Goldsmiths: But Is It Art?

Yeah, I saw this. Art school just seems like a giant scam to me, although I suppose it would have been a fun place to hang out for a couple of years in my early 20s. How come all the students were 35+? Is this a common thing, office dweebs like me having a mid-life crisis suddenly wanting to become artists in their 30s? Maybe I'll sign up in a couple of years,

they were Masters students, which probably accounts for the age, also maybe the older students were more interesting?

I liked the girl who nicked stuff, I thought all that was ace.

john eden said:

I liked the girl who nicked stuff, I thought all that was ace.

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There was a woman artist in the paper t'other day who stole diamonds off posh clothes, swallowed them and shat them out. Genius.

Mr. Tea said:

There was a woman artist in the paper t'other day who stole diamonds off posh clothes, swallowed them and shat them out. Genius.

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I think that might the same one actually!

She was showing something on the telly which she had shat out that morning that might have been a diamond. She said she still had one "working its way through" as well...

Two things I remember about Goldsmiths:

1) A mate of mine doing a "poetry reading" there which was actually some pretty extreme performance art involving porn, blood, cat food and maggots. The Students Union didn't like it.

2) Some comrades in the Association of Autonomous Astronauts being informed by some Goldsmiths Students that they didn't like the AAA because it was taking attention away from "real artists" ha ha.

john eden said:

I think that might the same one actually!

She was showing something on the telly which she had shat out that morning that might have been a diamond. She said she still had one "working its way through" as well...

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Wow. Must be pretty cool to be able to say to someone "Well as a matter of fact, I actually do shit diamonds." Next thing to work on would be some sort of special diet that would allow you to literally piss rosewater...

Your mate's "poetry reading" sounds like the kind of shit COUM Transmissions used to get up to.

swears said:

Art school just seems like a giant scam to me, although I suppose it would have been a fun place to hang out for a couple of years in my early 20s.

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Didn't see this prog but I would say that a lot of times art school is exactly those things.

Thing is the art school system also operates as a way into certain gated established networks of galleries etc. If you want certain types of institutions to recognise you as a professional 'artist' that's what they expect you to do, regardless of whether you learn anything or improve your work. I don't think it's terribly healthy, can be horribly conservative in some ways, though I'm sure some schools have good elements. You know all the most interesting people get kicked out or find it to be a pile of arse.

I like the student union at Gsmiths.