Thanks for spreading the good word about PAM.

Cheers,
Lee

Having said this, I do admire his enthusiasm.

On top of this, the history of art up until and including present day, is that the best art is made by interesting, unique, inimitable, individuals – characterstics that perhaps not only cannot be taught but may be antithetical to today’s educational institution as art patron/purveyor model.

Which, may speak as to why we see such a ubiquity of conformity happening……….

art education and attempting to teach someone ‘how’ to be an artist are clearly divergent fields that suffer from conflation creating con-fusion.

I heard about that book on fiber art — it sounds like it will be quite interesting. And for people into that end of things, look for Janet Koplos’s History Of Craft (as art) coming soon.

Another possibility is that many ex-SAIC people are more self-critical than I implied and have noted these problems (I could go into problems I noticed in my education at several other schools — although I liked the universities, many of us are aware of both strengths and weaknesses and not just cheering squads). So “bravo” to those people if they genuinely didn’t write in due to that fact.

Yeah, we Sharkforum folks overdo the sea-metaphor thing, but it’s part of our sweetness and shy charm (ahem…), well, anyway, we find it entertaining.

Thanks for answering and considering my points, but I’m not going on and on with examples — I just don’t have the time. Just let me say that my observations are the result of about 26 years of hearing artists talk. Listen for these points yourself in the future in discussions, or even in your own mouth, you will find them. As I said, I’m not exempting other places, I just wasn’t talking about them here. One should always question the assumptions one was taught in school. You might come to the conclusion that they are right, but you should question them anyway (mensch, and I’m a teaching artist, so maybe I’m passing on some “problems” too — I’ll ask my ex-students when I get a chance.)

I like the idea of printmaking combined with other stuff — as long as it isn’t too cutesy.

You are right about the necessity fo dropping jargon and concentrating on making work, but my point was that too many SAIC people (and grads of other art schools) DO NOT do that. Drop hip theory lingo unless it truly fits your personal drives, but learn history.

HISTORY is NOT jargon or “lingo.” I think the fact that you disdain the mere knowledge of it, and were not even able to make a sensible (or funny) joke on the terminology proves my point. Sorry, I don’t mean to insult you, but ignorance of history is no joke, no excuse, makes us libel our own times (Gustave Flaubert), creates amnesia leading to consumerism, and damns you to farces of repetition packaged as creativity. “Those who do not know history are condemned to repeat it”, George Santayana. Know your history and you will be in command of it as a tool for making analogies and for stimulating creative thought. The only “burden of the past” comes when you are ignorant of it and thus either worship it or attempt to flee it. Both are destructive. My point is thus DEAD ON. If you think it is a mere detail to think that all that exists is some vaguely “emotional art” past countered by some vaguely idea-illustrational present, then you are not “just doing” art, you are illustrating propaganda for the Consensoriat. And I get the impression, that is certainly NOT what you wish to do.

How about using your real name -and at least using this platform to work on overcoming your cowardice issue?

-btw -the Theory, & Criticism Dean of Graduate Division at your Alma mater -I’m betting if you stay tuned, you will be reading what she has to say over on sharkforum.org