4.8.1.1.2. Exploration Activity: 'Sensory Abstraction'

Students select a non-visual stimulus (a piece of music, a scent, a spoken poem, or a distinct emotion).

In this activity, students start by choosing a stimulus that does not come from sight. This could be anything from a sound, like music, to a feeling, such as a specific emotion, to smells or spoken word art like poetry. The key idea is to engage with the senses outside of visual perception.

Imagine enjoying a song that makes you feel nostalgic. Instead of trying to paint a picture of the scene that brings those feelings, you would focus on creating an artwork that expresses that nostalgia using colors or shapes that resonate with those feelings.

Their task is to translate its essence into a purely abstract drawing using lines, shapes, and colors.

Once the students have selected their stimulus, the next step requires them to express the essence of this non-visual stimulus through abstract drawing. This means they won’t directly depict what they've sensed but will instead use various artistic elements like lines, shapes, and colors to convey emotions or ideas related to that sensation.

Think of how a musician uses different notes and rhythms to convey emotions in a song. In the same way, when you create your artwork, you could use sharp, jagged lines for something that feels tense or aggressive, while soft and curvy lines might represent a calm or peaceful feeling.

The focus is not on depicting the source but on conveying its qualities.

This part of the activity emphasizes that students should focus on the characteristics of their stimulus rather than trying to create a literal representation of it. For example, if a student chose a piece of music that is fast-paced, they might use vibrant colors and sharp angles to emulate the energy of the song, rather than trying to draw instruments or musicians.

Consider how a popular abstract painting of a storm uses dark colors and swirling forms to represent the chaos of wind and rain. The artist doesn't paint raindrops directly but instead captures the feeling of the storm through abstract elements.

e.g., jagged lines for harsh sounds, soft curves for a gentle melody, warm colors for comfort.

In creating their abstractions, students are encouraged to think about the specific elements they can use to express their interpretation of the non-visual stimulus. For instance, rough or jagged lines might represent a loud or dissonant sound, while smooth, flowing lines might evoke a sense of calm or relaxation. Colors also play a vital role; using warm tones can evoke feelings of safety or affection.

Think about how certain colors are often linked with emotions: red might evoke feelings of passion or anger, while blue is frequently associated with calmness or sadness. Similarly, how you use lines in your artwork can signal different sensations just like musical notes convey different moods.

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