From: Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Date: 08/22/02-09:45:18 AM Z
On Tue, 20 Aug 2002, Tillman Crane wrote:
> my teaching philosophy is..
>
> Everything has been done..but it doesn't count until its been done by you.
> By mastering your craft and stealing from the best, your own vision
> and ideas will emerge
>
> Just do what you want and eventually the rest of the world will catch
> up with you. If you are always following or finding trends your own
> voice will be lost..
I think I attributed these comments to Jon -- sorry Tillman -- tho maybe
they were his, too. Anyway, well said.... ESPECIALLY for students. I
used to try convincing students depressed because their teachers were
insisting they come up with their own "coherent body of work," a finished
theme, project or style, when that wasn't what they felt ready or eager to
do. I tried to assure them that this was absurd over-reaching for the ego
of the teacher to show they were teaching "professional level." School IMO
is SUPPOSED to be a time for experiment and trial, not for turning out
(only or mostly) polished work, which of course closes off so much else.
Better to have it ragged, exploratory and learning.
I think I should add that my own experience with the cutting remarks of
teachers long ago was not typical of what I've seen since then. Certainly
at Pratt both as a student and later as teacher I sensed a great bond of
camaraderie and support, at times perhaps excessive (IMO)... There were
exceptions, of one teacher in particular who wanted students to work in
their style, but this was NOT the rule. And I myself never heard or heard
of any teacher saying "that's been done."
Plus of course as someone pointed out, it's the responsibility of the
teacher, through intelligent presentation of "current critical concepts,"
or a course so conceived to give the student that info & let them choose
accordingly.
My own solution to this was simple. At the end of the semester I shot a
couple of rolls of the strongest student work & incorporated it into a
couple of carousels of "history of non -silver" which I showed at the end
of the first class (after showing them the gram scale and describing
graphically what would happen to those who didn't empty their trays, or
smoked in class.)
The history began with Talbot, Bayard, Cameron, the Pictorialists (taken
from books and a history series out of MoMA), & continued with the
"moderns," Betty Hahn, Robert Fichter, Darryl Curran, Christopher James,
etc., but over the years most current art from "the books" was replaced by
work of former students... It was probably stronger and it meant much more
to them to see what their own schoolmates had done, some of them still
visible or known on campus.
My course was a required course (tho I told them & told them it should be
elective) and in the early days gum, for instance, was considered arcane,
obscure, and, um, only faggots print gum. Seeing stunning prints by their
predecessors, some known to be adequately "virile" (whatever their
affective preference) was a marvelous first step in breaking down the
barrier. Later of course the processes, especially gum, had gotten
trendier, and even the jock types were interested at the outset.
So don't take my comments about Shannon's teachers possibly doing students
a favor to turn them off the field to mean I approve of their attitude.
(And I certainly wouldn't say that about "working class kids" just trying
to get a BA, as she now describes them.... rather than kids with the
notion that photography is a fun job & you get to sleep with the models.)
It occurs to me that this kind of thing might be a difference between
"good" schools & not so good -- tho that's another topic.
In any event, that's NOT teaching. Teaching is you expose them to concepts
without heavy breathing, in the normal course of discussion -- you mention
in a matter-of-fact way that this work is along the lines of so & so's
who's showing at the thus & such gallery, or has a new book out, why do we
"like" (or not like) it & what do we think of the differences. Then they
are horrified or delighted & say or don't say, why they always wanted to
do that & choose or muddle through accordingly... But for a teacher to
try to persuade a student to work or not work in a given style is the
equivalent of a driving teacher teaching them to drive drunk. I mean a
teacher sensing an affinity directs the student to study the work it's
related to or derived from. To simply say "it's been done --" frankly
Shannon, are you sure you don't exaggerate?
There's also the fact, I'd say guarantee, that by the time a teacher has
taken his/her schtick to a tenured position it's already passe (DONE &
DONE!) or for sure will be by graduation. I also found that little
education about styles (only major outlines) had to come from me --
students picked it up by looking at the work on the wall for class crits &
from magazines, gotten from the library or otherwise & avidly shared. It
was amazing how much came in by osmosis -- even if I tried to keep it out,
I couldn't !
In fact my own experience as student AND teacher is that most of what a
student learns in school is from fellow students, in small casual even
invisible ways they teach each other... by example, comment, question, or,
like Picasso says, theft.
(And that, BTW [another digression] is why you get an MFA !!! But it has
to be a "good" school, otherwise it's just another nervous breakdown
waiting to be born.)
Of course since I was teaching a process course my responsibility was
technique. I could afford the luxury of reticence about style. But the
kids were VERRRRRY savvy, and often more aware of hotshots & trends than
the teachers. I myself would never have said "this is bad," meaning
aesthetically. I might say this is a MESS, you are undercutting your own
idea with the execution, and invite class comments about reason for the
mess (or even for success of the mess)...but what is the point in shaming
a student for lack of talent or wit?
Actually, I tried not to grade on talent, which they were born or not born
with & couldn't take credit for. I tried to grade on effort... and,
surely there's not a teacher in the world who hasn't seen the class
"dummy" hang in, burrow away, struggle and suffer, and whoa, turn into a
butterfly (or fill in your own metaphor from nature).
cheers,
Judy
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