1 Book, 1 Film, 1 Podcast: Art & Design
Art is everywhere, whether we like it or not. From billboards on our walk to school, to designing the perfect layout of our homes and even in the way we portray ourselves on social media. Art is so important for our day-to-day lives, so it is absolutely a worthwhile subject to study. The big question is how should we study art?
All subjects need you to be creative - but none can compare to the sheer amount of creativity required when studying art and design. The creative freedom it allows puts the teacher in a position where they can encourage students to think independently and freely, rather than giving their students instructions. Whether you are working by yourself, or with another classmate, art helps you to build confidence in your ability to express yourself, is an incredibly important skill to learn.
There are so many different disciplines of art and design you can find interesting and build skills in, including media, photography, and digital skills. Art and design can be for everyone. Lots of employers nowadays look for someone who is creative and understands design and visual presentation. Art is particularly good at developing these skills because it's always changing and forcing you to look at things from new perspectives.
A common misconception about studying art is that you need to be highly skilled at drawing, but that’s not necessarily the case. Although it can help, there are many professions you can enter in art and design that don’t require you to be a natural drawer or painter. What you do need is the ability to think creatively and express your thoughts and solutions to others, having a passion for art and engaging outside of the classroom will help you with this. Start with our recommendations on one film, one book, and one podcast to get those creative juices flowing.
Book: Thinking Architecture by Peter Zumthor
Peter Zumthor is a Swiss architect who explores the motivations behind designing buildings in his book Thinking Architecture. It is a collection of short essays that explore a wide range of topics from how to look at things to whether beauty has a form. This enlightening book helped me uncover how to express my motivations and inspirations behind my designs during my architecture degree. As Zumthor says, “In order to design a building with a sensuous connection to life, one must think in a way that goes far beyond form and construction.”
Film: Nature and us: A History through Art
It’s technically not a film, but this three-part series is definitely worth a mention for those wanting to discover remarkable artwork from around the world. In the first episode, James Fox explores ancient art and reveals some of the earliest relationships humans have with nature. He later focuses on the impact’s art has had through East Asia, and concludes his discoveries by looking at the contemporary world surrounding art. A worthy watch for anyone interested in learning more about art throughout history.
Podcast: Meet Me at the Museum
Take a trip to one of your favourite museums through this podcast, as famous faces from the likes of Russel Kane to Malik Al Nasir, take their loved ones around the British Museum, Natural History Museum, Design museum and more. They discuss interesting topics and issues based on the exhibits they can see. These topics explore how art and design are integrated into the way we live, how art informs the chosen cities' radical history and how brands have shaped their lives and professions. This is perfect for anyone who is interested in how museums work as well as those who think that art plays an important role in creating culture. Best of all, Meet Me at the Museum is published by Art Fund, the UK’s national charity for art, which raises money for museums and galleries. So, listening to it means that you are helping out other artists like yourselves!
