Jewelry and metal design are inexplicably related to pure art, especially Royal Art RCA in Britain and Rhode Island Design Institute RISD in the United States. Jewelry+Metal jewelry and metal design are incorporated into pure art majors in RISD and RCA; RISD pays more attention to the diversity and creativity of students' application methods, and RCA seems to pay more attention to the individuality and uniqueness of students in the field of thinking. Let's take a look at the characteristics of jewelry and metal design under pure art in foreign jewelry design colleges 。
When it comes to pure art, some students think that "pure", "free" and "casual" artists are full of inspiration and imagination. They can freely use their own inspiration and freely express all their thoughts and feelings, such as the following works:
Top: Left/Vincent van Gogh,< Almond Blossom>
Right/Vincent van Gogh,< Roses>
Bottom: Left/Claude Monet,< Effet de printemps a Giverny>
Right/Claude Monet,< Les Nymphéas>
But some students may think“ Unable to understand ”、“ Can't understand ”I don't know what pure art does. It seems that any thing can become an art, or as long as you do something funny, you can be defined as an artist, as follows
Artist Francis Al'is,< Sometimes making something leads to nothing>
Pure art seems to have many forms of expression, and it seems that anyone can become an artist. Is it true that as a pure art artist, being famous really depends on luck and daring to "stand out"? But in fact, in the field of contemporary art, there is another form of expression: Jewelry+Metal/Jewelry and Metal Design. It looks like a fashion specialty, but in fact it completely belongs to the category of pure art.
Today, natural light takes RISD and RCA as examples to compare Jewelry+Metal jewelry and metal design in these two British and American art schools, and simply analyze the connection between jewelry design and pure art.
Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design
First of all, let's take a look at the professional division of RISD. There are no majors or disciplines directly named after Fine Arts, but if we simply look at them, we can also find some majors that should be classified in the field of Fine Arts, such as Ceramics/ceramics, Glass/glass, Sculpture/sculpture, painting/oil painting, photography/photography, and Illustrations/ Illustration, Printmaking/Printmaking, etc.
Screenshot from RISD official website
However, when we directly check the departments of Fine Arts College on RISD's official website, we will find that in addition to the above pure art majors in our daily cognition, RISD also divides three "special" majors into Fine Arts. They are:
Textiles
Film/Animation/Video
And what we want to focus on today:
Jewelry+Metalsmithing -Jewelry and metal products
Screenshot from RISD official website
In the past, we saw these three majors in the division and setting of other professional art schools. Film/Animation/Video is generally divided into film schools or digital media schools, while Jewelry+Metalsmithing jewelry and metal production and Textiles are also in fashion schools. But to my surprise, RISD classified all three majors in the field of Fine Arts.
We can take a look at these three majors and see what's special in RISD, so that they are all classified in Fine Arts. First of all, Film/Animation/Video, let's take a look at the school's own definition of this major:
In Film/Animation/Video students explore the art of the moving image, Learning to master the tools needed to article a creative vision, which uses film, animation, installations, interactive media or a combination. FAV protectors support the investment of the technical, aesthetic and conceptual questions central to creating strong content with a unique voice. From RISD official website
From the school's explanation, we can see that RISD believes that films, animations, installations, and related interactive media are all used as medium There are artists Tool media used to help explore dynamic visual image art They are not art itself, but the way that art can be established.
Secondly, let's take a look at Jewelry+Metalsmithing jewelry and metal products. In the traditional concept of most people, jewelry is probably only of commercial value. What is good looking? It doesn't matter. Just show your identity. But in RISD's view, jewelry design is not like this. Jewelry and all metal materials can become the media and tools for artists to express their ideas. This is the same as Film/Animation/Video.
Screenshot from RISD official website
In addition, we can also get confirmation on the official website, "explore the intersections between art, craft and design". This profession considers not only the jewelry itself, but also whether the value of jewelry is expensive. It uses jewelry as a medium to Explore the relationship between art, design and craftsmanship that make up jewelry 。
Next, Textiles. You can guess why Textiles is included in Fine Arts without looking at the professional introduction. But let's take a look:
From RISD official website
In RISD's view, fabrics are not only for clothing design or fashion products, but also for a wide range of purposes, especially with the help of the special texture of different fabrics, which can make works of art more textured, and fabrics can be used in a variety of places. As RISD said, students majoring in Textiles will try Explore fabric, technology, and technology Through their wonderful combination, we can create new materials and art forms.
In terms of courses, we take Jewelry+Metalsmithing Jewelry and Metal Design as an example. We can see that there are many studio, seminar and practice courses in the specific course arrangement, and these courses are arranged almost every semester.
choice Graduate Jewelry Seminar 3 Let's talk about how RISD combines jewelry and metal making with pure art in specific courses.
The purpose of this course is to cultivate students' writing and expression ability, how to explain their own creation and creativity, and how to express others' works and make comments. In this course, students need to examine the trend and development of contemporary art through critical thinking and theoretical basis. Students need to study the relationship between contemporary art and history, images and visual culture.
• Graduate Jewelry SemInar 3 Graduate Jewelry Design Seminar
This course is devoted to developing one’s abilities to write and speak with precision and complexity,about one’s own work and the work of others. We will examine trends and movements in contemporary art through the lens of critical theory .We will investigate what contemporary art can tell us about the relationships between history, images,and visual culture,subsequently developing the skills necessary to write about your work,what it articulates and argues,and the ideas and traditions from which it emerges.Each term will identify and address a new set of themes relevant to course content.
Graduate major requirement,J+M majors only.
Registration by J+M Department,course not available via web registration,
There is also Jewelry Introduction, a course that mainly introduces jewelry design.
Jewelry Introduction
This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of design and metal fabrication techniques for both jewelry and small objects. Working with precious and non-precious metals,students learn traditional jewelry construction including sawing,filing,forming,soldering,and polishing.A series of structured assignments guide students as they transform their ideas into finished pieces. Solutions for projects are open to enable the student to explore his/her own aesthetic , but taught in a way to insure that students master the basic processes.Lectures on historical and contemporary jewelry supplement,inform,and inspire students’work.
Elective; Open to oil majors
However, in the description of jewelry design course, we can see that students will learn the basic knowledge of jewelry and some jewelry design, metal manufacturing technology. At the same time, they will try to use some precious or non precious metal materials to learn the traditional jewelry manufacturing process, such as sawing, filing, forming, welding and polishing.
The purpose of this series of courses is not to make students become pure jewelry manufacturers or jewelry producers, but to use these courses to stimulate students' ideas and Let students better turn their ideas into finished products with the support of mature technology.
As RISD said, "Solutions for projects are open to enable the student to explore his/her own aesthetic", students' creation is mainly in the form of projects, but each project is Openness Yes, students can create independently, and can freely play their creativity and imagination. In this environment, students can truly, from the heart, explore their own Aesthetic cognition 。
Here, jewelry design is not only used for commercial sales, it also has more artistic properties. It can also become a medium of artistic creation to express the artist's ideas.
Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
RCA is very different in the name of a wide range of professional fields, not called Fine Arts, but called Art & Humanities , but like RISD, it also covers many disciplines:
Ceramics&Glass/ceramics and glass, Contemporary art practice/contemporary art practice, Curating contemporary art/contemporary art planning, Jewellery&Metal/jewelry and metal products, Fine art&Humanities/pure art and humanities, Painting/oil painting, Photography/photography, Print/printing, Sculpture/sculpture, History of Design/design history, Writing/writing.
Screenshot from RCA official website
In addition to several majors that almost overlap with RISD, there are also contemporary art practice/contemporary art practice, Curating contemporary art/contemporary art planning, Fine art&Humanities/pure art and humanities, History of Design/design history, Writing/writing.
Having seen the division of RCA majors, we still take Jewellery&Metal as an example to see what is different between this major and Jewelry+Metalsmithing Jewelry+Metal Materials of RISD.
We encourage an open-minded approach in the interpretation of the subject.Our belief in objects as embodiments of thinking derrands each student find their own angle and artistic! professional voice.
Traditional and contemporary materials and processes are deployed in the creation of works that address fundamental human needs and desires,and which contrbute to the expanded field of object culture
In the official interpretation given by the school, we can see such a sentence: "Our belief in objects as implications of thinking demands each student finds their own angle and artistic/professional voice" Each piece of work is the embodiment of ideas and the sustenance of thinking consciousness. Students need Find your own way of expression to show your thoughts and thinking awareness.
Every jewelry design student of Jewellery&Metal can find Own style and design pursuit And learn how to Think and interpret through materials and creation 。
It can be seen that RCA seems to pay more attention to the individuality and uniqueness of students in the field of thinking than RISD pays more attention to the diversity and creativity of students in the way of application.
As artists,being in control of the making process either by using our hands or through digital technologies is very important,it is our way of making sense of the world.As individuals,we are fascinated with the rich and diverse materials and resources the world
has to offer,and through the individuality of our personal visions we make our contribution to the bigger picture.
In the interpretation of RCA, we can see such a passage, starting from the identity of artists and ordinary individuals, to interpret the significance of jewelry and materials: as artists, it is very important to dominate the creation process of works through hands, or some digital technology, because this is the way we understand the world; As individuals, we are often fascinated by the rich and diverse materials and resources provided by the world. With the help of these resources and materials, our ideas and creativity can be constantly amplified and displayed in an artistic form.
Jewellery&Metal, jewelry and materials are the focus of the profession. The application of traditional materials, modern new materials and various crafts can meet the needs and desires of creators for expression. Therefore, the school also encourages students to continue to try and explore materials, and design and create in an open and critical manner. This is very similar to RISD.
Next, in terms of curriculum, RCA also wrote down the learning priorities and curriculum planning arrangements for each stage in a very specific way. For example, in the first year, the curriculum is mainly to cultivate students' personal Creative thinking Is the core. Students will understand and explore the basic design methods, background, expression skills, technology, material application, etc. through some personal projects or small team cooperation projects.
The key emphasis of the J&M programme is on the Personal Project. A Personal Project evolves from the student’s emerging interests in relation to the total experience of the course.It is supported by individual tutorials and subject to periodic review. The other course components are designed to complement and underpin this work,developing and deepening students’understanding of their chosen subject and strengthening confidence in developing their creative skills and finding their own artistic voice.
However, whether it is to understand the basic design methods or to explore materials, RCA clearly stated that the first year of the course is to deepen students' professional understanding, develop their own skills, and also make their own artistic awareness stronger.
The first year's curriculum is the basis for the second year's curriculum. The school also hopes that through the first year's basic learning, students can have some simple plans for the second year's learning. Because the courses of the second year are mainly based on students' Individual creation Primary.
During the second year students are expected to pursue their Personal Projects and produce work that will reflect the context of their anticipated professional practice .Students are assigned a relevant personal tutor who supports their practice throughout the year. They produce a self-initiated body of work,which is evaluated and discussed in group critiques and tutorials throughout the year.
MA2 specific professional/contextual seminars have been scheduled during the year to help each student establish their own niche and career direction.
Although students in the first year will also be exposed to many studios, Seminar, Tutorial, Group Discussion For other forms of courses, students' creation is also mainly project oriented, but in the second year, because students' works need to be carried out as the final RCA Show exhibition works, students must fully reflect their own personal style in their works, so that their ideas can be fully displayed through design.
Today's summary
In addition to the traditional view of pure art, today we chose RISD and RCA as examples to talk about their pure art majors and the expression of Jewelry+Metal Jewelry and Metal Design majors. We will find that in the professional division of these two high-quality art colleges, the huge direction field of pure art is divided into many professional directions, including sculpture, painting, print, illustration, ceramics/glass, etc. in our traditional understanding.
But at the same time, there are also some professions that should be classified in other fields in general cognition. In fact, they can also be included in the scope of pure art, such as film and television dynamic image production, fabric, jewelry and metal production, which we see today.
In particular, jewelry and metal making profession. In the past, most people may think that this profession should belong to the field of fashion, because many people think that jewelry exists as clothing accessories, which may only have commercial sales value or aesthetic value as accessories. Few people would think of it, A piece of jewelry can also become an artist's emotional or ideological sustenance.
But in fact, RISD and RCA both provide us with a new interpretation of jewelry and metal materials Special materials, combined with design, and artists' ideas and thinking, can also become works of art, and can also be used as an expression medium of art.
By comparing the jewelry and metal design majors of the two universities, we can also see that, RISD focuses on students' exploration in the field of materials and their ability to combine ideas with materials; While RCA also values students' depth in materials, RCA always emphasizes students Cultivation of personal characteristics Both the curriculum and student works need to reflect the unique style of students.
How to choose these two high-quality art colleges? They have their own characteristics and unique teaching style and philosophy. No matter which of them your Dream School is, the best one for you will be the best.
More professional recommendations of relevant art schools:
Application for studying abroad in metal and jewelry design at Sheffield Harlem University, undergraduate study in British jewelry
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