36 Planet of the Arts / December 1996 ° ...continued from page 28 He: (He enjoyed her presence; he felt elated, almost hopeful. “Outplay the father”, Roland Barthes had written. He laughed out loud when he thought of Ron Henshaw’'s phallocentric bridges, the undersides, the structure exposed. Great work.) She: (His laughter threw her off guard - she had been laughing inside too - at the translucent drape that shot up like Old Faithful - Jennifer Gottesman’s piece.) He:. (He watched her go, noticing the slight limp - she was favouring her left angle.) In his mind he kept leaping from work to work. He was surprised by his own agility. She: (She went to the beach after their talk. She had always been drawn to the water's edge.) She sat there staring at the moun- tains. She thought about Karen Myskiw’s sculptural,J topographical contour map. She had never considered the recesses of the moun- tains as analogues for femi- nine self, for being inside of experience; interiorized ... she wondered if Ansel Adams did? She wondered. The work sustained her interest, perplexed her. She traced the words that she remembered on the sand: “earth is a commodity, a calendar girl.” A large wave washed half the text away. She had gotten wet, too. Until she got wet her motions were awkward when she tried to leap on rocks; she had no rhythm. A blue heron was staring motion- less at the sea. She wrote a poem in the sand: a heron stands in the sand water watching her soul swim towards her along the line of the horizon the waves touch her belly gently : Gingerbread person courtesry L.C: Wrapper ...continued from page 32 English vocabulary and just enough things to fill a suitcase, she found herself in the midst of an uncomfortably frenzied crowd of Grey Cup rev- ellers. Fouquet survived Toronto but never applied to OCA. She didn’t manage to save much of the $52 she cleared weekly as a bank clerk. In January 1973, romance brought her to Vancouver. Eight months later a lunch hour walk led her away from Howe Street, where she was employed as a stockbroker’s clerk, and onto nearby Dunsmuir Street, then the address of the Vancouver School of Art. The VSA was staging an Open House, and it was only a matter of minutes before Fouquet filled out an applica- tion to study there. By enrolling at art school in Vancouver Fouquet was once again reconfiguring the com- bination of art making and navigating beyond accustomed parameters. Fouquet graduated with the VSA class of 1976. Today Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, along with all other postsecondary schools in Canada, is faced with changing parameters for the funding of its programs, equipment needs, and operations. Asked whether this financial context has. made the Institute fragile as a set of curricular practices and as a community of autonomous working artists, Fouquet offers answers that evoke the combination of practical and imagina- tive resourcefulness that turns up in her own . life. “| think it [the Institute] is very strong. | think that the deans and the faculty have total control over the curriculum. And | don’t see how any corporation or private donor could do any- thing to change that. But I’m not saying that we can stop being vigilant.” Absent from Fouquet's stance towards the funding issue is demonization of some generic adversarial Other such as corporations. Also absent is any suggestion that the art school demand to be insulated from contemporary social dynamics, such as the increasing role of private and corpo- rate donations in financing education. For Fouquet, Emily Carr’s tangible history of accomplishment in the domain of art and design education is not about to be forgotten or erased. In the current social and economic context she feels this history should inspire us all the more to be extroverted about the school. “We need to ensure that Emily Carr’s role is understood by the art community, the art teach- ing community, but also the community at large — that we are the prime institution in this province for art and design education. We should be an advo- cate for art and design education throughout the whole province.” On the issue of fund-raising Fouquet adds, “! think what attracts corporate and private benefactors to donate to the school is what we are now. They are not considering what they want us to be.” In her own curricular domain, Fouquet is pro- moting the strategy of fusing horizons previous- ly broken up by unintelligently interpreted parameters. She is overseeing the reconfigura- tion by Laurie Milner of the first year course in art history which will result in academic content being related tangibly and directly to concur- rent studio activities. She is also working more generally towards overcoming the compartmentalization that Rand Berthaudin Untitled Black and White Photograph Silkscreen Print by Kenn Sakurai Yr Dean Demustified affects both the location and the curriculum of the First Year program. “I think the First Year program can become a model for the rest of the school in terms of integrating research activities and the realization of aesthetic ideas in diverse media.” Fouquet relates that in the 20 years since she obtained her VSA diploma, art practice at VSA/ECIAD has gone from the expression of uncompromisingly individualistic experience to artistic production that recognizes the need to contextualize itself socially. She adds that there is no point in being nos- talgic. It is impossible to go back to former times when art was seemingly pure and unmedi- ated by the uncertainties of its political and social context. If Fouquet feels no dismay about the future for Emily Carr it probably has little to do with being paid to say happy things and much more to do with the vocation of art having found her at an early age. Fouquet's early experience of art - as viewer and maker — engaged her and sustained her in mediating sincerely and constructively with real- ities that fell well short of certainty and purity. (Aren‘t these are the realities of any life truly and generously lived?) Two years of seeing her artistic production largely displaced by the demands of administra- tive life have not dismayed Fouquet. “Right now | feel part of a community of faculty, staff and administrators working for the benefit of the school at a very crucial time. | feel a responsibili- ty to that community. It’s a burden time-wise but | fee! very privileged to be involved at this level.” : In spite of her tasks as Dean of the First Year Division, Fouquet was able to contribute to a recent twelve-artist show curated by Greg Bellerby. The show, titled Vancouver Perspective, exhibited in Yokohama, Japan during November 1996 and will re-open in Taipei in July 1997. @ 36 Planet of the Arts / December 1996 hopeful. father", Roland Barthes hhad written. He laughed ‘out loud when he thought of Ron Henshaw’s phallocentric bridges, the undersides, She: (His laughter threw her off guard ~ she had been laughing inside too - at ‘the translucent drape ‘that shot up Faithful - Jennifer Gottesman’ piece.) He: (He watched her go, noticing the slight limp ~ ‘he was favouring her left angle.) In his mind he kept leaping from work t0 ‘work. He was surprised by his own agit She: (She went to the beach after their talk. She had always been drawn to the water's edge.) she sat there staring atthe moun- tains. She thought about Karen Myskiw’s sculptural topographical contour map. She had never considered the recesses of the moun: tains as analogues for fem rine self, for being inside of experience; interorized . she wondered i Ansel ‘Adams did? She wondered. ‘The work sustained her Interest, perplexed her. she ‘raced the words that she remembered on the sand: “earth is a commodity, a calendar gir.” A large wave washed half the text away. She had gotten wet, ‘00. Until she got wet her motions were awkward when she tried to leap on rocks: she had no rhythm, ‘Aue heron was staring motion: lessat the sea. She wrote a poem inthe sand: a heron stands inthe sand water watching her soul swim towards her along the line of the horizon the waves touch her belly gently “Grgrd perce LC Wee ck ad Whee etc ver Pt er a Ist Yr Dean Demystified English vocabulary and just enough things to fill, ‘suitcase, she found herself in the midst of an uncomfortably frenzied crowd of Grey Cup rev- lets. Fouquet survived Toronto but never applied 10. OCA. She didn’t manage to save much of the $52 she cleared weekly a5 a bank clerk. In January 1973, romance brought her to ‘Vancouver. Eight months later a lunch hour walk led her away from Howe Street, where she was ‘employed as a stockbrokers clerk, and onto nearby Dunsmuir Street, then the address of the Vancouver School of Art. The VSA was staging {an Open House, and it was only a matter of minutes before Fouguet filed out an applica tion to study there. By enrolling at art school in Vancouver Fouquet was once again reconfiguring the com- bination of art making and navigating beyond accustomed parameters. Fouguet graduated With the VSA class of 1976. Today Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, ‘along with all other postsecondary schools in Canada, is faced with changing parameters for the funding ofits programs, equipment needs, and operations. ‘Asked wihether this financial context has ‘made the Institut fragile asa set of curricular practices and as a community of autonomous ‘working artists, Fouquet offers answers that ‘evoke the combination of practical and imagina-~ ‘tive resourcefulness that turns up in her own lite. “think it the institute) is very strong. | ‘think thatthe deans and the faculty have total control over the curiculum, And I don’t see how ‘any corporation or private donor could do any- ‘thing to change that. But Fm not saying that we ‘an stop being vigilant.” ‘Absent from Fouquet's stance towards the funding issue is demonization of some generic ‘adversarial Other such as corporations. Also absent is any suggestion that the art school demand to be insulated from contemporary social dynamics, such asthe increasing role of private and corpo- rate donations in financing education. For Fouquet, Emily Carr's tangible history of accomplishment in the domain of art and design {education is not about to be forgotten or erased, Inthe current socal and economic ‘context she feels ths history should inspire us all ‘the more to be extroverted about the school. *We need to ensure that Emily Car's role is Understood by the art community, the at teach- ing community, but also the community a large = that we are the prime institution inthis, province for art and design education We should be an advo- cate for art and design education throughout the whole province.” (On the issue of fund-ralsing Fouquet adds, “1 ‘think wnat attracts ‘Corporate and private benefactors to donate to the school is what we are now, They are not considering what they want us to be.” In her own curcicular domain, Fouquet is pro- ‘moting the strategy of fusing horizons previous ly broken up by uninteligenty interpreted parameters. she is overseeing the reconfigura tion by Laurie Milner of the frst year course in art history which will suit in academic content being related tangibly and directly to concur- rent studio activities ‘he is also working more generally towards ‘overcoming the compartmentalization that affects both the location and the curriculum of the First Year program, “I think the First Year ‘rogram can become a model for the rest ofthe Schoo! in terms of integrating research activities and the realization of aesthetic ideas in diverse ‘mecia.” Fouquet relates that in the 20 years since she ‘obtained her VSA diploma, art practice at \SAVECIAD has gone from the expression of Luncompromisingly individualistic experience to artistic production that recognizes the need to Contextuaiz itself socal. ‘She adds that there is no point in being nos- ‘tage It's imposible to go back to former times when art was seemingly pure and unmedi: ated by the uncertainties of Rs political and Social context If Fouguet feels no dismay about the future for Emily Car it probably has little to do with being paid to say happy things and much more ‘to do with the vocation of art having found her at an eatly age. Fouguets early experience of at ~ as viewer ‘and maker ~ engaged her and sustained her in mediating sincerely and constructively with real- ities that fell well short of certainty and purty. ‘Uxren’t these are the realities of any life truly land generously lived?) Two years of seeing her artistic production largely displaced by the demands of administa- tive life have not dismayed Fouquet. “Right now feel part of a community of faculty, staff and. administrators working for the benefit of the School ata very crucial time. | feel aresponsibil- ty to that community t's a burden time-wise but feel very privileged to be involved at this lev In spite of her tasks as Dean ofthe First Year Division, Fouquet was able to contribute toa recent twelve-artist show curated by Greg ellerby. The show, titled Vancouver Perspective, ‘exhibited in Yokohama, Japan during November 1996 and will re-open in Taipel in July 1997.