Helen Glazer wrote:
>
> It's also true that there are lots of technically skilled artists who
> produce vacuous, cliched work, so technical skill is no guarantee
> of good art in and of itself.  It is a shame, though to see work by
> artists who have interesting ideas, but don't have the technical means to
> bring them to life.  In the applications that cross my desk, I see plenty
> of examples of both these situations.  When I teach introductory art
> classes I tell my students that the more technique they acquire, the more
> choices they have in terms of self-expression, and the more likely
> they'll be to bring their ideas to realization.  If Betty is seeing many
> art graduates who can't complete a simple color-matching exercise, as she
> previously observed in another post, I
> think she's right that they have been failed by the institutions they
> attended.
>
> There also have been artists who created an exciting body of work within
> the limitations of their technique, so that is possible.  But sometimes when
> they try to expand upon that or try something new,
> their efforts fall flat and their reputations fade.  A look at 10 or 15
> year old art magazines demonstrates how quickly
> stars can fade.  So technique, craft,
> whatever you want to call it, is important as a means, but it's not an
> end in itself.
>
> --Helen Glazer, Exhibitions Director
> Goucher College
> Baltimore, MD USA
> [log in to unmask]

Yes, once again, I agree.  Technical skill doesn't guarantee good art
and many that don't have technical skill may have great ideas.  I have
seen this first hand from applicants and my own personal experience.
With a degree in marketing, I feel I have many good ideas, but don't
have the technical skill to produce these on paper.....

I was very please to hear that a teacher of art agrees that technical
skill should be taught at institions.  We have expressed our
frustration (that their students can't match colors) to many
professors of fine art.  Many of these said it is not their
responsibility to teach these students anything but the ability to
express themselves.  I would imagine these students and their parents
would be upset to know they are paying this much to express themselves
instead of obtaining skills to get a job.

I recently had a discussion with my staff artists on the definition of
art; good or bad.  After having almost the same debate we've had here
on the list, one of my artists came to the conclusion ["Betty, it was
a stupid question", (in jest, of course).]

Betty Brennan
Taylor Studios, Inc.