Kyle Anstess

Art 133
Unit Paper 3
October 7, 2015
Vulnerability
The topic of vulnerability is a prevalent idea in art and art education, especially in the
discussion of a story and meaning, which Pink (2006) discusses, behind a piece of art. In these
focuses of Pink, vulnerability is discussed and can be divulged through the stories themselves.
He also argues the use of storytelling and the drive to find our meaning in life are ways of
confronting our vulnerability in life and in some ways overcoming it. For me, the idea of being
vulnerable came through to me when I did a graphic editorial studio. I found myself confronting
my personal and dark experiences and illustrating what that was, and how it related to being
vulnerable, to my peers and other potential viewers.
While it is such a tough topic to tackle, vulnerability is an important topic to discuss
among students because it begins to set the tone for how they will perceive others and how to
respect their peers. One way to incorporate a lesson on vulnerability would be to have each
student pick out three events or incidences in which they feel represent his or her sense of
vulnerability that they feel comfortable with sharing. Once the students have a good idea of what
those events are, they will then create an abstract piece with symbolic references to these events.
From this exercise they learn effective visual communication, learn his/her meaning in life, and
to explore how vulnerability effects the perception of the artist.
Reference
Pink, D. (2006). A whole new mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future. New York, NY: The
Berkeley Group.