The Happy Dream 2016-2017
This is a record of work undertaken in an art training school and exhibition space for all ages in Hunan, China, where I exhibited and managed its educative and creative direction.
This is a record of work undertaken in an art training school and exhibition space for all ages in Hunan, China, where I exhibited and managed its educative and creative direction.
Curriculum Creating
I would also play social commentary games with my lesson plans that really, I think only I was aware of (and maybe sometimes the boss). For example, one lesson included making your own imaginary archive inspired by contemporary art, but also China's difficult relationship with recorded histories. One was inspired by IChing and chance art through a western perspective in the works like John Cage to demonstrate how we can construct our own rules. Another, the art of Chinese landscape paintings revised in light of mass high rise buildings. Of course, when making these ideas with younger students it was not an intention to be provocative or even explicitly teach anything; but to seek lesson ideas and outcomes that might be different to others and which had a kind of relationship with Chinese/my foreign culture. For older students I wanted to create lesson plans that were more open ended and specific to them and the place we lived. As the only 'foreigner' in the school in a city of less than 40 westerners at any given time, my function here was to provide ideas and a 'window' into the more international side of things. In truth, this was a curriculum of my own art research life-story which changed as I remained.
I would also play social commentary games with my lesson plans that really, I think only I was aware of (and maybe sometimes the boss). For example, one lesson included making your own imaginary archive inspired by contemporary art, but also China's difficult relationship with recorded histories. One was inspired by IChing and chance art through a western perspective in the works like John Cage to demonstrate how we can construct our own rules. Another, the art of Chinese landscape paintings revised in light of mass high rise buildings. Of course, when making these ideas with younger students it was not an intention to be provocative or even explicitly teach anything; but to seek lesson ideas and outcomes that might be different to others and which had a kind of relationship with Chinese/my foreign culture. For older students I wanted to create lesson plans that were more open ended and specific to them and the place we lived. As the only 'foreigner' in the school in a city of less than 40 westerners at any given time, my function here was to provide ideas and a 'window' into the more international side of things. In truth, this was a curriculum of my own art research life-story which changed as I remained.
Exhibitions/copies
The exhibitions were often constructed over a 24hour period, usually on my 'day off' when I had little else to do. I enjoyed these intense and short-lived activities which were intended to relate to the month's curriculum content or themes. Two examples below; 'The Museum Month', consisting of a sculpted tree, and 'The Art Of The Book Month' which contained hanging books inspired by Richard Wentworth's Istanbul installation I had seen the year before, and who I had met through previous employment. These circulated around the tables at differing heights. It is also common for Chinese restaurants to use artificial books with famous western titles for economically friendly display purposes, so I wanted to reuse them in some way. These are all copies of Darwin's 'The Descent Of Man'... I kinda liked the irony of their artificial repetition.
Exhibitions/copies
The exhibitions were often constructed over a 24hour period, usually on my 'day off' when I had little else to do. I enjoyed these intense and short-lived activities which were intended to relate to the month's curriculum content or themes. Two examples below; 'The Museum Month', consisting of a sculpted tree, and 'The Art Of The Book Month' which contained hanging books inspired by Richard Wentworth's Istanbul installation I had seen the year before, and who I had met through previous employment. These circulated around the tables at differing heights. It is also common for Chinese restaurants to use artificial books with famous western titles for economically friendly display purposes, so I wanted to reuse them in some way. These are all copies of Darwin's 'The Descent Of Man'... I kinda liked the irony of their artificial repetition.
'Teach The Teacher' something!...
Each week I held short workshops with the teachers. In the early weeks this was focused on teaching methods, STEAM/STEM concepts and lesson making philosophies. Following on from this I shared some canonical art history lessons. I actually enjoyed the difficulty that language barriers imposed, because this meant that the language reliant aspects of art history: its philosophy, politics and contexts, needed to be approached in a more experiential way with careful consideration towards imposing meaning and how this may be presented. Aside from this we also made mini drawing exercises, project tasks, watched videos and answered quizzes (badly translated).
Each week I held short workshops with the teachers. In the early weeks this was focused on teaching methods, STEAM/STEM concepts and lesson making philosophies. Following on from this I shared some canonical art history lessons. I actually enjoyed the difficulty that language barriers imposed, because this meant that the language reliant aspects of art history: its philosophy, politics and contexts, needed to be approached in a more experiential way with careful consideration towards imposing meaning and how this may be presented. Aside from this we also made mini drawing exercises, project tasks, watched videos and answered quizzes (badly translated).
Making And Other Activities
We held activities for people from other businesses too. For example, during 'Women's Day' we did a Judy Chicago inspired plate design lesson combining her 'vulva flowers' (much to the awkward realisation of some of our visiting women). There were also some biographic presentations concerning the famous women who featured in her well publicised 'Dinner Party'.
One of our most successful activities was a plaster cast 'moon lamp' following the Mid-Autumn Festival week, for around 100 people. The idea was to make a 'moon lamp' which consisted of a bag of materials without instructions.
We held activities for people from other businesses too. For example, during 'Women's Day' we did a Judy Chicago inspired plate design lesson combining her 'vulva flowers' (much to the awkward realisation of some of our visiting women). There were also some biographic presentations concerning the famous women who featured in her well publicised 'Dinner Party'.
One of our most successful activities was a plaster cast 'moon lamp' following the Mid-Autumn Festival week, for around 100 people. The idea was to make a 'moon lamp' which consisted of a bag of materials without instructions.
Mildly Happy Ending:
It was never intended to last anyway. The school's direction, it's colleagues and my own influence had changed. The owner was returning in only a few weeks too and - along with the others - I had helped to keep it afloat in its first year during her absence. Some weeks I had worked for more than 60 hours. Often this was out of choice. But I also could have comfortably coasted for another few years; saving money, drinking, eating and making new acquaintances every week. My spice tolearance had reached new peaks and I was beginning to improve minimal Mandarin... But the direction of the school was changing and other things were calling and I could no longer stay.
