critical thinking and the visual arts


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critical thinking and the visual arts
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Dont brush your hair in the kitchen
smile even if you dont mean it
youre wearing that
Always sit with your knees together
close the door
close the door
Sit up straight
Dont talk with you mouth full
previous understanding of critical thinking
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old definition critical thinking criticism
modern definition critical thinking a
comprehensive intellectual process
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It is important to understand Art is not
something that just happens!
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OK . . . . Sometimes it does just happen
Artist Andrea Nechita Age 10 Lithograph
selling for 11020.00 Critical thinking skills
unknown
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The making of art or design provides an excellent
Usually. . . The making of art or design
requires the opportunity to witness identify
and demonstrate engagement in critical thinking.
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Artists and designers are seldom recognized for
having 1600 on SAT scores.
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Those scores reflect verbal and math skills.
And the ability to think in L O G I C A L terms
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verbal and math skills are necessary thinking
skills for making art but RIGHT brain thinking
skills are not reflected in SAT scores
The more invisible thinking skills . .
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Such as the ability to question questions
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Such as the ability to question broadly to think
on multiple simultaneous levels with little
predictability or testability
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Such as the ability to question broadly to think
on multiple simultaneous levels with less
predictability and testability to see
unexpected relationships to recognize an
innovative methodology to make something work
better to be inventive to take risks to make
conscious that which is often unconscious to be
able to create and assess that which is
created and to respond physically to evolving
human desires for change revolution color
form expression structure etc etc etc.
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Such as the ability to question broadly to think
on multiple simultaneous levels with less
predictability and testability to see
unexpected relationships to to make something
work better to be inventive to take risks to
make conscious that which is often unconscious
to be able to create and assess that which is
created and to respond physically to evolving
human desires for change revolution color
form expression structure etc etc etc.
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Such as the ability to question broadly to think
on multiple simultaneous levels with less
predictability and testability to see
unexpected relationships to recognize an
innovative methodology to make something to
visualize to be inventive to take risks to
make conscious that which is often unconscious
to be able to create and assess that which is
created and to respond physically to evolving
human desires for change revolution color
form expression structure etc etc etc.
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Such as the ability to question broadly to think
on multiple simultaneous levels with less
predictability and testability to see
unexpected relationships to recognize an
innovative methodology to make something work
better to be inventive to take risks to make
conscious that which is often unconscious to
be able to create and assess that which is
created and to respond physically to evolving
human desires for change revolution color
form expression structure etc etc etc.
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Such as the ability to question broadly to think
on multiple simultaneous levels with less
predictability and testability to see
unexpected relationships to recognize an
innovative methodology to make something work
better to be inventive to take risks to make
conscious that which is often unconscious to
be able to create and assess at the same time and
to respond physically to evolving human desires
for change revolution color form
expression structure etc etc etc.
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Such as the ability to question broadly to think
on multiple simultaneous levels with less
predictability and testability to see
unexpected relationships to recognize an
innovative methodology to make something work
better to be inventive to take risks to make
conscious that which is often unconscious to be
able to create and assess that which is and to
respond physically to desire for change
revolution color form expression structure
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Such as the ability to question broadly to think
on multiple simultaneous levels with less
predictability and testability to see
unexpected relationships to recognize an
innovative methodology to make something work
better to be inventive to take risks to make
conscious that which is often unconscious to be
able to create and assess that which is etc
etc etc.
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Artists and Designers must be willing to take a
position or defend a position conduct
appropriate research and live with the
ramifications and consequences of their
visible expression on very complex issues.
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They must be willing and able to take a position
or defend a position to conduct appropriate
research and live with the ramifications
and consequences of their visible expression
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They must be willing and able to take a position
or defend a position conduct appropriate
research and live with the ramifications
and consequences of their visible expression.
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art and design require intellectual courage as
well as intellectual autonomy.
Its Offensive!
its ugly. . . .
looks dumb!
Yuck . .why did you do that .k
Ick . . .
I dont like it . . .
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Rudyard Kipling wrote
I keep six honest serving-men (They teach me all
I need to know) Their names are
What
Why
When
How
Where
Who
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Those are critical thinking questions
designers must solve in order to develop a
creative (successful) solution to a problem.
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Artists have both public and critical ownership
of their ideas and the critical ability to
recognize and analyze the intellectual success
of their failures.
Artists must P R O B L E M S O L V E !
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Artists or designers uses critical thinking
skills to communicate with your sub-conscious
thoughts.
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They must anticipate the audience
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They must know their frustrations fears
politics etc.
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And communicate with (through) them visually.
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Artists and Designers use their medium to express
a point of view
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The general public thinks creative ideas float
around in talented heads.
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And pop out whenever needed
EMC2
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This is what we call an ah ha moment
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But ha ha it only happens after the following .
. .
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• 1. Thinking to define the problem
• 2. Thinking to understand the parameters
• 3. Thinking to grasp the budget
• 4. Thinking to understand the time frame
• 5. Thinking to recognize the load limit (if
  applicable)
• 6. Thinking to conceptualize the destination
• 7. Thinking to understand and imagine the use
• 8. Thinking to define the audience
• 9. Thinking to visualize the final location/
  application
• Thinking to recognize the proportion / size /
  scale

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Questions must be asked such as What was used
in the past What is the audience familiar
with Why was that form used What impacted
historical expression / design in the past What
rules can be broken What would a new solution
look like Is that solution new for the sake of
being new or new for the sake of
improvement etc etc etc
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Questions must be asked such as What was used
in the past What is the audience familiar
with Why was that form used What impacted
historical expression / design in the past What
rules can be broken What would a new solution
look like Is that solution new for the sake of
being new or new for the sake of
improvement etc etc etc
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Questions must be asked such as What was used
in the past What is the audience familiar
with Why was that form used What impacted
historical expression / design in the past What
rules can be broken What would a new solution
look like Is that solution new for the sake of
being new or new for the sake of
improvement etc etc etc
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Questions must be asked such as What was used
in the past What is the audience familiar
with Why was that form used What impacted
historical expression / design in the past What
rules can be broken What would a new solution
look like Is that solution new for the sake of
being new or new for the sake of
improvement etc etc etc
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Questions must be asked such as What was used
in the past What is the audience familiar
with Why was that form used What impacted
historical expression / design in the past What
rules can be broken What would a new solution
look like Is that solution new for the sake of
being new or new for the sake of
improvement etc etc etc
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Questions must be asked such as What was used
in the past What is the audience familiar
with Why was that form used What impacted
historical expression / design in the past What
rules can be broken What would a new solution
look like Is that solution new for the sake of
being new or new for the sake of
improvement etc etc etc
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Questions must be asked such as What was used
in the past What is the audience familiar
with Why was that form used What impacted
historical expression / design in the past What
rules can be broken What would a new solution
look like Is that solution new for the sake of
being new or new for the sake of
improvement etc etc etc
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Questions must be asked such as What was used
in the past What is the audience familiar
with Why was that form used What impacted
historical expression / design in the past What
rules can be broken What would a new solution
look like Is that solution new for the sake of
being new or new for the sake of
improvement etc etc etc
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What does a Designer do
He/She orchestrates the conceptual process of
combining graphic materials
words
pictures
other graphic materials
To construct a visible communication gestalt
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Gestalt
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
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for example
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These dots have no meaning or content beyond the
phenomenon of twelve dots randomly placed
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By contrast these dots have been consciously
structured into a visual configuration which has
meaning
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In a sense the letter H is not really present
but the human eye perceives the dots
and the human mind connects them into a
recognizable pattern
- the structure of a letterform -
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Understanding that takes some critical thinking
skills!
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what can design do
illustrate
communicate
motivate
inform
SELL
demonstrate
entertain
excite
explain
direct
organize
enlighten
invite
inspire
instruct
simplify
clarify
facilitate
identify
promote
educate
WARN
report
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it is the art of critically thinking and
communication problemsolving!

• A designer must organize information

2. A designer creates a visual structure
3. Which conveys a message
Usually on behalf of a sponsor or client
4. A designer tries to aesthetically and
uniquely solve a problem
How far does the designer let self expression
override or influence organization clarity or
intended message
Answer It depends
on the client or the situation
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Design Process

• Define collect information research
• Analyze form hierarchies categorize
  importance develop
• message IDENTIFY CONSTRAINTS
• Ideate brainstorming thumbnails CREATIVITY
• Incubate let problem/solution cook for a
  proscribed period
• Select make a decision and take a course of
  action to
• Implement produce solution if it meets with
  design approval
• Evaluate receivers perception/critique
• The above process is and should be continuous

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Design Process

• Define collect information research
• Analyze form hierarchies categorize
  importance develop
• message IDENTIFY CONSTRAINTS
• Ideate brainstorming thumbnails CREATIVITY
• Incubate let problem/solution cook for a
  proscribed period
• Select make a decision and take a course of
  action to
• Implement produce solution if it meets with
  design approval
• Evaluate receivers perception/critique
• The above process is and should be continuous

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Design Process

• Define collect information research
• Analyze form hierarchies categorize
  importance develop
• message IDENTIFY CONSTRAINTS
• Ideate brainstorming thumbnails CREATIVITY
• Incubate let problem/solution cook for a
  proscribed period
• Select make a decision and take a course of
  action to
• Implement produce solution if it meets with
  design approval
• Evaluate receivers perception/critique
• The above process is and should be continuous

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Design Process

• Define collect information research
• Analyze form hierarchies categorize
  importance develop
• message IDENTIFY CONSTRAINTS
• Ideate brainstorming thumbnails CREATIVITY
• Incubate let problem/solution cook for a
  proscribed period
• Select make a decision and take a course of
  action to
• Implement produce solution if it meets with
  design approval
• Evaluate receivers perception/critique
• The above process is and should be continuous

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Design Process

• Define collect information research
• Analyze form hierarchies categorize
  importance develop
• message IDENTIFY CONSTRAINTS
• Ideate brainstorming thumbnails CREATIVITY
• Incubate let problem/solution cook for a
  proscribed period
• Select make a decision and take a course of
  action to
• Implement produce solution if it meets with
  design approval
• Evaluate receivers perception/critique
• The above process is and should be continuous

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Design Process

• Define collect information research
• Analyze form hierarchies categorize
  importance develop
• message IDENTIFY CONSTRAINTS
• Ideate brainstorming thumbnails CREATIVITY
• Incubate let problem/solution cook for a
  proscribed period
• Select make a decision and take a course of
  action to
• Implement produce solution if it meets with
  design approval
• Evaluate receivers perception/critique
• The above process is and should be continuous

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Design Process

• Define collect information research
• Analyze form hierarchies categorize
  importance develop
• message IDENTIFY CONSTRAINTS
• Ideate brainstorming thumbnails CREATIVITY
• Incubate let problem/solution cook for a
  proscribed period
• Select make a decision and take a course of
  action to
• Implement produce solution if it meets with
  design approval
• Evaluate receivers perception/critique
• The above process is and should be continuous

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Design Process

• Define collect information research
• Analyze form hierarchies categorize
  importance develop
• message IDENTIFY CONSTRAINTS
• Ideate brainstorming thumbnails CREATIVITY
• Incubate let problem/solution cook for a
  proscribed period
• Select make a decision and take a course of
  action to
• Implement produce solution if it meets with
  design approval
• Evaluate receivers perception/critique
• The above process is and should be continuous

The above process is and should be continuous
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critical thinking and creativity
Creative solutions to the problem
incorporate an element of unexpected surprise
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Unexpected generated by exaggeration
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Unexpected generated by juxtaposition /
contradiction / substitution
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Unexpected generated by unusual personification
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unexpected generated by substitution
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surprise innovation of elements / materials
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Unexpected innovation resulting in entirely new
concept
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surprise simplification and repetition of
elements
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surprise contradiction of elements
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unexpected successful contradiction of forms
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unexpected substitution and contradiction
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unexpected contradiction between form and
material
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ART fully engages the intellect
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ART is neither frivolous nor easy.
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The making of ART has significant academic rigor
involved.
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ART is vital for developing critical thinking
skills in the well educated person of the 21st
century.
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Creativity is a critical skill which can NOT
be outsourced!
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T H A N K Y O U