art syllabus
Every semester I do the same thing. I tweak my old syllabus the day before class starts. I run to the all-night Kinko's to duplicate it. And then I blast into class at 8 am to create the new semester.
But I HATE my syllabus.
It lays out all the forms of punishment that my students will endure if they don't live up to the rules or parameters of the course. "Being in class without materials counts as an absence." "Projects will be turned in on time... OR ELSE." I HATE THREATENING MY STUDENTS.
If only I could hand out a syllabus that looks like this:
------------
ART
------------
THE COLLEGE'S OBJECTIVES
• To teach you to use whichever art medium it has hired me to teach you, meeting minimum measureable objectives.
• To have you [warm body that you are] stay in the class and not drop, so that the State of California will continue to give $ to the college.
• To have you NOT SUE THE COLLEGE. (pretty please?)
PALEY'S ACTUAL OBJECTIVES
• To build you up and set you on course to being a creative force in the world.
• To teach you to identify and use the visual field as a tool of persuasion and manipulation. You won't be fooled again.
• To lay the groundwork for you to cause the visionary, problematic, and impossible IN REALITY, not "in your head."
• To give you wild amounts of power (access to creativity, one of the most destabilizing social forces in history).
• To reach deeply into you and yank out that which is uniquely yours, your individual expression, as a gift to the world.
• To teach you to do this for yourself, ongoingly, for the rest of your life, if you choose.
• To transform our society by building our team.
STRUCTURE
Wake up. Stay awake. You snooze, you lose.
You are in training. I am your coach.
Train full out, no matter what.
Do what the coach says. I once where you are now.
I have something I am committed to giving you, and I am doing it the best way I know how.
I don't care if you like it. I don't care if you don't.
I care that you
HEAR/SEE it,
STRUGGLE with it,
GET it, and
MASTER it.
YOU WILL LEARN
You are not your work.
You are not your opinions.
You are mostly what comes out of your mouth, and it is time to get to work on that. In fact, most of your precious opinions will embarrass you later.
Description and observation that leads to evaluation is useful.
Judgment in and of itself is a pathetic, ridiculous, useless waste of time.
For example:
"I like this car"
—opinion. value judgment. baseless useless bullshit
—bound to embarrass you later
"I believe we should only buy American cars"
—danger! danger! BELIEVE????
—not observed or measureable. I am getting a headache.
—the word "should" is a dead giveaway.
"This is how the car works"
—useful and can lead to extraordinary insight, control, and growth
—the mechanics of the visual field can be described, and then assessed
YOU WILL PRACTICE
Speaking. Learning.
Taking risks. Succeeding. Failing.
Being disciplined.
Doing things that are uncomfortable and impossible.
Playing in the visual field, alone and with others.
Tweaking and manipulating the visual field to create more powerfully.
Being intentional.
Giving and receiving critical feedback [again, not opinions or belief].
Being human.
YOU WILL NOT LEARN
To be "the best."
[Time, media, luck, genetics, commitment, curiosity, and never giving up—these help establish greatness.]
How to "make it."
[You might learn things that help you become someone who could "make it," though.]
To make "perfect" art.
[Since when is any human creation or institution "perfect"?]
But I HATE my syllabus.
It lays out all the forms of punishment that my students will endure if they don't live up to the rules or parameters of the course. "Being in class without materials counts as an absence." "Projects will be turned in on time... OR ELSE." I HATE THREATENING MY STUDENTS.
If only I could hand out a syllabus that looks like this:
------------
ART
------------
THE COLLEGE'S OBJECTIVES
• To teach you to use whichever art medium it has hired me to teach you, meeting minimum measureable objectives.
• To have you [warm body that you are] stay in the class and not drop, so that the State of California will continue to give $ to the college.
• To have you NOT SUE THE COLLEGE. (pretty please?)
PALEY'S ACTUAL OBJECTIVES
• To build you up and set you on course to being a creative force in the world.
• To teach you to identify and use the visual field as a tool of persuasion and manipulation. You won't be fooled again.
• To lay the groundwork for you to cause the visionary, problematic, and impossible IN REALITY, not "in your head."
• To give you wild amounts of power (access to creativity, one of the most destabilizing social forces in history).
• To reach deeply into you and yank out that which is uniquely yours, your individual expression, as a gift to the world.
• To teach you to do this for yourself, ongoingly, for the rest of your life, if you choose.
• To transform our society by building our team.
STRUCTURE
Wake up. Stay awake. You snooze, you lose.
You are in training. I am your coach.
Train full out, no matter what.
Do what the coach says. I once where you are now.
I have something I am committed to giving you, and I am doing it the best way I know how.
I don't care if you like it. I don't care if you don't.
I care that you
HEAR/SEE it,
STRUGGLE with it,
GET it, and
MASTER it.
YOU WILL LEARN
You are not your work.
You are not your opinions.
You are mostly what comes out of your mouth, and it is time to get to work on that. In fact, most of your precious opinions will embarrass you later.
Description and observation that leads to evaluation is useful.
Judgment in and of itself is a pathetic, ridiculous, useless waste of time.
For example:
"I like this car"
—opinion. value judgment. baseless useless bullshit
—bound to embarrass you later
"I believe we should only buy American cars"
—danger! danger! BELIEVE????
—not observed or measureable. I am getting a headache.
—the word "should" is a dead giveaway.
"This is how the car works"
—useful and can lead to extraordinary insight, control, and growth
—the mechanics of the visual field can be described, and then assessed
YOU WILL PRACTICE
Speaking. Learning.
Taking risks. Succeeding. Failing.
Being disciplined.
Doing things that are uncomfortable and impossible.
Playing in the visual field, alone and with others.
Tweaking and manipulating the visual field to create more powerfully.
Being intentional.
Giving and receiving critical feedback [again, not opinions or belief].
Being human.
YOU WILL NOT LEARN
To be "the best."
[Time, media, luck, genetics, commitment, curiosity, and never giving up—these help establish greatness.]
How to "make it."
[You might learn things that help you become someone who could "make it," though.]
To make "perfect" art.
[Since when is any human creation or institution "perfect"?]
posted by laurelpaley at 3:30 PM
3 Comments:
Now published that in red leather; it could be your manifesto...
I actually have a sort of manifesto. One of these days I will post it. Right now I have to find it.
I love it. This should accompany your syllabus...or at least pass it around for the students to read at the beginning of the semester when students flock to add a class.
Post a Comment
<< Home