GBHS Kumbo Philosophy Students share their views on What is an Art Object?
On the 1st February, 2006 Njong Sewong Celestine, Head of the Philosophy Department of GBHS Kumbo led 85 Lower Sixth Philosophy students of his school to Mus'Art Gallery. The visit which is an annual out-of classroom event helps to prepare the young students to answer the question on "Arts and Culture" which is part of their curriculum. At the end of the visit the students are each expected to prepare a report which is marked and graded by their teacher. The best 10 works shall be presented on the Mus'Art website.
For the 2006 visit Mus'Art prepared an interactive education session with the aim of getting the students better understand What an Art Object is. The students were divided into 8 groups. Find below excepts on what the students decided upon after the excersise.
Group 1
"Arts can be defined as the human production which presents interactions between culture and nature.
Works of arts are creative, skilled and beautiful."
Group 2
"We were able to see a lot of craft works some of which included traditional war instruments like swords and spears.
We also saw traditional jars, cupboards where food is stored and clay pots."
Group 3
"Just to name a few, an art object is physical meaning that it is tangible as can be touched and visualised.
Art objects communicates and represents the tradition of a people."
Group 4
"Works of art are communicative, they are original, tangible and beautiful.
Thus artists themselves are skillful and creative."
Group 5
"An artists imagines something and presents it to us in the form of an object which can be for instance a wood carving or painting.
Works of art are of neccessity because they make us to know more about our tradition and symbolises the African culture."
Group 6
"Art objects communicate, that is they carry messages to the society.
Some art objects are of historical significance."
Group 7
"Art objects are imaginative creations and is an outcome of patience and inspiration.
Art objects represent cultures."
Group 8
"Art objects transmit information, represent something and have artistic beauty.
The beauty of an art object is not only the physical but what the object represents."
