Getting to know my Std. IX through self portraits

I learnt the power and magic of art, especially paintings, quite late in life. I was in my Masters’ program when I met one of the most important teachers in my life. He was a professor of English literature who taught us plays by Shakespeare and poetry by William Blake using paintings. Every lecture was precious, I would hang on to his every word because he could use just a single painting to open up our mind to so many new ideas. I learnt the power of symbols and colour in his classes. I learnt paintings always carry deeply personal messages that artists are trying to tell people. I learnt we can hide away a lot in paintings. 

When I was offered the opportunity to teach Self Development and Art Appreciation to std. IX students at Sharon, I was thrilled! Here was my chance to show youngsters some original ideas and creativity through art. The Maharashtra State Board prescribed textbook for the subject is interestingly designed with thought provoking activities. I decided to try and retain its exploratory, interactive spirit but I also decided to include art from day one. The first chapter encourages students to reflect on issues of self – who I am, how experiences shape who I am and how I react to different situations.

One of the first paintings I showed my class was Frida Kahlo’s, Self Portrait with a Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird.  We spent some time talking about Frida, her early life, the bus accident that left her crippled, her marriage and divorce with Diego Rivera and her unbridled passion for life. Gradually students started paying attention to all the details in the painting – the dense foliage behind her, the beautiful dragonflies and butterflies above her, the thorn necklace around her….they started asking questions and second guessing what each thing symbolized. My class was thinking and thinking hard.

In the following classes I showed them more self portraits by other artists ranging from  Monet and Manet to Van Gogh and Dali. The riot of colours, forms and ingenious representations was doing something to them. While the textbook activity asks students to make self portraits, I extended the idea by showing them original portraits and sharing tidbits about the artist to make it more interesting.Slowly, at the end of week one, I guided them to a task that I was actually preparing them for from the first day – everyone had to try a hand at making a self portrait. I was hoping that all the discussions we’d had in class around identity and the role personal  experiences play in shaping who we are would be reflected in some of their work.

My class did not disappoint me. As you will see in the photographs which follow, each student brought her/his own creativity, experience and feeling into the artwork. The responses I received were varied. 

Many were inspired by Frida’s portrait and tried to imitate her style but used details from their own life to talk about their identity.

Some thought about past experiences, others reflected on something they are currently experiencing and represented it in their own original styles.

Some others clearly understood the power of symbols and appropriated objects in original ways.

The last portrait I want to leave you with is a stellar example of how complex the minds of adolescents are. Please pay careful attention to his art and follow it up by reading the narrative he submitted with it.

What was important in this activity on self portraits was not how well they drew but how deeply they reflected and how honestly they expressed themselves. No two responses were alike and a majority of the class had put their heart in doing the task. I don’t think I could have asked for a better way to begin to get to know my standard IX. Through the rest of the year I hope my class doesn’t do just Self Development and Art Appreciation but I hope we use Art Appreciation for Self Development.

Jennifer Thomas

Std. IX Teacher for Self Development & Art Appreciation