Fostering Curiosity through Art
Curiosity is triggered when the brain is confronted by an unknown event or object which catalyses observation, exploration and discovery.
The quest to fill any knowledge gaps and the location of answers to these floods our bodies with dopamine, the feel-good hormone, as a reward for our efforts.
This process of curious enquiry and its outcomes, aligns perfectly with the artistic process whereby artists also observe their subject matter, explore techniques and materials and discover or create a work of art as an outcome to their investigation.
Curiosity is fundamental to arts practice and is also the basis of learning regardless of discipline or field of knowledge. This is why the arts enable students to learn through enquiry on a limitless and self-directed range of studies and subjects.
Viewing our collection this year, curiosity has certainly been at play and is a central linking feature of each work on display. Our student artists have observed and explored a range of themes, such as the natural or man-made environment, the human form, creatures of fantasy, celebrity and social connection to discover new knowledges and ideas, which they have shared through their artistic creations.
The curiosity of our student artists has helped them to learn about the subjects chosen in their artworks and through this process, created an opportunity for us all to learn more from their discoveries.
Anne Smith
Arts Learning Executive
Independent Schools Victoria