Hands On? Hands Off?
An exploration of collaboration, participation and authorship.
Second year MFA candidate, Emily Elliott is exploring teaching as collaborative art practice.
What does it mean to participate in art? How do we teach art (or teach in general)? How are we getting people to participate in art?
In the last 6 months the answers to these questions have drastically changed! What has historically been a process of hands on, personal interaction has by force of pandemic, become a hands off process. Collaboration in art and in a classroom is founded on personal relationships and trust building. BC (Before Covid) We would meet in a classroom outfitted with a common set of resources and have a common experience. Now?
Hands On, Hands Off looks at a few experiments in socially engaged art making. Throughout this exhibit the artist is looking for ways to connect with different groups. A hands on interactive engagement in the case of the learning toy on the facing wall, a hands active distanced connection in the collection of “Pieces” , a remote but synchronized connection in the student work and finally a remote asynchronous, shared creating in “Jamboard”.
In all of these experiences the artist asked the following questions:
What group of individuals am I trying to work with?
How am I connecting to these individuals? What tools do I have access too for and what does that necessarily do to the group of participants? Who is not able to be a part because of their resources?
What tools do the participants have available?
What are their interests, areas of expertise? What role do they play in the group?
How is authorship determined? How is labor recognized and compensated for?
Second year MFA candidate, Emily Elliott is exploring teaching as collaborative art practice.
What does it mean to participate in art? How do we teach art (or teach in general)? How are we getting people to participate in art?
In the last 6 months the answers to these questions have drastically changed! What has historically been a process of hands on, personal interaction has by force of pandemic, become a hands off process. Collaboration in art and in a classroom is founded on personal relationships and trust building. BC (Before Covid) We would meet in a classroom outfitted with a common set of resources and have a common experience. Now?
Hands On, Hands Off looks at a few experiments in socially engaged art making. Throughout this exhibit the artist is looking for ways to connect with different groups. A hands on interactive engagement in the case of the learning toy on the facing wall, a hands active distanced connection in the collection of “Pieces” , a remote but synchronized connection in the student work and finally a remote asynchronous, shared creating in “Jamboard”.
In all of these experiences the artist asked the following questions:
What group of individuals am I trying to work with?
How am I connecting to these individuals? What tools do I have access too for and what does that necessarily do to the group of participants? Who is not able to be a part because of their resources?
What tools do the participants have available?
What are their interests, areas of expertise? What role do they play in the group?
How is authorship determined? How is labor recognized and compensated for?