Investigating interrelations in visual arts education: Aesthetic enquiry, possibility thinking and creativity

Visual arts education can be an important and powerful field of learning for children. This article explores interrelations between the study of artworks and the development of creativity in children’s thinking and art-making. Starting from the premise that engagement with artworks does not automatically release children’s imaginative capacities, the article discusses how an aesthetic mode of enquiry can support children’s artviewing and enable the development of possibility thinking; the ability to make connections, to think differently and envisage new possibilities. Aesthetic enquiry can enable children to actively engage in taking their ideas further, exploring options and employing critical reflection. Providing children with opportunities to materialize their ideas after viewing an artwork, set the prerequisitions for innovative solutions and the development of creativity. These interrelations between artviewing and art-making are argued theoretically and explored empirically through a small scale exploratory study with 7–8 year olds.