Facilitating critical thinking sessions using art is always fascinating because kids see details of the artwork that no one has ever thought about before. The first session of the program “I.wonder.” didn’t derogate from this statement. During this session, the art thinkers look at the painting Le Printemps by Cameroonian artist Marc Padeu.
The obvious
The vibrant colors are very appealing. The orange in the wrapping of the man on the left competes with the color of the fruits in the trees. We didn’t get to a consensus about the nature of the fruit. They may have been oranges or apples, or pomegranate. “They look very yummy” is the conclusion the art thinkers came down to.
The surprise
What was more surprising is the additional layers of thinking. The more we explore the artwork, the more kids discover the meaning of this artwork. The little angel at the top of the artwork is more threatening than friendly. Everybody is wearing flip flops except one girl. What is so unique about her? There are only two men in the picture and they are both on the side of the artwork. Are they protecting the girls? Several art thinkers keep coming back to the drama developing on the right side of the painting. One art thinker mentioned that the boy on the left may be an angel because he has wings. Another mentioned that he may be a part of the tree because he has no legs. What is going on with the girl next to him? Is he trying to take her away or hold on to her. These are many questions that pushed the art thinkers to explore the artwork closely and appreciate each detail the artist wanted the viewer to pay attention to.
At the center
Once the attention turned to the woman in the middle wearing “a brownish or golden hat”, the dynamic of the group changed. They were bouncing statements out of each other as if they were racing toward an answer. “She might be the mother,” one kid said. “ Because she seems older,” they continued. “ They may be a family, these are the sisters and the boys are the brothers,” another said. “ Maybe they are lost and they are trying to find their way out of the forest”. There are many layers that an older public would have unrevealed and would have jumped at comparison with classical and biblical art. Our art thinkers are between 5 and 9 years old and worked together to gain an unique understanding of an artwork by an emerging artist.
An activity based on the Printemps
What you need
- Paper
- Magazine, ads
- Crayons
- Glue
Steps for a 30 min mix-media artwork
- Help your art thinker collect magazines, print ads or any media that includes people of color together. Bonus point if they look like a family. This activity will help you and your kids to think about how people of color are portrayed in the media. Look, select, and cut. Let your kid place the printed images as they wish on a white piece of paper and glue them.
- During the session, your kid shared what was their favorite fruit. They can draw it on the white paper
- Add the greenery. In the picture my kid made, she decided to take leaves and glue them to her artwork. We also found an old bag of party favors with cactus all over. We cut the cactus and added them to her masterpiece. And voila, here is my kids interpretation of the Printemps by Marc Padeu. Try it out, and feel free to share your kids’ picture!
Kids.Think.Art 