In this unit, we learned about how Pablo Freire views the banking model and how to do formal analysis of an art piece. This unit has taught me that the way we are taught is seen as correct by Freire so he would be happy that it is this way, but I disagree with this banking model as it excludes certain types of people and formal analysis is something that can be done to find meaning in an art piece even if it isn’t immediately noticeable.

    Freire says that the banking model is where an audience sits front of an individual and learns from the said individual. The single teacher is water pitcher of knowledge pouring water into the students like little cups. This only works in theory because people are not cups to pour water in. The only action for the students is to be passively accepting the knowledge and the teacher actively gives it, giving him the dominant role. It limits the chance to engage with and understand the knowledge. I honestly have forgotten many things that my past classes have taught me because they were only telling me to remember, so I did. The reason why we remember other basic skills like language and manners is that we engage with it in our daily lives

    Formal analysis has you looking at specific traits. These traits are color, line, space, mass, and scale. You can even look at something that looks like trash by using formal analysis, make a case for it being art because all art is subject. An example we can look at is a crumpled up piece of paper on the floor. What is the color of the crumpled paper? Was it colored before it was crumpled up? How complex was the coloring? Was it just a white unaltered paper before the crumple? All of this can possible mean something. Lines might be a bit more difficult to see in the crumpled paper, but it’s possible. How was it crumpled? Was it compressed as hard as possible being more ball like, making lines harder to see? Was it it lightly compresses giving it more define jagged lines that stick out? Was it folded part way but crumpled at the end making it less ball like but more square like? Does the silhouette look like something specific? This can be infused with meaning.

    Space indicate whether the image conveys a sense of 3D space. It is already 3D so I can’t apply it because it is already 3D. Unless it is an actual sketching that looks hyper realistic. Mass is the space created by the art piece. I can apply this nor easily. Mass can be conveyed to the crumpled paper based on its environment. Is it surrounded by a lot of smaller items like paper clips and pins? Is it surrounded by crowds of people, giving the paper a sense of insignificance? Scale is the presentation of size portrayed in the work or in relation to the viewer. Is the crumpled piece of paper comically huge, towering over people? Or is it comically small dwarfing insects? This huge size can reference the power of trash and the destruction it causes and the small size can be the opposite. All of this is mere deep speculation of a crumpled paper. Some may ask, why did you waste all that time? I would say, “it is for the sake of art, because everything is potentially art”.