Abstract:

In this paper the authors outline the workshop-based methodology as an emerging format for art teachers to promote learning, values and new art practices of making art work with electronics by providing visual artists activities at the novice level [1,2,3].
In recent years democratization of technology has offered supporters of new technologies, like artists and creative practitioners, key trends and opportunities. Learning Do-It-Yourself electronics and using technology as a material allowed development and a range of work and visual expression. Artists who practice making and teaching art have found a comfortable place in which tinkering with electronics and exploring new hands-on techniques to teach artists and designers with an educational setting [4,5,6].

We begin this paper by describing how workshops have a particularly effective model to educate and introduce new emerging cross-disciplinary learning activities to students with a non technical-formation.The authors argue this methodology inspired by the approach of other educators and artists, most notably the Scrapyard Challenge workshops, Soft Circuit workshops, High-Low Tech workshops or Kit-of-Not-Parts workshops. [7,8.9]

Next we introduce as an example the interactive painting techniques and electronics workshops, designed by one of the authors for students at MIA (Illustration and Animation Master at IPCA) [10]. The goal of the workshop is teaching visual artists interactive painting techniques and electronics by giving them access to materials and basic concepts of circuitry. During the workshop, students with no technical-education will learn color techniques to implement electronics and elements of interactivity into their illustrations and paintings.

Resources:
[1] Freire, P. (2001) Pedagogy of Freedom. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield
[2] Beyond productivity: Information Technology, Innovation and Creativity,informe del National Research Council of the National Academies de EE.UU., NationalAcademies Press, Washington, 2003
[3] Thornton, A. (2011) “Being an Artist Teacher: A Liberating Identity?”.International Journal of Art and Design Education”, 30: 31-3
[4]Atkinson, P (Ed.).Do-It-Yourself: Democracy and Design, Special Issue of the Journal of Design History, 19(1): 2006. ISSN 0952-4649
[5] Satomi & Perner-Wilson, How to Get What You Want: http://www.kobakant.at/ (last accessed March 2012)
[6] MAKE, http://www.makezine.com (last accessed March 2012)
[7] Perner-Wilson, H., (2011)"A Kit-of-No-Parts". MIT MS Thesis.
[8] High-Low Tech MIT, http://hlt.media.mit.edu/?cat=6 (last accessed March 2012)
[9] Moriwaki, K., Brucker-Cohen, J., Lessons From The Scrapyard: Creative Uses of Found Materials Within a Workshop Setting, AI & Society, Springer, Mar 2006, Pages 1-20.
[10]Moriwaki,K.,Guimerans,P.,Elguero,C.,Brucker-Cohen,J.,(2012)"Scrapyard challenge and soft circuits: introducing electronic hardware design and electronics to artists and designers within an educational setting". In Proceedings for INTED2012.
[11] Guimerans,P. Tavares, P. (2012)Thermochromic paints: Introducing reactive materials to teach visual artists with a non technical-education color theory to animate painting and illustrations. International Conference. International Conference. The future of Education. Florence.

Keywords:

Workshop model, Educational Research, Innovation, Art education.