Page 24 - Studio International - September 1968

outright rejection of the course. should be given the degree of self-determination by the teachers with the students always in-
23. The over-competitiveness of art education has and self-motivation that he is capable of. fcrmed on the principles involved and the
created an 'eighteen-plus' examination and a 31. The normal processes of education should ex- student's participation agreed between student
doubly competitive entry to specialization; the pect and require the student to define his posi- and teacher relative to individual need.
only discipline where the student is so treated. tion, demonstrate his psychological point of 39. A I inhibiting terminology and semantic
Over-competitiveness should be reduced so view, defend his ideas and profess his intentions confu-sions should, as far as possible, be eradicated
that the student will be able to choose his by means of his creative production and what- (E.g. 'drawing', 'painting', 'sculpture'—these are
college as well as the college choose him. ever other expedient means he can exploit. He is terms which specifically classify the artefacts of a
24. The foundation courses must be truly experi- to be considered and assessed relative to what previous culture and in the present are largely
mental and diagnostic as well as informative, he 'existentially' is and has achieved rather than irrelevant and confusing though there might well
diversive and developmental. what he thinks he is, hopes he has done and how be some people who might prefer to work in
25. Such courses should also be selective; all of the he has reflected the hopes of the teacher. similar idioms in two and three dimensions).
students doing 'everything' is a prescription for 32. The 'language' the student works in e.g. figura- 40. Any academicism which inhibits or denies the
idiocy—as useless as the pseudo-expressionist tion, abstraction, etc., should be the respon- necessity to experiment and work in the whole
aimlessness of 'doing child-art' or anybody sibility of the student and not the teacher. This range of the visual and plastic world, supported
else's art, or the romantic heresy of teaching should be a 'real' and meaningful language in by whatever overlap of disciplines and informa-
'nothing' in case you destroy a mythical and whatever media is relevant or applicable to the tion are deemed essential, should be rejected.
intangible 'something'. process and idea. 41. Tie new concession—that a student can work
26. Any attempts at regional or any other selective 33. The majority of developments and projects and qualify for the Diploma 'between painting
examination for the foundation area should be should be invented by, decided by, agreed on by and sculpture'—should not be takento mean some
frustrated and rejected out of hand. the student as part of a creative process. hypothetical form of construction but rather that
27. It would be preferable to have no classification 34. Self-direction, self-motivation, self-invention, e student can create almost anything in any
in the Diploma in Art and Design—simply to self-criticism, self-assessment by the student relevant creative way.
pass or fail. As the qualification is achieved in does not invalidate the teacher or violate his 42. Tie notion of ART education is a confusion of
one's formative years it becomes increasingly role. It does not denigrate the teacher, rather concepts and a near-criminal confidence trick.
less relevant. does it elevate him. It is this misconception which is at the oot of
28. Although a 'national standard' will evolve 35. The modern teacher has the more difficult and Trost educational problems.
(relatively similar people in similar environment responsible role because he must understand 43. A creative education, a true development and
and predicament) it is comparatively incom- and respect the creativity of other men in all its exploitation of the total sensibility and intellect
mensurable, therefore unnecessary, to attempt to diversity of language. o the student should take the place of ART
reconcile one college's standards with another. 36. The teacher should be sufficiently visually education which has grown out of irrelevancies
Present 'national' results show only the failure aware, 'formally' educated, and technically such as political expediency, historicism and
of the present system of classification. informed to be able to deal with such problems iripotent style.
29, We should stand by the right, in all circum- of individuated language and processes. He does 44. Anyone, student or teacher, who accepts the
stances, that the College should decide pass or not have to equally like and admire all forms ; he methodology and criteria of our present system,
fail. Any external assessor should be a moderator merely has objectively and formally to respond which relegates education to so limited a role,
protecting the student from unreasonable to their organization and implication. departmentalizes it into the formative years,
assessment and the staff from indulgence, 37. The teacher does not need to teach egocentri- li nits and halts its progress, categorizes in
cynicism, self-gratification or personal identifi- cally, nostalgically or historically, to the exclusion immaturity, is too compliant a victim and should
cation. of the creative autonomy of the student. have no place in the creative reconstruction
30. After whatever agreed preliminary or obligatory 38. The balance of the course, the pattern of its pro- which is necessary.
courses are completed the student should have a grammes, the sequence of developments, the
major voice in determining his own progress. He orchestration of its details should be determined

An exhibition of the work of Dorel Pascal is on view
at Wizo House, 105 Gloucester Place, London W1
during 3 September and October, before going to New
York. The exhibition, which includes black-and-
white and coloured monotypes, is being sponsored
by the Adam Arts Centre. Adam, the international
art and literary magazine, to be published from
September 1968 by the University of Rochester, is
widening its coverage of the arts. Previous issues
have covered Marc Chagall, Zadkine, Ronald Searle,
Jean Cocteau and Matisse, and the September issue
is to be devoted to Picasso.