Letter to ARC

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Letter to ARC

From

Published before 2005

I recently retired after teaching college level studio art for 30 years. Towards the end of that career I felt more and more keenly the lack of traditional techniques and values available to me to pass on to others. I attended art schools in the 60s under the 'tutelage' of worn out abstract expressionists and Joseph Albers disciples... talk about confusing! I remember vividly my painting workshop instructor telling me that if I ever painted anymore of that 'illusionistic shit' in his class again he'd throw me out.

I became an 'underground realist' and made it through. I managed to teach myself what I could of old master technique and did at least stay true to the narrative core of my work which to me makes it all with doing. My drawing was least effected by my so called 'education' and remains my strength.

More and more as the years went by I steered my students to traditional paths, emphasizing drawing above all else. I only wish that I had done a better job of mastering the painting skills that I was never taught. I'm retired now and hope that 60 is not to advanced an age to begin again. I would value greatly more of the workshop demonstrations I've seen here. Although I may not be as absolute in my criticism of all modern art as you are, I applaud your obviously successful efforts towards rehabilitating an extraordinary body of work from the dustbin where it had been unjustly thrown and wish that ARC had been around when I was in the springtime of my own creative years.

Thanks for a truly wonderful experience.

All my students, alas only those of the last two years, know of you.
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