Page 23 - Studio International - May 1973

definitely stay in Otterlo, and not be transferred Emerging from the year and to have all students undergo the same
to the new museum. In the early sixties a garden kind of introductory experiences (though this
of approximately 3o acres designed and valley of the has not been carried through uniformly in all
landscaped for sculpture was added to the the schools). This proved necessary because the
museum. The outside sculpture collection shadow of art quantity and quality of plastic and visual
includes work by Rodin, Maillol, Lipchitz, experience provided by secondary education is
Moore, Hepworth, Caro, King, Rickey and education into . . . ? almost universally negligible: students often
Snelson. In the garden there is a pavilion enter the art schools without any clear idea about
designed by the De Stijl architect Gerrit the type of existence awaiting them. The final
Rietveld. year tends to become a transitional stage
After the last war the Van Abbe City Museum between the art school and the professional
in Eindhoven became known for its lively world.
programme of international exhibitions and for The range of subjects taught comprises
its fast growing collection of modern art, now painting and drawing, print making, sculpture,
one of the best in the country. The collection plastic art connected with architecture,
includes works by Picasso, Braque, Léger, ceramics, metal work and similar crafts, interior
Delaunay, Mondrian, van Doesburg, Miro, design, advertising and visual communication,
Ecole de Paris, Zero, Beuys, Stella, Morris, and fashion design, and art teaching in secondary
other young Americans. A large group of works schools (industrial design is mostly taught in
by El Lissitsky is one of the museum's If the saying holds that the true artist gets separate institutions). The first four can be
specialities. himself kicked out of school before it is too late, studied practically everywhere, whereas some
The buildings of the museums in Otterlo, artists in Holland never have to look far for an of the others are to be found in one or two
The Hague, Rotterdam and Eindhoven have a opportunity to prove their authenticity. Some institutions only. The varying number and
curiously related history. They were all fifteen institutions offer to do the kicking; combinations of departments is one source of
constructed during the thirties; before the ejection may take place among stone scrolls diversity among the art schools. The one at
First World War Mrs Kröller-Müller started saying Natura Artis Magistra or through glass Tilburg, for instance, specializes almost entirely
plans to build a private museum for her doors according to preference. The number of in the training of art teachers. Furthermore,
collection. She worked with the German those who take the chance varies from 6o to developments within the general framework
architects Peter Behrens and Mies van der Rohe, over 35o per school, but the total population of of the art schools depend very much on
later with the Dutch architect Berlage and the art schools in this country is between 3000 the abilities and interests of individual teachers,
finally with the Belgian architect Henry van de and 35 00. whose presence in one institution or
Velde, who designed the present building in Many of these institutions were born out of another is largely a matter of chance. If any
Otterlo. Berlage's museum in The Hague is private enterprise — some originating in art school was ever founded with a clear picture
based on his earlier plans made for Mrs Kröner, artists' societies, some founded, like many of art education in mind which might have
and the Boymans in Rotterdam by the Dutch museums, by associations of art-loving citizens. determined the initial selection of teachers,
architect Van der Steur shows the influence In several cases, descendants of the latter are they have all been in existence too long
of Berlage's plans for The Hague. The Dutch still the nominal owners of the schools which are, now for the original pattern to have been
architect Kropholler, who designed the Van however, financed almost entirely by the local preserved. Teaching is usually a part-time job,
Abbe museum, also worked for Mrs. Kröller in and national government. Art education is which means that many institutions need from
the same period. incorporated into the national education system, thirty to fifty people to cover even a moderate
All five museums are active in organizing but this does not necessarily signify true range of subjects. With such numbers,
exhibitions and each has its specialities in the integration. There is, for instance, no connection concerted effort towards a well-defined common
field of modern art: well prepared one man shows at all between the art schools and the goal becomes almost impossible; even the
of Dutch artists in The Hague, sculpture in universities. Legislation draws a sharp ability to envisage such a goal varies strongly
Otterlo, surrealist painting in Rotterdam, all distinction between professional training and from one individual to the other.
aspects of art now in Amsterdam as well as in preparation for the pursuit of science, and art This situation is reflected in the patchwork
Eindhoven, where there is also a developing education is relegated to the former. This means structure of the teaching programmes. Until
interest in the social role of the visual arts. courses of fixed duration (usually four or five fairly recently, students had to take a variety of
The demand from artists and interested years), divided by examinations at fixed subjects, some traditional, some new ones added
public alike is for openness, for a museum of intervals, obligatory attendance, and a rather in a haphazard fashion, taught by people of
modern art that has a real function in modern strict organizational pattern in general. During widely varying abilities and opinions. This
society. Many questions are raised: who owns recent years, the art schools have been evolving is not peculiar to art education alone, the lack of
the museum, who should run it, who should towards greater freedom, whereas government harmony between subjects is now universally
decide and how, who chooses ? The artists have control over the universities has tended to felt, and attempts at unification have been made
told the museums that their task is to propagate increase. None the less, the general atmosphere during recent years — with varying success;
and activate the creative process. The museums differs widely in the two kinds of institution, rather than improving the schools programme
feel that to choose is to clarify and they see if only because of the level of preliminary as a whole, they often result in a concentration
that as their first task. Pressure from many sides education required for admission to the one or of forces within a single department.
is beginning to produce a change of attitude the other. Only a minority of the art schools At opposite extremes beyond the range of the
from the Ministry of Culture. A change of is situated in a city where there is also a average art school are Ateliers 63 (Haarlem),
policies is very slowly under way. The Dutch university. which does not consider itself an art school, and
government is still in crisis; much depends on As would be expected in a group of the Free Academy (Psychopolis) (The Hague),
the policies of a new cabinet and a new Minister institutions all sponsored by the same which does not consider itself an art school.
of Culture. All this could sound better than it government, curricula everywhere conform The former, which offers studio space and
actually is, but in comparison with many other more or less to the same general plan. Over the informal tuition to young artists, is described
countries we should not be too unsatisfied. q last decade there has been a tendency to elsewhere in this issue (p. 208). The Free
disregard future specialization during the first Academy was founded twenty-five years ago
205