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User Name Thread Name Subject Posted
GUEST,harvey andrews BS: Teaching Modern Art - I guess (32) RE: BS: Teaching Modern Art - I guess 04 Mar 06


This is how my art teacher dealt with this in 1954.(from book in progress!)


The Art master was Mister Brookes, nicknamed "Chunky", although I never found out why. He was so different from the other staid, or cynical, or worn out lot we had to contend with. "Chunky" was Flying Officer Kite, complete with moustache and "Wizard prang" vocabulary. I think he was one of those who took to teaching after his war service. Certainly he was more flamboyant than any other member of the staff. He was always dressed in a Harris Tweed jacket, with grey flannel trousers and suede shoes. We never saw him in a gown.
For our first lesson we went to the art room, a mess of benches and chairs and splashed paints. We took our seats facing a screen. At the back of the class was a projector. "Chunky" came bouncing in, a bundle of energy.
"Now chaps, I'm Mister Brookes, your Art master. There's something I want to get out of the way as quickly as possible, so I'm going to draw the blinds."
He went to the windows and pulled down the blackout. Then, going to the back of the room we heard him say;
"I'm going to switch this on and leave the room for a few minutes. When I come back we'll proceed."
Saying which, he switched on the projector. The screen in front of us suddenly glowed with a painting of a nude woman.
In the few seconds of our stunned silence "Chunky" walked down the side of the room and out of the door into the corridor. He closed the door behind him leaving us alone in the dark with the projected nude.
Thirty eleven-year-old boys sniggered. Then they pointed, laughed, said rude words, laughed again, sniggered again and then, gradually, grew quiet.
The painting was very beautiful, as was the nude lady; so beautiful in fact that she eventually silenced thirty boys until they were all staring at her in total absorption.
The door opened and Mister Brookes was silhouetted against the light.
"Got that out of our systems have we? Good. Then we can proceed."
He switched off the projector and raised the blinds.
Thirty boys were in the palm of his hand."

I suppose now he'd be arrested!


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