Istanbul Gelisim University (IGU) Faculty of Fine Arts (GSF) Graphic Design Department Research Assistant Zeynep Abacı shared her views on the importance of Basic Art and Design Education in today's practice where disciplines are intricate.
In today's practice where disciplines are intertwined, the role and importance of Basic Art and Design education is great. Basic Art and Design education is a basic education given in the first and second semesters of the relevant departments of faculties providing fine arts and architecture education. This basic training; It is an acquisition method in which the student is fed theoretically and practically in his art and design journey, develops his visual perception and skills, and has abilities such as creating compositions and interpreting the composition he has created. Basic Art education is one of the education systems that not only increases the visual sensitivity of the individual, but also improves social habits and creative thinking skills.
Basic Art education is based on the color and composition lessons Itten gave at the Bauhaus, and the color theories he developed are still being adopted by institutions today. Basic Art and Design education is in an important position in terms of forming the cornerstones of communication and acquiring basic skills about art / design in this time period, where we rapidly visualize and understand the importance of visual literacy better. Gaining the ability to organize the principles and elements of basic design in a two-dimensional and three-dimensional plane within a certain discipline is one of the main outputs of this training.
Basic Art and Design Education at Bauhaus
Johannes Itten, who teaches at the Bauhaus, is the developer and implementer of the basic program called 'Vorkurs'. This course has three different aims. Firstly; the liberation of the student's creative forces, the latter; the discovery of which materials the student is inclined to, and the training given on the basic laws of handicrafts and the principles of design.
Itten's lessons, just like in the Ancient Greek education model, with a holistic approach; It starts with physical education. While raising awareness about design principles such as breathing and body exercises, rhythm and movement, it is aimed to reveal the creative side of the student. In Bauhaus, where a one-dimensional education model is rejected, basic principles and elements have interrelated reflections in each discipline.
Interdisciplinary interaction has been in question in every period of history. In the historical process, art and science have progressed in the same direction, in communication with each other. According to Teymur (2001: 271), disciplines are hybrid phenomena that develop together. Therefore, this situation; In a way, it can be said that it corresponds to the nourishment of art and science from the same source. Considering different disciplines together in Ancient Greece and before is important in terms of hosting the first examples of this interaction. The reflection of the scientific developments in the Renaissance in art corresponds to the fact that art has become a valuable concept on its own and emphasizing the importance of human beings in the universe. (one)
Technological developments that accelerated at the beginning of the 20th century and the social and economic destructions caused by wars made it inevitable to seek new aesthetics in the field of art. German architect Walter Gropius began to question the role of art and the artist in society in the machine age, and decided to establish the Bauhaus school in the context of incorporating art into life. Bauhaus, which was founded in 1919, thought to evaluate both disciplines in one pot by eliminating the difference between applied arts and fine arts, and aimed to prepare an environment suitable for the ideal of producing useful objects based on the interaction of these two disciplines. (2)
The branches of science and art, which declared their autonomy with the romanticism of the 19th century, have begun to come together again and turn into an intricate structure with the power they receive from the developing technology and mass media. When we think in parallel with Walter Gropius' holistic approach, it can be said that Basic Art and Design education is not only included in the curriculum of the relevant faculties, but it is the guide we most need for visual communication in daily life experience. The first step of communication is seeing. As Berger says, people start by seeing and the act of seeing; It is possible to strengthen skills such as interpreting, analyzing and recreating what you see, thanks to Basic Art and Design education.
Prepared by: Res. Asst. Zeynep Abaci
(1)Abaci, Zeynep. "Castel's Color Keyboard in the Context of Interdisciplinary Interaction". idil, 79 (March 2021): p. 408–420. )
(2)Abaci, Zeynep, '19. AND PAINTINGS AND PAINTS AFFECTING MUSIC IN THE 20TH CENTURY ART', MSGSÜ, Institute of Fine Arts, 2016, p.10)
