ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the ways in which one older kind of teaching, the masterclass, has continued to play an important role in teaching contemporary art. In continental Europe, and especially Germany, it has continued to be the dominant model for teaching art. However, it is now used to teach the methods and ideas of contemporary art, rather than the traditional styles, which it propagated in the past. Masterclass teaching brings with it risks, especially the stifling influence of teachers and older forms of art, but this chapter also argues that it can foster creativity—the development of new, valuable work in the visual arts. In Britain, comparable forms of teaching based on the presence of an experienced artist who passes on their knowledge, skills and ideas have also been embraced since the 1960s. Occasionally this teaching has been overt, but it has more often happened quietly, going under the radar. Masterclass teaching should be much better acknowledged and understood than it currently is in the English-speaking world, and in its best forms it should be protected and fostered.
