A Masterpiece is defined not only by the represented object: the social context, the personality of the artist, the clients, and the historical period are determining too. When I tell a story about Arts to children, for instance, I talk about everything concerning the Masterpiece genesis. Otherwise I won’t be able to show all the sides of Art.
Figuratively, I consider an artistic work as an Internet page: each part of it could be visualised as a link and I have to open a new window on another subject (or story) to show its content, in order to give the idea of its complexity. Children are taught how to surf this cultural net, so they can connect facts, images and history according to their background knowledge.
My Method
I’ve been working on telling to children the importance of Arts for more than 10 years, and I’ve been able to design specific activities for 3-year-old children up to teenagers.
In my view, the same artwork could be understood by a miscellaneous audience, from a kid to an elder, but every age requires a meaningful educational path which could include different ways to analyse the subject, depending on the cultural background. As far as drawing the human body is concerned, we have to bear in mind that the child at the age of 3 hasn’t already developed the necessary skills to portray it properly: for instance, he/she would represent arms on the head, because children start to understand body shapes when they’re about 5 years old.
Moreover, I highly value the different levels of experiencing Art, and I take count of an interactive multidisciplinary approach where children can discover techniques and materials by playing.
Natural Science
Geological observation of an area, comparison between mineral forms and pictorial representations, analysis of sculptural materials.
Mathematics and Physics
Golden ratio, perspective, anamorphosis, fractals, balance. Analysis of the application of Mathematics and Physics in the creation of artworks, from the perspective in paintings to the mobiles and the anamorphic sculptures. To examine mysteries and to discover secret rarities.
Theater and Cinema
Observation of poses in paintings, sculptures, and performances; attention on facial expressions; dramatization of the life of famous artists; the stage considered as a unified visual area, where there’s a balance between open and closed spaces. Movie frames seen as paintings and paintings seen as films.