One of the
things I love about my work at Mairtown kindergarten is the fact that nature
plays an integral part of our curriculum. Yes, we run a nature programme, but
we also utilise nature in our kindergarten environment as much as we possibly
can.
Ephemeral art is a wonderful opportunity for the children at Mairtown, and myself, to get really close to nature, to study its beauty, its patterns, its colours, its texture and smells in minute detail whist also creating stunning art works.
So what is ephemeral
art? Basically it is art that only lasts for a short amount of time and is often used to describe creativity based in and from nature. The Tate art gallery tells us ‘There are many forms of ephemeral art,
from sculpture to performance, but the term is usually used to describe a work
of art that only occurs once, like a happening, and cannot be embodied in any
lasting objects’.
From my
perspective as a teacher, ephemeral art is an unstructured and free form of art
which invites the artists to engage with Papatuanuku, as they utilise materials created in
and by nature. What I really enjoy witnessing is children fully exploring, with
all their senses, the materials laid out for them – be it shells from a local
beach, pine cones from a nearby park, flowers from a garden, leaves from
deciduous tress etc. I feel it is in this process that many children, and also
myself, learn about our New Zealand identity, our culture, our place and our
community.
From my
experience children seem to be intrinsically drawn to ephemeral art, they
often collaborate together on pieces, looking for just the right shade of leaf,
or shape of stick to finish off a creation. Personally I encourage the
unhurried approach to this aspect of art. Much is discovered in the making of
these natural art pieces, there is a richness to the learning that cannot be
rushed. Working with nature is enchanting, each leaf or petal is different from
the one before, it is fascinating to sit back and observe the children as they
express wonder and ponder over each observed detail.
We noticed that
teachers who facilitate ephemeral art create a banquet for the senses and give
children the freedom to touch, get dirty and messy, smell, listen, observe and
think (Napier kindergarten Association).
And
although, so far I have discussed ephemeral art in relation to being inside at
kindergarten, this isn’t the only place where ephemeral art occurs for us. In fact,
one of the most special places has to be outside as nature intended, hence on
our nature programme this is something the children often choose to engage in.
They take time out of the busyness of their morning to collect fallen items, to
sit, relax, sort and create. We also love to return a week a later, sometimes
more, and notice how the rain, wind and sun has altered our original creations,
often creating something we can further add to.
Another
aspect of ephemeral art that is perhaps even more important is that of
ecological literacy. This is a term I heard for the first time when I attended
some professional learning with Ann Pelo (author and master teacher). Ann
talked about how if we want the next generation to save the world, we first need
to teach them how to love the world. By introducing ephemeral art, children
learn more about the world around them in a scientific manner and also from a
literacy perspective as we name acorns, compare colours of moss, talk about
different tree species and their leaves, and examine stones and shells.
Giving a name to
something is a way of knowing it. People are unlikely to value what they cannot
name (Elaine Brooks)
Art helps us
build our vocabulary by participation, by helping us see emotionally,
relationally, and imaginatively. It invites us into being in the world (Ann
Pelo).
Mā te wā,
Christine
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