Maggie McCombs

Arte 302 – Reading Responses 1/28

Artistic Giftedness Summary of Readings

It seems as though artistic giftedness can have many different
definitions, sometimes it is separated from the concept of having higher
intelligence (superior academic abilities). Most of the time the criteria for
labeling some as artistically gifted varies from person to person. Every
teacher/adult has an aesthetic that they prefer or would consider a mastery
of by a student to be reason enough for labeling ‘gifted’. Creativity can
sometimes play a role, but the big picture general consensus of artistically
gifted tends to lean on modernist aesthetics and the uncharacteristic
depiction of high realism in a child’s artwork. I think this is slowly going to
change, but the immediate connection a viewer has with a realistic image
relates to a form of kinesthetic empathy that does not require any
knowledge of art or art history as far as I’m concerned. The viewer can
understand and realize the physical requirements of the artist to replicate
life as we see it so well, yet most likely due to the viewer’s own physical
inadequacies to attempt the same material the viewer automatically
respects the time, dedication, etc and therefore immediately value the work
more than that of a completely abstract painting, like Pollock, they think a 5
year old could do that.
Aside from often exclusive definitions of what artistic giftedness is, it is
usually determined by comparing students to the general developmental
level of peer their physical age and if they exhibit evidence of high
performance capabilities in certain areas they usually labeled as gifted.
Children that show precocity, and often portray a mental age that surpasses
their chronological age.
Commonly associated traits according to Pariser & Zimmerman (2004):
problem finding, problem solving, divergent & convergent thinking, self-
expression, and adaptability to new situations (p. 381) Robert Abelman
conducted a study in 2004 concerning TV literacy in academic and artistically
gifted students and their comprehension of narratives and story-lines that
incorporated time-leaps and flashbacks. According to his tests, heavy
consumption of TV by children not labeled in one of those two categories
does not result in facilitating comprehension of those telegeneric techniques,
but that it requires a more advanced and higher order of thinking that gifted
students possess and subsequently were able to comprehend on a much
higher level than the non-labeled children. Yes, visual literacy is facilitated by
cognitive, perceptual, linguistic, and social skills, but based on his results I
think there is a flaw in the methods used, it really just tested visual and
auditory memory and ones ability to re-present it via available still pictures
and verbal narrative, maybe the non-labeled students were just bad at
taking that kind of test?
I do not think that artistic giftedness always has a special track
available to students. I know some high schools offer AP courses in art while
others, like mine, did not. But my school did offer independent study. I really
don’t think most schools, teachers, and parents necessarily value artistically
gifted students in the light that they would if the child was intellectually
gifted, considering college and job prospects for a future in the arts is still
tainted with the stereotypical scenario of a starving artist. Even more so, I’m
Maggie McCombs
Arte 302 – Reading Responses 1/28
not so sure students gifted in digital forms of art making are getting the
attention and credit they deserve. Granted, I struggle with reconciling my
desire to learn how to become better at digital art but also to see something
made out of physical materials and the process of physically working with
them. Tablets are amazing in terms of the hand to computer coordination
and real-life replication of speed, movements, and pressure sensitivity but
somehow, even when printed out, it seems less tangible to behold unless
one has tried their own hand at it.