Page 28 - Studio International - November 1972

Aspects of art education 2

Four Midland permitted the establishment of a proliferation of department, but others are worried that weaker
consultative committees with varying degrees of spirits are demoralized by an absence of
polytechnic fine art staff and student participation. This has structure that seems to them to have more to do
wasted time, but achieved little else. with laissez-faire than liberation. But according
departments 'Individual development' and the to a third view, more freedom still is needed.
'breakdown of categories', however, are still live 'The staff haven't really changed their old
issues. In fact, the phrases themselves have authoritarian roles to suit their policy'.
entered the vocabulary of listless clichés; but At Birmingham the story is different,
Every revolution since the French revolution they conceal a variety of practice. although there is the same insistence on
has had its Thermidor, the month in the new A comparison between Wolverhampton and flexibility and personal development. William
Republican calendar, when the forces of Birmingham shows just how wide it can be. Gear, the Head of the department, supervises
reaction gained their second wind and swept The Department of Fine Art at Wolverhampton two separate departments of sculpture and
back into power. It says something — and it is not offers a unified course without the usual painting, each of which has a distinctive
altogether favourable — of the young insurgents divisions into painting and sculpture. For character of its own. The arrival of a new Head
at British Colleges of Art and Design during the Norman Rowe, the Head of the Department, of Painting a year ago, Roddy Carmichael,
student sit-ins of 1968, that their Thermidor 'the aim of the course is the self-determination whose strong and vigorously expressed views
was built into the annual curriculum. The of the student'. Students are expected to equip are in striking contrast with those of his
troubles at Hornsey, Guildford, Birmingham themselves technically and a rigorously predecessor, Gilbert Mason, has not
and elsewhere started in June and most structured syllabus which depends on 'a contributed to a spirit of ecumenicism. His
observers foresaw that the summer vacation historically based concept of the nature of art' is interests are weighted heavily towards his own
would bring them to an end. That is exactly rejected. At interviews for entry, Rowe and his school, the traditional reputation of which he is
what happened. staff look for 'individualists'. During the First determined to renew. In the sculpture
In retrospect, the sit-ins do not appear to Year Common Course, students visit a hostel in department there is greater freedom for multi-
have amounted to much. The establishment Wales 'where they can get to know each other'. media experiment and some exhibits in last
received a nasty shock but did not yield ground. There is a fairly free tutorial system and summer's Diploma shows would be hard to
Nevertheless, the events of '68 left their mark. every effort is made to cater for particular identify as specifically painterly or sculptural.
In particular the analyses of art education interests. If specialist help is not available, Gear, however, is uncertain of the benefits of
which the student rebels offered have had a visiting lecturers are brought in to fill the gap. wholesale innovation. 'We want to give our
decisive influence. A good deal of weight is laid on technological students a sense of the historical tradition they
The leading points that were raised at the aids. There are sophisticated facilities for find themselves in. But it is difficult. We have
Birmingham College of Art and Design sit-ins metalwork, woodwork, spray-painting, fibre- to let them do anything they want. I can't go
included an emphasis on the student's individual glass and plaster casting, stone and wood down to the studios and say, this is all nonsense,
development, inter-disciplinary flexibility and carving, film and video-tape, television. do some drawing. But at least we can point out
student participation at all levels of decision- Students are encouraged to come together that what they are working on at any particular
making. Underlying these issues, of course, was and research into particular areas of work on a moment is not the only possibility.'
a deep-seated hostility to capitalism and a cooperative basis. Currently, there is much The first year is given over to diagnostic
commitment to political action — attitudes interest in visual imagery and its relation to projects, but later the student is permitted to
which, at least in their direct expression, literary or 'poetic' imagery. The department is follow paths of his own choice. There is no
proved to be ephemeral. increasingly anxious to come into contact with tutorial system as such. Lecturers are allocated
Failings in the Present System of Art Education the local community and, following some to different year groups. The acquisition of
at the Birmingham College of Art, a document successful and, in part, student-inspired expensive technical equipment is not a high
written and published by students during the projects in the past, two study options priority as at Wolverhampton: however,
sit-in, identifies the key areas of concern. 'There are planned for the academic year, 1973/4, in students who wish to do so can be seconded for
is now complete awareness that the existing Play Activity and Civic Art Services. brief periods to other departments.
system of art education has generated apathy The tone of the Wolverhampton Department Some, especially those who are either
and discontent. Four days continuous of Fine Art is tolerant and individualistic. disaffected from the course or in search of space
discussion has established solid reasons for this '"Brainwashing" courses of a kind which used or certain kinds of machinery, resort to the
dissatisfaction : to be offered, I believe, at Coventry, pull the Experimental Workshop, an independent
1. There is a lack of encouragement to explore carpet from underneath a student's identity', a service department for all the departments in
different faculties and areas of study . . . . member of staff told me. 'Our job as teachers is the Art and Design Centre, which, according to
2. There is insufficient provision for to put forward certain notions, while adding: the prospectus, aims to give 'opportunity and
communication between students, staff and "These are ideas which happen to interest me — encouragement to Diploma students to conduct
academic board in the existing system. perhaps they are worth your consideration". experiments in the fields of visual expression,
3. Personal development is suppressed . . . . This is the academic content. We want the communication and meaning'. Facilities are
4. The present assessment system has proved course to give students a base for their future available for work in many fields, ranging from
inefficient in practice. development in life.' lighting experiments to graphics. This
5. The History of Art courses do not relate A sampling of student opinion (and it was no department is unique to Birmingham and
closely to the main study courses.' more than that) revealed a certain amount of although some design areas do not take full
Many of these views were shared by dissatisfaction. It appears that interdisciplinary advantage of it, it is a useful complement.
progressive members of staff, and the movement, especially with other faculties within As at Wolverhampton, collaboration with the
authorities, seeking to preserve their position the Polytechnic, is more easily said than done. local community is felt to be desirable, but
with well-timed but limited concessions, Some appreciate the flexibility within the comparatively little is done to further it. In

176