Post-Modernism and DBAE: A Contextual Analysis

National Art Education Association

Post-Modernism and DBAE: A Contextual AnalysisAuthor(s): Juliet MooreSource: Art Education, Vol. 44, No. 6 (Nov., 1991), pp. 34-39Published by: National Art Education AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3193273 .

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Post-Modernism and DBAE:

A Contextual Analysis

Juliet Moore

Sometime during the early 1980's, a vague uneasiness about the contemporary art world evolved into a general realization that modernism had died. However, its death throes had been so quiet and imperceptible that many people were unaware that the movement was no longer alive. Today, in the early 1990's, the recognition is growing that a loss has occurred, but there is still some confusion as to what exactly has been lost. This uncertainty is reflected in the term "post- modernism" that is being applied to the contemporary art world and our entire society. The word itself sounds like a puzzling oxymoron; how can anything come after something that is modern? And if these are not modern times, if we have somehow gone beyond the present, then where exactly are we? The insecurity that the term inspires seems intentional and is certainly symptomatic of the movement itself.

For some critics, including Gablik, (1984) the final proof of the pervasiveness of post-modernism is the collaboration between art and business. Making art is a large commercial venture in which every- body, from the artist to the dealer to the investor, gets a good deal. Foster (1985) agrees that one of the signs of post- modernism is the booming art market, but he also thinks that the proliferation of new art schools is an equally important indica- tion of its advent. While the modernist artist

created works in solitary and rebellious defiance of the establishment, the careers of emerging, new artists are now carefully cultivated by the art schools and the dealers.

It is not, however, only art schools which are encouraging the development of these post-modern attitudes. Other, more general educational establishments are becoming increasingly sympathetic towards them, and, in fact, many of the concepts which constitute discipline-based art education can be related directly to post-modernism. It is these relations which will be identified in this paper.

One attribute of history is that it makes events and movements comprehensible by placing them in a larger context. By recognizing DBAE as a function of its time, and therefore, as a historical development, its theories and methods may no longer appear as either an unreasonable and radical rejection of studio-based art education or as a reactionary acceptance of previously-held disciplinarian views. In an attempt to understand its evolution and content, and to assess its potential contribution to contemporary society, DBAE can be put into its historical context of post- modernism. This holistic perspective enables a more complete appreciation of the attributes of DBAE, and increased awareness of the relation of education to society fosters an improved educational system.

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Although previous movements in art education have been represented as the products of the work of only a few out- standing people, it is apparent, in retro- spect, that both the movements and the people have, in fact, been the products of their time rather than prophetic individuals creating new systems of thought and behavior. The contemporary philosophies, social attitudes, and expectations are discernibly embedded in the methods and theories of art education; in short, the influence of the historical period upon the educational theories and methods is quite

detectable. Since the detection of the context is particularly difficult when the movement is a contemporary one, placing two figures from the history of art education in their social contexts illustrates how DBAE can be viewed as a function of post- modern society.

In the late nineteenth century, general education was structured and ordered, and art education followed in this vein. The strongly-held and rigid views of the Victo- rian world dictated that the main purpose of education was to better enable the individual to contribute to his/her society,

36 Art Education/November 1991



rather than to gain personal satisfaction. During the Industrial Revolution, the function of art education was to prepare future workers and artisans; the teaching of art was perceived as important, not for individual development, but because artistic expertise could lead to the improve- ment of society as a whole.

Working at the turn of the century, Arthur Wesley Dow recognized that there was a need to "teach art so that all may share it" and to "relate it to new demands and new thought in education." He realized that more people wanted to attain a higher level of education, and he made university courses available to adults who were not full-time students. (Moffatt, 1977) Despite these innovations, however, Dow and his theories were very much a product of his time. Like many young men of his educational and material standing, he took advantage of the improved means of travel to make a Grand Tour of the world, where he encountered means of producing art which contributed to his theoretical development.

With the advent of World War I, an emphasis was placed upon training skillful students who could create well-designed products. As part of a society which was simultaneously wary and welcoming of the technological and cultural changes, Dow was aware of the danger of pushing forward the "practical arts" at the expense of the fine arts, but he nevertheless recognized the importance of structured design. He placed great importance upon structure and order, and believed that art should be taught as a discipline which would develop the student's ability to function in society. He wrote, "When we speak of art as a school subject, we are commonly supposed to refer to picture- making as a pursuit not considered 'useful' or 'practical'. We have lately invented a new term, 'practical arts'; it is fear of the unpractical and non-useful that brought this term into being." (Moffatt, 1977, p. 109) It was also contemporary society, that, in an age of scientific discoveries, prized practical contributions from all areas of knowledge.

During the middle of the twentieth century, Viktor Lowenfeld's theories of art education were similarly influenced by the period in which he was working. Lowenfeld's major premises were based

upon psychological research into the creative growth of the individual, and this idealistic, analytical and scientific approach was a significant reflection of the modern age. In addition, however, modernism was individual and "self-consciously dissident, setting itself against the social order and seeking its own freedom and autonomy". (Gablik, 1984, p.22)

The avant-grade art movement of the time was Abstract Expressionism, the proponents of which believed in the personal expression of one's inner self through art. It was no longer necessary to create realistic art which had a universal moral message. Instead, self-analysis and self-expression became the major aim of artists; once self-actualization had been achieved, then it was possible to relate to the larger world.

Lowenfeld held that the development of an individual's potential creativity should occur without intervention from extemrnal sources. Modernist philosophy held that every individual has an inner self that can be actualized through meaningful engage- ments with the world; according to Lowenfeld, this self-actualization can occur through creative expression. Self-actualization can then lead to an increased ability to function fully in society. According to Arnheim, Viktor Lowenfeld "arrived in America at the right time. His individualism, his insistence on freedom and spontaneity...appealed to similarly attuned American educators". (1986, p.250) In a period when America's increasing post-war wealth and advanced technology led to a dichotomy between material well-being and decreased autonomy, Lowenfeld attempted to bring people to an awareness of the danger of a conformist materialism by stimulating the individual's creative growth.

At about the same time that post- modernism became a recognizable phe- nomenon, discipline-based art education began to challenge the modernist theories of those art educators who emphasized a studio-based curriculum. Although there is a slight time-lag between the evolution of post-modernism and the birth of DBAE, their histories begin at roughly the same time, around the beginning of the 1980's. This coincidence of time is not the only similarity to be found between DBAE and post-modernism.

In the same way that the past which was




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so vociferously denied by the modernists is now being lauded by the post-modernists, so aspects of previous art education movements which were rejected by Lowenfeld are now being incorporated into DBAE. Indicative of the change of perspective that has taken place is Greer's state- ment that DBAE "seeks an evolution from a naive (untutored) to a sophisticated (knowledgeful) understanding of the subject of art." (1984, p.215) Since this supports the structured contribution of the adult to the artistic knowledge of the child, a repudiation of Lowenfeld's theory of creative growth could not be clearer. It is no longer as important to express one's inner self as it is to function as an informed and intellectual member of society. Instead of emphasizing only the creative abilities of a child, DBAE wants a student to "appreci- ate and discuss works of art in their appropriate historical and cultural con-

texts." (1984, p.214) One of the most startling characteristics

of the post-modern era has been the improved relations between artists and members of the art market. Whereas modernist artists were wary of art dealers and their values, post-modern artists appear to happily accept commercialism and the great deal of mutually profitable collaboration with their dealers and gallery owners. Gablik describes the post-modern artist as "addicted to glamour, openly aligned with the competition for money, status and power, allowing us to see how much avant-garde rebellion is already out- of-date." (1984, p.87) Examples of these alliances abound; Jeff Koons, for instance, recognizes his need for a thriving market since he sees himself as an "entertainer" and he wants "to exploit areas of the entertainment industry..." (in Flash Art, 1988, p.113), while Julian Schnabel has

38 Art Education/November 1991



openly stated his desire to become "the greatest artist in the world". (Dupuy-Reed, 1979, p.86)

This collaboration with the commercial world has also infiltrated the art education arena. One of the selling-points of DBAE is its appeal to the bureaucracy; its results can be evaluated, analyzed and results given to school administrators and those in control of budgets. In Becoming Students of Art, Clark, Day and Greer (1987) argue that the support of the members of a community and the administrators is necessary for the implementation of a successful art education program. Since DBAE is "an administratively efficient and expedient program, with a strong research foundation" (Hamblen, 1987), it is likely that financial resources will become available, in much the same way that the commercial sections of the art world support fashionable contemporary artists.

To obtain this support, the advocates of DBAE recognize that it may be necessary to provide proof of progress in the form of "various assessment tools...including written essays and written tests." (Clark, Day and Greer, 1987, pp.179-180) Unlike a studio-based curriculum, which focuses on producing difficult to evaluate art with "metaphoric qualities" (Hamblen, 1987, p. 71), DBAE students will produce work which can be tested. This conciliatory attitude might be regarded as compromise of values, or as a realistic symbiotic relationship; in either case, it is characteristic of the post-modern mentality which has great respect for monetary success.

An important characteristic of post- modernism is pluralism, which allows differing kinds of artistic expression to be acceptable and encourages the examination and presentation of diverse cultures. The comprehensiveness of post-modernism is a direct consequence of our increased accessibility to all parts of the world and has led to knowledge about the art of all times and places, with the result that no style is excluded from the pastiche of contemporary art works. Some scholars (eg. Hamblen, 1987; Lederman, 1988) criticize DBAE for confining its exemplars of great works to Western art, thereby creating an ethnocentric bias. However, as the Getty Center has been quick to point out, "DBAE includes a broad base of art exemplars from Western and non-Western

cultures, ranging from the most ancient to most contemporary" (1988, p.7), and many advocates of DBAE emphasize the importance of considering multi-culturalism in the curriculum. This willingness to treat many different styles equally is a dominant characteristic of post-modernism.

By incorporating the art of many different eras and areas into its curriculum, DBAE may help students to cope with the bewildering array of symbols and styles that are presented in post-modern art. Julian Schnabel, the quintessential post- modern artist, has claimed, "We have been put into a position where we have to distinguish between things which are indistinguishable." (in Dupuy-Reed, 1979, p.86) By providing students with the ability to analyze, criticize, and judge art in the post-modern era, DBAE may help them to distinguish between aspects of the larger world around them. Although it is not one of the avowed goals of DBAE to make our post-modernist world more comprehensible, it nevertheless appears that this could be one of its most important conse- quences.

Juliet Moore is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Art Education, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park. She is also the 1991-92 intern at the Getty Center for Education in the Arts.

References.

Arnheim, R. (1986). New essays on the psychology of art. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

Clark, G., Day, M. & Greer, W.D. (1987). Discipline- based art education: Becoming students of art. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 21 (2), 131-191.

Dupuy-Reed, W. (1979). Julian Schnabel: The truth of the moment. Arts Magazine, 53, 86-91.

Gablik, S. (1984). Has modernism failed? New York: Thames & Hudson.

Greer, W.D. (1984), DBAE: Approaching art as a subject of study. Studies in Art Education, 25 (4), 212-218.

Hamblen, K. (1987). An examination of DBAE issues. Studies in Art Education, 28, 68-78.

Lederman, A. (1988). Art for the real world. Beyond DBAE: The case for multiple visions of art education, 78-86.

Kramer, H. (1985). The revenge of the philistines: Art and culture 1972-1984. New York: The Free Press.

Moffatt, F. (1977). Arthur Wesley Dow (1857-1922). City of Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Getty Center for Education in the Arts.




Post-Modernism and DBAE: A Contextual Analysis

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