I found this picture on a website about talented and gifted children called http://www.exquisite-minds.com/. It is a source of information for parents of gifted children. The website presents resources, a forum, and offers products for sale (games, books, and movies) to enhance the world of the gifted child. I was attracted to this photo for two simple reasons. I like close-up photography and I am a math geek. Upon closer inspection, I was attracted to the green eye, the linear pattern shown as a reflection in the glasses, and the rectilinear shadow cast across the eye. I think this is a well-composed piece. It has a strong focal point - the green eye of a child. It is well unified in that it uses grouping, proximity, & repetition (the math formulae) and containment (glasses frames). I like the continuity created by the math formulae flowing seamlessly through the glasses and the tilt of the face (eyes).
In my opinion, this represents the opening of a young mind - the attentiveness, the focus, the shadow being lifted to reveal more about the world that surrounds us. So, what does this have to do with cultivating creativity? According to the text, there are seven characteristics of creative thinking:
· Receptivity - openness to new ideas and experiences;
· Curiosity - eagerness to understand the world around us;
· Wide range of interests - art, math, science, literature, music, language, culture,...
· Attentiveness - realization that every experience is valuable;
· Connection Seeking - finding similarities in seemingly different disciplines;
· Conviction - passionately and openly looking for knowledge; and
· Complexity - ability to combine the rational with the intuitive.
In a child, all of these can be fostered and developed without any of the preconceived notions of adulthood. Who better represents each of these characteristics than a child? To quote Picasso, "All children are artists. The problem is how to remain artists once we grow up." I think this applies to every field of study. Many people believe math and science are not creative - nothing could be further from the truth. While it is true the 2+2 will always equal 4, real math is so much more! Creativity is essential. I have so often heard the questions "When am I going to use algebra in my life?" or "I am not going to be a scientist, so why do I have to study chemistry?" or " Why do I have to read Shakespeare? It doesn't have anything to do with my life now." When did we lose our childlike need to learn for the sake seeking knowledge? For unearthing connections between the past and present? For inspiration?
When I was an undergrad, studying math and engineering, I read a book that opened my world. It was entitled "Gödel, Escher, Bach The Eternal Golden Braid" by Douglas R. Hofstadter(1979). It discussed the connection between math, art and music - specifically the mathematician Kurt Gödel, artist M.C Escher, and musician J.S. Bach. It also tied in literary and historical findings. It borrows from author Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland) in that each chapter has a dialogue between historic characters like Achilles and the Tortoise. This book made me see how everything - even the most obscure scientific findings - are interconnected in our world, through pattern and music and ideas. Knowledge is doubling at an astounding rate - nearly every 18 months now according to many experts. Since the book was written, many of the ideas in the book have been expanded to the nth degree - chaos theory, fractals, number theory - yet the connection remains unending - the connection between math, art, literature, and music. To me, this represents the connection between creativity and the quest for knowledge.
Which brings me back to the photograph and the topic... Retaining a child's sense of receptivity to knowledge is so important to each one of us on a daily basis. Our creativity can be sparked in so many ways that we can never predict. This photo represents all of the possibilities, all of the focus, all of the complexity, curiosity, and conviction that is required to ignite creativity - though the eyes of a child.
This image really does capture the "cultivation of creativity," even in math! The gaze of the child echoes of concentration, curiosity, and intelligence. Your analysis was excellent and very interesting.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting picture. I see all these characteristics being acted out in this image. I also see a blankness and a loss of the inner child. Youth is there but somehow it is empty. It is concentrating so hard on the knowledge that there's no room for anything else. We as people revel on knowledge that we forget creativity also comes from the inner person. Art is often about more than numbers and facts but what inspires us to create. Gifted children may need direction but they also need to feed on what is an inspiration to them. We hurry to grow up but fail to be inspired as adults. I find myself asking is that all the child knows and does that child wonder? This ad is a resource of products to enhance the world of gifted children. I am an artist, how would this inspire me. My grown children are very artistic too. I don't think that this would inspire either of them. They both did well in mathematics. To me this looks like "If your kid is having trouble in math, this will help them." Aside from that it's a really cool image. I do think the green eye effect may be muted down a bit because of your blog background giving it a tonal look. I appreciate having the white border to separate the two.
ReplyDeleteI quite like the use of light and shadow in this image. The formulas and the child's eye are expertly highlighted, bringing the viewer's attention to them and adding a sense of drama and tension to the piece. The contrast of the child's light skintone and the darkness of the glasses and the background help to emphasize this.
ReplyDeleteThe contrast of the glasses and child's skin makes this strong image. I like what picasso said, "All children are artists. The problem is how to remain artists once we grow up" children's non limited curiousities, talents, dreams.. It is adult's responsibility to make an environment to remain all the children's talents.
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