Negotiating transformative waters : students exploring their subjectivity in art

This article explores the transformative potential of art education. Specifically, it focuses on how art education provided space for two students to explore their subjectivity. To examine this issue, I have drawn upon post-structuralist theory. In the article I briefly discuss this theory and its implications for research into the area of art education. Then I apply discourse analysis to show how students use their own art to explore their multiple subjectivities and lived experiences. As I will argue, my research highlights how art education can function as a productive space for students to explore their social and cultural worlds, investigate the complexity of their identity and question the world around them.