A case study of adolescent artistic development in a discipline -based art education classroom

A Discipline Based Art Education classroom designed to cultivate mastery in the visual culture of the European Renaissance was used to explore the artistic development of six adolescent children. Of particular interest was how expertise in realistic representation may be related to the artistic development of older children and adolescents.;The problem of the decline in artistic activity among older children has been consistently described but is variously interpreted. There is general agreement that the decline in artistic activity and confidence is linked to an interest in realism. This study surmised that the abandonment of art-making is a reflection of inadequate instruction. It explored the possibility that curriculum and teaching that engaged students in the thinking and representational skills required to depict the third dimension would support adolescent imaginative explorations, meaningful inquiry and encourage continued artistic activity. The influence of a DBAE curriculum on teaching, student art-making and artistic comprehension was also investigated.;A qualitative case study methodology was used to understand the process of adolescent art making in a holistic way. This study suggests that the abandonment of visual artistry by adolescents may be connected to a lack of instruction linked to their artistic interests and developmental needs. The abandonment of art-making by adolescents can be partly attributed to the neglect of instruction leading to expertise in representational strategies.