THE TRANSART INSTITUTE
http://www.transartadmissions.org/
Greetings and welcome to my MFA process blog.
My name is Claire Elizabeth Barratt. I received an MFA in Creative Practice with the Transart Institute, accredited by Plymouth University UK, in August 2016.
The following pages contain my two year coursework process, the most recent posts are of my final project and of my advisor evaluations, followed by my coursework (in reverse chronological order, as it is with blogs.)
My experience with the Transart Institute:
Where to begin ....
in my opinion, Transart is a functioning rhizomatic community. They refer to a rhizomatic structure, as described by Deleuze and Guattari in A Thousand Plateaus - and I can really see it as a living, working mechanism for the Transart community. Because of this, Transart has the plasticity to constantly evolve, morph, become - while maintaining its core precepts and principles. At any given moment, the needs and priorities of a current student body may change, and a rhizomatic structure is both flexible and defined enough to accommodate these without losing its essential purpose.
My experience of this structure in operation was to witness my peers each finding their own unique voice in leadership to influence a result that would have never occurred without them.
The program requires each student to take responsibility for themselves - both as a person and as an artist. And the individuals who become part of this program are indeed each totally unique characters forging their own path in the art world.
Transart does not offer a program that teaches people how to be artists - there is very little instruction on how to develop one's technique or craft. Transart puts one in a position where one has to THINK, to respond, to create, to question, to define, to RESEARCH.
The reason a peer critique group can consist of artists from a variety of disciplines is because they are not discussing the techniques of their craft so much as concepts and ideas, cause and effect (or affect) and aesthetics.
For me, it was not so important that my medium is performance and someone else's is painting or video or whatever - but to be moved by an aesthetic quality or provoked by an idea.
This is very much the same principle as the now legendary Black Mountain College - which I am very familiar with, living in Asheville NC and having been involved with the Black Mountain College Museum + Art Center for a number of years.
It is this meeting of minds that sparks so much inspirational creativity - with the anchor of critical thinking.
I was accepted into the MFA program on the merit of my body of work as an artist - I did not have an undergraduate degree, so it was quite a stretch for me to suddenly be thrown into the academic rigors of critical discussion and paper-writing. It actually took me until the final semester to really feel confident in group discussions - during the last winter and summer residencies.
It was a steep learning curve!
I think that being paired with the right advisors is key - it was critical for me anyway. I was blessed with two advisors who were fully committed and deeply engaged in the process with me. Whether we agreed on everything was not nearly as important as their genuine investment in the work. It certainly did not always feel comfortable or easy - sometimes I would feel quite upset or angry or defensive - I might even dread an advisor meeting - but I now appreciate their challenges.
Thank you Laura Gonzalez and Linda Montano!
Right from the first summer residency I was forced into defining and articulating what my work is about and what I am doing with it. I was extremely resistant to this, as I enjoy the mystery of being an unconscious conduit of creativity. But I can choose which way to go on that one now - I have the tools for definition when necessary.
It was an incredibly intensive two years. One has to live, breath, eat, sleep, dream the work. ALL THE TIME! Even though the Transart community people are spread out all over the globe, one is still intensely aware of them - it's very strange how the human connection works that way.
My experience of being in Berlin for three summers was quite profound. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to know the city so well and explore some lesser-known nooks and crannies.
Ufer Studios really is such a perfect venue for the residency and I hope it stays there.
The biggest problem with both the Berlin and New York residencies is the housing issue.
In my humble opinion, I really think Transart needs to take some responsibility for helping to find student accommodation. If it's done far ahead enough in advance, a whole hostel could be booked at a good rate. It's just such a stressful scramble for everyone to deal with finding decent and affordable accommodation on top of preparing for the residency, preparing presentations and finishing up the semester's final projects and papers.
Another area I think Transart could provide more assistance with is in securing financial aid. I spent some considerable time researching possible academic grants, loans and scholarships etc. - but that becomes a full-time job in itself and I eventually had to give up in order not to get behind on my project work.
While I think Transart is of superior artistic, creative and intellectual standard, perhaps a little more could be offered in terms of practical survival and being-in-the-world matters. After all, we are human beings who need to eat, sleep, travel, do taxes, stay safe and exist in our bodies!
An important part of the Transart experience is the constant stream of presentation deadlines - whether to the peer critique group, one's advisors, the big presentation at the residencies, smaller pecha-kucha style presentations, or just posting work on one's student blog.
I think this is the best way to keep progressing forward with the work. Even though it's understood we are presenting work-in-progress, the fact that it is a presentation heightens the working process, bumps it up a notch - forcing a stage of completion, however temporary, enough to define something and stop to look at it.
And then suddenly, just when I've really clicked into place, found my pace and truly love everybody ... it's all over!
So now what?
To continue on the struggle of life and survival in the world as an artist!
Yes - better equipped for sure.
Equipped with an MFA certificate, with a defined method and resulting body of work, with the vocabulary for discourse about it and with a new community in the world ...
the Transart diaspora!
THANK YOU
Cella, Susie, Jean Marie Casbarian, Andrew Cooks, Honi Ryan, Laura Gonzalez, Linda Montano, Lynn Book, Michael Bowdidge, John Newling, Gwen Charles ... and all my dear TI peers.
