Outofcontrol
Inthe1960’s,asetofrulesweredevisedbyJohnCageandSisterCoritaKent1;whichcanbeappliedas
alenstocontemplatethewaysartteachersnavigatethespacesinandaroundcontrol:
Themainruleistowork.Ifyouworkitwillleadtosomething.It’sthepeoplewho
doalloftheworkallofthetimewhoeventuallycatchontothings.
Withinthismightyassemblage,weseetheoutcomesofteachers’responsestotheOutofcontrol
provocation,wheretheyhaveenactedworkthatisbothin,fromandoutofcontroltoservethedesire
tomake,andtheneedtofacilitatethemostmeaningfullearningexperiencespossiblefortheir
students.
Considereverythinganexperiment.
Schools,asinstitutionsofandforlearning,arecharacterisedbystructure,regulationandroutine.
Workingwithinsuchhighlyorganizedframeworksoforder-thatinnaturearepreoccupiedwith
measurement-posesachallengefortheartteacher,whichistoensurecriticalcreativereflectionand
themakingofadventurethatisessentialtoservetheirownneedsforcreativefulfilment,andinturn,
theirstudentsintheircreativeendeavours.Thisiswhatartteacherstrafficin,thespacesandplaces
wherelearninghappensinmindsandsouls,notinthedatabasesofmultiple-choicequestions2.
Findaplaceyoutrust,andthentrytrustingitforawhile.
Ifartistheliteracyoftheheart3,thentheseartteacherssharewithyoutheobjectsoftheirheartsas
markersoftheirtime,self-discipline,commitment,reflectionandpleasureinpractice.Thethinking,
theexaminationofanideaandthesynthesisofresearchtoextrapolatefrompaststoriesand
practices,topresentdaycontexts,areshapedintofuturepotentialities.Theseartworksarethebyproductsoftheseteachers’exercisesinandoutofcontroltobringattentiontolearning;learning
whichinturnfeedsintothelearningexperiencestheycultivatefortheirstudents.
Beself-disciplined:thismeansfindingsomeonewiseorsmartandchoosingto
followthem.Tobedisciplinedistofollowinagoodway.Tobeself-disciplinedisto
followinabetterway.
Outofcontroltakestheself-disciplineofcontrolandorder,andmetamorphosesthisintodisorderand
adventure.Teachingvisualartisanadventureingivingstudentstheconfidencetomakemistakesand
recognizethemasbeneficial,becausetheyareevidenceoflearning,andevidenceofsomebeautythat
artteachershavetheabilitytorecogniseintheirstudents’humbleandbelovedproducts.Inthisway,
theirengagementinpracticereflectsaquietrecognitionthatnoteverythingimportantismeasurable,
andnoteverythingmeasurableisimportant4.
Nothingisamistake.There’snowinandnofail,there’sonlymake.
Artteachersareadeptatworkingin,andaroundrules;movinginandoutofspaceswhereweplay
withassumingandrelinquishingcontrol;making,observingandbreakingallmannerofrulesalongthe
way.Rulescanliberatejustaseasilyastheycanconstraintheartteacherinandoutoftheirpractice.
Theseartworksderivefromalaunchintothespacesandplacesthatdeliverathousandtinyproblems
tosolve;thatistheveryessenceofmakingart.Intheirmaking,theseworkscontainthefreedomof
vastproblemsolving,eachbuildingandshrinkinguntiltheartworkreachesaculmination,asweet
momentweknowasresolution,whereallofthecomponentsreachastateofharmony,thatmay
deliciouslycontainbothdisharmonyanddisunity.Thesemomentsofresolutionareparadoxicalin
theirabilitytoflickerintheperipheryofcontrol,wheretheycansimultaneouslyallowasenseof
contentment,solutionandrestlessness,wherealloftheproblemsappeartoberesolvedandyet;the
demandexiststomakeanother,ormanymore,becausesomethingisnotquitefulfilled-andthat
unknownelementmustbechased,soughtafter,pinneddown,toyedwith,thrownasideorperhaps
reclaimedforlater.
Itisoutofallofthisseeking,andmakingthatsomethingwonderfulandmadismade.
‘Outof’isunderstoodasbeingthatwhichis‘from’,orthatwhichis‘resultingfrom’,andassuchisthe
bundlingofmeaning,intentionandknowledge;theresultofthelearningwithincircumstancesof
immensecontrol,dedication,selfdiscipline,frustrationandsheerpleasure.Oncethisbundlingis
conceivedandarrangedinthemind,itisthencommunicatedtothearm(orwhateverfacilityone
uses)toenacttheleapoffaith;thejumpintotheunknown,thatthenenablesthe‘out’ofcontrol.In
short,theartworksharedinthisspacehasbeenmadepossiblethroughthecontroltheseteachers
havemanagedtowieldovertheirartpractice.
Artteachersneedopportunitytoresideincontemplativespacestodistil,wheretheycanacquirethe
skills,knowledgeandconfidenceneededtoinspireandprovoketheirstudentstocultivatetheirvery
naturalandinnateinclinationsforcuriosity,problemsolvingandproblemposing.Weknowthat
teachingisacreativeprofession,andwhenproperlyconceived,isnot,andshouldnotbe,adelivery
system5.Thenexusoflearning,teachingandsharingskillsrestsintheirabilitytobothexerciseand
deliverfromcontrol–torevelinthepleasureofencouragingstudentstotakeleaps,andtotrustthata
fewsimplemarksonadauntingandblanksheetofpaper,willstill,beastepintherightdirection.
We’rebreakingalltherules.Evenourownrules.Andhowdowedothat?Byleaving
plentyofroomforunknownquantities.
TheworkspresentedtoyouinOutofcontrolresoundwiththeseartteachers’understandingthat
learninginartrequirestheabilityandawillingnesstosurrendertotheunanticipatedpossibilitiesof
theirworkasitunfolds6.Inthisway,theyarephysicalmanifestationsoftheexpectationsandhopes
theyhavefortheirstudents.
DrAbbeyMacDonaldandJaneGiblin
1Tenrulesforstudents,teachersandlife(Kent&Cage1967)
2
Robinson2006
Eisner2002
4
Eisner2005
5
Robinson2006
6
Eisner2002
3