ABSTRACT
Something’s stirring in the unkempt undergrowth of art. Young artists seem to be abandoning the manicured lawns and bridleways, and diving into the bushes to partake of dark and lurid activities
(Hutchinson 1998: 144)
In secondary education teachers often shy away from most contemporary art because they consider it too difficult, an art ‘full of monsters, replete with vulgarity and coarseness . . . [monsters] formed in relation to the inability of knowledgeable, patient and contemplative practice to express the experiences of the actually existing subjectivities of young artists’ (Hutchinson 1998: 144). Contemporary art’s ‘monstrosities’ are all too often perceived as problematic, transgressive, even perverse, certainly outside the ‘given’ remit of mainstream education. To welcome them into the classroom runs the risk of rebuke from senior management and parents alike. But by refusing to engage with potentially problematic practices are we, as educators, protecting students from unnecessary exposure to ‘obscenities’, or are we missing an opportunity to confront important personal, social and cultural issues? These issues are as relevant to the developing subjectivities of students as they are to the ‘actual, existing subjectivities’ of young artists.
