Kieran, Life Sketch.

Pencil on Paper, 40 cms x 25

Haven't tried to price many of the old ones but will probably sell them cheap although they are like children to me. None of them are framed but I can do it cheaply for you as I have contacts in the Chinese mafia

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Did this sketch in second year life drawing, where I really did learn more than I ever have about drawing. There was no instruction there, just the models and us. The guys who taught drawing were not as nasty. I never saw any evidence ever that any of them could draw though. This model Kieran was great. Though he is older than me by at least ten years and in better shape :(

Short bitch about art school: The drop out rate at Curtin University School of Fine Art is, in first year, two thirds. 66%. Personally I don’t think this is because of the flakiness of art students. Yes. They are flaky. Some of them even have excema. But that just ain’t it, folks. The reason that so many kids drop out is because the lecturers (though I am SURE they love puppies but yeah even Hitler was nice to his dog) are mean spirited and systematically dismantle the egos and ambitions of eager young students. This is not universal but man, I was there for a few years, and it prevails.

And the truth is that the establishment is still the establishment, and just as dictatorial and elitist as it has always fucking been. There is this oddity: that contemporary art has been anti- establishment for so long that this very theme has become the establishment, and one cannot expect to receive high marks unless one makes like a good student and attacks the establishment. This doesn't’t mean THEM though, that’s for sure. One must attack the establishment or do minimalism and the establishment can't be the one where you study but most other things are ok. These are the rules. Nuts, huh?