Tracing the lines of inquiry

A line is a dot out for a walk.
—Paul Klee

It’s been many weeks since we wrapped up The Art of Play pop-up exhibit. After an event of this scale, it takes time for us to sort through the hundreds(!) of photos and reflect on all the incredible patterns and experiences that emerge whenever we set our ideas in motion. As a pop-up school, we rarely get to observe inquiries that evolve over the span of an entire week – so The Art of Play was quite a treat for us, and we’re excited to share our discoveries with you. 

For starters, we created an educator/artist-in-residence program to add a rich dimension to the learning environment. The three educators who signed on to the program brought unique perspectives that helped guide the planning and direction of the exhibit. We are extremely grateful for the time, energy, and collaborative spirit they each so generously contributed to The Art of Play! 

First up was Jessica Gorlicky, pop-artist and painter extraordinaire! We are so smitten by her art – especially her generous use of colour and line, and the energy she pours into her creations. Inspired by her live-action painting style – as well as a huge pile of transparent cutting boards salvaged from a recent challah bake fundraiser – we floated the idea of painting portraits on transparencies. Jessica embraced the idea with wholehearted enthusiasm, effectively launching a full-blown exploration into “the art of line” that lasted well beyond her one-day artist-in-residency. Because we like to offer multiple entry points, we also set up an invitation to create human spirographs, inspired by the incredible line-work of Tony Orrico. And just when we wondered how we’d ever source oversized paper in time for opening day, Elliot Sylman stepped in and generously donated a massive roll from his photography studio – proving once again that great things happen when we open our hearts and minds beyond our limitations.

Tracing the lines of the body
There’s no denying that the energy level amplified dramatically the moment Jessica stepped into the studio. Her willingness to experiment with art is awe-inspiring. What an incredible learning experience to be up close and personal with Jessica – witnessing her practiced wrist boldly guiding her brush strokes. This is an artist who throws her whole body into the act of creation. We watched as she gently encouraged people to release expectations of perfection, knowing just when to step up and when to step back as the children began to experiment with this unusual canvas on their own.

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photos: Elana Emer

In no time at all, the space filled with visual delights. Children and adults took turns painting each other – intrigued by the way this semi-transparent surface made line visible enough to “trace” familiar faces and expressions. We flipped back and forth between painting and being painted. It was a fascinating experience to be on the receiving end of a paintbrush – to observe the artist's intense concentration on the other side of the canvas. And all the while, spirographs blossomed around us. Vivid words floated up from spinning bodies on the floor as they grappled with concepts ranging from symmetry to velocity to rhythm.

Click on each image to enlarge. Many of the photos in this collection are courtesy of film student, Elana Emer – another generous contributor to The Art of Play!

In many ways we would have been satisfied with the learning that occurred that day – our exploration of line yielded rich language, theory-building and truly engaging experiences. But then two unexpected things happened: First, Jessica insisted we keep her paints, complete with super-artsy case that made our hearts soar with excitement for the next day's potential! Second, when we pulled the portraits off the wall at the end of the day, we made an exciting discovery! Two distinct artistic activities that had co-existed in the space all day, suddenly collided. As the portraits landed on the floor, we noticed that the lines of the spirographs were visible through the transparent parts of the paintings – adding an unexpected layer of energy to the portraits and forcing this intoxicating thought into my head: Art is never done! We had already set aside a room for exploring the Art of Remix but this realization deepened my own thinking on the topic and crystallized the concept for me: Remix offers endless implications for how we view art, education, children, social structures, and more. The things we believe are fixed and sacrosanct? They are really just possibilities waiting for the moment when discovery, courage, and creative thinking converge.

Notice how the layered lines affect expression in the portraits, in subtle and intense ways.

The next day felt more like spring, and our line inquiry spilled outdoors into the glorious sunshine. Whereas indoors we had to monitor the paints closely to preserve the integrity of the heritage home, painting outdoors required less supervision – and we all enjoyed the freedom. With its bare branches, bright sunlight and shadows, nature provided the perfect framework for hanging and painting our canvasses. The results were spectacular. And the experience even more so. As the paintings dried in the breeze – defying the slow-melt of the last remnants of winter – the outdoor space transformed into a colourful, artistic landscape.

Extending the lines
Back inside, we played with the artwork once again – experimenting with the layered effect and discovering that we could add colourful buds to bare branches and create swirling wind effects with leaves.

With each new day, our inquiry evolved and we continued to introduce new ways of playing with line. On day four, we painted with marbles borrowed from The Art of Sound room (stay tuned for our blog post about sound and ice coming soon). Giving up control of line to gravity created a whole new set of challenges! The children learned that gravity is reliable; that more paint means less light gets through; and that line can help us express emotion. Throughout the week we also discovered that adults crave play as much as children; that play, art and nature are therapeutic and connected; and that authentic inquiry requires time, space, and pliability. 

Notice how the layered lines add movement to our static representations of nature.

letting gravity control the line

letting in the light

more paint means less light

photo: Stef Icsarescu @IcsStef

Directional lines left behind by the marble. photo: Elana Emer

photo: Elana Emer

photo: Deborah Kerbel

Testing out theories about light and gravity by playing with line. A window shadow adds yet another layer of line.

Each day's play and inquiry informed the next in a natural, emergent way. Inspiring, sparking new ideas, and creating cravings for new and innovative materials to visit and revisit our developing theories. On closing day, we set out an invitation to play with strings. Long, short, wiry, springy, twisty, curvy, meandering strings! Families began by creating pictures, but their play quickly transformed into something more dynamic and sensory-seeking when they began wrapping themselves – and the room – in line. As we began to dismantle the exhibit, several of the children began plotting out blueprints of the heritage home – vividly describing how each room could be used (a library here, dance studio there, horse stable in the yard, a digital space – a bridging of old world and new). 

We recognize that the choices the children made on that final day were expressions of deep, engaged learning. Wrapping themselves (becoming one with line) and drawing blueprints (choosing a linear way to represent space) are a culmination of all the theories and ideas explored during the week. Given time, space and open ended materials, authentic inquiry was able to flourish at The Art of Play. The children’s learning echoed our own – as each day passed and our understandings grew, we adapted, changed, and tweaked our invitations to make space for emergent learning. Remaining open to possibilities allowed us to trace the lines of inquiry so closely that the ideas burst out of the physical space and into our lives in relevant, powerful ways. There's no denying that we have an immense responsibility to recognize the value of inquiry – not just for the world we live in, but for the world our children will eventually create.

>> View more images from The Art of Play
>> Discover more about the artist, Jessica Gorlicky
>> The Art of Line continues to inspire: Read this blog from educator, Nan Sumner