The Irony of Art Education
and Other Politics
(Art Education in Lesser Known Art Schools)
H.A.Anil Kumar

It was the 3G generation of students who drove those donkeys back to their owner’s place from
CAVA, under the guidance of Umesh, who belongs to the generation before the 1G. The theme that
must have bothered him is that of the definition of ‘skill’ in education, which happens to be the root
cause of the bifurcation of art schools, department-wise. It is like being ‘department-wise conceptfoolish’.
Interestingly, the reason that most of the art schools in Karnataka, born either during
pre or post-independence, were brainchilds of individuals is a fact which is interconnected with
the classification of schools department-wise. Since these Institutions were initially structured by
individuals (CKP was conceived by Prof. M. S. Nanjunda Rao; Kalamandiram by A. N. Subbarao;
Ken School of Arts by R. M. Hadapad; Ideal Fine Arts Society by Prof. V. G. Andani among
others) the post-individual democratic setup was never a spontaneous operation. Nature-study,
as a subject, was never included in higher classes because it was considered close to abstraction,
and that abstraction was equated with the abstract inability to democratize Karnataka art schools
in general! Hence, the best of the last two decades of genuine creativity emerging from these
art schools is based on its unfamiliarity with the media, idea and para-institutionalisation, from
which such works emerged. In other words, for instance, the best artworks by the students of CKP
(and not fit to fit into the ‘student-works’ category) in the last decade emerged from, and due to,
their interactions with the artists-run-initiatives and residences, run mostly by the ex-students
of CKP! This seems like more of an exception than a rule
and has, ironically, become the norm of the day—the best of
most of the students of CKP, Bangalore University masters
degree program, Ken School and Kalamandiram occurred
outside the institutional premises, under the aegis of artistsrun-
initiatives like No. 1 Shanthiroad, Bar 1 (Bangalore Art
Residency) and Jaaga.
Altogether, the structures of art schools of Karnataka
seem to reside upon a comfort zone, without acknowledging
their position as chaotic, despite ample evidences against
them proves that much is supposed to happen inside while,
actually, artistic occurences outside of them affects them
the most. The art institution’s presence and potential are felt
outside the formal structures, proved by its own pupil, past
and present. But someone might stand up from within and
pose an insightful question like, “But aren’t those who are
bringing sanctity to the interior of art pedagogy the products
of this very institution(s)?” Not a very comfortable question
to answer, though!