Tacit Knowledge: Painting, Thinking & Teaching

Painting, like other areas of the visual arts, is a complex field that defies any single method or style. In the visual arts, we are taught and we learn that there is never a true answer to the problems that we face. Each of us must find our own way. Unlike other traditional subject matter there are no manuals or directives to aid the painter in devising a teaching curriculum. Few artists have written about how to teach art. Although some have written rich narratives about their teaching experiences, they offer little advice to artists who want to teach. We must rely upon our own knowledge and experience as we enter into the studio classroom. We must also learn how to translate that which we know into something that can others can learn. The aim of this arts-based research is to create a bridge between the practice of the artist and the practice of the teacher, constructing a dialectic relationship between the two. It is an exploration into artistic knowledge, artistic process and teaching. Artistic knowledge is the meaningful relationship that is made between the mind of the artist and the tools of the practice. Artistic knowledge is not communicated with words, but through the thoughtful and critical melding of mind and materials. It is knowledge that is interpretive, subjective and unique to an individual. Artistic knowledge is tacit knowledge