Art Major Needs More Credit
It is with no doubt that AUP is full of very self-expressive and creative students, you can feel it the second you walk in the AMEX café. So why don't we have much to show for it? AUP offers Fine Arts, which are becoming more and more popular, but seem to rank last on the list of importance.
How can we use the space in the art building more efficiently?
Due to a lack of space, often students' work constantly gets jumbled up and lost, thrown away or accidentally used in another person's project. There is a lack of care and respect for people's work as well as the materials given. AUP alum, Pablo Monfort Millan, who graduated last semester, shared a few words: "Honestly, the art building could be organized way better- a lot of student work just ends up getting lost or thrown away because there isn't a proper system to keep it safe or visible."
A popular method I have seen that I think AUP could really benefit from is hang drying, clipping works on mounted string or wire to dry. This would help with the visibility of all of the works, create a clear separation between finished works, works in progress and scrapped works/ materials. It would also reduce the problem of pieces getting bent and over-touched.
We want more!
Art students are craving a challenge. It is understandable to take it easy on students who are not experienced in creating, but to cater all of the art courses to beginners demotivates those who have bigger ideas and visions for their work. Pablo says, "Sometimes the classes also feel more for beginners, and we don't really get pushed enough, so I think having more challenging and exciting projects would make a big difference. AUP has a lot of potential as an art school, but it definitely needs to invest more in its students with better resources, more ambitious classes, and real chances for us to show our work."
Students are disheartened because, even though AUP is not known for specializing in the arts, we still came here to learn what was offered. There are many topics in art to choose from, but due to a lack of professors, courses are sometimes taught by professors who do not specialize in the particular topic.
I have had this happen with a sculpting course that ended up being about architecture and a printmaking course where the professor was learning along with the students. This overall stumps our learning progress and keeps us from being able to create to our full capacity. This is our time and money spent, and some of us feel robbed of it.
The lack of space is another big issue, but at the same time, I have worked in similarly sized spaces and have made much more interesting pieces. I have even been able to develop large installations in a class with other students; it is all about organization and teaching respect for people's works, specifically those who aren't in the major. AUP could pull this off; we just need to think bigger. I'm not just talking about a bigger canvas size, but projects that require planning and deeper thought. Maybe we can even combine materials and build full pieces instead of quick, small and less meaningful works.
There are many creative ways to improve the art courses when it comes to the use of space as mentioned above, but something only the university can take care of is the professors. So far from my almost four years here, there have only been two consistent professors. On top of that, from what I have observed through the commentary of professors, is that there is a lack of respect between colleagues. Apparently, there are disagreements on who is allowed to use or touch certain materials, and where works should be left.
After all of this, "leave", you might say, but I simply cannot imagine giving up the opportunity of living in Paris, or the opportunity of taking courses that use museums as their classrooms. Art History through Paris Museums and other art history courses have been the most exciting. The professors are inspiring in the way they speak and show their care for the subject and desire for students to really understand. I see this pride and care in the Fine Arts professors for their work, but not so much when it comes to the students.
Professor and Head of the Art Department, Stephane Treilhou, clearly has a deep knowledge and understanding of the use of materials and art history, as he constantly makes references during his courses, if only that passion were carried into the desire for his students to create. This and the lack of structure for a few friends in the major that I have spoken with has made us lose inspiration and even the desire to create within the class space.
In addition to a challenge, exposure is extremely important for young artists. AUP, from time to time, holds expositions in the Combes and Montessuy buildings, with the works of external artists, professors and sometimes students. During the beginning of the semester in the Combes lobby, the space with the most foot traffic, Delphine Debord, another AUP art professor, organized an exposition called “Un nouveau Paysagisme” (A New Landscaping). She was proud to show her, Stephane's and other non-AUP artists' works, which all consisted of different mediums, when it could've been a great moment to show AUP students' creations. While the expositions are nice and add flair to the lobbies, I just don't understand why the university wouldn't want to prioritize showcasing its students' works.
Now the space is being used for the science department, showing glaciers. Is it crazy to say that it feels like the professors take a little advantage and use it as an opportunity to promote themselves? A big part of becoming a "successful" artist, by this I mean one who can actually make a living off of it, is marketing yourself. Evidently, this is a skill artists need to learn for themselves, but if the university could help, why wouldn't they?
