ERIC Number: EJ1047046
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Jul
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0004-3125
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Living Sculptures: Performance Art in the Classroom
Pembleton, Matthew; LaJevic, Lisa
Art Education, v67 n4 p40-46 Jul 2014
What does an introduction to and engagement in performance art offer K-12 students? In this article, we respond to this question by proposing a lesson inspired by the artmaking practices of the contemporary artist Erwin Wurm. Performance art can be defined as any form of work that combines the artist's body and a live-action event with or without additional media, props, or tools. Having re-emerged as a credible subject matter and medium over the past 2 decades (O'Reilly, 2009), performance art is now serving as a fundamental meaning-making practice for artists across the world. With this rising popularity, we have become interested (and anxious) about the possibilities of teaching performance art in K-12 schools. The remainder of this article introduces performance art by examining the role of the body in art education and art history (e.g., the body as a subject in art and as an artmaking medium) and attempts to understand performance art as a living bodied curriculum through an investigation of Wurm's artistic process and related art lesson ideas for the art classroom.
Descriptors: Classroom Techniques, Classroom Environment, Theater Arts, Sculpture, Lesson Plans, Teaching Methods, Educational Practices, Educational Strategies, Art Education, Art History, Movement Education, Program Descriptions, Art Activities, Elementary Secondary Education
National Art Education Association. 1916 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191. Tel: 703-860-8000; Fax: 703-860-2960; Web site: http://www.arteducators.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A