In Praise of Uncertainty, Ambiguity, and Wonder

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Affect and the Body: Ways of Knowing, Learning, and Being Present

Abstract

In a course on aesthetics for pre-service generalist teachers, students are introduced to various strategies for interacting with artworks and are encouraged to explore various pathways towards meaning making. This paper addresses one pathway in particular, the writing of ekphrastic poetry.
To provide students with some guidance and reassurance in their writing, the author makes available his own tentative efforts. This paper describes one such effort in response to a (2007) wordless video, “The carpet told me” by Dutch artist Jeroen Kooijmans. The video raises questions, not only about it, but also of self-identity, relation to others, responsibility to self and other. Ultimately, this paper is an experiment with the educational possibilities inherent in the qualities of ambiguity and wonder.

Author

• Boyd Eric White, McGill University