Offering a conceptual framework for teaching the visual arts (K-12 and higher education) from a cultural standpoint, the author discusses visual culture in a democracy.

This is the first book to focus on teaching visual culture. The author provides the theoretical basis on which to develop a curriculum that lays the groundwork for postmodern art education (K–12 and higher education). Drawing on social, cognitive, and curricular theory foundations, Freedman offers a conceptual framework for teaching the visual arts from a cultural standpoint. Chapters discuss: visual culture in a democracy; aesthetics in curriculum; philosophical and historical considerations; recent changes in the field of art history; connections between art, student development, and cognition; interpretation of art inside and outside of school; the role of fine arts in curriculum; technology and teaching; television as the national curriculum; student artistic production and assessment; and much more. “A compelling synthesis of scholarship from a variety of fields. . . . This book successfully blends theory with provocative arts education applications.” —Doug Blandy, Director, Arts and Administration, Institute for Community Arts Studies, University of Oregon “Insightful and well-researched. . . . This book will spark discussion among art educators, serving as a catalyst for change in theory and practice.” —Mary Ann Stankiewicz, President, National Art Education Association

"Explores new critical approaches to a history of representation seen as something different from a history of art".

This collection of original and exciting essays explores the 'visual' character of contemporary culture. Examining film, painting, propaganda, photography and television, this is an indispensible guide to this field.

Drawing on interviews, responses to questionnaires, and oral histories by U.S.

Most of our expereince is visual. We obtain most of our information and knowledge through sight, whether from reading books and newspapers, from watching television or from quickly glimpsing road signs. Many of our judgements and decisions, concerning where we live, what we shall drive and sit on and what we wear, are based on what places, cars, furniture and clothes look like. Much of our entertainment and recreation is visual, whether we visit art galleries, cinemas or read comics. This book concerns that visual experience. Why do we have the visual experiences we have? Why do the buildings, cars, products and advertisements we see look the way they do? How are we to explain the existence of different styles of paintings, different types of cars and different genres of film? How are we to explain the existence of different visual cultures? This book begins to answer these questions by explaining visual experience in terms of visual culture. The strengths and weaknesses of traditional means of analysing and explaining visual culture are examined and assessed. Using a wide range of historical and contemporary examples, it is argued that the groups which artists and designers form, the audiences and markets which they sell to, and the different social classes which are produced and reproduced by art and design are all part of the successful explanation and critical evaluation of visual culture.