Natural Material Exploration in Contemporary Fine Art Studio Practices within Higher Education Institutions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24191/idealogy.v11i2.955Abstract
This article examines the exploration of natural materials within contemporary fine art studio practice at higher education institutions. The study focuses on how practice-based experimentation involving organic substances can contribute to teaching, learning, and artistic development within fine art education. Through studio-based research, the study investigates the use of materials such as charcoal, soil, coffee, tea, turmeric, leaves, wood, and food colouring as alternatives to conventional industrial media in contemporary painting practice. The research employed a practice-based methodology involving material experimentation, observation, reflective analysis, and gestural mark-making processes. Findings indicate that natural materials possess strong aesthetic, conceptual, and pedagogical potential in producing expressive abstract landscapes while simultaneously encouraging environmental awareness and sustainable artistic approaches among fine art students and researchers. The study also demonstrates how experimentation with unconventional materials can strengthen critical inquiry, creativity, and material sensitivity within studio-based learning environments. Ultimately, the research contributes to contemporary fine art discourse by expanding alternative approaches to painting practice, material exploration, and studio pedagogy within tertiary art education.
Keywords: Contemporary Painting, Fine Art, Higher Education Institutions, Natural Materials, Studio Practices
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