In this smart survival guide for students and teachers--the only book of
its kind--James Elkins examines the "curious endeavor to teach the
unteachable" that is generally known as college-level art instruction.
This singular project is organized around a series of conflicting claims
about art: "Art can be taught, but nobody knows quite how."
"Art can be taught, but it seems as if it can't be since so few students
become outstanding artists."
"Art cannot be taught, but it can be fostered or helped along."
"Art cannot be taught or even nourished, but it is possible to teach
right up to the beginnings of art so that students are ready to make art
the moment they graduate."
"Great art cannot be taught, but more run-of-the-mill art can be."
Elkins traces the development (or invention) of the modern art school
and considers how issues such as the question of core curriculum and the
intellectual isolation of art schools affect the teaching and learning
of art. He also addresses the phenomenon of art critiques as a microcosm
for teaching art as a whole and dissects real-life critiques,
highlighting presuppositions and dynamics that make them confusing and
suggesting ways to make them more helpful.
Elkins's no-nonsense approach clears away the assumptions about art
instruction that are not borne out by classroom practice. For example,
he notes that despite much talk about instilling visual acuity and
teaching technique, in practice neither teachers nor students behave as
if those were their principal goals. He addresses the absurdity of
pretending that sexual issues are absent from life-drawing classes and
questions the practice of holding up great masters and masterpieces as
models for students capable of producing only mediocre art. He also
discusses types of art--including art that takes time to complete and
art that isn't serious--that cannot be learned in studio art classes.
Why Art Cannot Be Taught is a response to Elkins's observation that
"we know very little about what we do" in the art classroom. His
incisive commentary illuminates the experience of learning art for those
involved in it, while opening an intriguing window for those outside the
discipline.