James Blossom on fri 24 sep 99
Hi All.
I have been wrestling with this design thing, and can no longer keep silent.
Not able to teach design? Why not Math? Geology? Drafting? Medicine?
Perhaps I sense an egocentric approach to teaching anything. Should all
math students have an innate 'sense' of trigonometry? Should pilots be born
with wings? The author of 'Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain'
correctly points out that some folks are not as able to 'see' the world as
others, and goes on to demonstrate that anyone who can sign their name can
draw as well as any great master.
The concept of design is one of arrangement of elements, and an
'original' design must be an 'original' arrangement of elements. It is not
the ability to produce a reproduction of the world as we see it that amounts
to design, but the ability to arrange the elements in what we would like to
see. A photographer is great when she can frame a scene with 'soul' ;
anyone could snap a photo of the same area to no avail. Still, there is a
body of design standards which can be taught and followed. The 'golden
rectangal' is but one example.
An analysis of any great painter reveals geometric themes repeated and
intentionally exploited. The diagonal, triagonal, and rectagonal are
pervasive in the world of oil painting. In sculpture, archetecture, and
indeed pottery, various three dimentional themes repeat themselves ad
nausium. Just why can these not be taught? Are the students today not
quite up to it? Or are the egos of the instructors out there looking for a
reflection of thier own style in order to call it "ART"? Hypothesys Non
Fingo.
But what are the elements of even a *photo* with soul? Perhaps these *can*
be taught, as well as teaching the ability to experience the moment, the
Tao, the essence of a particular arrangement. There are books on design,
archetecural, artistic, and even engineering. There is much that has been
learned over the centuries, and many different approaches that may be
studied. How did an Egyptian understand spacial relationships? Did the
Greek potters feel form superior to decoration? Why did Mayan artisans
indulge in tripartate symatry?
All in all, design is no less ameniable to teaching than any other
skill. The hard, cold fact is that some folks are better than others at
almost anything you would wish to mention. So should we teach only the
potential Einstiens in our classes? Expererience argues otherwise.
Einstien flunked math in high school. Vivaldi was expelled from music
school for 'lack of talent'. Van Gogh was castigated by the French Salon.
Who has the talent to select talent? Not the teachers. Not the juries.
Just Time.
So what to do? Treat each and every attempt at art as what it is: an
interaction of person and material to produce an unique object intended for
contemplation by one or more others. All else is posturing, pandering, and
prostitution.
Mike Blossom
Sleeping Dog Designs
Albuquerque, NM
"Something atempted; something done, has earned a night's repose."
---Longfellow
-----Original Message-----
From: Janet Kaiser
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Thursday, September 23, 1999 7:56 AM
Subject: Re: teaching design
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
------------------
I spent about two hours last night writing about personal experiences in
school
to demonstrate and support my views, but decided it was a tad too long.
>sigh<
After thinking about it some more this morning, I believe we get hung up on
art
and design and do not take a broader view of human ability and learning.
Quite
right you say - this is a ceramic arts discussion list. Well yes, but all
the
"greats" of the world, the innovators, the leaders, the people we admire,
were
very often "born not made". Take Giotto, Leonardo, Freud, Einstein, etc.
for
starters...
A little unfair to name the world's geniuses you say? No, I do not think so,
because they developed and contributed to human knowledge without teachers.
What
they obviously did have was a latent, inherent propensity to explore,
develop
and enlarge on what they were interested in - an ability we all possess.
Although they were all by nature "creative" I bet Einstein could never
become an
"artist" of his time, just as Turner would not have been able to develop as
a
physicist. Or ever wanted to. The "greats" illustrate how each individual
(given
the right impetus and environment) is pre-disposed to develop/be able to
develop
a specific latent ability. Yes, born not made.
It does not mean everyone with a great ability or "gift" will recognise or
use
it. Neither does it mean that when it is used/developed, fellow humans will
recognise it for what it is. The patent office is full of the work of
unrecognised and unwanted innovators, just as artist studios, architects
offices, chemists laboratories, engineers draughtboards and potters
workshops
are full of ideas and work, one will "rubbish" whilst the next will hail as
"the
greatest work since Adam & Eve".
Just along the coast from here is Portmeirion, a village built in Italianate
style by the architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis. This village is visited by
thousands each year and is probably the most photographed site in Wales. It
is
hailed as a delicious folly, a beautiful eccentricity. Everyone would love
to
live in such a place. BUT the houses are uncomfortable, dark, poky, dank and
damp. And other houses elsewhere designed by this great architect are far
from
ideal homes. He never "got it right" yet he was one of the most famous
architects of his time and knighted for his efforts.
I think this illustrates the way the collective "we" judge what is good and
bad,
whilst "we" as individuals may experience and judge using quite different
criteria. Like acquiring a teapot by the greatest living potter only to find
it
drips. Public euphoria can give way to private remorse...
So the long and short of it is, I agree with Mel, Tony and Sheila Clennell
and
others... An artist/designer is born, not made. But what makes one born
artist/maker "better" than the next (even elevate him/her to a person of
recognised genius) is the additional ability to learn from experience and
practice, whilst remaining innovative and creative. You have to know the
rules
before you can break them.
Oooops! A long one anyway. But just my opinion (and only mine - not trying
to
preach)
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art, Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales
Home of The International Potters Path
WEB: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
EMAIL: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
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