At college, we were taught computer skills…there were computers for everyone.
2 years later – at Gray's UNIVERSITY there were only 2 computers available to 18 of us.
I was on a Visual Communication course (which obviously majored in Graphic design).
The 'tutors' – highly paid, ofcourse, were hardly ever there. One, Ruth, had the audacity to say to me: 'i know the face, can't remember your name'.
Well, you and other tutors are barely there – why should I bother coming in to work in a very cold, drafty HUT – when I can work so much more comfortably at home?… WHAT'S THE POINT? Also the 4 bus trips to and from UNI! That costs alot of money. For what??
… following on from that – i bought into – and was sold – the idea of being in an Art School.
That wasn't my 'art school' experience. As my visual communications classes were conducted in 'temporary' cabins located in the quadrant of the university.
Not very inspiring to be in at all. I felt like I wasn't part of Gray's and felt that painters and sculpture (housed in the Gray's building) had a much better experience and seemed to be much more accepted by Gray's.
One tutor was off ill for a while – so his wife came in to cover. I was 20 years old at the time. What did she make us do? Draw our jackets! REALLY!?? I did this sort of thing at 7 years old!
I wish I had accepted Duncan of Jordanstone's offer when I had the chance. I guess I was lazy, thinking: o well my family is in Aberdeen, I don't have to go looking for flats/ flatmates in Dundee…
…but, with its great reputation in the arts – especially illustration, I would definitely have gone for Duncan's over Gray's any day.
Oh and one other thing…my dissertation on 'creative geniuses portrayed in film ' – well, the tutor involved, was fine with it for months and months, but as time called us to hand in our preliminary outlines – she said: 'i don't think you can use 'genius'- I don't think there is such a thing.'
Well, why didn't you tell me that before? How incompetent – and deceiving.
In my juvenile thinking/being – i was completely insecure when it came to finalising my dissertation. It's actual basis (newly commented on in the 11th hour, from tutor) was on shaky ground. I therefore had no faith in my written project. Obviously, this affected my final grade.
What was a labour of love, became just turmoil 'should I write about something else?' etc, etc.
Please go somewhere else other than Gray's.
The amount of 拢拢拢's they're getting from you, they don't pay it back in their 'extensive' knowledge and more importantly, they're interest in you.
They don't give a ….
,
I left Grays deeply 'scunnered' (after a dose of the Grays) by the tutors' fevered egos and negativity and the whole experience had a negative impact upon my feelings about the so-called 'art world' for a long time afterwards. So, unless you are happy conforming to the mainstream outflow pipe through which Gray's likes to pass its graduates, it might be wise to do some genuine questioning of exactly what you think you might gain from going there (apart from acquiring an expensive bit of paper that – let's face it – no-one really gives a damn about after you graduate).
If you just want to act like a clich茅d student, get drunk, stoned, wear army surplus clothes, pierce your eyebrow, and practice coming to the master's heel then….hey….go for it. Alternatively, if you really want to be an artist then seriously….trust your vision and learn by doing, not by doing what you're told or doing what everybody else is doing.
Good luck.