Teacher Sir
In recent months, I have thought of the question in regard to my entire life and career. How I would like to be remembered is answered in one word, “Teacher”. My life has been about teaching; hoping to share with others the joy and satisfaction that I have gained from art.
From an early age, I have thought of myself as a teacher. In my multitude of careers, I regard myself as an educator. I wished to educate through art: to develop awareness, appreciation and aspirations. Having gained joy and fulfillment from art, I want to share that with others. Art does enrich and ennoble the individual. I wanted to teach because I feel that rather than destroy, it is better to create.
Teaching in high school, my students were encouraged, through creativity and learning, to gain a better sense of color and design. The eye is a muscle, one of the five senses, and can be developed to see more. Through study of color theory and practice, greater awareness of colors is achieved. Working with groups, from children to adults, I have used color as a way of improving visual awareness. Over weeks, students become more visually conscious of the rich nuances and variations of colors. For example, if asked to define red, the usual response is,” Well, you know it’s red”. Then I ask the question of what type of red; a hot or cold red? Confusion exists in the difference between ‘coloring’ and ‘color’. Coloring is what is done in a coloring book; green grass and blue skies. Color is the study of color theory: primary and secondary colors; hot and cold colors; harmonies and discords. Don’t you, dear reader, wish you were in a class with me? I would make you more color conscious. After all, like any other muscle, the eye can be developed, made stronger, more receptive? Perception is more complex than that; again, the individual can be taught and encouraged to see more.
At the Corcoran and at Cranbrook, I was active in the studios. At the
Corcoran, I came as a visiting professor in painting; I continued on the faculty and, in 1970, became Dean. I continued to teach. Whenever possible, I would get into the classroom. I had started the Foundation Program; the teaching of basic design. I liked to be in life classes; challenging the students with the moving model or placing the nude within a changing context. As the model moved, so did I; exhorting my students to look, see and draw. The line and gesture of the drawing, the magic of the mark; I urged my students on. At other times, I would return to color; the theory, practice and discovery of the color spectrum. I was a visible presence, even when I became Director.
At Cranbrook, the emphasis was more on learning than teaching for these were graduate students. Nevertheless, as President of the Academy, I continued to teach through individual critiques; student reviews; studio visits; group discussion; my lectures and by example. I was a painter and had a studio in the basement of Saarinen House. I exhibited my work at the nearby Kidd Gallery; I was an active artist. Occasionally, I would go to the informal life class held weekly in the painting department; a nude model was provided with no formal teaching. Students would draw from the model; so would I, sitting alongside the students. In the evenings, I would wander through the studios, talking with the students about their work; I learned a lot, I trust they did?!
The founder, George Booth, envisioned “The faculty being guided by a chief who would be the contact for all…his influence would permeate every studio, exhilarating and appraising all, a living stimulus to achievement and a rebuke to inferiority.”
I tried to fulfill his wish; even within the Museum. As Director, I talked to students about the collections and exhibitions; I lectured on art; I talked to our volunteers, the docents, about the artists and art of the changing exhibitions; I took visitors around the galleries; I shared my enthusiasm and excitement about art and Cranbrook. Appreciation of art can be developed, whether in the class room or the museum. As a museum director, I considered myself an educator; always the teacher.
Nowadays, the same is true as I continue to lecture; jury art shows; write and talk on art, a never ending passion. The following quote from George Booth is carved on an archway at Cranbrook School: “A life without beauty is only half lived”. How ironic, that Lawrence Steiner, used a similar phrase in developing my website. Without knowing that quote, Lawrny introduces my website with the words “A Life of Beauty”; I do agree! I want to share with others that which I have gained from art: enrichment and fulfillment; indeed a life of beauty.