artCORE:
Inquiry-based Learning
in a Studio Foundation Art Curriculum
Dan Collins, MFA, PhD
Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
Arizona State University
The artCORE Program at ASU
The artCORE Foundation Cube
(Thanks to Think Tank 5)
The artCORE Program at ASU
The artCORE program at Arizona State University
is a comprehensive foundation in the studio arts
organized around four areas of study—2D studio,
Color, 3D studio, and Digital Media. The program
emphasizes inquiry into thematic issues, studio
skills, and methodologies.
Conceived originally as a standard “scope and
sequence” of “assignments” rooted in the elements
and principles of design, over the years the
program has evolved to feature projects driven by
“themes” and, more recently, the “methodologies”
we use in our day to day practices as artists,
designers, and scholars.
Key to fully tapping the potential of each category
is the idea of “inquiry-based teaching,” a method
that, in the words of Dr. Erickson, "puts control and
direction in the hands of the learner.”
Scaffold for Inquiry-based Education
An old adage states: "Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me
and I understand." The last part of this statement is the essence of inquiry-based
learning.
Inquiry implies active involvement on the part of the student that leads to
understanding.
The philosophy of inquiry-based learning finds its antecedents in the work of Piaget,
Dewey, Vygotsky, Freire and others.
Inquiry-based learning emphasizes a constructivist approach that is studentcentered.
Students are challenged to construct their own approaches and knowledge is built
in a step-wise fashion. However, this does not mean students are left to their own
devices.
Inquiry-based learning does not begin with statements, but with questions
posed by the teacher.
Posing questions for students to solve is a more effective method of instruction in
many areas. This allows the students to search for information and learn on their
own with the teacher providing guidance and a framework for the students’
investigations.
Well-designed inquiry-learning activities and interactions provides the level of
support that students need (for Vygotsky this would be called a “scaffold”)
What is Inquiry-based art+design Education?
In inquiry-based education, the teacher and
student work together for an outcome that is
glimpsed, but not fully articulated, at the
beginning of the journey. The process of
instruction is inductive—building empirical
evidence into plausible arguments—utilizing
the visual tool kit of the elements of art and
the principles of design to gather clues that
inform the emergent hypothesis.
Richard Siegesmund, Future Forward
volume 1, number 2 : march 2011, page 8
The artCORE Program at ASU
Studio Skills
(traditional foundation)
artCORE site map
2D
Themes
Methods
(content generators)
(research strategies)
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Body
Identity
Protest and Persuasion
Art and Technology
Border Crossing
Art for Hire
Fantasy
The Natural World
Spirit Worlds
Signs
History
Chance operations
Self-reflection
Trial and error
Working backward
Brainstorming
Collaboration
Scientific method
Re-photography
Ethnographic fieldwork
Cultural inventory
Pattern language
Feng shui
Semiotic analysis
Phenomenology
Concept mapping
Photo elicitation
Participatory Action
Relational aesthetics
Color
3D
IDM / 4D
• Frame
• Marks
• Unity
• Figure / Ground
• Scale
• Pattern
• Compositional Strategies
• Time
• Depth / Perspective
----------------------------• Subjective
• Symbolic
• Additive
• Substractive
• Color Schemes
• Local / Reflected
• Albers
• Depth Cues
• Composing with Color
• Color and Media
----------------------------• From 2D to 3D
• Relief
• Space
• Mass
• Scale and Context
• Modularity
• Structure
• Dynamics
----------------------------• Images (raster)
• Type (vector)
• Sound
• Video
• Animation
• Web Authoring
Inquiry focused on Themes
The “thematic inquiry” approach at the heart of
the artCORE curriculum provides content and
focus to the sequence of units found in each of
the Studios. Every theme page in the artCORE
website includes a relevant quotation, a
discussion that develops the ideas of the theme, a
series of inquiry questions, related artCore
projects, a list of relevant artists and cultural
works, and recommended reading.
According to Dr. Mary Erickson, professor of Art
Education at Arizona State University, themes
help learners to integrate their understanding by:
• connecting a learner's prior experience
with new ideas and experiences.
• connecting art making and art history
lessons.
• connecting artworks from very different
cultures.
• connecting ideas in art with ideas in other
areas of the curriculum.
Inquiry Themes
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Body
Identity
Protest and Persuasion
Art and Technology
Border Crossing
Art for Hire
Fantasy
The Natural World
Spirit Worlds
Signs
History
Inquiry focused on Themes
Inquiry focused on Themes (viz., Fantasy and Surrealism)
Studio Skills
Inquiry focused on Studio Skills
2D
The artCORE program is the only time that many
students will be exposed to a real variety of
materials, physical processes, and techniques in
their University experience. The ability to engage
tangible, body centered processes is essential to
the full appreciation of works of art—regardless of
media. Emphasizing hands-on experiences, the
artCORE program fosters basic studio techniques
and an introduction to a range of professional
studio orientations. Training in powers of
observation, basic drawing, facility with a range of
art materials and digital media, an introduction to
the elements and principles of design, and the
control and self-confidence that comes with
practice is found in every class.
Color
3D
IDM / 4D
• Frame
• Marks
• Unity
• Figure / Ground
• Scale
• Pattern
• Compositional
Strategies
• Time
• Depth / Perspective
----------------------------• Subjective
• Symbolic
• Additive
• Substractive
• Color Schemes
• Local / Reflected
• Albers
• Depth Cues
• Composing with Color
• Color and Media
----------------------------• From 2D to 3D
• Relief
• Space
• Mass
• Scale and Context
• Modularity
• Structure
• Dynamics
----------------------------• Images (raster)
• Type (vector)
• Sound
• Video
• Animation
• Web Authoring
Inquiry focused on Studio Skills
Inquiry focused on Methodology
Running in parallel with regular studio
assignments is a track we call
“methodological inquiry” or simply
“methods.” Various research methodologies
are highlighted in lectures and class
discussions, then subsequently applied by
students in the context of various projects.
It is important to distinguish "methods" from
“studio skills or processes." Methodology in
the context of teaching, learning about, and
creating art focuses on the deeper
heuristics—that is, the strategies for
problem solving and exploration—that
inform or guide a creative process.
Inquiry Methods
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chance operations (e.g., automatic writing)
self-reflection
trial and error
working backward
brainstorming
collaboration and/or cooperative learning
scientific method
visual measurement (“re-photography”)
ethnographic fieldwork
cultural inventory
pattern language
pattern recognition
feng shui
semiotic analysis
phenomenology
action research
concept and mind mapping
photo and graphic elicitation
relational aesthetics
Sample Inquiry-based project showing multiple objectives:
studio skills —structural design; a theme—fantasy; and a method—collaboration
TA generated inquiry-based project showing multiple objectives:
studio skills —3D wire sculpture; a theme—body; and a method—relational aesthetics
TA generated Inquiry-based project showing multiple objectives:
studio skills —3D wire sculpture; a theme—body; and a method—relational aesthetics
Questions for Frida, Max, and George
(Inquiry questions into Themes, Skills, and Methods)
Alternatively, we can use the artCORE cube to
as a scaffold for investigating actual artworks
and artists.
Whether we are talking about Themes, Studio
Skills, or Methodologies, we can posit leading
questions that help us to stimulate discussion,
focus studio investigations, and clarify creative
outcomes.
What follows is a series of fictional interviews
with famous artists…each structured around
one of the inquiry categories.
Frida Kahlo
The Two Fridas
Oil on Canvas, 170 x 170 cm
1939
Inquiry focused on Themes
Inquiry focused on Themes (viz., Identity)
Questions for Frida…
(Inquiry questions for the theme of Identity)
How do you identify yourself? How does your partner or other members of your
group identify themselves? Is it possible to move beyond stereotypes?
My awareness of myself as a mestiza is central to understanding my work. Many of
my works deal with this dialectic between my European and indigenous Mexican
identities. My father was a German-Jew who changed his name from Carl Wilhelm
Kahl to Guillermo Kahlo when he immigrated to Mexico. My mother, Matilda, was
of Indian and Spanish ancestry. This multicultural background is illustrated by my
1939 painting, The Two Fridas, with the Frida on the left wearing a white lace dress
of the European tradition while the one on the right wears the traditional local dress
of Tehuana.
How does society at large identify you?
As a student I was known as a member of 'Las Cachuchas' ('The Caps'), a Marxist
group dedicated to addressing society’s inequities. I was in and out of favor with
the Communist party throughout my life. Later, when I became known for my
paintings, they thought I was a Surrealist, but I wasn't. I never painted dreams. I
painted my own reality. I have always been misunderstood.
How do other societies or cultures or groups identify their members?
It is not my business.
What elements can artists use to express their own identity in a work of art?
The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes
through my head without any other consideration. It is true that I am influenced by
indigenous Mexican culture, which is apparent in my use of bright colors. I am
attracted to dramatic symbolism from both Christian and Jewish traditions.
George Seurat, Self-Portrait
Conté crayon on Michallet paper
1880s
Questions for George…
(Inquiry questions for Studio Skills)
• What range of visual qualities can you produce in this medium? with this tool?
I obtain infinite nuances of half-shades thanks to the textured weave of the support—a heavy paper
made by Michallet—and the range of blacks possible with Conté crayon.
• Will a traditional or non-traditional use of the medium best achieve your goals?
Contrary to classical tradition, my drawings are more like paintings. I am also very influenced by
photography. So my technique is “non-traditional” in at least two ways.
• What visual phenomena might you carefully observe to prepare yourself and check yourself as you
work?
Of course, light is everything. I call the associations of light and dark “irradiation”.
• What principle/s of design will best reinforce the goal of your work?
I use asymmetrical balance and strong figure / ground relationships.
• What element/s of design will best reinforce the goal of your work?
Rather than approaching drawing as line, I prefer to blacken more or less entire areas of the page. The
line no longer outlines the shape. I think in terms of tonal values.
• How has your control and confidence improved as you work in this medium? What needs to improve
with practice or more experience?
I am an artist who has challenged my academic training and established my own style, leading (some
have said) directly to abstraction. I am constantly looking for ways to simplify the image.
Max Ernst, The Eye of Silence, 1943-44, Oil on canvas
Questions for Max…
(Inquiry questions for the
Method of Chance Operations)
Which methodology that we discussed in class did you use in your process?
Chance operations. More particularly, I used a variety of methods I invented including frottage,
grattage, decalcomania.
Given the quality of your final work, how would you rate the success of the methodology you used?
“Success” in this case is measured by the degree to which the method allows me to suspend my own
“conscious” decision making processes. I can report that the methodology was very successful.
Do you think you will use this strategy again?
Until it becomes a formula in which I can predict outcomes.
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Conclusion
We are witnessing a dynamic shift in foundation teaching from a discipline-specific orientation (which
stresses the “elements and principles” and “art for art’s sake” perspectives) to broad-based
interdisciplinary approaches.
Many arts educators agree that grounding in the history of visual culture and developing a capacity for
critical thinking are essential.
There is strong consensus regarding the importance of acknowledging diverse identities and
embracing multiple points of view.
There is wide-spread discussion centered on the importance of inquiry, the necessity of thoughtful
risk-taking, and the need for students to trade short term effects for long range goals.
There is an awareness that our increasingly networked and interconnected lives demand artists and
educators who can help to clarify and perhaps even shape our increasingly complicated lives. How
can curricula still tied to 19th century notions of arts education deal effectively with the challenges of
the 21st? It is essential to challenge our students to think beyond traditional boundaries and give them
not only the technical skills and formal principles for success in the conventional sense, but the
capacity for critical reflection and the tools for meaningful problem solving.
artCORE:
Inquiry-based Learning
in a Studio Foundation Art Curriculum
Dan Collins, MFA, PhD
Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
Professor, Core Coordinator, School of Art
PO Box 871505
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287-1505
dan.collins@asu.edu
Helen Frankenthaler
Mountains and Sea
Oil on Canvas, 84 in. x 120 in.
1952
Questions for Helen…
(Inquiry questions for Studio Skills)
• What range of visual qualities can you produce in this medium? with this tool?
All my life, I have been drawn to water and translucency. I love the water; I love to swim, to
watch changing seascapes. One of my favorite childhood games was to fill a sink with water
and punt nail polish into to see what happened when the colors burst up the surface,
merging into each other as floating, changing shapes.
Will a traditional or non-traditional use of the medium best achieve your goals?
I don’t start with a color order but find the color as I go. I’d rather risk an ugly surprise then
rely on things I know I can do.
• What visual phenomena might you carefully observe to prepare yourself and check
yourself as you work?
I sift through every inch of what it was that worked, or if it didn't, and wonder what was
effective in it, in terms of paint, the subject matter, the size, the drawing.
• What principle/s or elements of design will best reinforce the goal of your work?
There are no rules. That is how art is born, how breakthroughs happen. Go against the
rules or ignore the rules. That is what invention is about.
• How has your control and confidence improved as you work in this medium? What needs
to improve with practice or more experience?
A really good picture looks as if it's happened at once. It's an immediate image… I think very
often it takes ten of those over-labored efforts to produce one really beautiful wrist motion
that is synchronized with your head and heart, and you have it, and therefore it looks as if it
were born in a minute
Robert Arneson
California Artist
Glazed Ceramic
1982
Questions for Bob…
(Inquiry questions for the Theme of Identity)
How do you identify yourself? How does your partner or other members of your group
identify themselves? Is it possible to move beyond stereotypes?
I’m probably a stereotype myself by now. It’s hard to evolve when you’re dead. But I
maintain that ceramics—taken out of context—is just a fascinating hobby. It’s not the
clay, per se. I am drawn to artists who use their art to examine their own shit.
How does society at large identify you?
I think my life and art pretty much defined what it meant to be a “funky west coast
California artist” from the middle 60s until the early 90s when the cancer got me.
Now I’m just another DWM (dead white male).
How do other societies or cultures or groups identify their members?
It is all written in the mud.
What elements can artists use to express their own identity in a work of art?
I use the stuff I find around me. Plus I’m always going to shows and looking at art
history books—especially the history of ceramics. But mostly I use my life and the
people I respect and love as props.
How can you use, replicate, combine, or transform these elements in your own artwork to
generate meaningful visual statements?
I want to make high art that is funny, outrageous and also reveals the human
condition, which is not always high.