Folk art is unique in that it seeks to elevate our understanding of common objects that define a culture. By displaying and platforming these objects, the Mingei International Museum invites us to consider them as art, and thereby ask of them the same things we ask of masterworks: What is the artist's intent? What is the artist trying to communicate? Why did the artist make particular choices in the act of creating? For an object with utility, we tend to overlook these questions and reduce our answers to bare usefulness: A George Nakashima chair is only a seat, for example. A shift in perspective can offer insights often overlooked by the casual viewer. In this session, we will explore folk art in the Mingei's collection using thinking routines that will aim to expand our perspective, adjust our focus, and have us consider objects with a critical eye and an examination of intent we grant other works of art. Finally, we will discuss how we can take this means of analysis back to the classroom and apply it to class projects and lesson plans.
