32 Planet of the Arts / December 1996 _ Sketch of the Artist at Fouquet In Context by Harald Gravelsins The soul of our school is not for sale, and never will be, despite the gradual substitution of government cash infu- sions by private and corporate dollars. This confident assertion is among the things related to Planetofthe : Arts by Monique Fouquet, Dean of the First Year Division, in a recent interview. Fouquet is among the core group of people navigating the direction of the Institute in a period of significant shifts in the school’s financial circumstances. Going into the interview, Planet of the Arts had concerns in mind which might be worth describing to readers before reporting further on the conversation with Fouquet. Deans at Emily Carr are paid to paint a happy picture of the school’s future. In assuming administrative responsibili- ties, they also sacrifice a large portion of time that could oth- erwise go to creative pursuits. It is natural for apprenticing artists and designers, such as students : at Emily Carr, to question the nature and extent of the commitment of Fouquet and other navigators of the Institute. On the students’ side of the fence, faced with constant _ money problems and uncertain career prospects, the people running art schools often seem to have it too good. Don’t their income and public'sector job security make them insen- sitive to our plight? Don’t these privileges make hollow any advice from them to us to become enthusiastic self-promot- ers in the corporate marketplace? Don’t their actions demon- strate an unseemly eagerness to short-change artistic integrity in favour of financial reward? There are various ways for students to find out about the beliefs of their school’s custodians and how these beliefs are being put into action. One way is par- ticipation in joint decision-making, for which we have student representa- tion at the Institute. Another is conversation, for which we have a newspaper. Back then to our interview with Fouquet. In terms of standard demographic identifiers Fouquet is a baby-boomer, a women and a francophone. The first is unremarkable since none of the deans at Emily Carr is especially crusty. Fouquet makes no special claims about the second in the context of her role at the school, believing that the glass ceiling at Emily Carr was done away with at least eight years ago. Linguistic identity seems to give the most pause to Fouquet in terms of aesthetic choices that situate her artistic produc- tion in relation to audiences and other artists. “ZL still call myself a québecoise, and probably always will. “When | use text in my work, | have to decide whether to use just French, just English, or both.” Originally from Québec City, Fouquet arrived in Vancouver in 1973 after spending the previous two and a half years in Toronto. Her decision to immerse herself in English Canadian society and culture speaks to contemporary national politics in an obvious way. Asked if the predominance of English in her daily activities proves that she is assimilated, Fouquet replies, “Assimilation is really an over-simplification. Culture is much more complex than that. The fact that yes, | use English as my main language now, does not make me an assimilated québecoise.” As further evidence against assimilation, Fouquet relates that her conversations with her Vancouver-born daughter are conducted almost exclusively in French and that her daughter seems to have inherited a deeplyfelt attach- ment to quebecois culture. The strategies a person formulates regarding their major activities often tie into the perspectives guiding their institution-based work. If this is true in Fouquet'’s case then understanding her choice ; to leave Québec City for Toronto and Vancouver ;# can tell us a lot about the views she holds on ’ negotiating change at Emily Carr. From an early age Fouquet had an interest in gaining an understanding of people and things outside her immedi- ate life world despite physical and nor- mative distances. Fouquet describes her childhood and adolescent life world as traditional, Catholic, and familial. She recalls having enough boldness and curiosity as a student at a parochial girls school to inquire why, if Jesus was Jewish, true believers were not Jewish rather than Catholic. For asking, Fouquet received admonishment rather than an answer. She also remembers that being directed to pray that non- Catholics find their way to the faith of the Roman Church also seemed way off base. If anything, the exercise only stim- ulated Fouquet’s existing desire she possessed from an early age to understand and engage directly with the category of Other which had been defined abstractly and pejoratively by people claiming to know better than her. Fouquet's childhood fascinations extended to art objects - the stranger ones finding more favour with her than conven- tional works - and she determined by the time she was ten to be an artist. The pairing in Fouquet's life between art making and moving beyond the realm of conventional practices and set- tings first turns up in a significant and obvious way at age fourteen inher Covert explorations of Protestant churches following Saturday morning art classes. People familiar with Québec City will know that the oldest _ section of the city contains a number buildings constructed for the English military and merchant classes in the 18th and 19th centuries. “They [the Protestant churches] were so different from what | knew. Even though from the outside they seemed similar to Catholic churches, inside they were not at all similar. | had asense of entering into a foreign terri- tory but also a sense of trans- gression that | found really appealing at the time. “| was so fascinated by every detail of the interiors. , And | would pick up what | guess were hymn books - | don’t know for sure : because | didn’t speak or read English - and pore through them.” E A few years later, after some studies at the local Ecole des Beaux Arts, Fouquet embarked on a more ambitious sojourn that paired _ the goals of art making and exploring foreign territory. She \_ resolved to seek employment in Toronto in order to learn English and eventually enroll at the Ontario College of Art. The gulf between Canada’s two solitudes could hardly have been drawn more starkly for Fouquet at her arrival in Toronto on a cold November Saturday afternoon in 1970. The province she had left was sup- posedly in a state of apprehended insurrection, the deputy premier had been murdered by the FLQ, and the army patrolled the streets in Montreal and Québec City. At Toronto's Union Station, making her way with a modest continued on page 36... ade ‘ ‘iat pias “will Shy Yasir 32 Planet of the Arts / December 1996 Skeich of the Artist as an Art _ $chool Dean Fouquet in Context = by Harald Gravelsins The soul of our school is not for sale, and never will be, despite the gradual substitution of government cash infu: Sions by private and corporate dollars. This confident assertion is omeong the things related to Planetofhe ‘Ars by Monique Fouguet, Dean of the Fist Year Division, ina recent interview. Fouguets mong the core group of people navigating the direction ofthe Institute in a period of Significant shifts in the schoo financial ercumstances Going into the interview, Planet of the Arts had conceens ’inmind which might be worth describing to readers before reporting further on the conversation wth Fougut. Deans at Emily Car are paid to paint a hoppy picture of the school’ future. n assuming administrative responsibil tis, they as sacrifice a large portion of time that could oth wise goto creative pursuits it's natural for apprentiing atts and designers, suchas students : ‘at Emily Cary to question the nature and extent ofthe commitment of Fouguet and other navigators of the institute ‘On the students’ side ofthe fence faced with constant ‘money problems and uncertain carer prospect, the people Funning ar schools often seem to have i too good. Bont their income and publi sector job security make them inzen- sitive to our plight? Don't these privileges make hallow any dedvice from them to Us to become enthusiastic set promot ers inthe corporate marketplace? Dont their actions demon State an unseemly eagerness to shortchange artistic integrity in favour of financial reward? “ete are vrious ways for students to find out about the beliefs of thei school's ‘custodians and how these beliefs are being put ito action. One way pa tiation in int decision-making, for ‘which we have student represento- tion atthe isitute Another “Conversation, for which we have ‘2 newspaper. Back then to our interview with Fouguet. In terms of Standard demosraphic identifiers Fougvet is 2 ‘babyeboomer, @ women and 2 francophone. The ists “unrematkabe since none of the ‘eans at Emily Cats especialy “rusty Fouquet makes no special {aims about the second in the Context of her role atthe School believing thatthe als allng at Emily Car was done away with st least eight years ago. Linguistic identity seemsto give the ‘most pause to Fouguet in terms of aesthetic choices that situate her artistic produc ton in relation to audiences and other arts, “1 still call myself a québecoise, and probably aways wil “When | use text in my work, | have to decide whether to use just French, just English, oF Both." Originally from Québec City, Fouguet arived in Vancouver in 1973 after spending the previous two and a half yeas in Toronto. Her decision to immerse herself in English Canadian society and culture speaks to contemporary national polities in an obvious way. Asked if the predominance of Englsh in hher daily activities proves that she is assimilated, Fouguet replies, “Assimilation i really an oversimplifiation. Culture Js much more complex than that. The fact that yes, | use English as my main language now, does not make me an assimilated québecoise.” {As further evidence against assimilation, Fouguet relates that her conversations with her Vancouver-born daughter are ‘conducted almost exclusively in French and that her ‘daughter seems to have inherited a deepyfelt attach ‘ment to quebecois culture. ‘The strategies a person formulates regarding their major activities often te nto the perspectives ‘guiding their institution-based work. I this is true in Fouguets case then understanding her choice to leave Québec City for Toronto and Vancouver {an tell usa lot about the views she holds on negotiating change at Emily Car. From an early age Fouquet had an Interest in gaining an understanding of people and things outside her immedi ate life world despite physical and nor- mative distances Fouquet describes her childhood and adolescent life world as traditional, Catholic, and familial. She recalls having enough boldness and curiosity as a student at a parochial girls school to inquire why, it Jesus was Jewish, true believes were not Jewish rather than Catholic For asking, Fouquet recived admonishment eather than an ‘She also remembers that being directed to pray that non- Catholics find their way to the faith of the Roman Church ‘also seemed way off base. If anything, the exercise only stim: Ulated Fouquer’ existing desire she possessed from an early ‘age to understand and engage directly with the category of ‘Other which had been defined abstractly and pejoratively by ‘people claiming to know better than her Fouguet's childhood fascinations extended to art objects the stranger ones finding more favour with her than conven tional works - and she determined by the time she was ten to be an arts. ‘The pairing in Fouque’ life between art making and ‘moving beyond the realm of conventional practices and set. tings fist turns up ina significant and obvious way at age fourteen inher Covert explorations of Protestant churches following Saturday morning art classes. People familiar with Québec City will know that the oldest Section ofthe city contains a number buildings constructed for the English military and merchant classes in the 18th and 19th centuries. “They the Protestant churches] were so different from what | knew. Even though from the outside they seemed similar to Catholic ‘churches, inside they were not tall similar. hada sense of entering into a foreign ter tory but also a sense of trans- ‘gression that | found really ‘2ppealing atthe time. “Iwas 50 fascinated by ‘every detail of the interiors ‘And | would pick up what },auess were hymn books ‘don't know for sure because I didn't speak or ead English - and pore ‘through them.” ‘Afew years later, after some studies at the local, Ecole des Beaux Ars, Fouquet embarked on @ more ambitious sojourn that paired ‘the goals of art making and ‘exploring foreign territory. She resolved to seek employment in Toronto in order to learn English and eventually enroll atthe Ontario College of Art. J The gulf between Canada's two soltudes could hardly have been rawn more starkly for Fouguet at her arrival in Toronto on a cold November Saturday afternoon in 1870. The province she had left was sup ‘posedly ina state of apprehended insurrection, the deputy premier had been murdered by the FLO, and the army patrolled the streets in Montreal and Québec Cty. At Toronto's Union Station, making her way with a modest