-
- Barry Gibbons
The artist’s studio as a situated learning environment: A study into the impact of a studio visit on students’ approaches to painting practice in the classroom
This action research study was designed to examine the ways in which secondary school students can learn about painting through the act of visiting Francis Bacon’s studio, housed permanently in the Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin. The rationale behind this project stems primarily from my interest in painting. As a practicing artist and educator, I aimed to combine my practical experience with one of Ireland’s foremost cultural institutions to create an interesting and engaging learning experience for Junior Cycle Students. The findings of the study show that structuring art education projects around a focused visit to an artist’s studio can benefit students’ development of painting in the classroom. While there was strong evidence to suggest the benefits of initiating contact with the gallery/studio as a starting point of practical investigation, the findings indicate difficulties in terms of fostering a high level of critical thinking. This report finds that there are significant advantages to rethinking art education as an active, experience-led process as opposed to traditional models that often rely on secondary experiences. I hope that the successes and difficulties described in this research report may inform educators who wish to place primary experiences of art at the heart of art education.