From: Gary Miller (gmphotos@earthlink.net)
Date: 10/20/01-11:01:50 AM Z
My gripe about being in Graduate school was that I never had enough time to
really create, experiment, and utilize my time to the maximum. In some ways
the assignments got in the way, although I would do the assignments first
and then do a lot more of my own work. The push was towards some big final
show that was very defined. In fact, the main criteria for passing the
'Midpoint Review' (where a committee approved your final project or not) was
if you were convincing in your arguments why you wanted to spend the next
year to a year and half working on one project. Now I understand that the
school is trying to make 'artists' focus on one thing long enough to see it
through, maybe believing that that quality will bring them success. But for
me, there were so many other things that I wanted to try and never had a
chance to do. My first year of graduate school I did not work a job, so
every day I engaged in some sort of photographic activity; reading,
shooting, printing. After that I needed to get a job to survive and to pay
the rent. I think that it is wrong for a student to have to work and to go
to school at the same time. I felt that my energies were now divided as was
my time. My work definitely suffered that second year, but luckily I was
smart enough to do a great deal of the shooting of my thesis project during
the end of my first year. But in the end, I really do feel that I missed
out. As far as techniques, I came in with a solid background. I did not
expect to be taught any new techniques in Grad school. I was looking for
guidance and advice and connections. Unfortunately, my classmates (the
seven that began with me) all had little to no technical or historical
knowledge of photography. This caused several of the classes that were
supposed to be more advance to be dumbed down, and I suffered the boredom of
it all. Still, I was independent enough to go off and learn whatever I
needed to learn on my own. Alternative processes would be a good example,
and this list was a great vehicle for me in my learning process. Even
though the school offered an Alternative Process class, it was very rushed
and turned into more of a survey class. After graduating, I was back in the
real world, struggling to find shows and teaching some classes, and now
still working a regular job. I have pretty much no time for producing art
at all. I work a full time 40 hours a week framing job (for the benefits
and the money), am teaching 15 classroom hours a week (because I need the
experience on my resume to go out and get a full time teaching job), doing
some assisting jobs, and sending out teaching applications. For me, knowing
that it is all temporary helps, but there is no panacea connected to art or
being an artist, or a good teacher. I would suggest that people plan their
moves carefully and really know what they are getting into. Again, graduate
school can be a wonderful experience all around, but people should entered
into it with a realistic vision.
Gary Miller
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