Suzanne Rodgers,

Artist and Educator

The Pedagogical Power of Paper

“The only way one can really know things – that is, from the very inside of one’s being – is through a process of self-discovery. To know things, you have to grow into them, and let them grow into you, so that they become part of who you are.”
(Tim Ingold, 2013 p.1)

In his book, "Making", Ingold proposes that the pattern of regular movement, not just the idea, generates form. The fluency and dexterity of this movement are a function of skills that are developmentally incorporated into the ‘modus operandi’ of the body through practice and experience. My artistic practice embodies this concept as I create delicate and mutable works from magazine paper through rhythmic and repetitive processes of shredding, sticking, and knitting. By interacting with the environment, my work highlights the pedagogical power of paper and the ways in which materials can help us better understand the world around us.

As an artist and educator, I am also interested in how material-led pedagogies can alter ways of thinking, knowing, and becoming. In response to the emphasis on outcome-based learning in Art and Design in UK secondary schools, I have adopted a material-led, embodied, pedagogical approach with Year 9 students. By engaging in intuitive inquiry and ‘thinking in action’ (Dewey, 1934), I explore what can be learned through contact with materials and how disruption of the familiar can aid creative thinking.

Through my artistic practice and educational research, I aim to promote a deeper understanding of the value and experience gained from material-led pedagogies. By engaging with materials in an embodied manner, we can gain a more profound understanding of the world around us and foster creativity, critical thinking, and inquiry.


Ingold, T. (2013). Making: Anthropology, archaeology, art and architecture. Routledge.
Dewey, J. (1934). Art as Experience. New York: Perigee Books