What makes an artist? : formative influences in the early lives of 34 Tasmanian visual artists

摘要

The purpose of the study was to investigate the childhood experiences ofudcontemporary, recognised visual artists in order to document and identifyudformative influences which nurtured their interest in visual art throughudchildhood into mature professional development.udA total of thirty four artists were interviewed in the study. All subjects wereudresidents of Tasmania. There were seventeen males and seventeen females.udThey were drawn from six media areas: painting, print making, ceramics,udtextiles, sculpture and book illustrating.udNaturalistic research was deemed to be an appropriate methodology for thisudstudy. The qualitative process of inductive analysis was used to generateudinformation about significant influences on the development of young artists.udThe instrument for the study was an interview schedule. Three areas wereudidentified as being the basis of the interview schedule: art experiences at home,udart experiences at school and art experiences at different phases throughudchildhood.udSix major areas related to artistic development were identified: inherent ability,udfamilial influences, access to imagery, technical knowledge, socialisation andudschool influences. udFindings of this study revealed that individuals who display a keen interest inudart making from an early age, whether male or female, are aware of the urge toudmake images with available materials and begin to do so with a firm singlemindednessudin early childhood. They seek to acquire technical skills and seekudadult role models. Contact with art work and art resources seem to make anudimpact and was important.udThe data revealed that the home environment was a significant source ofudsupport for subjects interviewed. Considering education policy and theudpromotion of gifted and talented programs for students, the case of artisticallyudtalented children may not align readily with current policy for other areas ofudtalent and giftedness.udResults of the study indicate that the source of identification of artistic talentudcame not from the school but from parents and other family members.udFurther, home environmental influences were responsible for nurturing theudinherent talent exhibited by the subjects interviewed for this study. In someudcases teachers provided support and encouragement but generally the schooludwas not the major source of influence. Identification as an artist does not seemudto rely on an outside institution such as a school: rather, the identification isudfrom the home environment and a 'significant other.'udIn conclusion, the need of artistically talented children, to work in isolation,udhas significance for school art programs. It would seem more important forudchildren, who are identified as artistically talented, to be placed in out-of-schooludprograms rather than make allowance for those children in a regular schooludprogram.