Bourdieu & taste!

I have spent this week working on my new project at uni and settling back in as well as considering the main points made at our last lecture;

Consider how you ended up studying design.

I actually think I started studying design by accident. At school I loved drawing and painting and had my heart set on Art College by the end of fourth year. I didn't really like the design aspects of the higher course and assumed I would end up doing fine art. However in first year I took one block of textiles and had much more fun than I had in the fine art ones, so took another and then chose to do design last minute.

Who inspired you?

I've always been inspired by classic paintings and have countless books on art in general.. but now I am more inspired by contemporary artists doing new and different things. In terms of who inspired me to do design, I'd probably say the people in my class over the textile blocks in first year!

Why do you like what you like?

When I think of the art I like its usually because of the way it makes me feel, same with music and films. I suppose for some people it depends on what their friends are listening to, but most of my friends tell me I have a really weird/bad taste in music!

Are taste and artistic ability genetic?

I think what I like now has been effected by my surroundings growing up. The music we would listen to on long car journeys is on my ipod now. The pieces of art around my familys houses, especially the cityscape-ish paintings that my uncle collects, effect what I like now and inspire me.

I think artistic ability, like any skill, is genetic to an extent. My Dad's good at drawing but is also very good with numbers. I got the drawing ability and skipped the natural ability to do Maths.. However I do think anyone can draw if they really work at it, just like I know that if I really wanted to I could have worked harder and got better grades in Maths.

We were also asked to read part of the book 'Understanding Bourdieu' after our first lecture.

I'm not sure I agreed with every point, I don't completely agree that social class effects taste. Though I think I appreciate art mostly because I have studied it in school, I don't agree that someone who hasn't studied it doesn't appreciate it. Maybe I am completely missing the point but I think that was a bit of a depressing generalisation. In my opionion each persons taste and appreciation for art comes from interests in other parts of their lives. We are influenced by everything around us, and that effects our taste.

Anyway, I'm home for the weekend and forgot to pick up my sketchbook (NO IDEA HOW!) so I'm going to look through some family photos for Linsey to rip into for assignment one.. I'm looking forward to this one!