ARTIST FEATURES
Musings of an Aging Artist: Part II
I’m one of those older women what went back to school in the 1970’s, relieving my hands of dish-washing, laundry and volunteerism to find out if my first career choice in art was still viable. I had had only two art classes in college as electives when I was studying public health nursing. Betty Freidan’s book, “The Feminine Mystique,” had spoken to me of the need to pursue my own talent. I landed in a sculpture class one semester when there was no painting class at a time to meet my family needs. Forming sculpture directly in wax (cast in bronze) freed my imagination without working from a model or still life. Ideas for my subject matter came through the spontaneous gathering of childhood reminiscences. My college classmates ranged in age from 18 to their early 30’s. However, in the sculpture lab environment, age didn’t matter. One exception startled me. A young male student sneered at me, “Why don’t you stay home with your grandchildren?” At that time my daughters were in college and high school. Age has given me a history of living through social and political changes, developed my unique perspective and aesthetic sense, responded to the separate phases of my life and provided ongoing material for my art. Now that I am an elderly grandma in my 80’s, following the example of Manet and Matisse, I continue my journey to mature and grow as an artist. -Mildred Kouzel-
Life is a Matter of Fate…
Much of what we experience in life is a matter of fate, timing, location or a myriad of factors that collide simultaneously. Many of them however, are out of our control. If there had not been a WWII, my father would not have labored in the defense of America when many of his friends were confined in camps as potential enemies, as were the more infamous Japanese at the stroke of a pen pushed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. I would not have experienced being raised by a single Mom with my two brothers in a loving, but poverty stricken family. I remember meals of potato peelings, calves brains at ten cents a pound, hot dogs, day old bread at 5 cents a loaf and milk with cream so thick it froze, pushing the paper top off top the glass bottle. But, we never went hungry or experienced malnutrition. I also remember shoes made of paper and clothing that had to last for years, or until I had another growth spurt. I learned at an early age to recycle, participating in paper drives, or collecting cooking fat for the war effort. I remember walking for miles on the railroad tracks near my home to pick up lumps of coal that had fallen off the trains. We burned the coal in a potbelly stove to keep warm. Or filling an orange box with scrap iron metal and being paid twenty cents to be split 4 ways with my brothers and Charlie, my best friend. It took 4 people to lift the box of metal onto a horse drawn wagon. My mom and dad felt there would be no future for three rambunctious boys so it was off to California to find the streets paved with gold, as promised my dad when he left Italy in 1921. Education, wealth, experience and opportunity were not always equal, nor were there any guarantees of equity in the American Dream. Something did not seem right when my family moved to California. Two-hundred dollars in our pocket really did not amount to much even in 1947. Other than things not feeling right in my youth, I could not put vocabulary to my experiences, but what we call profiling today was rampant when I entered public schools in Los Angeles. My parents were not educated and were unable to communicate with teachers or to provide the opportunities for life’s experiences. And, after all was said and done all the cliches surfaced a million times on the critical road to maturity. You have heard them as well I’m sure. Remember? “You are what you experience.” How about? “You do not have enough experience.” However, to compensate for the lack of experiences and in order to develop survival skills I chose at an early age to …take risks. One of many risks was to take art classes in high school. Some teachers and counselors insisted that I was too slow to go to college, or that it would be better if I went to a trade school. This, after sanding my share of cutting boards, pump lamps from wood shop patterns and printing endless football programs and graduation tickes after three years in print shop. But, there was hope. In a fluke of programming by a counselor I enrolled in a jewelry class. I received considerable recognition for the jewelry I made in my class. And, boy did I relish the dignity and success that I earned, gaining an understanding of what I could do by working with my hands. Unfortunately, my dad would not let me rest on my laurels and insisted that I marry hands and mind. His advice, “Don’t be like me. Hard labor builds character. It is so much better when you combine head, hands and heart.” Go to school and get an education. Does this sound like the making of a novice designer? But here I go again reminding people how uneducated my parents were and how brilliant and educated the high school teachers and counselors were. The problem was that neither understood that risk taking was part of my thinking. The same risks necessary for my survival as a youngster. And, what I have since come to understand that artists get paid for…risks. Myself included. Making jewelry is such a satisfying experience for me. I have never been as mentally, physically, or spiritually fulfilled as I am today working with my hands, heart and mind. Today, we see attempts to stem the destruction of our fragile planet. Reusing and recycling are the current vogue by caring individuals. It has been a way of life for me for over 60 years, instilled in me by parents who understood the sanctity of the earth’s resources through the food we grew and the resources we used to better our lives as though it was expected of us from a higher universe. Today, I recycle art and antiquities, keeping them out of the landfill of the mind. I give new life to precious metal and antiquities. In the process I have once again touched base with the pride and dignity of craftsmanship, as well as sharing my risk-taking with the byproducts of creativity. -Joseph Gatto-
In Order to Break the Rules You Must Know Them
I have found in my forty years of teaching experience that there are as many methods for teaching art as there are art instructors. Methods vary from “hands-on” to “do-your-own-thing” to using strict “step-by-step formulae.” When any one of these methods is used exclusively, to the exclusion of all others, the tendency is to shut-down most students. I admit, however, the most resolute or hard-headed of students does manage to succeed. Unfortunately, the resolute student’s innate original abilities can be stifled or damaged in this kind of environment. Years could past before these students “find themselves” in their own art. Teaching the fundamentals of art, such as art history, design elements and principles, color theory, and technical approaches, is essential. and, if approached thoughtfully, can result in the development of a toolbox of references. These references can be used in endless variations by the student, leadting to unique and creative solutions. The old adage goes, “In order to break the rules you need to know the rules.” In the long run this is of extreme importance to the artist, promoting creative mutiny, resulting in originality. the work produced as a result of this mutiny is stronger because of the knowledge of traditional forms and historical periods of art. So, one could say that using traditional training to provoke rebellion is a tried and true way to generate new work from artists. I feel that despite the philosophy of some art instructors, who argue to the contrary the need for teaching the traditional fundamentals of art, students need this preparation. By traditional, I mean the fundamentals that make up the basic language of art. This gives the student a foundation of understanding and comprehension, providing a starting point in the creative process. I have heard the argument that the artist does not want to be polluted or influenced by art history. However, I think that position dooms one to repetition or reinventing the proverbial wheel. Knowledge of the past informs the artist of what has gone on before, giving the artist a choice to incorporate, use or not use the information. some of our most interesting developments in art occurred as a rebellion to established institututional requirements i.e., Impressionism. To be sure, there are born artists who are gifted with an intuitive inner voice. This inner voice has led to the production of artistic creations based on a unique perspective of their inner and external response to the world, despite education. These artists forge ahead, untouched by past or current events in art i.e., Leonardo DaVinci, Pablo Picasso. But, not everyone comes with these extraordinary gifts. Students can be given a head-start through traditional foundation courses in art. Here, they can learn the technical and perceptual skills for artists. After all, the term “art” implies skill and expertise in creating material objects. I’ve heard standby comments whereby elements and principles of design are dismissed as unimportant in contemporary art education theory. But, these basics are the open gateway to understanding how to create art. By introducing the student to a variety of concepts and technical approaches they will be introduced to a broader selection of directions for expression. Thus, creating a base from which they can adjust and develop their own unique perception. Otherwise, students may find themselves emotionally and artistically caught up in needlessly reinventing the wheel. I personally feel anti-basic theory is highly likely to create artists and art of little substance. On the other hand, I try to look at the idea of no-use-for-basics with an unbiased eye. I even try to argue with myself that there may be something I’m not willing tosee. But, I find the contempt heaped on classical art education by a certain intolerant mindset impossible to conceive. Yet, I do admit there is room for both views and one should not exclude the other. However, I ask myself, what are the anti-basic educators afraid of? There is room for everyone. This includes advocates, such as me, who sees the importance of teaching the fundamentals of art. When all is said and done my favorite mantra in “whatever works.” If I sense a student is uncomfortable with a certain level or kind of instruction I shift gears to figure out and employ tactics that will benefit that student’s development. Still, we must remember what Mark Twain said, “…never let school interfere with your education.” – Dorte Christjansen-
Go to http://artbridgesgallery.com to view works and biographies of Mildred Kouzel, Joseph Gatto and Dorte Christjansen.
