Teaching Painting and Drawing at Florida State University: a Case Study Liu Nan
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For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF VISUAL ARTS, THEATRE, AND DANCE TEACHING PAINTING AND DRAWING AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY: A CASE STUDY By LIU NAN A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Art Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2009 Copyright © 2009 Liu Nan All Rights Reserved The members of the Committee approve the dissertation of Liu Nan defended on November 17, 2008. ______________________________ Tom Anderson Professor Directing Dissertation ______________________________ Jeff Milligan Outside Committee Member __________________________________ Pat Villeneuve Committee Member ______________________________ David Gussak Committee Member Approved: _____________________________________________ David Gussak, Chair, Department of Art Education _____________________________________________ Sally McRorie, Dean, College of Visual Arts, Theatre, and Dance The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii This dissertation is dedicated to my parents Li Guang Zhi, and Liu Xiao Liang, my grandmother Li Qing Shen, my aunt Liu Xiao Yan, my wife Deng Hai Qiong and my son Ethan Jiu Ming Liu. And in memory of Liu Hui Ying and Ma Ping Gong, to whom I didn’t say proper goodbyes. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A great deal of support and encouragement has been contributed throughout the entire process of this dissertation and I feel that my gratitude extends far beyond what this mere acknowledgements page permits. I would first like to thanks my advisor, Dr. Tom Anderson, who is always patient with my writing and has given me many thoughtful suggestions. Additionally, I also want to express my appreciation towards all of my committee members. Dr. Pat Villeneuve provided me with guidance on using APA format and Dr. Roald Nassargard offered insightful, tough critique and pushed me to become more critical in thinking and writing processes. Later on, when he was on sabbatical, Dr. Jeff Milligan stepped in to take his place and I have gratitude to Dr. Milligan for his support throughout this journey. I would also like to thank Dr. Marcia Rosal who gave me suggestions in the early stages of literature review and taught me how to search for relevant articles using the computer. In her absence during sabbatical, Dr. David Gussak has been instrumental in aiding this dissertation process in her absence. I would also like to thank my first advisor, Dr. Bonnie Black, who was with me when I began my first American graduate program in art education in University of Arkansas at Little Rock for both her professional mentor and life supporting. Dr. Michael Day, who first introduced the rationale of American art education especially Discipline-Based Art Education to me when I was in Beijing and Dr. Sally McRorie who allowed me to pursue a dual degree both in Fine Art and Art Education during the past six years both academically and financially. A more general round of sincere thanks go to all of the painting and drawing faculty members, undergraduate students, and the chair in the art department at Florida State University. I have no doubt that without their cooperation and assistance, this dissertation would not been possible. Finally, thanks all of my family members, my parents--Li Guang Zhi, and Liu Xiao Liang; they always give me the support both financially and emotionally, my grandmother, Li Qing Shen, who taught me be perseverance, my aunt Liu Xiao Yan, who supported me so that I can come to this country realize my dream, my wife Haiqiong and my son Ethan, they are the sunshine of my life. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ix Abstract xii 1. INTRODUCTION 1 State of the Problem 2 Research Question 2 Supporting Questions 2 Rationale 2 Scope of the Study 4 Limitation of the Study 6 Research Design 7 Definition of Terms 9 Summary 10 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 11 Painting and Drawing Instruction in Higher Education in the United States: Historical Overview of Trends from 1776 until 2006 11 The Academic System 11 The Modernist Tradition and Bauhaus Influence on American Artists Training 17 Visual Arts Instruction in College and University Art Departments 22 Current Issues and Ideas in Teaching Painting and Drawing in Higher Education 26 Contextualism and Essentialism 27 Creativity and Skills and Concept Development as Issues in Teaching Painting and Drawing 28 Using the Nude Model and Academic Tradition 30 Teaching Studio Art 31 v Previous Research of Teaching Studio Art in American Higher Education 34 Summary 38 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 40 Overview of the Study 41 Phenomenological Foundations of This Study 42 Pragmatism 44 Methodology: Qualitative Case Study 46 Educational Criticism and Qualitative Research 48 Research Strategies 49 Literature Review 49 Sample 50 Triangulation 52 Data Collection Devices 53 Data Gathering and Coding 54 Confidentiality 55 Reporting 56 Summary 56 4. A PILOT STUDY 57 Patterns 57 Trends 58 Themes 59 Findings from Interviews 60 Finding from the Pilot Study 61 Summary 62 5. THEMATIC PRESENTATION OF THE DATA 63 vi Data from Department of Art Written Sources 64 Data from Interview of Art Department Chair 65 Data from Department of Art Faculty Participants 67 If You Can See, You Can Draw: Professional/Thematic Instructional Data for Professor A 68 Listen to The Painting. The Painting Tells You What’s Going on: Professional/Thematic Instructional Data for Professor B 91 Dare to Be Stupid. Egg on Your Face: Professional/Thematic Instructional Data for Professor C 108 Failure Is Part of the Success: Professional/Thematic Instructional Data for Professor D 126 Summary 151 6. ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS 153 Findings about Professor A 153 Findings about Professor B 155 Findings about Professor C 158 Findings about Professor D 159 Generalized Synthesis of Four Faculty Participants Responses and Observations 162 Supporting Question One 163 Supporting Question Two 164 Supporting Question Three 171 Supporting Question Four 173 Supporting Question Five 175 Answers to the Major Research Question 178 Conclusions 181 Connections and Implications for Teaching Practice and Further Research 183 APPENDIX A: Field Notes from the Pilot Study-Observation Two Professors’ Classes at Florida State University: Professor A: Color Theory Course 186 vii APPENDIX B: Interview with Professor A from the Pilot Study 198 APPENDIX C: Field Notes from the Pilot Study-Professor B: Figure Painting 200 APPENDIX D: Interview with Professor B from the Pilot Study 207 APPENDIX E: Interview Questions for Instructors 209 APPENDIX F: Informed Consent Form for Instructors 210 Informed Consent Form for Focus Group 211 Human Subjects Approval from Florida State University 212 APPENDIX G: Interview with Professor A 215 APPENDIX H: Interview with Professor B 225 APPENDIX I: Interview with Professor C 231 APPENDIX J: Interview with Professor D 239 APPENDIX K: Field Notes-Professor A’s Life Drawing 249 APPENDIX L: Field Notes-Professor B’s Painting I 269 APPNDIX M: Field Notes-Professor C’s Drawing II 282 APPENDIX N: Field Notes Professor D’s Painting II 295 APPENDIX O: Interview Chair of Art Department, Florida State University 310 APPENDIX P: Coded Themes 316 APPENDIX Q: Syllabus of Four Painting and Drawing Classes 319 REFERENCES 349 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 355 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Drawing Studio in “The Church” 78 Figure 2. Study of the Figure-a 84 Figure 3. Study of the Figure-b 84 Figure 4. Self Portrait-a 84 Figure 5. Self Portrait-b 84 Figure 6. Figure Ground Ambiguity-a 85 Figure 7. Figure Ground Ambiguity-b 85 Figure 8. Study of Skeleton and Self Portrait-a 85 Figure 9. Study of Skeleton and Self Portraits-b 85 Figure 10. Experiment Drawing with Skeleton-a 86 Figure 11. Experiment Drawing with Skeleton-b 86 Figure 12. Study of Skeleton-a 86 Figure 13. Study of Skeleton-b 86 Figure 14. Study of Figure-c 87 Figure 15. Study of Figure-d 87 Figure 16. Study of Figure-e 87 Figure 17. Study of Figure-f 87 Figure 18. Gesture Drawing-a 88 Figure 19. Gesture Drawing-b 88 Figure 20. Blind Contour Drawing-a 88 Figure 21. Blind Contour Drawing-b 88 Figure 22. Painting Studio in “The Church” 98 Figure 23. Demonstration of Self Portrait by Professor B 100 Figure 24. Self Portrait-c 102 Figure 25. Self Portrait-d 102 Figure 26. Self Portrait-e 102 Figure 27. Self Portrait-f 103 Figure 28. Landscape-a 103 Figure 29. Landscape-b 103 ix Figure 30. Landscape-c 104 Figure 31. Landscape-d 104 Figure 32. Randomly Selected Images Painting-a 104 Figure 33. Randomly Selected Images Painting-b 104 Figure 34. Randomly Selected Images Painting-c 105 Figure 35. Randomly Selected Images Painting-d 105 Figure 36. Persona-a 120 Figure 37. Persona-b 120 Figure 38. Persona-c 120 Figure 39. Persona-d 120 Figure 40. Persona-e 121 Figure 41. Persona-f 121 Figure 42. Persona-g 121 Figure 43. Persona-h 121 Figure 44. Book of Drawing-a 122 Figure 45. Book of Drawing-b 122 Figure 46 Book of Drawing-c 122 Figure 47. Book of Drawing-d 122 Figure 48. Book of Drawing-e 122 Figure 49. Book of Drawing-f 122 Figure 50. Book of Drawing-g 123 Figure 51. Book of Drawing-h 123 Figure 52. Book of Drawing- I 123 Figure 53. Book of Drawing-j 123 Figure 54. Book of Drawing-k 123 Figure 55. Book of Drawing-l 123 Figure 56. Book of Drawing-m 124 Figure 57. Book of Drawing-n 124 Figure 58.