“One Question” with Juliette Aristides
Juliette Aristides, whose beautiful art is featured throughout her book, Classical Painting Atelier, is the instructor of the Aristides Classical Atelier at the Gage Academy of Art in Seattle, Washington, where she lives. Her work is exhibited at the John Pence Gallery in San Francisco and can be seen at the Art Renewal Center.
Neoteric Art: Why and how can the atelier educational model benefit an artist today?
Juliette Aristides: The world needs powerful new art. A dialog with great artists of the past enables us to speak with depth and clarity into our age. I recently finished a book by Eric Lui in which was written “Once you get to a certain point of proficiency what you can and can’t do musically is directly related to what you can and can’t do as a person.” Technical skill is an essential prerequisite, not necessarily the culmination, of great art.
The atelier model seeks to bring students out of the classroom and into the studio to learn the way their predecessors have done. The goal is to equip artists with every tool needed to thoughtfully create fine art. The history of art is peopled with towering geniuses who devoted their entire lives to mastering drawing and painting. We do not have to reinvent the wheel. Most of these artists were trained in a workshop under masters. In every field, knowledge builds upon past accomplishments to form the foundation for future achievements- so to in art.
Not everyone has the time or resources to spend years studying, fortunately any solid training will be of some benefit. A key tenet of the atelier education is direct observation of nature which teaches a student how to see as an artist. The contemplation of masterworks encourages practitioners to think like designers. And the progressive building of technique fosters self discipline, allowing students to develop skills until they become second nature.
The crowing jewel of a civilization is often its art. A masterpiece of art is a vehicle for meaning, recording for posterity unique aspects of our humanity. It remains a lasting tribute to the culture that produced it and forms a bridge to the era that follows. In that light, it is time to rethink how we train our artists so they are equipped with the every available tool for their high calling.
Buy the book here.
Category: One Question 2 comments »
April 15th, 2009 at 11:33 am
“A dialog with great artists of the past enables us to speak with depth and clarity into our age.”
- – so true
April 28th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
My students were told, “you are going to learn the basics, so you won’t be afraid to do anything.”
Hockney said: “I asked [an art student] what he thought of the show (“The Genius of Rome” exhibition at the Tate in 2001). ‘Overwhelming’, he said, wearily, as though the pictures had been painted by mythical demi-gods far beyond his own abilities…The knowledge had not been passed on…If science did not pass on its knowledge to the young we would soon be in a dark age. Isn’t this irresponsible? I mention this for all those people who think my thesis takes away some of the magic of Art. It does not. Indeed, for me, my investigations have meant the rediscovery of skills (with optics) and methods that can enrich the future.” (Secret Knowledge, p.198)