Exploring Art with Questionsby Mary Erickson

Photo Credit: Debi Johnson

By exploring art making and meaning through questions you learn how to slow

down, step back, look at, analyze, reflect on, and interpret art and your everyday visual experience.

Your investment in art inquiry will not only increase your understanding and appreciation of art, but will also give you skills to transform the ordinary visual world into a more fascinatingand meaningful place.

Photo Credit: Debi Johnson

You can use four broad questions to explore anyartwork, including

or architecture.

Where No Coyote Has Gone Before by Anne Coe

Cradle by Michael Brolly

Norman Lykes House by Frank Lloyd Wright

sculpture, painting,

You can explore any artwork by asking:

1. What Can I See?2. What Else Can I Learn?3. What Does It Mean?4. How Does It Compare?

Questions 1 & 2 seek facts.Questions 3 & 4 call for conclusions. Mayahuel by Tlisza Jaurique

You can use the same four questions to explore any object made by people, including such everyday things as cars, toys, shoes, dishes, or backpacks.

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You can also use the same four questions to help you make your own artwork, if you ask each question a little differently.

1. What Can I See? becomes How Do I Want My Artwork To Look?

2. What Else Can I Learn? becomes Where Can I Get Ideas for My Artwork?

3. What Does It Mean? becomes What Do I Want My Artwork To Say?

4. How Does It Compare? becomes What Can I Learn From Other Artworks?

Michael Brolly and Anne Coe

Art Inquiry Resources are available atMaryEricksonVentures.com

Stories of Art is a thematic, inquiry-based curriculum for grades 1-8 with online artworks and teachers’ supplement.

Art Making and Meaning is an introduction to art inquiry for secondary students and adults featuring the painting of Anne Coe and the sculpture of Michael Brolly with online teachers’ supplement.

Architecture and Environment is an inquiry-based introduction to architecture for grades 5-8 featuring the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright.

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