Actually I am sitting right here wondering when I could kiss you
-----Original Message-----
From: Curtis1618@aol.com [mailto:Curtis1618@aol.com]
Sent: Friday, September 19, 2003 10:20 AM
To: ArtsEdNet Talk
Subject: RE: Drawing in the Middle
Why teach perceptual drawing?
Perceptual drawing demands active, perceptive sight. It requires both the artist and the viewer to look deliberately, look intensely, seek meaning in experience, and pursue a state of complete awareness of what it is that you are looking at. Drawing from observation offers the opportunity to develop insights into the very mechanisms of visual perception. It is a versatile tool for visual problem-solving in every artistic discipline, and it works as a baseline against which to compare and contrast alternative aesthetic and conceptual approaches. An understanding of perceptual drawing greatly expands one's artistic and self-awareness.
Perceptual drawing is a fundamental component of the Western rational tradition. It has contributed to both the development and maintenance of the “post-medieval mindset.” This is the mindset that has shaped Western culture, as we know it. E. H. Gombrich describes this mindset as one of constant alertness, a sacred restlessness and readiness “to learn, to make, to match, remake, seize, and hold” that which is unique and important in human experience. He goes on to say that the symptom of this mindset is the “sketch.”
Those who challenge perceptual drawing's role in core-level curriculum often trumpet unrestricted freedom and unbridled self-expression as the premier platforms from which to teach art. As a practicing artist, I thoroughly understand and vigorously defend the pre-eminence of freedom in an art-making environment. However, as an educator, I also understand the parallel importance of discipline, visual sensitivity, patience, eye/hand coordination, a rigorous work ethic, and a solid conceptual base as the essential tools needed to take full advantage of one’s freedom.
Brian
Brian Curtis
Author: Drawing from Observation (to view page spreads of my text go to: http://members.aol.com/curtis1618/spreads0.html)
Art and Art History
University of Miami
(305) 284 3542
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