Ethos
Inspired by Glasgow’s distinguished and justly celebrated painting tradition, it is our intention to establish a school based on the sound teaching of drawing and painting processes.
In the setting of the 21st century fine arts institution, the traditional teaching of drawing and painting has been fashionably neglected and little knowledge is handed on from tutor to learner. This results in the student spending long hours working alone, reinventing the wheel.
In other disciplines including architecture and engineering for example, free-hand drawing has been largely replaced by technology, leaving students little opportunity to develop their spatial awareness, dexterity and individual expression.
Concentrating on the practices of drawing and painting and through immersion in processes, students will be able to build on the playfulness essential to their practice. In this way creativity can be harnessed, as opposed to chasing the ever shifting goal of the ‘avant garde’. Proficiency in drawing and painting is not based on knowing shortcuts; only by becoming skilled at the process does the artist awaken and hone their individual ability and approach.
In the currently available academic system a disproportionate amount of time is given to the study of theory and criticism, which diminishes time left to work under studio instruction. Furthermore, the additional benefit of learning from the efforts of fellow students, which had been the accepted common place, has also been lost.
In response to this, our aim through collective effort is to encourage an enhanced sense of purpose and an appreciation of traditional skills and processes.