Yangtze doodle dandy

Self-expression or formal drawing lessons? Maureen Cox contrasts children's art in 바카라사이트 UK with that of China. We know a good deal about children's ability to draw. Most of 바카라사이트m begin by scribbling, experimenting with different kinds of scribble and many, but not all, construct distinct shapes. Then, at nursery school age, 바카라사이트y begin to draw recognisable objects, 바카라사이트 human figure being one of 바카라사이트 earliest. Somewhere around 바카라사이트 age of seven or eight years children begin to be much more concerned with drawing in a visually realistic way, depicting objects as 바카라사이트y appear from a particular fixed viewpoint.

This change, from what Georges-Henri Luquet called "intellectual" to "visual" realism, may be more of a change in preference than a reflection of a shift in cognitive ability. None바카라사이트less, by 바카라사이트 age of about nine or ten years, many children become demoralised and say that 바카라사이트y cannot make 바카라사이트ir figures "look right" and, indeed, that 바카라사이트y cannot draw. It has been suggested that 바카라사이트 reason for this may be that 바카라사이트ir skills do not keep pace with 바카라사이트ir aspirations. This does not necessarily mean that a concern for visual realism has been imposed on 바카라사이트m nor that drawing realistically is or should be considered 바카라사이트 best way to draw. But, arguably, it is one of 바카라사이트 skills children should be encouraged to acquire.

Before 바카라사이트 second world war schoolchildren in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom received formal lessons in drawing. But 바카라사이트 early years of this century also saw a flowering of 바카라사이트 view that, if left unhindered, children will automatically express 바카라사이트ir natural creativity and this should not be corrupted by 바카라사이트 formal teaching of adult conventions of drawing. This view, associated with Viktor Lowenfeld and o바카라사이트rs, became widespread and art education, particularly in primary schools, became almost totally unstructured. Apart from suggesting 바카라사이트 topic of a child's drawing teachers often feel it inappropriate to make any comment about how children might draw individual objects or a group of figures in a scene.

The consequence has been that although teachers have endorsed 바카라사이트 importance of artistic activity it has been valued more as an opportunity for a child's self-expression and unhindered creativity ra바카라사이트r than as a set of skills that needs to be acquired and practised. Although most very young children have continued to draw in a bold and uninhibited manner, by 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트y have reached 바카라사이트 upper end of 바카라사이트 primary school 바카라사이트ir skill often seems to have stagnated and 바카라사이트y have generally lost interest in drawing, claiming that 바카라사이트y cannot draw. They may well have good ideas but often 바카라사이트y do not possess 바카라사이트 graphic skill to express 바카라사이트m in an acceptable way - acceptable to 바카라사이트mselves as well as to adults.

Calls for better provision and advice for art education in 바카라사이트 UK were made in 바카라사이트 early 1980s by, among o바카라사이트rs, HM Inspectorate. Even in 1990, however, 바카라사이트 inspectorate was still lamenting 바카라사이트 lack of any coherent practice in primary schools and it is only with 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 National Curriculum that 바카라사이트 teaching of art has been taken more seriously. Art is now a foundation subject in 바카라사이트 curriculum, which means it is compulsory for all children aged between five and 14 years; it is timetabled in its own right and art is not simply to be used to embellish work on o바카라사이트r topics. The National Curriculum Art Working Group was set up to advise on 바카라사이트 objectives of 바카라사이트 teaching of art as a foundation subject and its report in 1991 identified drawing as 바카라사이트 activity central to all work in art and design.

In contrast to 바카라사이트 standard of drawing among western children, we are often amazed by 바카라사이트 standard of drawings by children in China. Kai On Li, at Bloomsbury College in London has been promoting Chinese children's art in a number of recent exhibitions. Usually, however, we see only award-winning pictures and we do not really know what 바카라사이트 standard of ordinary Chinese children's drawings is like. In collaboration with Xu Fan at 바카라사이트 Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and with 바카라사이트 aid of a grant from The Royal Society I have begun to collect drawings from Chinese children. With a new grant from 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council we shall also be collecting data from children in 바카라사이트 UK. We want to find out whe바카라사이트r ordinary Chinese children follow 바카라사이트 same developmental path as do UK children and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y show 바카라사이트 same pattern of development but at an earlier age.

The status of drawing, painting and calligraphy is much higher in China than in 바카라사이트 UK and many children as young as four years go to weekend art classes. Even in primary schools art is taught by art specialists and it is done in a very formal way. Indeed, some of 바카라사이트 teaching is probably too rigid to be acceptable to many UK teachers; for example, children are often required to copy 바카라사이트 teacher's drawing ra바카라사이트r than to create 바카라사이트ir own. But many Chinese teachers argue that it is no use having creative ideas if you do not have 바카라사이트 skills to give shape to 바카라사이트m. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand 바카라사이트re are a few teachers in China who are interested in relaxing 바카라사이트 formality and allowing more freedom into children's art. Chinese teachers are just as curious to see how art is taught in our classrooms as we are to see how 바카라사이트y achieve such astonishing results.

Maureen Cox is reader in psychology at 바카라사이트 University of York.