Mark Golden on Paint

I have been consistently surprised, if that’s possible, each time I hear that a college is only teaching oil painting as its entire painting program. It is not surprising when I hear this is a tradition in China, as so much of the history of art education was simply transposed from Russia. But in the U.S., the birthplace of modern media, one would think that this would have been changed by now.

It is clear that all the new development in media is occurring within the modern synthetic coatings. This will continue to be the arena of experimenting and the creation of new materials. As artists explore the boundaries of what can be done with physical materials, it will be essential to have a foundation in these materials.

Several trends have immerged that make this even more prescient for me: First, the proliferation of new brands of acrylics within the market place. In the last two years 4 new brands have been introduced into art stores. Even the major oil paint companies are trying to introduce unique gel like products into the market place to offer oil painters some of the same extended possibilities previously only available to acrylic painters. Finally, it is obvious by the amount of experimental work being pursued that artists are very much interested in new working possibilities to explore. Many using a wide range of industrially available materials, in an assortment of potentially wonderful and also disastrous ways.

Education in these materials would go along way in increasing the available choices for artists without stunting the creative academic instinct that often insists that artists find out on their own. To give choices should be within the bill of rights for art students. To not be educated in these choices is absolutely a breach of responsibility.