Cayla Perez

ART 133
Unit Paper 2
February 16, 2017

Unit Paper 2

As said in Visual Culture in Art Education by Hurwitz and Day, Visual Culture is a very broad

concept that, like postmodernism, has resisted definition (Hurwitz & Day 2007). Visual Culture is

explained as a new way of art being made in classrooms to change the outcome of what is produced.

Visual culture can be explained in a number of ways. For example, it could be when an Art teacher

interprets different kinds of artwork. Denotations, which are the literal meaning of the text in images,

and connotations, which are the ideas that are seen without any text, are taught to students so that can

interpret any image or artwork that has text or not and make intelligent connections to them (Barrett

2003). This was of teaching through visual culture lets students see a new meaning to certain images and

artwork, like bathroom fixtures, medical X-rays and TV monitors (Hurwitz & Day 2007). Those new

perspectives made students into architects, interior designers and graphic designers to name a few

(Hurwitz & Day 2007).

As a future teacher, this new idea of teaching through visual culture is a great tool in my opinion.

It would be a way for children to go outside of the box and start exploring new ideas while using

intelligent feedback from a image or artwork that has words or not. They could start looking at art in a

different aspect just like how the students can turn into architects by this way of thinking based on how

certain everyday visual culture has a different meaning to them. Since they will see the art and images

made by other people differently, they can describe themselves even in an abstract way through their own

art which can be a powerful aspect in the work they produce. If I was to use this idea of teaching I would

incorporate it with other ideas as well instead of strictly teaching this way. It would make a complete

connection for students when they produce their own school work in general. I believe it would bring a

new meaning to school and art.

References
Barrett, T. (2003). Interpreting visual culture. Art Education, 56(2), 6-12.

Hurwitz, A., & Day, M. (2007). Children and their art: Methods for the elementary school, (8th ed.)

Thompson Wadsworth.