ABSTRACT
Children’s experiences of the world are reflected in their artmaking. This chapter explores the extent to which children’s involvement in artmaking is influenced by gender-differentiated environments. The overall context in which artmaking occurs will be examined by addressing some of the myths of early childhood representation such as, ‘only girls use pink’, ‘only boys draw wars’, ‘girls draw people and boys draw guns’. Visual discourses, which are evident in children’s imagery, will be analysed to understand better the pivotal role that artmaking has in children’s negotiation of their position in society. Imagemaking is a central aspect of early child development. Adults can develop this faculty by carefully observing children’s use of media such as drawing, painting and clay, being aware of how children are actively shaping their view of themselves, and recognising their own role in the co-construction of children’s learning in this area.
