Historical Impressions

The chapter presents some impressions of the artist teacher as a historical phenomenon through the cross-referencing of historians' interpretations with a focus on the artist teacher identity. The desire to forge links with the past compels us to try to identify patterns and clues that we can imaginatively convert into narratives that give plausible explanations for past manifestations. Each historian to a greater or lesser extent gives a personal view of the past. The subjective nature of historical data is evoked in the following passage:

Suppose it is held – as it was, for instance, by Croce – that historical knowledge essentially involves the 're-creation' of the past by each historian within his own mind; it then becomes difficult to see how any historical account can fail to be to some extent coloured and shaped by the individual interests and personality of its author.

(International Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences, 1968: 432)

I proceed with this brief historical account aware of the fact that I am searching for, and deliberately interpreting other accounts in order to highlight, conceptualisations of the artist teacher. It is up to the reader to decide how convincing the evidence and the arguments are.

A general view of historical developments in art education indicates a paradigm shift around the sixteenth century, which is seen as a 'pivotal point' or a 'benchmark' for the identity of the artist teacher as a historical phenomenon. The terms pre- and post-sixteenth century are used to convey this shift. The contemporary developments in art education in the United Kingdom that follow are seen in the context of this broader historical sweep.

Pre-sixteenth century

Some of the earliest human traces that exist are carvings, drawings and paintings from the Palaeolithic era, which according to Pericot-Garcia (1969) could have been made as long ago as 30,000 years. We can recognise animals and humans in these works and we believe our ancestors made them. Edward Luci-Smith, in his book Art and Civilisation (1992), reports on a discovery, from this same period, of stencil prints made from human hands. Sculpting or carving, painting and printmaking are techniques we often associate with the work of some visual artists today. We do not necessarily have to give the word 'art' any more meaning, in this context, than that conveyed through the processes and effects of visually representing phenomena using a plastic medium of some kind. Therefore it does not seem unreasonable to call the beings who made prehistoric artefacts artists, mindful of the concerns that compelled the creation of these artefacts. Pericot-Garcia throughout his study speaks of motifs and styles apparent in these artworks, which seem to have transferred through time and space. The assumption is that some of the content of the art and the techniques of early artists were passed on to others through migration and from generation to generation. It is conceivable that prehistoric artists passed on their knowledge and skills in ways related to learning and teaching processes that we are familiar with today. Could it be that there existed at least as long ago as 30,000 years beings who, to all intents and purposes, might be described as artist teachers? Pericot-Garcia deliberates on the idea that some form of art teaching took place:

We have to explain how so marvellous an art could have arisen and survived for so many thousands of years at a stage of obvious cultural primitivism, when social organisation was at its infancy and it is hardly conceivable that there might have existed artists with free time and organised schools of art.

(Pericot-Garcia, 1969: 29)

There is strong evidence that our early ancestors made the artwork that can still be seen today. There is some evidence that suggests the techniques and images of art were passed on in some ways to others. It seems likely that art was important to our early ancestors, possibly as a mode of communication or belief. It is also likely that some form of teaching and learning in art took place. To turn to language development, the term 'visual language' is sometimes used today in relationship to art but there is much evidence that some forms of inscribed language derived from visual representations. Indeed relationships between the two are evident and complex. Ancient Egyptian civilisation provides us with much information regarding the development of inscribed language.

Master–apprentice learning traditions are likely to have existed before the ancient Egyptians. It is just that they were able to communicate this teaching process through their inscriptions and art. Both consistent, systematic artwork and inscribed language were, according to Gombrich, passed on from generation to generation from approximately 5,000 years ago.

[T]here is a direct tradition, handed down from master to pupil, and from pupil to admirer or copyist which links the art of our own days, any house or any poster, with the art of the Nile Valley of some 5,000 years ago.

(Gombrich, 1950: 33)

Inscribed language is believed to have developed first in Mesopotamia before reaching Egypt through migration. The tombs of the pharaohs like the caves of prehistoric humans are examples of environments in which artworks have been preserved that give us valuable insights into past societies. Also, linguistic records of historical phenomena give us detailed knowledge of the roles of artists and teachers and artist teachers through the passage of time. Many early Egyptian artists could be understood as crafts people or trades people, producing artefacts to prescribed designs. The societal expectations for the production of uniform artworks required systems and structures by which discrete skills and knowledge could be passed on to others in order to maintain consistency. Workshops, master–apprentice relationships, family businesses and other institutions we associate with production existed in order to enable Egyptian societies to produce and consume. The arts trades seemed to function in a similar way to other trades, with art or craft works being made by artists who also taught their skills and knowledge to others. Workshops were organised in hierarchies, with major artworks often undertaken by a collaboration of workers with different skills. Aldred describes a typical workshop based on the studies of the ruins of artists' studios and carvings and paintings of artists at work from the time of the Old Kingdom (4000 years ago). He also describes a type of artist...