Visual art and connected knowing : imagination, meaning and spirituality in the art works of young people

Kathleen McPhillips, Peter Mudge

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

    Abstract

    This paper is based on interviews with students whose work appeared in the 2003 HSC ART Express exhibitions in NSW. The interviews are part of a research project designed to propose fresh descriptions of, as well as describe some key characteristics of, adolescent spirituality as formulated outside church and denominational school contacts. The interviews seek to uncover new understandings of teenagers' views on spirituality in order to provide productive critiques of current discourses explaining adolescent spiritual development. In this article, the work of two artists are discussed in order to demonstrate the function of imagination in mediating the relationship between art and spirituality. The authors suggest that a new methodology, 'connected knowing', can be utilised to examine the relationship between art and spirituality providing insight into meaning-making processes in the art, artist and spirituality. This provides important insights into the function of art in the lives of young people.
    Original languageEnglish
    Number of pages12
    JournalJournal of Religious Education
    Publication statusPublished - 2004

    Keywords

    • art
    • study and teaching (secondary)
    • active imagination
    • spirituality in art
    • arts and youth
    • artists

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