices they’re already making. They are already becoming more comfortable with layering materials and experimenting with different approaches. I think what is also helping is that I decided to take this journey with them. I am trying things in class right along with them, and admitting that it’s not my strong suit. I think there’s power in letting students know that we, too, as adults, can be intimidated or unsure of something, but it’s all about how you show up to overcome. My hope it that they learn that instead of looking at their work through a typical “finished product” lens, to view it more from a standpoint of meaning, process, and experience.

What stood out to me the most is how naturally students seem to take risks and not always achieve a clear or polished end result. It made me realize that a lot of the fear I have around contemporary practices, like installation or more conceptual work, is something students don’t really have yet—they’re still open to just trying things. This connects directly back to the artists I researched, having that layer of process and experimentation. It definitely is pushing me to make more time during projects to be more involved with my students. I am always telling them that it’s important to put their own identity into their work and experiment with multiple media. I definitely think I can support that kind of openness in my classroom, and plan to.

Part Three: Response in My Practice

Building off of my research and the ideas from my concept map, I would design a lesson plan centered around “art as experience,” where students explore how their personal histories, everyday moments, and imagination can be turned into more layered and process-based artwork. The lesson would also connect to the upcoming student art show in May. This gives students the chance to create work that isn’t just visually strong, but also immersive. Students would look at artists like Candice Lin, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, and Ragnar Kjartansson for inspiration, while experimenting with layering, personal imagery, and more open-ended ways of making. Since I already know I have some fear around this kind of work, this feels like a good opportunity for growth, not just for my students but for me too. My goal would be to support them in creating work that feels personal and layered and meaningful, while also allowing space for uncertainty, experimentation, and process to matter just as much as the final piece.