Page 42 - Studio International - January 1973

Aspects of art education 3

In the light of this argument, if the argument commitment to a certain ethos has received article seems totally fatalistic : 'No formula has
is accepted, a major realignment must come active support, over a life-time of experience yet been discovered, however, which justifies
about as to the core demands of that education, within the educational structure, through in practice the inclusion of Art History and
which can be maintained as the realization that secondary level to foundation and diploma, it complementary studies as a compulsory element
theoretical studies are central needs to any cannot be expected that the frustration that is of a Fine-Art course. Whether or not it is
understanding of, and contribution to, that felt in Colleges of Art by a large number of desirable in theory the subject has won little real
body of knowledge that we understand as art. students will be expressed in terms other than support from students and is treated at worst as
The next problem is the method of producing to effect minor changes to the structure an irritating distraction from more important
this desired shift. Here it would be useful to look without any review of the basic body of that matters and, at best, a pleasant and informative
at the present system of teaching art. The only structure. diversion'.
type of teaching that is really discernible is that It would seem, if this description is accepted, The article, due to its lack of attention to the
of the already discredited positivistic stance that certain changes must be made at both the present system's values, carries the implication,
producing a familiarity with the `physical' `real' staff and the student levels to enact this albeit in a negative way, that the values of the
world, and a rejection of analytical, historical formulated desired change. Very important is present structure are not in need of
study as not having any valid relation to the the introduction of 'non-practising artists' reassessment. This negative approach leads us
activity of producing ART; 'Art is doing, not as staff, i.e. staff who are concerned with what to doubt that the article has anything to
thinking'. Dexterity and the imitation of we understand by the term art, rather than contribute to a discussion of art education. The
stylistic traits are given far higher priority than exclusively concentrating on the production of purposeless description of four Midland
any understanding or study of theoretical objects viewed in relation to that term art. The Fine-Art Departments characterizes the present
(conceptual) or ontological notions in relation to case of the students prescription is more Fine-Art syndrome by its nebulous and
the activity. This view became manifest in difficult, but it must be realized that the implicit inexplicit nature. Mr Everitt presents us with
painting with Realism and Impressionism, and and restrictive support system employed at all what appears to be nothing more than an
has been nurtured within the educational educational levels must be rationalized broadly up-dating of the prospectuses of the four
methodology of British art schools to the present along the lines of the prescription that has colleges, interspersed with negative comment.
day. Hence the term 'objective drawing'. In already been outlined in this article. His 'I'll tell you what it's like' pedestrian manner
opposition to this is the main body of art — If these aims are to seem rational we must brought attention to the very areas of art
educational values, i.e. that of the expressionist rethink the philosophy employed by tertiary education which he attempts to suffocate.
aesthetic which constitutes an antithetical stance education, viz. that the central purpose of Perhaps here we could begin to consider
to positivism in that it relies on a mystical form DipAD is not to train people for jobs based on optimistically an area that could be open to
of osmosis taking place. the idea of a shortage of manpower; that society ready acceptance of this prescriptive view, that
The real problem is : can one base the main needs a couple of thousand art specialists of the post-diploma situation. They are
body of a system of Fine-Art education on it ? yearly. It obviously does not. As long as this capable of making meaningful changes within a
Obviously not, as this negates large areas of well philosophy pervades we shall be faced with the relatively short period of time. The post-
documented practice in the transference of spectre of static and relatively shrinking art diploma offers a break in the continuous support
knowledge and the discussion and analysis of courses due to Governmental pressure. system that we have previously described, i.e.
ideas. Why, it may be asked, is this reliance on Compounding these problems we have the that because of the nebulous nature of DipAD
osmosis so prevalent in practice ? Is it to be problems of vocational outlets being given a it is often a time of realignment for the student,
attributed to the qualities of the staff and/or the falsely prestigious stratification. Although the which provides the post-diploma with the
students ? Let us examine some of these colleges purport to lay the greatest emphasis on opportunity to build and constructively nurture
questions. Basically the majority of art teachers a teaching outlet it is obvious in practice that this these realignments into a meaningful analysis of
received their training under NDD and early is seen as being inferior to entrance to post- the belief systems of the various bodies of
DipAD in the non-verbal tradition that still diploma courses, e.g. Manchester, Slade, Fine-Art thinking. This process is made easier
controls the centre ground of Fine-Art teaching. Birmingham, Royal Academy, Royal College. because of the relatively undefined area of
The majority of these teachers are, due to the Entrance to such courses is viewed by the staff as concern for post-diploma, which at present is
complexion of their training, unable to consider a legitimation of their teaching methods. This is roughly that post-diploma is an intermediary
fully the problems in relation to the context of an expected posture given the present structure. year facilitating the change of role from student
language. We are by no means condemning the The 'creaming-off ' leaves many people viewing to artist. This could be more purposefully
staff; we are merely saying that the values themselves as failures, or it actively reaffirms defined as an extension of study in relation to
supplied by their education tend to negate or be their neo-romantic view of themselves as the the body of knowledge we understand as art and
antagonistic to these areas of concern. We would `unacknowledged legislators of the World' the extension of this body does not rely upon,
propose, therefore, that the continued (Shelley). In this short appraisal we have although it includes, the 'artist' notion of the
insistence that all studio staff are practising attempted not to be fatalistic, as Mr Everitt was student's role. We believe, from this, that the
artists is actively retarding the development of in the November issue of Studio International, present post-diploma course, i.e. a studio and a
Fine-Art education into more definable and about the present tertiary educational system number of visiting painters, does not constitute
useful fields of enquiry. The students are in a in Fine Art, but our observations and an explicit framework in which one can act in
similar position in that they have spent the clarifications are guided to an optimistic any meaningful way. q
greatest part of their lives in a system, formal revision of a now stagnating national structure. B. P. BUTLER, G. M. BRYANT
or informal, of education that actively supports An immediate transformation via an
the characteristics described earlier as alternative ideological system could never take
'Robin Marriner, 'An attempt at Exorcism', p. 8.
untenable, giving little chance of any great shift place overnight. We offer no 'absolute' to resolve A paper on Art Education, October 1972.
of attitude at the conclusion of formal the situation as it now stands, we merely offer 'For a fuller explanation of these points see: 'Change
education that would make them receptive to the characteristics that we feel to be desirable in in Art Education', pp. 9o-98, by Dick Field.
Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1970.
attitudes expressed in this article. When any new model. Conversely, Anthony Everitt's 'Robin Marriner, 'An attempt at Exorcism', p. 16.