Łukasz Skąpski studied painting in Cracow. He works with photography, video, painting, installations, and objects. Throughout the 90’s light and motion (almost imperceptibly changing) were subjects (and materials) of his work. The transitional Devices series still pertained to this subject but conceptually and symbolically was opening a period of Skąpski’s social works. Perfectly-made optical instruments were designed to “facilitate spiritual experience”.
In 2001 he co-founded Azorro Supergroup, which has played a significant role in Polish artistic life, being an “institutional critic” with quite an ironic view of the art-world practices. His latest works move more openly towards social or political issues, expressing his civic concerns. From 2002 to 2009 Skąpski worked at the Department of Industrial Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow. In 2006 he obtained a PhD at the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznań. In 2009–2010 worked in Polish-Japanese Higher School of Computer Technology. Since 2010 he has taught at the Academy of Art in Szczecin. In 2012 he obtained a professor degree and became head of Photography and Experimental Film Department at AoA in Szczecin.
Visual Literacy in Art and Art Education
Keynote speech for the conference panel
Education Approaches Focus on Visual Thinking
In the following article I will discuss the issues related to visual literacy in arts education. I will define visual literacy in the field of art and the concept of visual intelligence, as well as indicate their inextricable links with the artistic form and how they affect the perception of art. I will also try to investigate the educational paths that could develop visual literacy among arts students. I will refer to the categories of Beauty, Artistic Taste, and Talent which have been unpopular with art researchers and theorists in the context of neuroaesthetic research in recent years. I will try to prove that artistic education should not take place without reference to the credible – which does not mean objective – quantification of artistic works, and that the experience of a creative practice in both individual and specialized artistic media is essential for visual literacy education in the arts.