1.8. We teach readiness
1.8.1. What is in the air: an initial attempt on the first day of the academic year to name an indeterminate sign, a new feeling, a tendency, which is in the air. This is crucial to the configuration of the whole year.
1.8.2. Manifesto: the student writes five powerful statements setting forth their vision for the coming year.
1.8.3. Study plan: the student’s path after the first month of the academic year. Different degrees of specificity, sometimes one clear assignment, other times a wide range of possibilities.
1.8.4. Consultation: takes place whenever there is a need on either side. Sometimes it will be intensive (“varnish”) and will last several hours or spill over into the next day. Both undergraduates and doctoral students form a team, and this team participates in the consultation sessions.
1.8.5. Injections: provide the others with some important aspect of your experience or knowhow during approx. 20 minutes. The topic will be determined by whatever the studio is engaged in.
1.8.6. “Christmas airport” for meeting personalities, joint activities, inviting other studios and cooking together.
1.8.7. Internal finals: at the end of the semester we spend three days in intensive discussions from dawn till dusk, during which everyone offers their opinion.
1.8.8. Night drawing: a model in darkness. Drawing a scene with a model illuminated by spotlight.
1.8.9. Drawing marathon: drawing with minimal breaks all day long into the night and during the next morning.
1.8.10. Workshop: a special drawing assignment. The studio has a mind palace containing dozens of experimental tasks, and more will be created.
1.8.11. Studio exhibition: once every year or two the studio joins forces with another on a joint exhibition. Recent years include Battle at Caffé UFFO in Trutnov, Printmaking 2 Does Graphics… and Wants to Make You an Offer! at the graduate show, Black Box at GAVU, etc.
1.8.12. Role-play: sometimes it is useful to externalise and give a name to the role of an individual among others. We “play” who we are.
1.8.13. Business schemes: techniques from the “opposing side”, e.g. a SWOT analysis, team building, etc.
1.8.14. Standing before the stand: the subtle adjustment of the geometry of stance vis-à-vis model and image.
1.8.15. Stereo-microscope: an everyday gaze upon the microworld.
1.8.16. Repainting the classics: the interpretation of a classical image in terms of what functions visually in it.

1.8.17. Memory: FB group, a collection of observations and recollections of the past.
1.8.17.1. Legends of people whose existence is still evoked by something in the studio. Once every few years a gathering of Printmaking 2 alumni.
1.8.17.2. Studio knowhow: the Gr2 glossary and other existing scripts.
1.8.17.3. Databank: the processing and distribution of visual and other studio data.

1.8.18. Logistics: in order that studio operations do not consume excessive energy and time, we must insist on attendance, punctuality, functioning communication, the observance of agreements, clearing up your mess…

1.9. We think in contradictions, not in solitary concepts. We do not select one “correct” field or direction, but the tension between extremes. “You open the can on both sides at once.” (Jiří Ševčík) Let each of these extremes occur at maximum intensity:
1.9.1. contemporary feeling versus classical,
1.9.2. individualism versus a team spirit,
1.9.3. ignorance versus knowledge and analysis,
1.9.4. a conceptual approach versus manual work,
1.9.5. deadly serious versus overview and humour,
1.9.6. an awareness of our own qualities versus the highest ambition…

2. Outputs
2.1. All students must be aware of the basic paradox of an art education – the student must discover the way for themselves.
2.2. Though images must be created, their unspoken purpose is that the student works on themselves through working on the image.
2.3. They will in parallel acquire a range or practical skills such as creativity, a readiness for change, teamwork, drawing and printmaking knowhow, etc.
2.4. We expect doctoral work to be strong both before and after, i.e. it must offer a serious and substantiated response to its initial thesis, in which case, with a smidgeon of luck, a powerful artwork will be created in parallel.
2.5. We offer doctoral students critical and empathetic feedback.
2.6. We ask that doctoral students represent role models for undergraduates of how a professional should be and that they expand the range of opinions expressed in the studio as an alternative to established lectures.
2.7. Though we are interested in gallery operations, we focus more on the memory of the discipline and everyday reality. The question of style and stylisation takes back seat.
2.8. What the student is offered as an example of contemporary art is in fact the art of the previous generation. Ideally a student should be prepared to place their bets on future art.

Printmaking 2

Studio Samples