New Ways of Understanding Art

An Art Start Art Activity

Activity objective: to foster creative thinking about the different roles and functions of art.

Teacher Notes

A variation of this activity could be done by individual students using a lotus diagram. The role and function of art would be in the centre of the diagram. Students could then add different roles/functions and identify examples of each in outer squares.

Classroom Activities

Look at a range of artworks made at different times in history and in different cultures. Consider what role or function each has served for the artist(s) and for the audience(s) through time.

Identify five different roles or functions of art.

Write a short clear sentence explaining each starting with ‘Art can ................................
For each idea, select an artwork that you believe demonstrates the role or function you have identified.

Record your ideas and the artwork you selected for each in your visual diary/workbook. For each idea write a short paragraph explaining your choice of artwork.

Present each of your five ideas, with the relevant artworks, on an A4 page or a PowerPoint slide so that they can be made into a class book or presentation about the roles/functions of art
OR share the sentences written by each member of the class and use them to create a word cloud ‘about art’.

Information and Resources

Victorian Essential Learning Standards Lotus Diagram – graphic organiser
Wordle – generating word clouds