O. is a pretty cautious kid. So cautious, he's afraid to walk on the stairs below Claes Oldenburg's Three-Way Plug - Scale A, Soft, Brown. We always have to take the elevator. This makes me wonder, what's the best way to deal when a kid is afraid of a work of art?
My friend Natalie is a Ph D. candidate in applied child development at Tufts, and is interested in how kids deal with stressful situations. I asked her a few questions about how to talk with kids about scary artworks.
How do kids experience works of art?
I was remembering seeing a boy respond with such a powerful expression to a sculpture of a face when he was four years old. And watching my niece and nephew recently in a sculpture garden - they do seem to respond with their entire bodies to certain artworks. [They respond] very immediately and intensely
What are some strategies for talking to a kid who is afraid of an artwork?
I think the main thing is to acknowledge his fears and anxieties and find a way to let him express his reactions. When kids (or adults) look fine but are suppressing what they feel, there's often a rebound at some point. Trying to stop thinking about something can lead to focusing on it even more.
Redirect her attention: "Remember your birthday when we made those puppets..." or, "Is this where we saw that sculpture of the giant mouse?" This can help a kid get a better perspective on what she's seeing and relieve some of the anxiety.
Reappraise the scary experience: "It's just an actor pretending to be hurt..." But don't minimize what the child is feeling. Even if it is just an artwork, the emotions are very real, and coming from a real experience
I don't always want to make a big deal about things. What about dismissing fears, or saying, "that's not real, that's just a picture"?
You don't want to simply dismiss fears, but isn't good to get stuck thinking over and over about a negative experience, either. So distraction and reappraisal - as well as acceptance - are considered healthy ways to deal with negative emotions.
Thanks, Natalie!
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So, should I make O walk down the stairs under the giant soft plug, or should we keep taking the elevator?
Even adults can get spooked over art. Sandy Skoglund’s Walking on Eggshells freaks me out. I can see how some 3D installations could disturb a kid.
Have you talked with O about what bothers him about this piece? Maybe talking about the artist’s motivation in general or a specific piece would help make it less scary. The National Gallery of Art has some good info about Oldenburg directed at school age children. There are also photos online of the Three-Way plug as a metal sculpture. Seeing those may make the soft one seem less scary. Good luck.
Comment by wren — 9/27/2007 @ 11:24 pm
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I have to admit - I work here and know how well they’ve secured that plug, and I still get a little creeped out walking under it. I think it’s because it’s on the stairs and I can’t really look up at it without getting vertigo which just makes the whole thing scarier. So… maybe try to have O just focus on the stairs and ignore the plug. That’s what I do. Or else just keep taking the elevator.
Comment by Nate Solas — 9/28/2007 @ 8:31 am
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Pingback by Pipezel.Com » What if your kid is afraid of the art? — 9/28/2007 @ 10:25 am
Depending on where you are looking from, the piece kind of looks like a spooky misshapen head with the wierd holes for eyes and the little legs dangling. Get a book about Oldenberg and look at his other works with your young friend. Demystify, I’d say. Of course, maybe he thinks it’s crap and can’t stand being anywhere near it. See you in the elevator.
Comment by Julia — 10/4/2007 @ 1:18 pm