Page 31 - Studio International - April 1972

people is bound to be small. In the classes I have Far Sight—Near Spot information receives half the designated points.
taken, studio instructors have been hesitant to The following game consists of one dispatcher and 5. If a live player sights or spots a dead player without
give hard and fast interpretations of artists' work five players. While designing this game, I had in mind any information as to the dead player's death, and
the five students enrolled in the 197o summer session
calls in to claim his points, he loses all of his
and I was usually asked to read things written or projects class at the Nova Scotia College of Art and accumulated score. However, one live player may give
said by artists whose work we were studying. Design. The game starts at 9 am and ends 5 pm the a dead player the location of another live player and
receive so points. The dead player receiving this
This seems to be the best way to study someone's same day. I, the dispatcher, will keep track of information may be allowed to continue the game
locations and life and death status; this information
work if he is not available to talk to. However, I will be passed by me to players when appropriate. with the same number of points as his informer. If a
find that without contact with artists, students DAVID ASKEVOLD sight or spot follows, his score doubles.
6. A dead player's defeat is not final until every live
tend to think of them in larger than life terms, r. The game begins half an hour after break-up time. player refuses to pass on any information as to the
not unlike 'stars'. All players leave from the same location. whereabouts of a dead player. (A dead player must
I think this attitude is more a part of the 2. A capture is accomplished by (far sighting) 5 remain at the location where he was sighted or spotted
points or (near spotting) to points. If the sighted or
whole culture than that of schools, but in my spotted player calls in first, he or she receives the and may only move to use a phone.)
7. If a dead player sights or spots another dead player
case, I don't think my instructors did enough to points. If the sighter or spotter denies sighting or and calls in without death knowledge of himself or
dispel that illusion. While I think there is good spotting this player, he receives the equivalent points. the other player, all dead come alive and are allowed
to continue with their before-death scores.
reason not to give an interpretation of the 3. Any player may give another player some or all of 8. The winner is the player surviving after all others
his points at any time (the giver doesn't need to reveal
meaning of someone else's work, hesitancy of this his accumulative score). The player who accepts the have been defeated. Note that a player can win even
kind can be confusing or frustrating for a points loses 5. if he holds no points since the dispatcher has his own
student— as it was for me. I often had the idea 4. Once a player has been sighted or spotted, he is value score sheet and will be the final judge.
dead and may not sight or spot but may be sighted or
9. Coalitions or agreements to co-operate are permitted
that I was incapable of understanding whole spotted by other live players. A dead player may call and may take any form. However, the rules provide no
areas of art and that an artist was doing dispatch and request that information as to his penalty for failure to live up to an agreement. Any
position be passed to another player. The player who gadgetry (recordings or pictures) may be used for
something beyond my comprehension when he
sights or spots the dead player through this fact verification.
was not.
Are you aiming to create an informed art
audience ?
DA: I think, in terms of teaching, I am more
sympathetic with some premises than with
others, so naturally I will attempt to encourage a
way of thinking about art compatible with the
premises I respect. As for an informed
audience, the audience being presumably the
students I have contact with, I attempt to
encourage accurate information about these
premises and manifestations, and limit the
possibility of error and misunderstandings
which often surround the work of advanced art.
PM: Is it important to try to control the direction
of art?
DA: I try to control the direction of my own art
and as a teacher I challenge methods, attitudes,
and ideas that students have already formed
before I have contact with them. Since I have
that proximity, I think I have an influence —
positive or negative— on their thinking; the
larger context would be that of the whole
school, and that depends upon how successful I
am as a teacher/artist. I am definitely aware that
influences change certain directions in my own
work and I can see how some artists have larger
or more concentrated audiences than others,
how attention is focused for periods of time on
some art and not on others — I would rather use
the word influence than control. By finding
some premises and/or methods more believable
than others, supporting them, and observing the
outcomes, I get a fair indication of how directions
are formed, though at the time of support the
effect is not known. Through influential
exponents of ideas or attitudes shifts in thinking
about and making art continually occur.
Pm: What do you think is the function of this
interview as an action taken by you, in terms of
the above questions ?
DA: The fact that I have included examples of
my own work in the context of this interview
indicates a three-way integration which
illustrates aspects of each—the whole activity, as
an attempt to make, explain and give examples. q
157