A/r/tographic View of Visual Arts Teacher Candidates on The Woman Image

This study aims to explore visual arts teacher candidates' perspectives on the female image, their efforts to interpret it, and their forms of expression in the context of body sociology, gender, and culture. Courses based on an art-based research methodology, specifically the a/r/tographic process, were conducted. The practical phase of the research was carried out during the Fall and Spring semesters of the 2020-2021 academic year and involved data collected from 18 senior students enrolled in the Painting-Teaching Program. The research data were gathered through various tools, including course recordings, interviews, reflective journals, self-evaluation forms, and practical activities. In the context of the a/r/tographic process focusing on experiences, an analysis process was conducted to identify themes that reveal the phenomenon. The data were analyzed and interpreted using a descriptive approach. The findings from the analysis were categorized under masculine and feminine perspectives. In this study, the theme of gaze specifically addresses the question: "How did visual arts teacher candidates develop and express their perspectives on the image of women through a/r/tographic processes?”. The research revealed that students reflected on their perceptions of the female image within the dynamics of social life, culture, and their social environments, as well as their own identities and personalities, through the lens of memories and stories. Students developed awareness by questioning the role of women in gender roles and expressed these insights through written, verbal, and visual means in the practical processes.