Alex Brown - his Teaching philosophy
Artistic talent is a human condition everyone is born with, but it craves structure. If we approach our creative talent strategically, it can be freely released. All children between the ages of three and seven create beautiful free marks, vibrant colours and exciting abstract designs. But after a certain age, they begin to paint cars and rockets, or houses and dolls. The freely creative children become conditions to fit into society. This natural talent we’re born with is still within us all, we just need to structure our approach and use tailored techniques in order to release our natural ability.
THERE’S A STORY I LIKE TO RECOUNT. I ONCE WATCHED A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT A MAN, AGED FORTY-TWO, WHO HAD LOST HIS SIGHT AT THE AGE OF TWO. AFTER BEING BLIND FOR FORTY YEARS, HE HAD AN OPERATION TO RESTORE HIS SIGHT. FOR HIS RECOVERY, HE HAD A CARER. ONE DAY THEY BOTH VISITED THE ZOO AND STOOD WATCHING THE GORILLAS. THERE WERE CROWDS OF PEOPLE ADMIRING THE ANIMALS, LOOKING AT THEM IN AWE. HOWEVER THE CARER NOTICED THE MAN HAD AN ODD EXPRESSION – HE WAS FROWNING, ALMOST CONFUSED. SHE ASKED WHAT HE SAW, AND HE REPLIED THAT ALL HE SAW WERE SHADOWS AND MOVEMENT – NO GORILLAS. SO, THE CARER TOOK THE MAN TO A LIFE-SIZED STATUE OF THE ANIMAL. HE TOUCHED AND FELT THE STATUE WHILST THE CARER EXPLAINED WHAT EXACTLY A GORILLA IS, AFTERWARDS RETURNING TO THE GORILLA CAGE. NOW, THE MAN COULD SEE THE GORILLAS IN ALL OF THEIR GLORY.
HOW MUCH WE SEE IS AFFECTED BY HOW MUCH WE KNOW. IF WE DON’T FULLY UNDERSTAND AN OBJECT, WE CANNOT SEE IT CLEARLY. THE MORE WE UNDERSTAND ABOUT SOMETHING, THE MORE WE’RE ABLE TO SEE. OUR BRAIN CREATES THE IMAGES WE SEE, NOT OUR EYES. DURING YOUR CLASSES, I WILL BE TEACHING YOU CONCEPTS THAT WILL CHANGE HOW YOU VIEW THINGS. THE TECHNIQUES TAUGHT CAN IMPROVE YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF OBJECTS, BETTERING YOUR ARTISTIC KNOWLEDGE AND FREEING YOUR CREATIVITY.