Roché
Rabie
The IB Introduction to the Visual Arts makes many claims about artists and their behaviours many of which counter ones made by artists such as John Carey and James Elkins about how art benefits us and if art can be taught.
Text Analysis
The IB Introduction to Visual Arts states that:
The statement creates the impression that students will be inspired by art thus pushing them to inform themselves of the "expressive and aesthetic diversity in the world around them". However John Carey believes that by stating that art inspires one to make actions reduces art to an "ecstasy pill or bottle of plonk." Becoming consumers of visual art can imply that students are meant to soak up as much art as possible and be somewhat like a sponge, instead of a filter, that can sort through the millions of pieces of art poured into it and find the pieces that stand out to them. In my opinion this statement from the IB makes students seem as though through the two years they will have to collect as many art pieces as possible, try to be influenced by them and spit out as many pieces as possible before the two years are over.
Art Historian, James Elkins, believes that one cannot teach art. While one can teach art techniques one cannot teach how to interpret art or what art is as this is an ever changing concept. The IB states that:
The "artistic bias" mentioned in this exert cannot be taught in the course and in my opinion cannot necessarily give us "an understanding of the interdependent nature of knowledge." The "artistic bias" mentioned above does not accurately represent artists as the statement suggests that all art students will have the same artistic bias which is untrue. James argues that one cannot teach another a subject as no one can teach you how to become first rate at anything, I agree with this as one one can become the "best artist" as everyone will have a different definition of what the best artist is. Additionally stating that art will give us "an understanding of the interdependent nature of knowledge." is also not entirely true as if we be taught art, how can we be taught other subjects? Although I do believe that subjects are connected, knowledge is not always interdependent as many different people have different definitions and views about what it is.
