Introduction
Recently I bought myself a new sketchbook. The book sat on the passenger seat of my car as I drove home; the hard black cover securely holding the unblemished paper inside. I felt as though it was staring at me. I could not help but keep glancing at the book, sitting there on the seat - so many possibilities. At 5pm in Charlotte, there is no easy way home - no matter where you live. Traffic reports on the radio may try to help -but they end up sending everyone on the 'alternate route' - creating another cluster. But that day was not nearly so aggravating because I had a travel companion. I opened the book and began 'doodling' - imagining myself in a million places other than where I was. Just when I thought I was going nowhere fast in that traffic nightmare, I ended up 'traveling' everywhere. I easily filled the blank page with images and designs of the world outside this traffic nightmare. What a great start to my summer sketchbook. Or so I thought.
The next few days that same sketchbook sat on my table, waiting. There is nothing more intimidating. I tried to ignore it. Each time I attempted to begin marking the page - I heard a doubtful voice questioning what it was I was attempting to produce. What was that 'thing', which only a few days ago, allowed the endless possibilities of my imagination to flow so freely? Surely the aggravation of being stuck in traffic was not my only source of inspiration?
There have been similar situations and many frustrating days for me as an art teacher when I have asked my students to brainstorm in their sketchbooks and the results proved far from inspiring, other days when ideas fill pages and pages of the crisp white paper. No doubt, art making is hard. To be inspired, to create innovative marks on a page, and to confront personal censure are difficult challenges for artists and teachers alike. It is exactly these challenges that I want to confront in my unit that will use maps and mapmaking as a catalyst for art making.
As I read the outline for this seminar I was immediately struck by the similarities of the challenges of the early explorers/mapmakers and that of art making. The world for them must have appeared both exhilarating and intimidating. The risk these early explorers took combined a spirit of adventure, a knowledge (limited as it was) or sense of place and a great deal of courage and conviction. I believe the nature of art making to be similar. Of course, it does not hurt that the very nature of maps are visual tools! Maps make use of all the elements of art - line, shape, color, texture, value, form, and space- the basic building blocks for a work of art. It is here where I plan to begin my unit.
The very notion of creating works that are both personal and expressive is not an easy concept to teach. My students are obsessed with final products and seeming talented, creative or original. They are quick to identify others in the class as more or less talented than themselves. In doing so they are missing out on so much of what art making is and what it can reveal. The very notion of talent as it is defined (a natural ability to do something well) contradicts the art making process. It is important that they understand that it is the process, the skills that are developed, that will reveal the elusive creative and original artist. It is my intention that this unit serves as part of a larger practice within my classroom to get students to see value in their own voice.
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