WHO MADE THIS DAFT COMMENT? as far as I can see galleries, shows, museums, magazines and colleges/academies are full of painters and paintings. Whilst ever we love the feel and texture of paint, canvas and card, painting will never be dead! Whilst ever we want and NEED to express ourselves, make comment on our experiences and the world around, us painting and drawing will never be 6' under or in the ether. I make no excuse or apology for still getting excited at opening a new tin of crayons, or seeing tubes of paint in the art shop-it immediately takes me back to being 6 year old, to TITIAN, TINTORETTO and EL GRECO. They were the start of it....... I can't get fired up about walking into a gallery room full of CONCEPTUAL ART-disparate objects, that reflect 'man's inhumanity to man'. To be honest they do my head in..... Equally, i struggle with 3/4 monitors all on at the same time showing different videos or aspects of life that connect by a very fine line. I get annoyed when I have to read about every piece to understand it. It makes me feel thick...... I feel even thicker and alienated from the art world when I then struggle to understand what is being written lolol. Give me my box of crayons!!!! Like all the arts; dance, music, sculpture, film, painting, I want it to be about COMMUNICATING- in a way and form that is accessible. I know art is also about pushing the boundaries of ideas, and style, challenging and connecting. In particular I want to connect with paintings- 1. drawing and painting historically, was a way of recording the everyday of living, the minutiae, the grande gestures and events, social gatherings etc. Our PHYSICAL presence in the world. 2. making sense of why we are here, the bigger picture, what is our purpose?-explained through mythology, mysticism and religion. Our MORAL and SPIRITUAL place in the world. 3. feelings and emotions expressed in paint- whether it be mental pain, fear, hatred and all the other emotions running amok in us. [expressionism] 4. the PSYCHOLOGY of what makes us who we are. trying to understand the complexity of our psyche. [surrealism] 5. the personal is POLITICAL- our response to social injustice, inequality, war, corruption, and social/political systems. I am sure I have missed other functions of art and especially painting, but this is my core curriculum. feel free to add your own! xdonna