TAIWAN NOW

Work by the students of the National Chiayi University in Taiwan

Professor: Dr. Mary Stockrocki

 

SLURL – http://tinyurl.com/EdMediaCenter          Website – http://CeruleanGallery.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also known as Formosa and the Republic of China (R.O.C.), Taiwan emerges as a strong political force in technological art education. National Chiayi University’s Minsyong Township, Chiayi County campus is located about 3 hours south of Taipei. The university is famous for its agricultural research, especially orchids and peanuts. The artists featured in this show were students in a course named Introduction to Visual Culture & Art Education, taught by Dr. Mary Stockrocki, 2012 Fulbright Scholar to Taiwan and Professor of Art Education.

 

This is the Course Description: Conceptions of art are changing and expanding. Recent theoretical and philosophical shifts have emerged in and across various domains of knowledge. Those shifts have been informed by critical theories, such as
 postmodernism and feminism shape analysis of art and culture. New self-conscious trans-disciplinary fields
 of study have emerged to challenge conceptual dichotomies, such as fine/popular arts. As a result of these 
changes, it has become necessary to expand the concept and practice of art education to the realm of visual 
culture. The term visual culture “reflects the recent global explosion of prolific pervasive visual images and 
artifacts and their importance to social life” (Boughton et al, 2002). This course will provide an exploration of technological applications and issues of everyday aesthetics that contain powerful social and economic factors.

 

As part of their ongoing study of the virtual world of Second Life as an Educational Tool, students were excited to have their artwork showcased in a SL exhibition at the Ed Media Center, run by Julian Crooks (aka Jules McWinnie) and Dr. June Julian (aka Junie Mirabella) of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Thirty-three students made artworks in Real Life, scanned them, turned them into JPEGs and we sent them to Julian to upload them into Second Life. Due to space restraints, the works were juried by Julian Crooks and June Julian, and the resulting 17 pieces were selected for the show.

 

The students made work in a variety of mediums that reflects aspects of their home, Taiwan. The range of mediums is impressive – from watercolor and block prints to mixed media and digital work. Even more exciting is the variety of styles – vastly different aesthetics brought to an expression of the same subject.

 

The show will run from April 22 to May 20 with an Opening Reception on May 2^nd, 5:30pm SLT.

 

 

Taiwan Now Show Poster.png (1.53 mb)