Abstract
The paper discusses the role of visual humour and its meaning in the context of the debate on freedom and democracy as a topic in visual arts education. How can we draw students' attention to considering the power of visual expression? Visual jokes, caricatures and grotesque deformation with critical view of the problems in the society have a long tradition in Europe.
Today, this issue has become highly topical in the context of concerns over threats to democracy due to the war in Ukraine and fear of terrorist attacks. An intense discussion broke out after the 7th January 2015 - the terrorist attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
The paper contains an example of an art lesson for the Czech grammar school students aged 16-17 taught by the author. The author works as a visual arts teacher and specializes in the constructivist teaching approach, critical thinking, contemporary art and current socio-political issues.
The author analyses current visual culture images and relates them to historical pictures with an ideological and anti-ideological function. Her interest is in exploring how the fight against manipulation through pictures is embodied in the present discursive practices.
To analyse her lessons, she uses the model of reflective analysis of teaching situations inspired by the reflective practitioner concept by Donald Schön.