Taryn and Amanda's Lesson

Last Friday we all had the pleasure of experiencing Taryn and Amanda's lesson. I found it refreshing and I think many other people in the class felt the same. The discussion portion of their lesson was brief and to the point, and it was broken up into segments. We revisited artists and concepts discussed in their PowerPoint, and it was all very interactive. Students were responding to questions and recalling information. Taryn was patient when answers weren't given right away, and it created a safe environment where participants had time to gather their thoughts before speaking in front of the class. The discussion was short, but it left room for interpretations to grow.
Amanda led the demo, and she was clear in her instruction. She even made a little sample right in front of us to generate ideas on how to translate objects into clay. When it came time to work, everyone was eager to get started. The teachers provided natural objects and suggestions on two different ways to work with the clay, one with impressions and one by hand building. I think we were given about 7 minutes of working time, which made me a little nervous at first, however, they had a good reason for it. They told us before we started, not to get too attached to the objects we were making. When you invest time in a piece of artwork, you value it, and destroying it can create a negative emotional reaction. We were aware that these pieces would be altered (smashed). At one point I (true to character) started getting lost in the details of one of my clay objects, and I heard there was only 2 minutes left to work! Amanda walked by and said, "It doesn't have to be perfect", and reminded me not to get attached. I instantly felt a jolt of freedom, and began using a clay tool to create a rough texture, using quick, hard strokes. When we were asked to stop working, I felt invigorated. It was the most stress-free art-making activity I have experienced in the class. There was no comparing to see whose work was better than mine, or worrying about developing a major concept. It was simple and straight forward.
Then, the real fun began. We all brought one of our clay objects to the middle of the room where 3 huge pieces of white paper lay on the floor. We were told to throw our object onto the paper and let it leave a mark. Amanda stood ready with a water bottle to squirt any pieces that might be too dry to stick to the paper. We all had such a blast! It was invigorating to throw those pieces down, watching and hearing them splat, especially when they were more wet. It was such a release, definitely needed at this time in the semester. Everyone was smiling and laughing and really enjoying the process. At the end, a truly collective work of art was created, and the teachers took the time for all of us to stop and talk about it. We even considered different compositions with a viewfinder.
I thought this lesson was wonderful on many levels. Amanda and Taryn were knowledgable and approachable as teachers. The activity allowed students to experience art in a contemporary sense, learning that art can be a performance, and a collective process. I think process also stood out as an
important aspect of the art making, not just finished product. Any student could get involved in this lesson and gain confidence in their art-making abilities.