Michael Gauthier_Reflect

Michael Gauthier

5th Year, Art Education Specialization

Reflect


graphite on paper
22” x 30”
2012-2013


This surrealist work demonstrates a progression of my technical exploration. It is a collection of spontaneously drawn creatures, etched over the span of 8 months. Time was a factor in this process, as well as gestalt images emerging from automatic lines. The work summarizes various events in my life, involving my practices as artist and educator. Reflect depicts a struggle to combine theory with practice, one that I believe is present in the process of becoming an art educator. I believe the exploration of both traditional and contemporary forms of art in the classroom allows students to express the social, political, and cultural ideas that they might otherwise struggle to convey. My own understanding of these issues has grown in tandem with my personal practice. My artistic endeavours have driven me to explore other cultures and have subsequently given me an awareness of social justice issues of which I was not aware. As an art educator, I strive to inspire students to view artistic practice as a means to explore the larger social and political frameworks that surround them in their everyday life.