ARE 6049: History of Art Education
Learning about Lowenfeld“If it were possible for children to develop without any interface from the outside world, no special stimulation for their creative work would be necessary.” (7)
Relevant Historical Information:
Victor Lowenfeld lived from 1903-1960. He was born and educated in Austria. He fled Europe when the Nazi’s started to gain control in 1938. World War II took place from 1939-1945. He became professor of art education at Pennsylvania University in 1946 as published his book Creative and Mental Growth in 1947 when the United States was recovering form the war.
Publication:
Creative and Mental Growth written by Victor Lowenfeld and W. Lambert Brittain
1. The Importance of Art for Education
2. Understanding Growth and Development
3. The Development of Creativity
4. The Development of Aesthetic Awareness
5. Art in the Elementary School
6. The Beginnings of Self-expression
7. First Representational Attemps
8. The Achievement of a Form Concept
9. The Dawning Realis
10. Art in the Secondary School
11. Age of Reasoning
12. The Period of Decision
Beliefs:
Lowenfeld believed art education was important because it provided self-direction, a relationship between artist and environment as well as a means for expression. He valued creative expression because of its goal of expression of ones self.
He understood growth and development through his developmental stages in art: scribbling stage, preschematic stage, schematic stage, drawing realism, and pseudo-naturalistic.
Lowenfeld believed that everyone is born creative and in the importance of creativity as something accomplished in a person not as a phenomenon. He suggests that the most important time to encourage creativity is the time formal schooling begins. He states that the connection between art and creativity is strong but an attempt must be made to make sure that the art experience is a creative one.
Lowenfeld believed in a strong connection between creative and aesthetic growth. He talks about the importance of art appreciation and the use of elements and principles of design. He believes that aesthetic awareness comes from within a child and that the teacher should never force beliefs on a student.
Contributions:
Developmental Stages in Art:
Scribbling Stage: (two-four years) Within this stage there are three main groups disordered scribbling, controlled scribbling, and naming of scribbling. Disordered scribbling are random marks there is no order or direction simply the swinging of the arm back in forth. These marks are not an attempt to portray anything realistically they are simply marks made for enjoyment. Controlled scribbling is the stage where children begin to realize they are making the marks and they have some control over the direction of the marks. This is an exciting stage where children like to make lots of marks and fill the page. Naming of scribbling is the stage where children begin to attach a name to the scribbles. The marks have not changed much from the previous stage but this is one of imaginative thinking. Lowenfeld suggests that during these stages there is little importance in use of color. This stage requires little motivation and with the proper materials adults should not interfere with the creative process.
Preschematic Stage: (four-seven years) During this stage children begin to draw objects. These objects are typically people or represent themselves and float around the page disconnected from each other. There is no size relationship between object and proportions are often disregarded. The child’s drawings start with the formation of the head and then legs sprout out downward. From this original figure the child will add feet, hands, fingers, toes, etc. During this stage there has not yet formed a schema so the figures change from day to day developing new parts and movements. Similar to the scribbling stage color does not hold significant importance to the artwork. The use of color can be exciting and children may prefer some colors to others but they use them at random.
“Inspection will show that children conceive of space as what is around them.” (229)
Schematic Stage: (seven-nine years) This stage develops from the free forms of the preschematic stage. The child discovers a pleasing way to portray something and after multiple repetitions this becomes a schema. The schema does not change unless something meaningful happens to change the child’s ideas. Schemas are individual to each child although they sometimes share common things. One of the most recognizable schemas is the human schema. During this stage a child might draw the whole family all looking the same or adjust the size relationship. The child begins to understand space during this stage and the base line begins to appear in the drawings and even x-ray drawings are used. Color becomes a conscience choice during this stage as children develop color relationships.
Drawing Realism or The Gang Age: (nine-twelve years) This is a stage of independence where relationships with peers take on a new importance. Gang refers simply to a group of typically same sex children. During this stage the child grows in an increasing awareness of the world around them. Realism refers to this awareness and self-consciousness of what is real not a realistic depiction of something. During this stage the child realizes that the schema they create is not enough and they begin adding details to their figures. But the facial feature will stay in the schema longer. Children become very critical of themselves and their peers during this stage. The development of the baseline in the previous stage grows into the use of multiple planes. Children realize that color had properties and they loosen the color relationships that had formed in the previous stage.
Pseudo-Naturalistic Stage: (twelve-fourteen years) This is a time of physical and social change. Art is no longer spontaneous and anything created is viewed critically. During this stage there is a greater importance on naturalism specifically the human figure. This includes the drawing of folds on clothing or joints within the body. During this stage the student moves from 2-D into 3-D space showing how building for examples might get smaller as they recede in space. Not much was said about color other then the emotional connection between colors us strong during this stage and teaching of color theory play a little role in the individuals color development.
“Art is not merely the representation of objects, but rather is the reaction to and expression of concepts of those objects. (313)”
What is Worth Remembering?
1. Lowenfelds developmental stages in art: scribbling stage, preschematic stage, schematic stage, drawing realism, and pseudo-naturalistic.
2. As well as his deep desire to have art instruction be rich with opportunities for creativity and growth.
Questions/Concerns:
The main problem I found is that all of his information is formulated around drawing and does not encompass a variety of art forms.
While talking about the Gang Age Lowenfeld claims, “there is no place in the elementary school for teaching of color theories by means of color wheels or other such aids. Such teaching only disturbs spontaneity and makes children insecure in their own developing sense of color.” (312) My question is with increase standards that need to be met how can a curriculum focus on creativity as Lowenfeld suggests. How can we assess this kind of student learning on a standardized test?
Relevant Historical Information:
Victor Lowenfeld lived from 1903-1960. He was born and educated in Austria. He fled Europe when the Nazi’s started to gain control in 1938. World War II took place from 1939-1945. He became professor of art education at Pennsylvania University in 1946 as published his book Creative and Mental Growth in 1947 when the United States was recovering form the war.
Publication:
Creative and Mental Growth written by Victor Lowenfeld and W. Lambert Brittain
1. The Importance of Art for Education
2. Understanding Growth and Development
3. The Development of Creativity
4. The Development of Aesthetic Awareness
5. Art in the Elementary School
6. The Beginnings of Self-expression
7. First Representational Attemps
8. The Achievement of a Form Concept
9. The Dawning Realis
10. Art in the Secondary School
11. Age of Reasoning
12. The Period of Decision
Beliefs:
Lowenfeld believed art education was important because it provided self-direction, a relationship between artist and environment as well as a means for expression. He valued creative expression because of its goal of expression of ones self.
He understood growth and development through his developmental stages in art: scribbling stage, preschematic stage, schematic stage, drawing realism, and pseudo-naturalistic.
Lowenfeld believed that everyone is born creative and in the importance of creativity as something accomplished in a person not as a phenomenon. He suggests that the most important time to encourage creativity is the time formal schooling begins. He states that the connection between art and creativity is strong but an attempt must be made to make sure that the art experience is a creative one.
Lowenfeld believed in a strong connection between creative and aesthetic growth. He talks about the importance of art appreciation and the use of elements and principles of design. He believes that aesthetic awareness comes from within a child and that the teacher should never force beliefs on a student.
Contributions:
Developmental Stages in Art:
Scribbling Stage: (two-four years) Within this stage there are three main groups disordered scribbling, controlled scribbling, and naming of scribbling. Disordered scribbling are random marks there is no order or direction simply the swinging of the arm back in forth. These marks are not an attempt to portray anything realistically they are simply marks made for enjoyment. Controlled scribbling is the stage where children begin to realize they are making the marks and they have some control over the direction of the marks. This is an exciting stage where children like to make lots of marks and fill the page. Naming of scribbling is the stage where children begin to attach a name to the scribbles. The marks have not changed much from the previous stage but this is one of imaginative thinking. Lowenfeld suggests that during these stages there is little importance in use of color. This stage requires little motivation and with the proper materials adults should not interfere with the creative process.
Preschematic Stage: (four-seven years) During this stage children begin to draw objects. These objects are typically people or represent themselves and float around the page disconnected from each other. There is no size relationship between object and proportions are often disregarded. The child’s drawings start with the formation of the head and then legs sprout out downward. From this original figure the child will add feet, hands, fingers, toes, etc. During this stage there has not yet formed a schema so the figures change from day to day developing new parts and movements. Similar to the scribbling stage color does not hold significant importance to the artwork. The use of color can be exciting and children may prefer some colors to others but they use them at random.
“Inspection will show that children conceive of space as what is around them.” (229)
Schematic Stage: (seven-nine years) This stage develops from the free forms of the preschematic stage. The child discovers a pleasing way to portray something and after multiple repetitions this becomes a schema. The schema does not change unless something meaningful happens to change the child’s ideas. Schemas are individual to each child although they sometimes share common things. One of the most recognizable schemas is the human schema. During this stage a child might draw the whole family all looking the same or adjust the size relationship. The child begins to understand space during this stage and the base line begins to appear in the drawings and even x-ray drawings are used. Color becomes a conscience choice during this stage as children develop color relationships.
Drawing Realism or The Gang Age: (nine-twelve years) This is a stage of independence where relationships with peers take on a new importance. Gang refers simply to a group of typically same sex children. During this stage the child grows in an increasing awareness of the world around them. Realism refers to this awareness and self-consciousness of what is real not a realistic depiction of something. During this stage the child realizes that the schema they create is not enough and they begin adding details to their figures. But the facial feature will stay in the schema longer. Children become very critical of themselves and their peers during this stage. The development of the baseline in the previous stage grows into the use of multiple planes. Children realize that color had properties and they loosen the color relationships that had formed in the previous stage.
Pseudo-Naturalistic Stage: (twelve-fourteen years) This is a time of physical and social change. Art is no longer spontaneous and anything created is viewed critically. During this stage there is a greater importance on naturalism specifically the human figure. This includes the drawing of folds on clothing or joints within the body. During this stage the student moves from 2-D into 3-D space showing how building for examples might get smaller as they recede in space. Not much was said about color other then the emotional connection between colors us strong during this stage and teaching of color theory play a little role in the individuals color development.
“Art is not merely the representation of objects, but rather is the reaction to and expression of concepts of those objects. (313)”
What is Worth Remembering?
1. Lowenfelds developmental stages in art: scribbling stage, preschematic stage, schematic stage, drawing realism, and pseudo-naturalistic.
2. As well as his deep desire to have art instruction be rich with opportunities for creativity and growth.
Questions/Concerns:
The main problem I found is that all of his information is formulated around drawing and does not encompass a variety of art forms.
While talking about the Gang Age Lowenfeld claims, “there is no place in the elementary school for teaching of color theories by means of color wheels or other such aids. Such teaching only disturbs spontaneity and makes children insecure in their own developing sense of color.” (312) My question is with increase standards that need to be met how can a curriculum focus on creativity as Lowenfeld suggests. How can we assess this kind of student learning on a standardized test?
