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What does 'self taught' mean?
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Message
Posted
I have seen a number of artists, amateur and professional, refer to themselves as 'self taught' but what does this mean?
It is difficult to imagine anyone going through formal schooling to age 16+ without having some tuition in drawing and painting of some sort, however basic. Many like myself will have received tuition in creative drawing at school and then technical drawing at college as part of our professional studies for another career.
Many people who go into non artistic working lives or try to establish themselves as artists join art clubs or societies and watch demonstrations by professional artists. Is this tuition? If fellow members or other artists give tips and crits on their work does this take away their self-taught tag?
Others, like myself, attend evening or part-time drawing and/or painting courses at colleges or with professional tutors on a non structured basis i.e. not working to a scheme of learning. Are they then no longer 'self taught'?
It's a pointless question but one that intrigues me. How untutored must someone be to be self taught and where does one cross the line from 'self taught' to 'taught'?
Posted
I posted my profile here on the new site and added my arty C V , I think it was the one I used years ago the first time I exhibited, and Lo and behold what do I see but my own comment that I am a " self taught " artist. Looking at other members C V 's I see the same little phrase trotted out . It's almost an automatic thing to say, in my case I did spend an abysmal 6 months at art school back in the 50 s which I hardly consider an art training , the most notable thing about that time was that I met L S Lowry if only I had asked him to sign my scribble.
I think most of us are self taught , reading books, going to galleries watching other people and absorbing knowledge. It does sound a bit trite, but I really think it is in most cases a fact.
Posted
I consider myself self taught as having devoured many of the library book on art the "how to" variety.
Could always draw, but family didn't.
I just got on and practiced what the books preached.No idea where I wanted to go, I think it was an antidode to TV every night after a long days work. My wife had a pal who was chair of the local art group and I was discussed as husbands are and I took up membership. Then on committee, then vice chair, then chair and then Hon Pres. Now resigned but no formal art training or tuition apart from signing on to workshops and the occasional course, some paid for ne family as b/day gifts, some self finicanced (not a lot).Still a rank and file member of a different club
.
I subscribe to The Artist mag and thought on reading the last issue that all the artists they feature have formal training and wondered if it would be suitable for the mag to occasionally feature a complete untrained amatuer, some likely one off POL. Food for thought maybe.