 |
x |
|
|
PLAY TIME "Play is not in the activity or appearance of play but in the person performing, and whether or not they are experiencing playfulness" Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi Play has many values: it helps us learn skills and aquire knowledge; it helps us socialise; it helps us solve problems ; it helps us relax; it helps us see things differently. Play is also valuable because it can stop us being too serious... and laughter is very good for our health. Play as a process of experimenting, pushing boundaries and trying new things is an area of common ground for artists, scientists and children. In fact it is one of the few areas where children are seen as experts with something to teach adults. Play is recognised as a way of acheiving innovation and creativity because it helps us see things differently or achieve unexpected results. A playful approach can be applied to even the most serious or difficult subjects because - as the quote above suggests - playfulness is a state of mind rather than an action. Yoko Ono is an artist who through her performance pieces and conceptual work, has blurred the boundaries between different artforms and bent the rules concerning the relationship between artist and audience, questioning the whole nature of creativity and composition. |
Yoko Ono - Play It By Trust (All White Chess Set) - 1966. (1) |
||
|
DISCUSS RESEARCH BRAINSTORM DESCRIBE COMPARE |
||
|
Maria
Amidu, 'Echo' Ajike glass, 1996 (1) |
"Bend
it, stretch it, crush it, fold it, crash it...
"
Playing with ideas, ways of working, media and materials is central to any creative process within art and design. An artist may be working towards an exhibition just as you may be working towards exams, but for many artists, the opportunity to improvise, to try things out and make discoveries is more valuable than the finished product or show. Which is more important to you? Design and invention would be nothing without play. Look at everything around you - your clothes, the contents of your bag, the things in the this room, the building you're in, the computer you are looking at. People somewhere designed all of it. Do you think they were playful enough in their design process? Maria Amidu is artist who uses glass and other materials to create largely abstract sculptural pieces. The process of testing ideas and playing with materials is vital to her work. Recently she has been collaborating with Australian digital artist, Rea, for a residency at 198 gallery in Brixton. Other artists whose work you could look at here are:
|
||
