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Dear Mona (Second Installation)
My boyfriend proclaims himself an artist, but in the two years we've been together I haven't seen him make any art. We have a few paintings hanging around that he made in high school, but that was a long time ago.
Now he's quit his job as a waiter (five months ago, actually) and doesn't do much but hang out on my couch all day watching cable and eating Cocoa Puffs.
When I confront him about getting a new job he says he needs time to work on his art, but I don't see any evidence of any new work, and when I point that out he says it's because I'm stifling his creativity by crowding him.
What should I do? I love him and want him to be happy, but how can things go on like this?
Stuck
Vancouver BC, Apr.2006
First of all, Stuck
Get your man off the Cocoa Puffs. If he's a working adult, those brown pellets shouldn't be part of his diet.
Oh wait, that's right, he's not a working adult.
Now, some people might tell you to wait and see what this young artist produces before kicking him to the curb. Certainly, it's possible he's creating some sort of ethereal art work or doing a performance so subtle even you aren't noticing or seeing it (just take a peek at DXARTS' art department at the U of W). It's also possible he's a genius and will soon blossom into an Art Star.
But since your BF has admitted that he's not making work, I think it's safe to say, my little stuckling, he's not going anywhere, which is precisely why you have got to get yourself somewhere and fast. Somewhere out the door, that is.
So tweaking the wise sage Dan Savage's famous little acronym a little, I say DTMFAA (Dump the Master of Fine Arts Already).
Good luck with that,
Mona.
mona@visualcodec.com
Dear Mona
How far will an MFA get you with galleries and collectors? I'm still paying for my BFA, and art isn't exactly the kind of career that lends itself to easy payment of student loans.
Also, I have a friend who doesn't even have a BFA (or any college degree) and he makes a living off his painting.
So...does any of that credentialing really matter?
If not, what does?
I love making art and want it to be my sole pursuit...how do I make sure I have the best chance of that happening?
Perplexed
Portland OR, Apr.2006
Oh my sweet, sweet Portland Perplexed
You just asked the MILLION dollar question: is the MFA worth a dime?
You should know that most people who have gone through a program have re-claimed the acronym so that it's not Master of Fine Arts, but rather, Mother F-ing Artist.
Now while that's not the extreme I'd go to, it's something to take into account when making such a big decision.
And it is a big decision with both good and bad aspects.
First and foremost you should know that if you want to teach at the college level, PP, the MFA is a necessity.
Unlike most master's degrees, it is the terminal degree in visual arts education and thus equivalent to terminal degrees in other fields, such as the Ph.D. or Ed.D. In other words, it is the highest form of art education you can get and is the certificate that will allow you to teach college-age kids how to do the art making.
But if you don't want to teach, the answer is a lot muddier.
As you said, some artists have huge success without the degree. Just look at local favorites like SuttonBeresCuller, Dan Webb, Blake Haygoode, and Claude Zervas. They don't have MFA's and yet they make great art. Meanwhile, Drew Daly, Tim Roda, and Jeffry Mitchell all have the degree and also make interesting work.
So, as one of my favorite recent MFA grads recently summed up, "The program's not going to make you a better artist; your art has to be good to begin with."
So, PP, at the end of the day, it's all up to you. Ask yourself some key questions: Do you need the structure of school to help you be more disciplined and create time for yourself to make work? Do you like feedback and theory? Or, do you already make work round the clock? Do you hate heady discussions about art?
Figure out which way you fall on the above, my friend, and you'll know which way to head.
For more information on exactly what you will be getting yourself into if you do decide to head back to school, see the College Art Association's guidelines on the matter:
http://www.collegeart.org/guidelines/mfa.html
Best,
MF Mona.
mona@visualcodec.com
