Development of Critical Visual Literacy and Aesthetic Experience in Visual Communication: A Vision of Appreciation and Care for the Environment

By Anahit Falihi and Linda Wason-Ellam.

Published by The International Journal of the Arts in Society

Format	Price
Article: Print	$US10.00
Article: Electronic	$US5.00

This paper aims to highlight the role of critical visual literacy, and artistic and aesthetic experience in visual communication for social and environmental awareness. Our awareness develops through our experience, and it broadens and develops through the communication of information on multiple levels with one another and the environment. As we share communication, we pass on this more enlightened perspective to those we next encounter. New experiences inform our constantly evolving awareness and communication with others. Our pre-conscious imaginative experiences become expressed in linguistic form and engaging in visual expression can further expand our experience. Consciousness is informed and constructed by many concepts, ideas, values, beliefs, feelings, fantasies, selective memories, etc., through comprehension of our experiences. These actions reflect the symbolic content of our expressions. Imagination as a pre-conscious and pre-linguistic form of experience and awareness is an expression of reality and is the primary impulse of art. In this paper, we advance the proposition that a constructive post-modern approach to visual communication needs to be implemented to replace the existing consumerist approach, so that we can develop a critical visual literacy that is supportive and advocacy for the environment. Visual experiences from childhood create a bond between our present self and our past experiences. We cite a case study that reflects on childhood experiences in relation to art and the natural landscape that foster a meaningful development of a sense of belonging, care and appreciation for the environment.

Keywords:	Visual Experiences, Visual Expressions, Visual Art, Social Awareness, Environmental Awareness

International Journal of the Arts in Society, Volume 4, Issue 3, pp.393-402. Article: Print (Spiral Bound). Article: Electronic (PDF File; 1.207MB).

Anahit Falihi

Researcher, College of Education, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada

Anahit Falihi is a visual artist and researcher working in a variety of areas including fine arts, textiles arts, mixed-media arts and digital media arts. Her teaching and research focus are visual communication art, visual literacy, the role of visual studies in society, art education, art history, media art and design, theory and philosophy of visual education, instructional design, theatre and costume design, installation sculpture, experimental fiber art and design, and mix-media production. She has worked with the art departments of several feature films and television series as program coordinator and art director. Anahit who traveled and lived in a variety of countries in Europe and Asia, believes that her works are influenced by variety of cultures. Anahit’s work has been shown in local, national and international exhibitions. She holds a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from Marmara University in Turkey. Currently, She is engaged in teaching and research on critical visuality through her graduate studies at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada.

Dr. Linda Wason-Ellam

Professor, Curriculum Studies, University of Saskatchewan, SK, Canada

Dr. Linda Wason-Ellam is a Professor at the University of Saskatchewan teaching courses in Reading, Literacy, Children’s Literature, and Qualitative Research. She has extensive experience as a researcher, primary teacher and consultant in inner-city and intercultural classrooms in the United States, England, Qatar, and Canada. She is the author of many publications that highlight the social-cultural worlds of children and families on their pathways to reading and viewing multiple literacies which are multimodal and hybrid.

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