dan mickey on tue 12 dec 00
mel,
i agree totally with what you are saying. I am a very recent graduate of the
"pyrimad scheme" and found that most students wanted to merely write out
their ideas and hardly ever worked long hours. I felt like everyone (all
media) i was going to school with saw me as a money machine. I worked about
50 - 60 hours a week in my studio producing pots for a small gama(100cu
ft.). I felt that most people thought i was selling all this crap, but in
reality i was just learning how many different ways i could fire the thing.
As a recent grad, looking out into the real world and also looking back on
the past three years, i see that alot of people are recieving their mfa. i
have started to wonder about the quality of this. If everyone passes their
thesis then i begin to think the standards are not high enough! I do
understand that a mfa program is what you make it, according to each
individual, but hell thats the way life is right? Come on America, wake up,
the work ethic in our country sucks! just ask any 18 yr old.
shane mickey
> one of the most dreadful realities for me, when
> i went back to school at 55, was the observation of almost universal
> lack of dedication to intense study.
>
> can you believe this:
>
> i was accused of being a `CURVE RAISER`.
> i did so much work that it made them look bad.
> shit, a curve raiser in grad school....you see, they sorta knew
> i was not going to accept the mfa....this was all for me.
> it was beyond their scope of understanding.
> i was very interested in the `new language of art`...the
> critique was why i was there. i can do art in a barn, all alone.
> i needed them...but, got very little. my teachers were brilliant.
> (but, not very tough.)
>
> most of the students wanted to talk about their art.
> talk, talk, talk. write a few paragraphs.
>
> their metaphors.
> their images.
> their personal grief.
> their menstrual cycles
> gender issues.
> the death of redwoods.
>
> all predicated on not doing art. not painting.
> not making pots. but, talking, for hours.
>
> students complained about the `work load`.
>
> `why do we have to read about milton avery, he was so dumb?`
> damn, if you do not understand milton avery, don't pick up
> a brush for the rest of your life.
>
> going to grad school should be the greatest gift that a person
> can ever get. it should be total immersion. total.
> if one is not dedicated to that...get the hell out of the way.
> i would have failed half of them...kicked their asses into the
> real world...but, they all graduated. and you wonder why the
> mfa shows are often so bad.
>
> art is about personal dedication. it is work. talented folks are a
> dime a dozen. workers are rare as diamonds. a worker with talent
> is, and becomes genius.
> mel
>
>
> FROM MINNETONKA, MINNESOTA, USA
> http://www.pclink.com/melpots (website)
>
>
______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
_______________________________________________________
Send a cool gift with your E-Card
http://www.bluemountain.com/giftcenter/
| |
|
