Managing the Art Room: Visual Research

Mention the word “research” to high-school students, and youʼll be greeted with a chorus of groans. I took on this art research challenge to expand studentsʼ knowledge of diverse contemporary artists, engage them in creating original works, and teach required skills, techniques, media, and genres. I call it Visual Research.

Through gathering visual and written data, students are challenged to explore a wide variety of topics. Iʼve used Visual Research with all levels, and there are countless ways you can incorporate it into your curriculum.

My drawing and painting students complete Visual Research as a spread in their sketchbooks. My photography students use Adobe Photoshop to complete their Visual Research. All students must consider the overall presentation of the information. I allow class time for students to work on their research in my beginning and advanced classes, and AP students are required to complete research for homework. Once they complete their research, we take time to share our findings with each other. This is a great way to get students talking about art and excited to share their creative ideas with each other.

Researching Contemporary Artists
The first time I did Visual Research was with my second-year drawing students. I gave them four artists to explore: Daniel Gordon, Hilary Pecis, Anna Valdez, and Guy Yunai. I presented the still-life unit overview along with a few images of the artistsʼ work, and students selected which artist they wanted to explore.

Research requirements included: an image of the artist, biographical information, an example of the artistʼs work, a description and analysis of the artistʼs work, and a visual and written response to the work. Students determined what aspect of the artistʼs work they would use as inspiration for their personal still-life assignment. Options included subject matter, theme, use of color, or use of principles of design. The resulting work was personally meaningful and original.

I had my second-year photography students explore three photographers: Sasha Arutyunova, Omar Z. Robles, and Nirav Patel. Their challenge was to find inspiration that influenced how they took portraits of different staff members. Again, the results were varied because each student found different things to use as inspiration.

By introducing research this way, I was able to guide students so they didn't become overwhelmed with researching and blindly trying to make connections to their own work; the framework allowed them to discover and make connections. Students created original work and were excited to have the freedom to explore subject matter and techniques. Gone were the days of setting up a still life of random objects or having a portrait photo unit that resulted in a bunch of headshots. Studentsʼ confidence soared as they shared their end results and discussed their inspirations with each other.

I quickly realized students were not only getting into the actual research, but also remembering things from previous years as they continued their art journeys. It was then I decided to embed Visual Research into all my courses.

A Focus on Symbolism
When my honor students started a symbolism unit, I had them search for contemporary artists and photographers who were using symbolism in their own work. Initial research focused on biographical information and analysis of the work, while “discovery” exercises had students look for symbolic items in their lives, practicing sketches, and taking preliminary photos. They found connections between the photographers and their own compositional ideas and were able to identify areas of inspiration through the research.

Visual Research Assignments for AP
Finally, I wanted to find a way to incorporate Visual Research into the rigorous AP curriculum because I knew it would benefit students’ portfolios in meaningful ways. I created three Visual Research assignments. The first was geared toward students’ Big Idea. They searched for artists who were currently working on similar ideas, and through their research, identified specific visual evidence in the artworks that supported the Big Idea. Students revisited one or more of their own Essential Questions to consider how the selected artist might inspire them to explore the Big Idea in a new way.

The second assignment had the same requirements, but focused on techniques and media. Students could choose what to do for their final Visual Research assignment.

Reflections
I’ve been adding more Visual Research to my curriculum over the past three years, and I am happy to report it’s been a huge success! Students are learning about diverse contemporary artists, making meaningful connections, and are proudly creating original works of art.

My current AP students have “grown up” with Visual Research and are seeing the benefits. One student told me how much this type of research helps in her other AP courses, and most AP students find that the research they complete helps push them out of their comfort zones. Who knew art research could be so much fun?