Art Nazis

Today I interviewed for a part time job teaching art at a local private art school. It is not necessarily a prestigious place, but the adults and children I saw on their website looked like they were having fun and producing some decent art work. I thought it would be a good summer part time job while I waited for my classes to start at the University. I had an electronic portfolio of my work which I gave them on disc, but they had asked to see some originals besides. I hate to brag, but I don't have a lot of pieces lying around my house, as I have sold a lot of them recently and some are in storage or loaned out to the University. but I did have a few abstract landscapes I've been working on this summer and some fresh watercolor florals which I laid out in front of them.

"Hmmm,...interesting. Yellow skies, heh? Interesting. Is that a sunflower? "

I knew I was in trouble. I hate it when people say "interesting", that's critic speak for "I don't like it".

As the owner continued to interview me, she peppered me with questions about my work, my teaching methodology, my stance on "concept art" (said with a curled lip) and before I could answer any of her questions, she launched into a soap box speech about how "true art" was being able to draw or paint something realistically. I quickly got the idea that, in her opinion, there was only one way to look at art - her way.

When she came up for breath, I mentioned that I had taught "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" - Betty Edwards' method of helping students perceive drawing without the filters of how things "should" look and said I thought Betty's methods freed up a lot of beginners to experiment and gain a sense of joy and play in their art work. That was obviously the wrong thing to say. She told me they taught "real" art at her school, not learning to draw things upside down (one of Betty's methods to get you to look at positive and negative space rather than the lines).

E-X-C-U-S-E M-E!!!!!!

This is the same woman who wanted to know what my MFA stood for. When I told her, she said, "Well just because you have a degree in art, doesn't mean you are a good artist". True, but what training had she had? None it seems. She proudly told me she is self-taught. Also perfectly fine, I don't think you necessarily have to have a degree either, but it's good to have an appreciation for different styles of art. She proudly showed me her own art on the walls of the classrooms, and those of her students and other teachers. All the other teachers were former students of hers. I realized I'd be the maverick if I got hired. Their paintings were technically very good. Proper proportions, well integrated color harmony and good compositionally, but they were all a bit stiff and lifeless - much like their teacher in my opinion. She explained that they learned from copying photographs down to the last little detail.

As I say, there was some remarkable work shown, children of 7 and 8 rendering landscapes with an incredible amount of detail and precision, down to the needles on the trees, and the cast shadows in the snow. Amazing detail for kids that young. But her teenage students and her adult students' paintings looked about the same as the 8 year olds'. They didn't seem to possess any individual style or verve. they were all a bit flat, no depth of field, and repetitious. I didn't say this, of course, because at that point, I was still considering working there. But it began to sink in that this woman was an Art Nazi.

I had a few of those in school too. They had perfected a particular technique and had it down cold, and they expected their students to imitate their work. In my opinion, these Art Nazis can kill creativity in their students faster than a duck on a june bug. Forget having confidence in your own ability unless you are a good copyist. It's unfair to ask students to imitate a teacher's own style with no regard for individual sensibilities. I once tried to emulate one of my favorite teachers who had an elegant spare oriental style. I failed miserably because I am rococo all the way. But instead of discouraging me, she told me to "lean into it" to see where it led. I always admired her for that. I feel it is the responsibility of a good teacher to encourage experimentation, to allow for an opportunity to try something and perhaps to fail, and to learn from those experiments so that each artist can develop that unique visual literacy I spoke of in my last post. Art Nazis will kill that impulse every time.

So I am rebelling. I am not taking that job even if she offers it (which she probably won't). I think art should be satisfying on all levels, should be fun, and freeing. I don't believe in oppression, drudgery, and drawing cones and spheres over and over to make sure you get it "right". Sure you have to hone your craft. You have make a lot of bad drawings of cones and spheres, some atrocious paintings, and start and stop a million times, but there should be a measure of joy and freedom of expression mixed in too. Throw in an apple or a pumpkin with your spheres, put ice cream in your cone, or set it on a clown's head...have some fun, loosen up, and don't take yourself so seriously. That is the kiss of death for an artist.

So all Art Nazis take notice, the fun police are out to get you!

As I always say...paint from your heart!

Sharon