“Alice, where did you get that blue?” Narrating silence-based solitude in paintings
(1) * Tat Heung Choi Mail (Independent Academic, Hong Kong)
*corresponding author

Abstract


This article originates from the author’s creative experiences and extracurricular involvement in art and literature for developing TESOL materials.  Using autobiography as a pedagogical tool, it explores the quiet spaces of visual arts for learning, reflection and creative expression.  The discussion is grounded in John Dewey’s (1934) ideas on aesthetics and experience, alongside research on the benefits of silence in embracing ambiguity and uncertainty.  Drawing on the author’s guidance of a preservice teacher’s honours project, the arts-based activities aim to enhance English language learners’ skills in artistic close reading through the analysis and narration of paintings that evoke silence.  The Australian painter Charles Blackman’s Alice in Wonderland series (1955–1998) serves as a focal point for reflexive engagement with themes of silence, solitude and loneliness juxtaposed with happiness as an educational goal.  The integration of tranquil artworks and structured writing tasks may be instrumental in fostering visual and emotional literacy.


Keywords


Silence; Solitude; Arts-based pedagogies; Materials development; Visual literacy; Emotional literacy; Teacher development; Autobiographical reflections

   

DOI

https://doi.org/10.31763/jsse.v3i2.98 		      

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10.31763/jsse.v3i2.98 Abstract views : 2000 | PDF views : 2385

   

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