Page 47 - Studio International - October 1972
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history, a neurotic need for the academic through faculty and students working in the necessary dissolution of the institutions, they
pervades, together with the feeling we should community. In Dallas, Los Angeles, Kansas never can be so.
compensate for the lack of tradition within City, Washington D.C., and many places in Art education in Canada is no exception to
European terms. America, art communities, artists and galleries this. This is particularly tragic since Canada has
Yet American art emerges from a different emerge of importance to and relevance to comparatively no cultural past to hold it back,
sensitivity and situation, involved with American art today. no heavy art history to crowd the vision. Canada
processes and presentation rather than content Potential and problems reflect the extremes is all future. That is where the seeds of its
and context. Although, of course, both these are and contrasts of America. Concern gives way to ultimate value for art lie. A few artists and
important for the emergence of art in America. change. Alternatives and attitudes opposed to thinkers in Canada realize this, but in art
American artists are almost in the position of the academic and accepted continue through the education the concept is simply ignored.
creating instant history, without a restricting challenges and changes within American art Nevertheless because it is culturally a new
tradition. The community wants to expose the education today. q country, because of the energy and diversity of
citizens to art and culture through local art ROY SLADE its people and the thrust and energy of its major
galleries and museums. Unlike in Europe, cities, there is a good possibility that if the
towns do not have old castles, ancient churches, Art education in breakthrough in the new visual creativity is to
and the ruins of history. In a pioneer country Canada come, if there is any hope for a radical
culture must be created. People seem to care remodelling of education throughout the
about art. The American artist can contribute to Education in the form we have known it seems system, this country is where it can happen. The
identity and image, as can the institution. to have had its day. It is no longer relevant; and recent Wright Commission on Post-Secondary
Many different institutions exist. Among the futility, the lack of imagination and failure to Education presented many bold and imaginative
them is the museum school, situated in the encourage intellectual daring and innovation has proposals. Changes are afoot or being debated in
larger city, which contributes, with the gallery, caused many students and professors to abandon other provinces outside Ontario. It is not naive
to the cultural life of the community. The the universities. Other teachers, themselves optimism to say that change is on the way,
Corcoran School of Art is a part of the conditioned by the system, have no idea how to though it would be foolish to assume it will occur
Corcoran Gallery of Art, sharing the same make the necessary changes and some may even overnight. In some ways I should be the last
trustees and building. In the last century have been unaware of the need for change. Art person to hold out any hope for art education in
W. W. Corcoran founded the Gallery 'to education is a part of this wasteland and has Canada. In June of this year a well-organized
promote and encourage the American genius'. long been so. coup in the governing Council forced my
The founder wrote that a school 'should do The alternative for education is art, creativity, resignation as president of the Ontario College
much to further national prosperity and enhance that special quality of mosaic, non-linear visual of Art, the largest and oldest college of art in
the national reputation'. Far sighted aims for learning. It is not usually to be found in art Canada.
nearly one hundred years ago. schools or colleges. Instead art education today In one year we had totally restructured the
The Corcoran School of Art is just one such is a mindless affair, entropic, cautious, tedious curriculum, redefined the aims and goals of the
museum school, and is self-supporting, not and as far as any sense of growth in human college, taken on nearly forty new faculty artists
funded by local or federal government, personality and awareness is concerned, simply and thinkers from a wide range of disciplines —
unthinkable in Britain. Other schools were often dangerous. It keeps the individual student mathematics, mysticism, behaviour sciences,
founded before the museum and have a long locked into the past, compartmentalized in the literature, planning and so forth, and brought
tradition from the last century. In rural present and shut up in himself. There is no vitality and meaning into what, by general
America there are many huge universities sense of inventing problems, inventing agreement, had long been an inert and dying
situated and isolated in small towns. Many alternatives — structures, systems, images or institution. I have no wish here to sing the
universities have large and thriving art human relationships; no sense of inventing the praises of what we accomplished in that short
departments. Such institutions, particularly if future. Art education is still concerned with time. Nor am I bitter about the destructive term
accredited, are funded by foundations and the examining and reflecting experience rather than of events, having spent many years after the
federal government. Divergence and creating new experiences. There is no sense of Ealing experiment battling with educational
differences in every way characterize American thrust, tracking down the unknown and inertia in England. Though I am sad for the
art education. exploring the frontiers of visual thinking. The many brilliant teachers who identified
As far as developments within the studio are art schools and departments of art have, for the themselves during that period, and for the open
concerned, these reflect all the latest fads and most part, rigid archaic structures based on the and adventurous students who give much
fashions of Art Fashion. Students are working old guild and craft divisions of labour — painting, promise for the future of Canadian art.
with video, electronics, events, and the Earth. At sculpture, graphics, dress and so forth. The What we were developing at OCA was taken
the same time students have a stubborn interest courses are technique-based and by many as a model of what might happen in
in the academic, reflecting of the conservative technique-dominated. other institutions across Canada — given, that is,
conformity apparent in America. Also an These institutions are not seen as whole that one could overcome the bureaucracy and
interest in crafts, through the hippy culture, systems and are not designed as interactive academic bloody-mindedness of administrators,
reflects an inherent desire for a return to basic organisms capable of change and growth. They faculty associations and other institutional
values and human survival. do not breathe life. There is no vision in visual inhibitors. At OCA we had a headstart with the
A recent development is the emergence education. The colleges could be triggers to support of the provincial government, the
of art communities throughout America. New cultural and social change; seeds planted in cities goodwill of the media and the enthusiasm of the
York may still dominate as the market place of to change the living situation, models of new art community. We were defeated ultimately,
art but art activity, diversity, and creativity worlds, generating new human values. Of course, partly by fear of the unknown on the part of the
increase throughout the continent. The art they are not, and without radical restructuring technique-bound teachers and partly by a
schools and institutions are furthering this and rethinking of the entire system, and the residual body of dedicated reactionaries anxious
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