Collaborating with Kids: Problem-posing Models for Profound Works of Art

When professional artists work together with kids, there are many symbiotic social, emotional, symbolic and practical benefits. The combinatory artistic process and creation of  a work of art exemplifies what Paulo Freire described as “problem-posing education,” a pedagogical methodology that supports critical thinking for the purpose of student-centered liberation. Freire’s theory is that knowledge is built through a democratic dialogue between the teacher and the students. The classroom hierarchy is smashed when both students and educators listen, learn and collaborate together. The result is a strong social, emotional and empathetic environment where students and teachers inspire one another and develop creative solutions to thinking critically about an issue or subject. This model is seen quite eloquently in projects involving contemporary artists and students such as Tim Rollins’ collaboration with K.O.S., Joan Jonas’ Lunar Rabbit (2011) and Andrea Mastrovito’s Kickstarting (2014).

Lunar Rabbit was a multimedia art installation created by Joan Jonas and students from New York City’s Clinton School for Writers and Artists. The students and Jonas developed the concept for the installation through discussing the symbolic relevance of the moon within certain cultures. In Chinese folklore, there is a tale of an old man who begged for food, and all the animals gathered, stole, hunted, or collected various types of food to offer the man. However, the rabbit, who only knew how to pick grass, offered the man itself as meat by jumping straight into the fire that the old man built. To the bewilderment of the rabbit, it was not burnt, and the old man revealed himself to be Śakra (the ruler of Heaven in Buddhism). Śakra was so taken by the rabbit’s kindness and willingness to sacrifice itself for another’s wellbeing, that he drew a portrait of the rabbit on the moon for the whole world to see. The Aztec culture has a folktale about a rabbit who saved the life of the god Quetzalcoatl, who thanked the rabbit by elevating her image onto the moon. The reason that these cultures perceived the image of the lunar rabbit is likely due to the moon’s markings, which resemble (to many cultures) the shape of a rabbit. Jonas and the students created drawings and Papier-mâché sculptures inspired by the myths of the lunar rabbit. These traditional forms of art became a part of a whimsical performance carried out in a wooded area alongside the Hudson River.

Storytelling is such an important aspect of education. It enables us to free our minds from the constraints of the synthetic world and enter a realm of unique personal and collective experiences. Storytelling is intrinsically collaborative and transcends geographical boundaries via interpersonal communication. This is why similar myths, like the ‘lunar rabbit,’ or the ‘man on the moon’ exist within many cultures far and wide.

Andrea Mastrovito’s Kickstarter (2014) fused art education and physical education together. It combined the Italian born artist’s love for soccer and visual art. The project kicked off at the Saint Frances Cabrini School and the Youth Center of the Parish in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Children at the school brainstormed a list of hopes, dreams and specific things that have personal significance to their lives. After discussing their list, Mastrovito asked the children to visualize the elements from their list through drawing. These drawings and suggestions from the children were interpreted by Mastrovito into life-sized stencils, which covered the walls of the school’s courtyard. The stencils were then painted through the playful engagement of kicking soccer balls (coated in tempera powder) into the walls and filling in the stencils to render the vibrant imagery that the students had thought up.

Both Mastrovito and Jonas’ projects with students engaged in the 4 C’s of 21st century learning: Creativity, Critical Thinking, Collaboration and Communication. Because these four skills, which are best carried out through artistic engagement, have great implications on all aspects of an individual’s personality, they are essential for all of us to become adept in. Collaboration and Communication are critical skills to foster life long personal and professional relationships, while creativity and critical thinking are essential for present and future innovators. Like teachers, artists are invaluable members of society. A professional artist’s technical skills in the visual arts, combined with the energy and intrinsic creativity of children artists is an inspiring match. These types of collaborations benefit both the adult artists and the children because each has something special to bring to the creative process. Picasso (supposedly) said “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain one once we grow up.” The seemingly obvious solution is the collaboration between grown up artists and children.