Dewey, Freire, and the Artistic Process: Similar Socio-Emotional Dispositions and Epistemological Shift

• In Event: 28.062 - The Art in Science and the Science in Art

Abstract

Dewey (1934/1980) describes the art-making process as one in which the artist engages in a dialogical relationship with the environment, becomes increasingly aware of that relationship and of the self within it, and pursues an open-ended investigation to author meaning. Meanwhile, according to Freire (1970/2012), an individual begins to engage in critical consciousness by perceiving and pursuing a contradiction in their relationship with their environment, iteratively examining the self and the world, and authoring new meaning. This presentation will examine the socio-emotional dispositions common to these models of critical consciousness and the artistic process, discussing the role they play in iterative meaning-making, an awareness of the relationship between the self and the social environment, and a potential epistemological shift.

Author

• Kerry O'Grady, Johns Hopkins University