Going over the lines

what's this?...a post without a picture?...Yes, so please forgive me as today I've been off doing something I do rarely these days:..earning some money! A couple of months ago I was asked to teach a couple of classes at a local school (Derby High School for Girls)..they actually have a mixed sex infant section which is where I was headed. I took two sessions with the Year Two group(6-7 year old) Being a 'Private fee paying school' I was stunned by the wonderful resources the teachers had at their disposal and such a good education orientated environment with teachers who were motivated and and happy in their work.

I spoke with the teacher before my lesson and mentioned how I've done quite a lot of art workshops and lessons with children in the Inner city areas where often male parents are either absent or unemployed ..I was told that these children had Doctors and Lawyers for parents...but I often think that this also means they are absent and too busy to be involved with the child.

The teachers spoke about a display of paintings on the wall that the class had done..I felt they were apologising for the fact that some of the children had "Gone over the lines " and ruined the neatness...here I surprised even myself by actually defending the "rule breakers"..you see in art, it is the drive and passion of the artist who breaks the mould, who refuses to conform, who refuses to listen to the words: "you can't do that!" that often finds sucess ...I like it when one of the group suddenly starts to do something different. I've actually heard a teacher admonishing a child for "doing it wrong" I don't think this is out of any spite, but we are conditioned to 'behave' and do as we are told (at least in art related processes).

I'm still reading the wonderful 'Unbearable lightness of being' . In it, the woman called Tereza takes photographs of the Russian occupation of Czechoslovakia..she send photos out to foreign journalists. She is later told that these photos which are nothing particularly startling (Market scenes..people on the streets protesting) would in other times be dismissed, but because she could run the risk of arrest and possible imprisonment, they had a social and political relevance. I believe the same with art in our 'comfortable society'..the child who peeps up from the paper..looks around and willfully attempts expression by going over the lines is worthy of praise.May the artist forever break the rules and never listen to the rule makers.

Tomorrow despite the fact that it's my daughter Annie's 7th birthday, I shall atempt to finish The Lady In Red!