Living the Questions: existential Intelligence in the Context of Holistic Art Education

Abstract

intelligence, a recent candidate for inclusion on Howard Gardner's list of Multiple Intelligences (Ml), involves exploration of the nature of existence in its multifarious guis es (1999, p. 60). As such, it addresses ultimate questions like Who am I? is mean ing of life, of love, of tragic loss, of death? and is my relation to nature, to other people, to God? This essay begins with a review of Ml theory in general and existential intelligence in particular, considering their contribution to a ho listic approach to art education. It then argues for importance of thoughtful reflection on existential issues for young people today and demonstrates role of making and studying art to help them deal with these issues. Finally, essay provides general guidelines for en gaging existential intelligence through art les sons appropriate for contemporary American public schools. Living Questions: Intelligence in Context of Holistic Art Education Late in his life, post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin created a painting that em bodied in words and images his questions about existence: D'o? venons-nous? Que faisons-nous? O? allons-nous?, in English: Where do we come from? What we? Where we going? (1897-1898). These questions, raised throughout history as people search for meaning, purpose, and value in their lives, not only concern adults but also adolescents and even children. Robert Coles, a psychiatrist writing in The spiritual lives of children (1990), refers specifically to Gauguin's painting when he observes that these are eternal questions children ask more intensely, unremittingly, and subtly than we sometimes imagine (p. 37). If anything, reflection on eternal questions is a matter of increasing ur gency today as young people face a world of conflicting values, beliefs, and societal pressures. Recently, Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner (1999) framed such reflection in terms of a proposed Existential Intelli gence and considered it as a possible ad dition to his well-known list of multiple intel ligences. intelligence, Gardner asserts, explores nature of existence in its multifarious guises (p. 60). Typically, this exploration occurs in philosophical dialogue, religious discourse, or spiritual contemplation, but, as with Gauguin's masterpiece mentioned above, existen tial concerns can be equally addressed through visual imagery. Affirming on going importance of existential reflection in life and art, this essay considers ways of engaging existential intelligence as part of a holistic approach to art education and offers guidelines for developing lessons on subject appropriate for U.S. public schools. It begins with some background on holistic education, then reviews multiple intelligence theory and practice.

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