Emily Bakken

9/20/17
ART 133
Professor Ward

Unit Paper 2

In recent decades, power and visual culture have become more and more intertwined.

Technically speaking, connotations and denotations are two ways that students are able to

interpret visual images. Connotation is the message behind the work of art while denotation is

what is actually shown in the visual artwork. One important thing to remember is that the

schema of denotations and connotations can be taught to students of all ages who can apply

them to all images with and without text. (Barrett, 2003, p. 3). When looking at the Big Idea of

power, students can talk either about the meaning of power in the work (connotation) or the

meaning of powerful items in the imagery (denotation). Power is and has always been a common

topic when it comes to politics, education, and the classroom. More and more educators have

made steps to bring politics and social issues into the classroom, bringing the theme of power

into their lessons. The proposal of educat[ing] children and young people according to a social

and political agenda based on concepts such as democracy, power, oppression, global capitalism,

liberation, and justice, (Al Hurwitz, Michael Day, 2007, p. 80) has continued to grow

throughout the years. More and more teachers have taken steps to bring the outside world into

the classroom and to teach about such concepts as power to younger generations.

Looking at a 21st century classroom, its important to bring the big idea of power to the

front and center of the curriculum. Power plays a role in everything that we do in todays society.

It could be power over a younger sibling, the power of the media, or even deeper ideas like
power over an entire gender or race. Using Visual Culture Art Education, a way to bring social

and political ideas into the classroom, allows for more discussion between the students. Using art

pieces to talk about what is happening in todays society compared to when the art was created

allows the student to connect art, politics, and history in new and meaningful ways. This type of

learning can be useful to older students, but should be used conservatively when it comes to

younger children. Applied Art and Their Art is another approach that is useful in the

classroom, as it allows students to discover more about the artists and their personal history. It

also means that a wide variety of works, from animation to interior design, could be examined.

From a future teachers perspective, Applied Art is a good alternative to Visual Culture Art

Education, as it brings together art, history, and more without the controversies of political

conversations that might be too much for younger children in the classroom. As someone who is

a student of history, both Applied Art and Visual Culture art education appeal to me because of

their ability to combine art and history in todays classroom.

 References

Barrett, T. (2003). Interpreting visual culture. Art Education, 56(2), 6-12.

Hurwitz, A. & Day, M. (2007). Children and their art: Methods for the elementary school, (8th

ed.). Thompson Wadsworth.