Teachers limiting your photography

Crimson-Canon · Jul 3, 2009

The title is a "true story", I was told several times by my art teachers that some of my photos were not pleasing to look at, and that I should return to my "cute photos" as she called them. Here's some background on WHY she said this. I was, at the time, going to a Christian School, what I took a photo of was this:

"It is a cute shot", I told her. She then gave me a rather distasteful look and told me "Those are two MALE manikins and I will not have THAT in my classroom!" Now, I understand what she was saying, but art is art. The title of the photo is now "Love in Universal". Because I believe everyone has the right to be in love with whomever they choose. And it shouldn't be limited by color, race, or gender. I believe that to be true with any kind of art too. (photography, drawing, digital art, anything.)

I have had a lot of different teachers tell me what I could and could not show in the art room. Even though they always say "the sky's the limit". having this come from an authority figure really got me down about my art work, causing me to have almost a two year long dry spell. I stopped drawing, taking photos and doing anything that involved art. I now am out of school and back to the full swing of things concerning my art, and photography.

Has anyone else experienced a teacher, or maybe even someone close to you telling you to limit your talent?

DeadEye · Jul 3, 2009

Ummm well my wife (yep the boss) asked me to not be making nude art in the basement. Yep that limits things. So now I gotta do the nudes outside.

J/K

D.E.

JerryPH · Jul 3, 2009

Crimson-Canon said:
She then gave me a rather distasteful look and told me "Those are two MALE manikins and I will not have THAT in my classroom!"

Hrmm... in what universe does she live where wooden mannequins of ANY kind have ANY gender?

Did you ask her to show you the female mannequin box, you know, the ones with breasts and female gennitalia? You would be interested in redoing the shot.

Tell her to get a life... lol

That said, there is a difference between being limited by a teacher and not listening to someone who understands and can deliver the basics with excellence in a manner that *can* help you.

KmH · Jul 3, 2009

"almost a two year dry spell." ?

Christian school !

Amazing.

Crimson-Canon · Jul 3, 2009

Dry spell meaning I wasn't inspired by anything, and I didn't want to doodle, or take pictures, of any kind. I just kind of stopped with my art all together.. ;[

rufus5150 · Jul 3, 2009

JerryPH said:
Hrmm... in what universe does she live where wooden mannequins of ANY kind have ANY gender?

Actually, those wood model mannequins traditionally have two very distinct genders. I have one of each and no, they're by no means anatomically correct, but standing next to one another, you can tell which one is definitely meant to represent the male and which one is definitely meant to represent the female.

It still doesn't mean she's not being ridiculous. Assuming it's only a homosexual relationship depicted is a pretty narrow minded. Familial, fraternal, etc, all types of same-sex bonds are expressed with embracing depicted in the photo.

Knowing me, though, I'd probably have retitled it "Brokebirch Mountain".

Whatever you do, don't allow one person to get you down like that. Take the Dalai Lama's tack on it: thank them for allowing you to encounter and overcome suffering, learn from the experience and move on.

tnvol · Jul 4, 2009

I agree with what you are saying and I dont have a problem with the picture, but a christian school probably isnt the place to look for a favorable opinion of a picture with two "male" subjects embracing each other. I dont know if the reaction you got was the one you were going for but I dont see how you could have expected anything else given your audience.

Crimson-Canon · Jul 4, 2009

Well, I was an Honor's Art Student. I created my own contract and was told I had no limits hence the "Sky's the limit" reference. I was told to take photos that are very common in an art room, and make people see them in a different light. No other instructions were told to me. So that's what I did. I showed the photo to other teachers, and they all loved it. None of them noticed they were "male". When I pointed it out, a lot of them still liked the photo, saying " it was tasteful, and not over done." "Subtle and heart-warming". Oh well, guess you'll always run into people who don't see eye to eye with you. That's a part of life. it's just hard for me because I love and respect a lot of Art teachers. Just don't understand how someone can judge art so harshly sometimes.

AlexColeman · Jul 4, 2009

Thats reading into the photo far too much.

Lol@ BrokeBirch Mountain.

ann · Jul 4, 2009

i would agree with alex,
in my class i would be much more concerned with the "light' or what ever is on the ceiling, and suggesting to move them more to the right.

would never cross my mind that this is a gender photo.

Crimson-Canon · Jul 4, 2009

Yeah, it's a sprinkler system in the background. Lol. It kind of looks like a blurry heart over one of their heads. Hehe. I could always photoshop it out..