Zuzana Vasko | Simon Fraser University (original) (raw)

Papers by Zuzana Vasko

Culture and Environment, 2019

Ecological crises exist not only in the external environment; they have their source within us — ... more Ecological crises exist not only in the external environment; they have their source within us — in the mind and in personal and cultural values (Bai, 2012; Stoknes, 2018). Arts-based and contemplative inquiry are helpful in opening the self and the senses to the natural world and its elemental dynamics of weather. Creative contemplative practice also creates room for inner exploration about how we relate to other species and to the larger cosmos. This article describes a drawing project that was undertaken in an endeavour to build these connections, both within and without. Through the process of walking and making drawings of the bark of trees in a local ecosystem, attention was given also to the dynamics of weather and how we might be more conscious of its role in everyday life, with the belief that such caring attentiveness is necessary in a time of critical climate change. From a perspective that values interconnectivity, this exploration puts forth that the elements of air an...

Canadian Review of Art Education: Research and Issues / Revue canadienne de recherches et enjeux en éducation artistique, 2016

Experiences of artistic engagement share many commonalities with those of being immersed in the n... more Experiences of artistic engagement share many commonalities with those of being immersed in the natural world. Both experiences call upon sense perception, embodiment, the imagination, the emotions, as well as a sense of beauty and the spiritual implications it can bring. These commonalities are of value to education in their own regard, yet when the arts are explored and experienced in relation to the natural world, they have the potential to form fertile ground in which the seeds of a personally involved and deep ecological awareness can grow.

Many of us seek to conduct our lives and work in a way that fulfils the personal need of followin... more Many of us seek to conduct our lives and work in a way that fulfils the personal need of following a path that is true to us. At the same time, we still have a need to engage with others and to belong among those who matter to us. For those involved in the practice of art, the connection between identity and work can be particularly strong, and for students of art, creating a balance between searching for one?s own authenticity and the influences of others can at times be challenging. This thesis looks at notions of personal identity and social connections in terms of aesthetic sensibility. The roles that teachers and mentors can play are explored, as is the idea of a personal aesthetic: how it begins in childhood and then develops with exposure and practice. Ways of responding to art and articulating those responses are looked at also.

In an endeavour to build intimacy with a section of woods as can only be done through visceral an... more In an endeavour to build intimacy with a section of woods as can only be done through visceral and embodied experience, an ongoing drawing project was embarked upon with the forest as co-author. In a practice of sympoesis with the earth, small drawings of selected niches in an unprotected section of established forest bordering a suburban neighbourhood were done on regular and frequent walks through changing seasons. Upon completion, each drawing was hidden or buried at the site, to be retrieved on a subsequent visit. The aim is to inhabit and bond with this particular wild place through art-based dialogue, and through finding and returning to very specific places via animistic sensing and with tacit knowledge rather than the customary reliance on human-made indexical technologies. In this regard, the trees and plants play an active and sometimes storied role as participants in the creative exchange.

The author has further granted permission to Simon Fraser University to keep or make a digital co... more The author has further granted permission to Simon Fraser University to keep or make a digital copy for use in its circulating collection, and, without changing the content, to translate the thesislproject or extended essays, if technically possible, to any medium or format for the purpose of preservation of the digital work. The author has further agreed that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by either the author or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.

SFU Educational Review

Amidst a goal-oriented society driven by a market economy, knowing one’s truer values and finding... more Amidst a goal-oriented society driven by a market economy, knowing one’s truer values and finding a sense of personal authenticity may seem challenging. With the view that education is to prepare a student for a meaningful life, this paper looks toward how arts education and the encouragement of aesthetic experience can go a long way toward helping students find a sense of authenticity in their lives. The arts foster a connection with the self as well as with our peers and the culture of which we are a part. The humanizing characteristics of art such as the emotions, intuition, our bodies and senses, and our beliefs are explored, as is the role of contemporary art. While this paper takes the viewpoint of a visual artist, the ideas apply to the arts in general.

Culture and Environment, 2019

Ecological crises exist not only in the external environment; they have their source within us — ... more Ecological crises exist not only in the external environment; they have their source within us — in the mind and in personal and cultural values (Bai, 2012; Stoknes, 2018). Arts-based and contemplative inquiry are helpful in opening the self and the senses to the natural world and its elemental dynamics of weather. Creative contemplative practice also creates room for inner exploration about how we relate to other species and to the larger cosmos. This article describes a drawing project that was undertaken in an endeavour to build these connections, both within and without. Through the process of walking and making drawings of the bark of trees in a local ecosystem, attention was given also to the dynamics of weather and how we might be more conscious of its role in everyday life, with the belief that such caring attentiveness is necessary in a time of critical climate change. From a perspective that values interconnectivity, this exploration puts forth that the elements of air an...

Canadian Review of Art Education: Research and Issues / Revue canadienne de recherches et enjeux en éducation artistique, 2016

Experiences of artistic engagement share many commonalities with those of being immersed in the n... more Experiences of artistic engagement share many commonalities with those of being immersed in the natural world. Both experiences call upon sense perception, embodiment, the imagination, the emotions, as well as a sense of beauty and the spiritual implications it can bring. These commonalities are of value to education in their own regard, yet when the arts are explored and experienced in relation to the natural world, they have the potential to form fertile ground in which the seeds of a personally involved and deep ecological awareness can grow.

Many of us seek to conduct our lives and work in a way that fulfils the personal need of followin... more Many of us seek to conduct our lives and work in a way that fulfils the personal need of following a path that is true to us. At the same time, we still have a need to engage with others and to belong among those who matter to us. For those involved in the practice of art, the connection between identity and work can be particularly strong, and for students of art, creating a balance between searching for one?s own authenticity and the influences of others can at times be challenging. This thesis looks at notions of personal identity and social connections in terms of aesthetic sensibility. The roles that teachers and mentors can play are explored, as is the idea of a personal aesthetic: how it begins in childhood and then develops with exposure and practice. Ways of responding to art and articulating those responses are looked at also.

In an endeavour to build intimacy with a section of woods as can only be done through visceral an... more In an endeavour to build intimacy with a section of woods as can only be done through visceral and embodied experience, an ongoing drawing project was embarked upon with the forest as co-author. In a practice of sympoesis with the earth, small drawings of selected niches in an unprotected section of established forest bordering a suburban neighbourhood were done on regular and frequent walks through changing seasons. Upon completion, each drawing was hidden or buried at the site, to be retrieved on a subsequent visit. The aim is to inhabit and bond with this particular wild place through art-based dialogue, and through finding and returning to very specific places via animistic sensing and with tacit knowledge rather than the customary reliance on human-made indexical technologies. In this regard, the trees and plants play an active and sometimes storied role as participants in the creative exchange.

The author has further granted permission to Simon Fraser University to keep or make a digital co... more The author has further granted permission to Simon Fraser University to keep or make a digital copy for use in its circulating collection, and, without changing the content, to translate the thesislproject or extended essays, if technically possible, to any medium or format for the purpose of preservation of the digital work. The author has further agreed that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by either the author or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.

SFU Educational Review

Amidst a goal-oriented society driven by a market economy, knowing one’s truer values and finding... more Amidst a goal-oriented society driven by a market economy, knowing one’s truer values and finding a sense of personal authenticity may seem challenging. With the view that education is to prepare a student for a meaningful life, this paper looks toward how arts education and the encouragement of aesthetic experience can go a long way toward helping students find a sense of authenticity in their lives. The arts foster a connection with the self as well as with our peers and the culture of which we are a part. The humanizing characteristics of art such as the emotions, intuition, our bodies and senses, and our beliefs are explored, as is the role of contemporary art. While this paper takes the viewpoint of a visual artist, the ideas apply to the arts in general.