Recent Developments in British Art Education

Developments inside and outside the contemporary academy and the continuing proliferation of free art schools call for serious assessment of those alternative models of art education. While acknowledging the wider global trend in free schools and the context that provides, this paper suggests that an understanding of such tendencies in Britain might more usefully be framed within the recent history of British art education, particularly since the so-called Coldstream reforms of 1960. These alternative models often claim to shift pedagogies towards a broader definition of art education, practice and disciplinarity and to do so through experimental and radical means. Here, as Thierry de Duve suggests, 'pedagogy itself becomes a kind of strategy'. Yet, despite the freshness and energy of such projects, the sorts of question they seek to address are rarely new. In art historical terms, these developments are often less innovative than they aim to be, less a radical break with the past than an echo of earlier pedagogical practices and models. Therefore, this article seeks to reframe these projects and to reflect on them against a broader art historical narrative, assessing their value as one of the most recent innovations in British art education post-Coldstream.Keywords: art educationpedagogyAnton EhrenzweigHarry ThubronGertrude Stein AcknowledgementsThe research for this article was conducted as part of Tate's 'Art School Educated' research project funded by the Leverhulme Trust. The author would like to thank Jon Cairns, Elena Crippa, Nigel Llewellyn and an anonymous reader for helpful feedback on earlier versions. All references to the papers of Anton Ehrenzweig are made courtesy of Tate Archive and the Estate of Anton Ehrenzweig. All references to the papers of Harry Thubron are made courtesy of the National Arts Education Archive at YSP and the Estate of Harry Thubron. All references to the papers of Maurice de Sausmarez are made courtesy of the National Arts Education Archive at YSP and the Estate of Maurice de Sausmarez.Notes1. 1 'Art Schools: Invention, Invective and Radical Possibilities', 11–12 June 2010, UCL Art Museum, University College London. 'Looking Back at the Life Room', 27 January–11 June 2010, Strang Print Room, UCL.2. 2 'Deschooling Society', 29–30 April 2010, Hayward Gallery, London. Ivan Illich, Deschooling Society.3. 3 'Reflections on the Art School', 8 July 2011, Tate Britain, London. This day conference was run under the auspices of Tate's four-year research project 'Art School Educated: Curriculum Development and Institutional Change in UK Art Schools 1960–2010', funded by the Leverhulme Trust.4. 4 'Wide Open School', 11 June– 11 July 2012, Hayward Gallery, London.5. 5 Tickner, Hornsey 1968 and Saumarez Smith, The Company of Artists.6. 6 For more on Ehrenzweig's teaching at Goldsmiths, see Williamson, 'Paint and Pedagogy' and 'Anton Ehrenzweig'. For more on Kardia's teaching, see Westley, Le Grice and Kardia, From Floor to Sky.7. 7 This shift from twentieth-century individual practitioner to twenty-first century group facilitator was outlined in a talk at Camberwell College of Arts. Derek Yates, 'Future Design Pedagogies' delivered during a 'Presentation Day' for the Expanded Designer 15 October 2012. Yates' talk linked closely with his work for ALT/SHIFT. ALT/SHIFT, 'Alt/Shift Examining the Future Form of Education for Design'.8. 8 Gertrude Stein, 'Composition as Explanation', cited in Lauterbach, 'The Thing Seen', 85. First published as Gertrude Stein, Composition as Explanation, London: Hogarth Press, 1926; republished in Gertrude Stein Writings and Lectures 1911–1945, 21–30.9. 9 Bassoff, 'Gertrude Stein's "Composition as Explanation"', 76.10. 10 Lauterbach, 'The Thing Seen', 86.11. 11 Ibid., 87.12. 12 Stein, 'Composition as Explanation', 23–4.13. 13 Read, Education through Art, viii.14. 14 Read, Art and Industry, 7.15. 15 Ibid., 163.Original italicization.16. 16 Ibid., 167.17. 17 Ibid., 170.18. 18 Ibid., 165.19. 19 Franciscono, Walter Gropius, 36.20. 20 Read, Art and Industry, 170.21. 21 Dutton, Plan for a School of Technological Design.22. 22 For an analysis of the teaching of art history in the art school in relation to these same ideas, see Williamson, 'Art History in the Art School'.23. 23 Leavis, Education and the University, 59–60.24. 24 For an analysis of Leavis' ideas on education, see Moran, 'F.R. Leavis, English and the University'.25. 25 Ministry of Education, First Report of the National Advisory Council on Art Education; Ministry of Education, Vocational Courses in Colleges and Schools of Art; Department of Education and Science, Post-Diploma Studies in Art and Design For a discussion of the Coldstream and Summerson Councils and where they figure in developments in art education more broadly, see Thompson, 'Art Education'.26. 26 Tickner, Hornsey 1968, 19. Here Tickner refers to Appendix B of MacDonald, History and Philosophy of Art Education, 385–87. See also MacDonald, Century of Art and Design Education, 207-10.27. 27 The NDD was phased out gradually. The first DipAD was awarded in 1963 and the last NDD in 1967. See Tickner, Hornsey 1968, 106.28. 28 Medley, Drawn from the Life, 221.29. 29 NACAE and NCDAD, Joint Report of the NACAE and the NCDAD. For a recent account of student unrest at Hornsey, see Tickner, Hornsey 1968. For a contemporary account, see Students and Staff of Hornsey College of Art, The Hornsey Affair.30. 30 Thompson, 'Art Education', 219–20.31. 31 Wood, 'Between God and the Saucepan', 179–80.32. 32 Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki, 'Foreword', in Herrigel, Zen in the Art of Archery, 5. I am grateful to Marti Hall, York University, for first bringing this connection to my attention in the summer of 2011.33. 33 Thubron in The Developing Process, 4.34. 34 Bretton Hall Training College, 'Adolescent Expression in Art and Craft', Report on the Easter Training Conference held at Bretton Hall Training College, West Bretton, 1956, National Arts Education Archive, BR/PL/904.35. 35 For a concise account of the main debates, see Yeomans, 'Basic Design', 195–210.36. 36 Zabel, in Bretton Hall Training College, 'Adolescent Expression', 6.37. 37 Ibid., 26.38. 38 de Sausmarez, in Bretton Hall Training College, 'Adolescent Expression', 20.39. 39 Thubron, in Bretton Hall Training College,'Adolescent Expression', 18.40. 40 Ibid., 19.41. 41 Harry Thubron, n.p.42. 42 de Sausmarez, Letter from Maurice de Sausmarez to Harry Thubron enclosing text of proposed experimental painting and drawing course at Byam Shaw, London, 1962, National Arts Education Archive, BHDSPL00348, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton.43. 43 Stokes, 'Coldstream and the Sitter', 187.44. 44 Harry Thubron in John Jones, dir. Drawing with the Figure, 30 min., 16 mm., VHS copy, HT/FV/5, National Arts Education Archive. Thubron's focus on the moving figure in this course resonates with similar concerns held by the Bauhaus teacher Oskar Schlemmer, whose syllabus and teaching schedules reflect a continued investment in studying the moving model and in dance and choreography. However, since Schlemmer's teaching notes from 1928 and 1929 were not published in English until 1971 (they had first appeared in German publication two years earlier), it seems unlikely that they were a direct point of reference for Thubron at this stage.45. 45 Thubron, 'Recording of Harry Thubron discussing Drawing with the Figure', National Arts Education Archive, BHHTTP00003, 1963. Independent researcher Julian Satterthwaite kindly supplied me with a typed transcript of this recording.46. 46 Ibid.47. 47 Ibid.48. 48 Art Foundation, 'Leaflet to accompany film Drawing with the Figure', National Arts Education Archive, HT/PL/90, 1963. The leaflet attributes the text to Bernard C. Bertschinger, Director Art Foundation. Bertschinger was a collector and champion of contemporary art and later chairman of the Artists Placement Group. It is clear, however, that the text in this leaflet contains Thubron's words, not Bertschinger's.49. 49 Jones, 'Making the Film', 24. For archival copy of Accent 6, National Arts Education Archive, EA/BK/7, 1964.50. 50 Ibid.51. 51 Wyatt, 'Running, Jumping and Standing-still Game', 239.52. 52 Ibid.53. 53 This is soon to be addressed in Williamson, Between Art Practice and Psychoanalysis.54. 54 Anton Ehrenzweig, Partial copy of curriculum vitae, TGA 201010, c. 1958.55. 55 The British government shipped individuals classed as enemy aliens to internment camps in the Isle of Man, Canada and Australia. Ehrenzweig's correspondence from this period reveals something of his experience. Anton Ehrenzweig, Personal correspondence with parents, fiancée and Australian Jewish Welfare Society 1941/42, TGA 201010, 1941/2.56. 56 For a wider perspective on Hirchfeld-Mack's role at the Bauhaus, see Wick, Teaching at the Bauhaus.57. 57 Ehrenzweig, 'Mastering of Creative Anxiety', 33–52. Ehrenzweig places Hirchfeld-Mack at the Dessau Bauhaus. Klee was the Bauhaus artist and teacher famous for his Pedagogical Sketchbook of 1925, an important book that presented something of his teaching methods and was first translated into English in 1953.58. 58 Ehrenzweig, Partial copy of curriculum vitae, TGA 201010, c. 1958.59. 59 Ibid. Ehrenzweig's CV shows him joining the Central School in 1948. School prospectuses show he remained there until 1964 when he, presumably, left for Goldsmiths.60. 60 Anton Ehrenzweig, Copy-letter from Anton Ehrenzweig to Ernst Gombrich dated 23 June 1963, TGA 201010, 1963.61. 61 Ravensbourne College was established in 1962 through the merger of three local art schools, Bromley, Beckenham and Sidcup. In 1965 it occupied premises in Rookery Lane, Bromley. It later relocated to a new building in Walden Road, Chislehurst, in 1975. Since 2010 it has been located in Greenwich. For further discussion of Ehrenzweig's time at Goldsmiths, see Williamson, 'Paint and Pedagogy', 237–48. For an extended study of Ehrenzweig's work, see Williamson, 'Anton Ehrenzweig'.62. 62 Ehrenzweig, 'Mastering of Creative Anxiety', 51.63. 63 Ibid., 49. This notion of 'mental gymnastics' is borrowed from Arnold Schönberg's Theory of Harmony, an influential text for Ehrenzweig. This was originally published in German as Harmonielehre in 1911.64. 64 David Barton (ATC student 1964–5) in an e-mail to the author 29 September 2008.65. 65 Kepes, Education of Vision, ii.66. 66 Ehrenzweig, 'Conscious Planning', 28.67. 67 Ibid., 48.68. 68 Ehrenzweig, Towards a Theory of Art Education.69. 69 Ibid., 2.70. 70 Madoff, Art School, ix.71. 71 Phillips, 'Educational Aesthetics', 85.72. 72 Ibid.73. 73 Bassoff, 'Gertrude Stein's "Composition as Explanation"', 77.74. 74 Deliss, 'Roaming, Prelusive, Permeable', 119.75. 75 Vidokle, 'From Exhibition to School', 195.76. 76 Ibid., 200.77. 77 Hunter, Elzenbaumer and Franz, eds, Department 21, 1. Extracts reprinted in Department 21, 'Department 21: A student-led experiment in interdisciplinary learning', 37–41.78. 78 Du Duve, 'An Ethics', 23.79. 79 Madoff, 'States of Exception', 284.80. 80 Stein, 'Composition as Explanation', in Writings and Lectures, 24–5.81. 81 Bassoff, 'Gertrude Stein's "Composition as Explanation"', 78. Freud's first discussion of Nachträglich can be found in Freud and Breuer, Studies on Hysteria.82. 82 Hunter, Elzenbaumer and Franz, eds, Department 21, 1.83. 83 Ibid.84. 84 'Conversation between David Blamey and Debbie Cook', in Hunter, Elzenbaumer and Franz, eds, Department 21, 106.85. 85 Ibid., 107.86. 86 Interview with Mo Throp in Rowles, 11 Course Leaders, 110.87. 87 Ibid., 107.88. 88 Illich, Tools for Conviviality, 13. Emphasis in original.89. 89 Department 21 website, http://www.department21.net/ (accessed 22 January 2013).90. 90 De Sausmarez, Basic Design.91. 91 De Sausmarez et al., 'Visual Grammar of Form', 5.Additional informationNotes on contributorsBeth WilliamsonBeth Williamson is a researcher and lecturer based in London and is currently a post-doctoral Research Fellow on Tate's 'Art School Educated' research project. In 2011 and 2012 she taught postgraduate modules on the history of British art education post-1960 at the University of York. Also in 2012 she was Principal Investigator for the AHRC project 'Transforming Artist Books'. Her research ranges across the field of modern British art and art pedagogy, especially post-1950. She is writing a monograph on art theorist Anton Ehrenzweig to be published by Ashgate

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