I Visited an Art Museum While at the Drive-In
By, Michael Earnshaw
February 16, 2019
@mearnshaw158
I never get upset when I’m waiting for a train to pass by. Ever since I was young, I loved watching trains. I loved, and still do, getting to witness some of the most creative and expressive art whizz by, one portrait after another, like a modern day View Master. It is extremely relaxing for me to throw my car in “Park” and just watch modern day Van Goh’s click by.
Tagging was a skill I always wished I could master. I spent many hours during my high school career perfecting my craft on paper, but when it came to mediums throughout town, I was less than an amateur. Hence, why I love to admire those that have perfected their craft. The art that whizzed by was filled with shading, color combinations, and shadowing that lowers my jaw to the salt covered floor mats.
I began to think of these young artists. I began wondering if they had a teacher that spoke to them. Do they have a teacher that knows their story? Do they have someone that has discovered their talent? Is there someone guiding them to share their story on the proper medium?
All student possess talent. All students yearn to have a means to express themselves and tell their story. There is only one way that we can bring this out of them...relationships. We need to listen to them. We need to show we are there for them. We need them to know we believe in them, no matter what their outside story says or how they perform in front of us and their peers. If we truly stick to just our curriculum and test scores, many of our students will never shine and share with the world their talents and passions.
The next time you are held up by a train don’t get frustrated. Sit back, enjoy the art show, and start thinking of the students in your classroom, the students in your school. Do you truly know them? Can you appreciate and incorporate their skills into your classroom? If they were able to express themselves their way, with their talents, what kind of difference would that make for your class? What kind of difference would that make for that student?
I know I have communicated with you a lot this morning (coffee:), but I want to leave this comment, before I forget the concept.
ReplyDeleteYes, connecting with students is #1 and all-important, but tagging has an anti-social aspect; bucking the system; it's illegal art. The students who might engage in this artform are not the classroom hand-raisers. As someone who never completely fit in, I love these students. They are my favorite (don't tell anyone:). But, it takes extra care to connect with them. They often don't want teachers to connect with them. That is the anti-social nature. Reminds me a little of John Keating (Robin Williams) from "Dead Poets Society". We all remember what happened to that teacher!
Last thing: One of my favorite artists embodies this attitude of recklessness. JR bends and sometimes breaks the rules. His purposes, though, are ground shaking. Totally awesome story about women's unclosing eyes being painted on houses in Brazil symbolizing the seeing of bad behavior in the area is incredible. (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/11/28/in-the-picture-raffi-khatchadourian)
I wish I was able to still look at the artwork on trains, however, it makes me feel like I'm going to get sick. When I was younger, we (my dad, mom, sister and myself) would look at the tops of the trains to see if we could find the stamps/markings that showed where the trains were made and if they were made at the railyard my dad worked at at the time.
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