Art-Based (Un)Learning

A radical pedagogical approach unfolded across encounters with diverse art objects

Published with vis-à-vis series.

Uniting the essays in Art-Based (Un)Learning is the belief that education ought to privilege organic, subjective experiences over scripted, objective itineraries. Each envisions a pedagogy of (un)learning--one that challenges hegemonic structures through critical inquiry and creative collaboration--and each frames art objects as central tools in this process. Featuring contributors from over 15 disciplines--including cinema studies, dance, fine arts, fashion, literature, design, music, theater, photography, storytelling, technology studies, pedagogy, politics, sociology, psychology, medicine, media and contemporary cultural studies--the volume examines how disparate art objects--ranging from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the paintings of Mark Rothko, Beech Tree textiles and breath--can spark curiosity and imagination within students, aiding their development of independent thought. The volume is organized into four sections--Why (Un)Learning?; Teaching Objects; Re-Designing Futures and Possible Worlds; and Storytelling: Affect and Care--providing a kaleidoscopic view of how art and imagination can converge to pedagogically enriching ends.