l o c a l c u l t u r e
The Gift of the Artist b y A n n e H u n t e r
their giftedness is accepted by others, the child is incapable of repressing their capabilities. As such, they fastidiously seek out the tools for expression. Doors open for the inherently gifted child by the sheer force of their own nature. They source positive results and are recognized as prodigy children. The second method is through an activating experience, either by trauma or through an epiphany. Maria Montessori (1967) outlined four stages of growth that she referred to as the four planes of development. The four stages begin at birth and extend to adulthood, from age 0 to 24 years (p. 18). I feel that, if during this developmental time, an individual undergoes a trauma on any scale, the will to survive the trauma turns a card over and the gift appears. Conversely, if the individual has a positive experience resulting in an epiphany, or an “ah-ha” moment, the card is also activated. The third method is through work. Attainment of giftedness can be activated through work, diligence, training, and study; however, in artistic expressions it is often evident to me when training, rather than the forces of nature, is the cornerstone of activation. A primitive expression of a natural gift, supported by knowledge, education, and practice, rather than the study of it forced into action, is the preferred experience. An example of this is found in the myth surrounding Mozart and Salieri. In the play by Aleksandr Pushkin (1832) Salierie describes the attainment of his gift through work in contrast to Mozart’s natural inherent gift. “I was the learned one. To art I made out of facility, And facile I became: my fingers gained. A dry obedient dexterity. My ear reliability. I deadened. The sounds, dissected music like a corpse. Proved harmony by algebra. And then, then only did I dare, with all my lore, yield to the bliss of my creative fancy.” Silverman, L. K. (2013). Giftedness 101. New York, NY: Springer Pub. Co. Montessori, M (1967). The Absorbent Mind. New York, NY. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Pushkin, A. (1832). Mozart and Salieri. A. Wood (Translator) Dufour Editions; 2nd edition.
Photo by Aranka Israni
Doors open for the inherently gifted child by the sheer force of their own nature.
The three characteristics that are most important to me in the identification of giftedness are: a connection to nature and natural objects; an affinity for expressing understandings; and independent thought, coupled with a desire and receptiveness for learning from and sharing with others. When any or all of these characteristics are activated, the result is the expression of “the gift”. Until now, my experience with giftedness has been on the receiving end, through the adult output of artworks, rather than in developmental or formative stages of childhood. The class studies this week have opened my eyes to the broader discussion and insights into the unsolved riddle of gifted people in my field: how they present their gifts to society and why gifts often remain dormant within an individual. Silverman (2013) has stated that “invisible gifts do exist. When they are deeply buried, the individual, and everyone in the person’s world, may be completely unaware of them. If they do not receive nourishment from the environment, they may never flower to achievement” (p.1). My experiences in the art world have led me to believe that giftedness is an inherent and typically dormant trait in all humans; unless the giftedness card is turned over or activated. For example, imagine that inside each individual is an endless deck of gifted cards. When any one of those cards is flipped over, that particular gift is activated. From fifteen years of working with artists, I’ve concluded that there are three activating factors of giftedness, all of which are rooted in childhood; and some of which can become activated later in life. I refer to the first activating card as inherent. This occurs when the child is born out of the womb with the will for expressing one or all of their gifts. The inherent child is born with their cards already turned over, activated, and ready to put into action. Whether or not
Anne Hunter
T his question of giftedness is often posed to me by friends, neighbors, parents, and colleagues, relative to scouting and curating artists for my galleries. Now in the current pursuit of a Master of Education, I am taking a course called Educated the Talented and Gifted , taught by Dr. Ann Batenbug, Clinical Associate Professor at Southern Methodist University. In our second week of classwork, she posed the question, “How do you know if a child is gifted.” This issue’s Cultural Column includes excerpts of my response.
For more information: Anne Hunter Galleries, 25 Central Square, Seaside, FL, info@annehuntergalleries.com
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