Artful Pause: How can Slow Looking be used in the art classroom?

By Tess Rangelov

We all have that one thing, be it a movie, an artwork, a place, where no matter how often we look, something new will always stand out and surprise us. Something novel will spark our attention and collectively add to what we understand as experiencing that thing. It begs the questions, what might happen if we sat with and absorbed an object for a longer time?

This is how slow looking can impact our interactions with objects on a day-to-day basis. In this blog we will explore what slow looking is and how can it be used in the art classroom to enhance student learning.

What is slow looking?

Slow looking is the act of doing just that, slowly looking at an object to learn. The object can be anything, an image, a painting or a sculpture. It might also be a physical space within nature or inside a gallery or museum. Slow looking is the act of using focused, allocated time to observe and notice while consciously tuning out distractions from external stimuli.

Slow looking is an act of observation that is currently being explored in many gallery and museum spaces across the world. It is used to tune audiences’ attention and engagement within educational programs but can also be used within a classroom setting.

Tips for slow looking success

It is recommended that students are in a comfortable position, one they can withstand for an extended period. This will be dependent on their learning needs and age.

The time spent slow looking will vary between students, chosen subjects and your learning outcome. If it is an initial slow looking exercise, it may last between 1 – 2 minutes. With practice, it can extend to 3 – 5 minutes. Eventually, students may develop the skills to sit with objects for longer than 10 minutes!

The time given to this practice needs to work within your space, time constraints and align with student needs. As the practice is refined, you will notice students’ building their slow looking stamina. As a teacher, you have expert knowledge about your students and can determine how to best approach slow looking, the agency is yours.

Beginning this practice can be daunting and will throw students into a learning pit. Scaffolded prompts can be used to support students. You may initially guide students to notice art elements and principles or ponder questions relevant to the learning outcomes.

‌Like intentional wait time when using questioning, this practice will become more accessible the more it is practised. Here are some practical ways you can use slow looking within your art classroom practice:

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Tuning In

Often when we introduce a new artist, there is a temptation to share as many of their works as possible. Resist the urge and fine tune your selection to those that represent your learning outcomes. Gift students time to sit with these for an extended period depending on their current level of slow looking stamina.

Invite students to notice features from colours, shapes, lines to balance, proportion and scale.

Slow looking without being physically active can be intimidating in the beginning and some students may require supports. Scaffold students by encouraging them to write or draw what they notice, think, pair and share or conduct a mental audit of features they see.

Reflective Tool

Slow looking isn’t restricted to engaging with the work of professional artists. Given its accessibility, it can be a tool students can use with their own pieces. After a lesson or with a final work, invite students to slowly look at their creation. This practice of slowly noticing will refine their reflections to inform next learning steps, support students to evaluate how success criteria were addressed and identify elements that inspire pride or posed a challenge. This same reflective tool can be done between students. Instead of slowly looking at their own creations, encourage students to swap pieces to foster feedback as part of your classroom culture.

Lesson Catch

‘Catching’ at various points during a lesson allows teachers to check in with student progress, reorient focus and revise the success criteria. Using slow looking as a ‘catch’ moment encourages reflective practice throughout the creative process. It could inspire a change in direction and motivate students to pause and see their practice in action.

Object Analysis

Analysing objects of any kind through Slow Looking enables students to carefully examine the finer details they may gloss over upon initial inspection. Pairing this with a sketching or observational drawing activity will enhance the impact of slow looking and reveal its evidence in student work.

Back-to-Back Drawing

This partner activity encourages students to articulate their slow looking. Have pairs of students sit back-to-back, with only one partner slowly looking at an object. They then explain the physical attributes of that object to their partner who remains sight unseen. This student’s role it is to draw that object based on their partner’s description. Wait for the laughter to explode when students reveal the object to the drawer!

The benefits of incorporating slow looking within your visual art classroom practice far exceed initial judgements on what is a surprisingly simple tool. Allowing students to notice for sustained periods encourages connections to be built, questions to arise and rich discussions to be had. This concept of pausing, reflecting and building on the ideas of others will strengthen student engagement through high ceiling, low floor learning entry points and motivate students to examine objects and artworks with a critical and curious eye

Tess is an art educator, having worked in primary education and within cultural organisations in Melbourne.