Reflections on democracy and creativity in a Reggio Emilia inspired Atelier. Art or experimental mark making? What distinguishes one from the other?

As a multimedia artist and atelierista/art studio teacher I pursue a dynamic free flow of ideas rich in stimuli from the community I work with. Studying at level 6 and heading towards my degree essay I am now investigating the qualities both innate and nurtured by the environment that could prove that children’s visual art is not just simplistic mark making but works of art that could be compared to those of successful multimedia artist.
After writing the essay:

• Democracy and creativity. How are these values experienced in a Reggio Emilia inspired Atelier? available at: https://www.researchgate.net/project/Democracy-and-creativity-How-are-these-values-experienced-in-a-Reggio-Emilia-inspired-Atelie 

• The following reflections arose

 Reflections on democracy and creativity in a Reggio Emilia inspired Atelier.

Art or experimental mark making? What distinguishes one from the other?

As an atelierista, I work on the values of democracy and creativity as milestone of the artwork produced in my lessons at school. Having experienced the dark side of collaborative work in education, it is quite a challenge to inspire democracy through creativity. Democracy as in listening to all the voices of the community of children from 2yrs to 6year olds. Each with their own view and experience. Parents participate in the staging of an exhibit with their own expertise and the teachers with their support and collaboration. Each part has a role to play that reflects its best quality. The atelierista weaves the threads together to create the final piece that is not an end but a beginning.

“Stories begin at their end” (Berger, 1983)

The Reggio Emilia philosophy has been established as one of the best in the world. It has proven how learning is an evolutionary process that needs dedication, enthusiasm and passion for research other than empathy with the children. Aesthetics seen as union, relationship and respect are the fuels that ignite this method creating a democratic environment where creativity thrives.

D’Alleva reflects that Max Horkheimer’s The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception (1944) argues that society produces standardized and cheap art that deadens the mind. (D’Alleva, 2015) At the light of this argument, does the Reggio Atelier produce art of just examples of mark making? What is considered art at this very early stage of development? Anna Kindler questions the quality of young children’s graphic expression and underlines the need for clarity in attempting to define the concept of artistic development. (Kindler, 2010) She seeks to differentiate the mere human pictorial activity with the engagement that contributes to broaden acquisitions that can be transferred to other areas of human knowledge. (Kindler, 2010)

We might find an answer to this in the insights of Gandini et al. (2015) where the arts in a Reggio Emilia environment can be expressed as materials that become expressive languages and contexts. They are designed for experimental learning, mediums are practiced from every angle, relationships between materials are sought, collaboration thrives and roads never end. (Gandini et al., 2015)

The outstanding question is ‘can children be considered artists in their spontaneous, experimental, open minded and curious approach to the visual arts?’ Picasso stated that all children are artists, the trouble is remaining an artist once he grows up.’ (Creatingminds.org, 2017) How true is his statement?

These artworks were created by children aged 4 yrs old to 9 yrs old working in my ARTelier. 

Resouces

Berger, J. (2008). Ways of seeing. 1st ed. London: Penguin.

Carini, E. and Malaguzzi, L. (1988). If the atelier is within a long history and within an overall educational project.

 Creatingminds.org. (2017). CreatingMinds - quotes and quotations from the wise on all matters creative. [online] Available at: http://creatingminds.org/quotes/artists.htm [Accessed 24 Jun. 2017].

Cutcher, A. (2013). Art Spoken Here: Reggio Emilia for Big Kids. iJade.

 Dahlberg, G. and Moss, P. (2008). Ethics and politics in early childhood education. 1st ed. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

D'Alleva, A. (2004). Methods & Theories of Art History. 3rd ed. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd.

Democracy. (2017). In: Oxford Dictionaries, 1st ed. [online] Available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/democracy [Accessed 6 Apr. 2017].

Dewey, J. (2005). Art as experience. 1st ed. New York: Penguin Group.

Gandini, L., Hill, L., Cadwell, L. and Schwall, C. (2015). In the Spirit of the Studio. 1st ed. New York: Teachers College Press, pp.7-21 43-46.

Kindler, A. (2010). Art and art in Early Childhood: What Can Young Children Learn from "a/Art activities. International Art in Early Childhood research Journal, 2(1).

Lilliandelissa.org.uk. (2017). Lillian de lissa | Nursery School. [online] Available at: http://lilliandelissa.org.uk/ [Accessed 24 Jun. 2017].

Lindsay, G. (2015). Reggio Emilia as a metaphorical Homeland: An account of professional 'becoming'. [online] p.2. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gai_Lindsay [Accessed 24 Jun. 2017].

Lindsay, G. (2016). John Dewey and Reggio Emilia: Worlds Apart - One Vision. [online] p.2. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gai_Lindsay [Accessed 24 Jun. 2017].

Smitha, J. Critical Aesthetics, 2015. (2017). Marxist Aesthetics: Summary of “Preface to Marx and Engels on Literature and Art”. [online] Available at: https://criticalaesthetics2015.wordpress.com/2015/07/16/marxist-aesthetics-summary-of-preface-to-marx-and-engels-on-literature-and-art/ [Accessed 24 Jun. 2017].

Vecchi, V. (2011). Reggio Children, the 99 Languages to hand back to children:. [online] TEDxReggioEmilia. Available at: http://www.tedxreggioemilia.com/en/edizione-2011/vea-vecchi/ [Accessed 24 Jun. 2017].