Sarah Nies
LS 521WMC
2/26/02
Article Critique
Computers and Art Education
In his article entitled, “Computers and Art Education”, Jonathan Matthews makes a strong argument for the integration of Art and Technology, citing nine different categories of reasons why the field of art is appropriate for the use of computers. He begins by stating the initial stereotypes of most people that art is qualitative while computers are quantitative and then refuting that statement by referring to the modernization of computers for the purpose of being “user friendly”. He goes on to say how computers have learned the visual language of the artist and that the art teacher should make every effort to utilize them. He lists how computers are easy to use, versatile, relevant to the idea of an artist, the depth of student interest in them, their status, instant access, their use as a creative tool, that they are a medium for experimentation, and finally a key to commercial employment. The two that I found the most interesting were the relevance of computers as well as their experimental possibilities. Jonathan states how the artist has always been a person working in the latest media, opposing the scorn of those around them because they have a vision for the future. Also, the ease with which one can experiment with their artwork and still have “safe” copies, makes it tempting for even the most timid.
I react to this article mostly on the level of being an artist myself and realizing the numerous possibilities that there are for the development of art through the use of technology. I am always hesitant to take the next step and move to the more technology-based art forms, but I find that when I do, the world that is opened up to me is fascinating and beyond my imaginings. It is a lot to take in when you think about the future and how likely it will be that all art will be linked to technology and, in fact, based on it. I like the idea of basing my art on the computer where I can experiment with my art and not worry about destroying it, that I can get a perfect copy without having to start over again, and that I can make visual realities of my artwork that soar beyond my wildest dreams. It is true that the artist is always challenging and commenting on the world around them and the computer is such a marvelous tool to use.
Matthews,
Jonathan C. (1997). “Computers and Art Education”. Eric Digest
ERIC_NO: ED410180
TITLE: Computers and Art Education. ERIC Digest.
AUTHOR: Matthews, Jonathan C.
PUBLICATION_DATE: 1997
FULL_TEXT:
Many art educators do not use computers in their teaching. Computers, unlike clay, pigment, and charcoal, seem foreign to
them. Even the word "computer" connotes that these techno-boxes are best-suited for rapid number crunching. For this
reason, computers are seen as tools of the quantitative realm, at the pole opposite the arts. In art, one deals with the
expressive manipulation of visual qualities. This qualitative arts realm is in constant competition with the powerful
quantitative realm. Math, science, aptitude test scores, and other quantitative interests crowd the arts into a tiny corner of the
school week. As long as the computer is seen primarily as a tool of the quantitative realm, it is likely to be regarded by art
educators as alien.
If computers ever were enemies of art, this is not so anymore. No longer is knowledge of complex computer languages
required to use a computer. Color, pattern, shape, and line, the qualitative elements of the visual arts, have pushed
quantitative computer command codes into hiding. Graphic designers have recast the face of the computer screen so that
those of us without any computer savvy can --as the experts put it--"plug and play." Now, from the moment we turn on the
machine, we are in a world of imagery. Though some art educators have hesitated to become involved with computers, those
machines have learned to speak the art educators' language. While art educators will continue to work with traditional media,
there are many reasons why they should also teach computer art to their students.
EASE OF USE
All current models of personal computers come "plug and play." Turn the machine on and the user is greeted with groupings
of icons, small color symbols representing the various software that is pre-installed on the machine. A graphics-outfitted
computer will have one or more icons for its graphic arts applications. With a click of the mouse, a painting or drawing screen
appears with new icons depicting a variety of art media choices: charcoal, ink, oil, spray paint, pastel, and watercolor. Simply
click the mouse on the appropriate icon to choose the medium and instantly the cursor becomes a paintbrush, spray can, or
other tool.
VERSATILITY
A color laser print of a computer-generated "oil painting" can look indistinguishable from a book or magazine reproduction of
an actual oil painting. But the creative possibilities of computer art go far beyond merely imitating traditional media. Without
formal instruction, one can quickly create surprisingly satisfying images. Of course, as with any medium, expert knowledge
counts for a lot. Studying the graphics software manual allows mastery of the technical procedures that allow even more
control of the software.
RELEVANCE
Throughout history, artists have always worked in the latest media. Many artists from the past were criticized in their own
times for embracing new media and styles. To refuse to use computers in art education is to increase the probability that one's
students will be left behind, caught on the wrong side of history. The embrace of new media is not a rejection of the old. It is
simply an important expansion of one's creative armamentarium. Art educators need to help their students become competent
in this most powerful visual art medium.
INTEREST
Perhaps because of their early familiarity with the video screen, children of all ages are interested in computers; many seemed
compelled to use them. Art educators who teach computer art may therefore attract many students who otherwise might
never discover art's riches. Computers might be the enticing door that delivers students into a world of aesthetic possibility.
STATUS
For a number of reasons, art education is less highly valued by administrators, parents, and society than many other school
subjects. Once administrators, parents, and community discover that an art educator is going to teach their children to master
the creative possibilities of the computer, that art educator may find that his or her perceived relevance and importance have
soared. While there are many intrinsically good reasons to bring computers into an art education program, a significant
extrinsic reward is the increased support and status that the art program may enjoy.
COLLABORATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Computers are popular and versatile. An art educator who runs a computer lab will find that educators from other curricular
areas may express increased interest in interdisciplinary collaboration. This could lead to the visual arts being integrated
throughout the school curriculum. This increased interaction with peers in various curricular areas could lead to positive
professional development and greater job satisfaction for the art educator. In short, the possibilities for professional growth
are tremendous for a computer-active art educator.
ART EDUCATION AND THE INTERNET
Through the World Wide Web, an art educator with a computer gains instant access to thousands of Internet sites that can
assist professional development. Type "art lessons" into the search-box of any web browser and the screen will be filled with
a long list of "point and click" titles that lead to Web sites full of art lessons. Most of these lessons have been created and
posted by K-12 art educators. Ask them questions about their lessons via the instant text communication possible with
electronic mail. Need visuals? Many museums have placed their whole collections on the Web. CDs are available with vast
amounts of art on them. Doing a unit on Southwestern art? A class can have an interactive, electronic mail conversation with a
Navajo potter in Window Rock, Arizona. People from around the world with shared interests can carry on keyboard
conversations through on-line "chat sites."
A CREATIVE TOOL
Making art on the computer is much more than simply imitating images possible in more traditional media. Computer art
applications make it possible to do things that are possible in no other medium. Computers also handle some traditional
graphic arts creative challenges much better than other methods. Thus, they have made these other methods obsolete. The
computer is a great place to try out artistic ideas. An original sketch can be saved, then limitless additional copies of that
sketch can be altered and saved. One can then easily view each of these variations in succession, or display reduced copies
simultaneously on the same screen. To accomplish this same sort of artistic deliberation in traditional media might take
weeks.
AN EXPERIMENTAL MEDIUM
Artistic daring and experimentation can be increased greatly with a computer, primarily because it is virtually impossible to
"ruin" a computer crafted artwork. Limitless copies can be saved with a key stroke at each point on the creative path. This
allows the artist to branch off and explore risky possibilities that otherwise would not be dared. There is also a key that
allows one to "undo" whatever change one last made to the work. Digital image capture allows the easy mix of photography,
video, and drawing and painting on a computer. Scanners make possible the incorporation of any existing image into the
artist's current computer image, to be transformed in any way the artist desires. While there are many sorts of art objects that
cannot be created on a computer, it is unrivaled as a tool for two-dimensional visual experimentation.
A KEY TO COMMERCIAL EMPLOYMENT
Virtually all commercial art--illustration, product design, architectural design, industrial design, advertising, publishing and
animation--is now done on a computer. Ten years ago, most of the creative people in these disciplines worked at drafting
tables; now the drafting tables have been replaced by computers. The artist at the computer can simply do good work faster
than on paper. Art educators who fail to teach their students computer art skills limit their ability to win commercial art
employment.
We live in the computer age, and vital art necessarily reflects and interacts with dominant contemporary forces. While
continuing to embrace traditional media, art teachers should carefully consider the merits of exploring the educational
possibilities of the computer.
REFERENCES AND ERIC RESOURCES
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RATIONALE FOR INTEGRATING NEW TECHNOLOGY INTO SCHOOL ARTS PROGRAMS. Position Paper, 1993.
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This publication was prepared with funding from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of
Education, under contract RR93002014. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of OERI
or ED.