#abstractADVEnt

#Abstractadvent is a playful daily art challenge running from 1-24 December. It has been devised for students, teachers, artists, illustrators and photographers...but everyone is very welcome to take part. 

The guidelines are as follows:
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  • Between the 1st - 24th December 2019, make art in response to the prompt provided for each day (see list above).
  • Responses do not have to be festive (but they can be, if you like).
  • You can use any media (for example: drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, photography, digital media).
  • You can produce work at any scale (but best to be realistic with ambitions, time and budget).
  • Each response should be 'Abstract' (Interpret that as you wish. See below for more).
  • Share your work on instagram as #abstractadvent (you might also want to tag posts #abstractadvent2019, #artpedagogy). 
  • Play nicely. All comments on the work of others should be positive and classroom-friendly.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR STUDENTS: Do not share your work from a social media account that contains personal photographs or reveals your full name. You might consider setting up an appropriately safe art-specific account. Please discuss this with your teacher. 
Picture
A5 sketchbook experiment by student, Max, using acrylic paint and collaged paper.

WHY SHOULD I DO THIS?

#Abstractadvent has been devised in the spirit of popular social media challenges such as #DrawingAugust and #Inktober. There are many benefits to taking part:
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  • ​​Provides a focus for daily practice.
  • Provides an opportunity to respond to a theme, and also see how others might respond.
  • Provides a platform for sharing and gathering positive feedback.
  • Promotes collaboration and a spirit of community.
  • Encourages those participating to not be too precious with their work - a chance to celebrate process and participation over perfectionism.
A6 'Leftovers' sketchbook by Year 13, Tom. Quick intuitive experiments with paint, collage, tape, chalk and charcoal.

TOP TIPS

  • (Re)consider abstraction - Abstraction is a term that has multiple meanings, and even when specific to art it does not define one style or technique. Use this challenge as an opportunity to delve deeper into abstraction and its possibilities. Here's a respectable place to start and further links are provided below.

  • Trust your instinct. The challenge of any creative task is to keep your mind open to possibilities - the unexpected, the absurd, the half-formed, the 'really - can I do that?!' - if an idea lights a spark in your mind, or a mark on a page has a certain appeal, give it a chance to shine.

  • Material matter.  Rather than wait for ideas to arrive in your grey matter, sometimes it's better to just get busy making. Pick up the pencils, paintbrushes; begin to collage with materials; doodle - take a line for a walk. it's good to play.

  • Don't worry about what others might think. Sharing your responses - if you want to - is part of this challenge. Don't let that hold you back. Often the most interesting experiments - and always the most original - come from that devil-may-care attitude. 

  • Enjoy. The intentions here are positive so maintain a playful perspective. To help with this don't be overly-ambitious. If life is too busy set yourself a time limit each day, say 20 minutes to respond to the prompt. Miss a day if need be, or simply do what you can. The prompts have been shared early to help those that like to plan in advance - setting other limitations, such as scale, use of media, limited colours can also help.

ABOUT ABSTRACTION

Abstraction is a broad term that has multiple meanings and uses. In relation to Art and #abstractadvent here are some potential definitions, from the simplified (and debatable) to the convoluted (and probably still debatable):
  • Art that is not realistic.
  • Art where the subject matter is not obviously recognisable.
  • Art that has some departure from accurate representation - be it slight, partial or complete.
  • Art that is non-figurative or non-representational.​
  • Art that does not attempt to represent an accurate depiction of a visual reality but instead use shapes, colours, forms and gestural marks to achieve its effect.

​For some artists, abstraction is a form of direct and spontaneous expression, for others it is a considered exercise in selection, reduction, balance and arrangement. Abstraction might begin with observation of something tangible in the world, and then simplify or complicate from this. Alternatively, the art materials in-hand might lead the way - a process of play, experimentation and intuition; a combination of head, hands and heart.
Various photographic experiments exploring abstraction encountered in the everyday.

Further reading

Our Threshold Concepts for Art provide many interesting connections and practical ideas for the classroom related to abstraction:
Picture
Experimental collage, by Daisy, Year 13

IN ADDITION...

A further resource to support with #abstractadvent will be shared soon. The following articles may also be of interest:
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Good luck with #abstractadvent - WE look forward to your responses!

PhotoPedagogy and ArtPedagogy Threshold Concepts and resources are developed by Chris Francis and Jon Nicholls, both full-time teachers dedicated to promoting and supporting  arts and photography education. If you would to contribute to or support our work for teachers and young people, you can do so here. 
@artpedagogy
​hello@artpedagogy.com