DOI Heft:
No. 375 (June 1924)
DOI Artikel:The lay figure: on chances for students
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21399#0379
The lay figure : on chances
FOR STUDENTS. 000
“ What becomes of the hosts of students
who pass through our art schools year by
year i ” asked the Plain Man. “ They can-
not all develop into successful artists.
Where do they go i ” 0 0 0
“ In all sorts of directions, I should
say,” replied the Critic. “ A very few make
a success as artists, a great many struggle on
in the hope that they may make good some
day, the rest, I imagine, discover that art is
for them a hopeless profession, and so they
take to some other kind of work.” 0 0
44 It is a pity that more of them do not
make this discovery at the beginning,” said
the Popular Painter. “ So many will cling
to the profession long after the fact that
they are failures must be evident to them.
It is often too late then to turn to other
work.” a 0 a a a
44 Of course it is,” agreed the Plain Man.
44 When a man has gone on for years know-
ing that he is no good at his job he has
usually unfitted himself to take up any
other. Besides, I believe that an art train-
ing actually makes him incapable of doing
any real work.” a a a a
41 No ; there I disagree,” objected the
Critic. 44 There are plenty of occupations
in which he can be extremely helpful, and
in these the student could apply his training
with success even though he could never
become a great master in art.” a a
“ If he had the qualifications to become
a great master he would be one sooner or
later whatever the work he took up,” de-
clared the Popular Painter. o 0
44 Probably that is true,” said the Critic.
41 But the people less highly endowed could
be of much use in the world if they were
helped to find their right direction. To
train students and then to give them no
chances of using what they have learned
seems to me rather a waste of time and
■effort.” 00000
“ Certainly it is a waste ; but how can
you avoid it i ” enquired the Plain Man.
“ You will not make a bad artist paint good
pictures by giving him chances.” 0 0
44 Of course not,” answered the Critic.
44 But there are many forms of art work
besides picture painting; let the student
begin with one or other of these and
360
show whether he is capable of develop-
ment.” 00000
“ Oh, you want the student to pass
through a journeyman stage before aspiring
to be a master craftsman,” broke in the
Popular Painter. 0000
“ Precisely. If he is not even able to be a
decent journeyman I would eliminate him
as quickly as possible,” argued the Critic.
“ But if he can stand the journeyman test,
then at least he should have a chance to
reach the master rank.” 000
“ What way is there in which this test
could be applied i ” asked the Plain Man.
44 Well, as an example, look at what has
recently been been done at the Wembley
Exhibition,” returned the Critic. “ Many
of the buildings there have been decorated
by students working under the direction of
an experienced designer. It was journey-
man work, but it was likely to be better
done by people who had gone through an
art training than by the ordinary house
painter. Anyhow, it provided them with
employment.” 0000
44 But that was only a temporary job,”
objected the Plain Man. “ The employ-
ment must be permanent to be of any use.”
“ Quite so ; it is the permanent job that
is wanted,” agreed the Critic. 44 But why
should not this sort of thing become a com-
mercial fact i There is always house
decorating to be done; why should it not be
attended to by the skilled designer with his
staff of assistants drawn from the art
schools i And that, mind you, is only one
of many directions in which the student
could be employed and in which he would
be given an opportunity to show whether
he was to be a journeyman for the rest of
his life or whether he could rise to a higher
grade.” 00000
44 I should have been exceedingly glad of
some such employment in my young days,”
laughed the Popular Painter. 44 I had a
pretty thin time for several years before
people began to take notice of me. I should
not have kicked at house painting at that
period.” 00000
44 No, I dare say not,” said the Critic;
“ and if you had proved to be fit for
nothing but journeyman work, you would
have made a better living by good house
painting than by bad pictures. Don’t
forget that.” The Lay Figure.
FOR STUDENTS. 000
“ What becomes of the hosts of students
who pass through our art schools year by
year i ” asked the Plain Man. “ They can-
not all develop into successful artists.
Where do they go i ” 0 0 0
“ In all sorts of directions, I should
say,” replied the Critic. “ A very few make
a success as artists, a great many struggle on
in the hope that they may make good some
day, the rest, I imagine, discover that art is
for them a hopeless profession, and so they
take to some other kind of work.” 0 0
44 It is a pity that more of them do not
make this discovery at the beginning,” said
the Popular Painter. “ So many will cling
to the profession long after the fact that
they are failures must be evident to them.
It is often too late then to turn to other
work.” a 0 a a a
44 Of course it is,” agreed the Plain Man.
44 When a man has gone on for years know-
ing that he is no good at his job he has
usually unfitted himself to take up any
other. Besides, I believe that an art train-
ing actually makes him incapable of doing
any real work.” a a a a
41 No ; there I disagree,” objected the
Critic. 44 There are plenty of occupations
in which he can be extremely helpful, and
in these the student could apply his training
with success even though he could never
become a great master in art.” a a
“ If he had the qualifications to become
a great master he would be one sooner or
later whatever the work he took up,” de-
clared the Popular Painter. o 0
44 Probably that is true,” said the Critic.
41 But the people less highly endowed could
be of much use in the world if they were
helped to find their right direction. To
train students and then to give them no
chances of using what they have learned
seems to me rather a waste of time and
■effort.” 00000
“ Certainly it is a waste ; but how can
you avoid it i ” enquired the Plain Man.
“ You will not make a bad artist paint good
pictures by giving him chances.” 0 0
44 Of course not,” answered the Critic.
44 But there are many forms of art work
besides picture painting; let the student
begin with one or other of these and
360
show whether he is capable of develop-
ment.” 00000
“ Oh, you want the student to pass
through a journeyman stage before aspiring
to be a master craftsman,” broke in the
Popular Painter. 0000
“ Precisely. If he is not even able to be a
decent journeyman I would eliminate him
as quickly as possible,” argued the Critic.
“ But if he can stand the journeyman test,
then at least he should have a chance to
reach the master rank.” 000
“ What way is there in which this test
could be applied i ” asked the Plain Man.
44 Well, as an example, look at what has
recently been been done at the Wembley
Exhibition,” returned the Critic. “ Many
of the buildings there have been decorated
by students working under the direction of
an experienced designer. It was journey-
man work, but it was likely to be better
done by people who had gone through an
art training than by the ordinary house
painter. Anyhow, it provided them with
employment.” 0000
44 But that was only a temporary job,”
objected the Plain Man. “ The employ-
ment must be permanent to be of any use.”
“ Quite so ; it is the permanent job that
is wanted,” agreed the Critic. 44 But why
should not this sort of thing become a com-
mercial fact i There is always house
decorating to be done; why should it not be
attended to by the skilled designer with his
staff of assistants drawn from the art
schools i And that, mind you, is only one
of many directions in which the student
could be employed and in which he would
be given an opportunity to show whether
he was to be a journeyman for the rest of
his life or whether he could rise to a higher
grade.” 00000
44 I should have been exceedingly glad of
some such employment in my young days,”
laughed the Popular Painter. 44 I had a
pretty thin time for several years before
people began to take notice of me. I should
not have kicked at house painting at that
period.” 00000
44 No, I dare say not,” said the Critic;
“ and if you had proved to be fit for
nothing but journeyman work, you would
have made a better living by good house
painting than by bad pictures. Don’t
forget that.” The Lay Figure.