(Tom Hudson- Dean Emeritus of the Emily Carr
College of Art and Design- has recently returned
from Britain where he gave the principle address to
the Annual Conference of the National Society for
Education in Art and Design, on the conference
theme of “Initiatives in Art and Design Education”.

Tom was raised and educated in Durham,
England and has worked and taught around the
world in such far reaching and diverse locations as
Brasil, Turkey, the U.S., across Canada, and
throughout Europe. Formally trained as a painter,
Tom moved on to become one of the original
performance artists and was involved with the
Fluxus group in N.Y.C. in the mid-60’s, where he
developed multi-media memorial pieces in tribute to
both Picasso and Matisse. At this time Tom also
began experimenting with computer drawings and
educated himself in 3-D processes, particularly
those involving machine and synthetic forms.

E.John Love managed to get a few words in
edgewise as he interviewed Tom Hudson for Planet
of The Arts, focussing on a few of the many projects
in which Tom is, as always, very involved. Subjects
include: his life-long role as an educator and
developer of educational systems; his Colour
Course presently being shown on Knowledge
Network; the Drawing/Two Dimensional Systems
being prepared for television; and, inevitably, his
views on art and education in general.

_ J.L.: Everyone’s probably aware of the fact that
you have retired; you’re no longer Dean of Instruction.
Foundation is still your main area of interest; it’s sort
of a spring board to the whole rest of the college. Now
that you’re not in Foundation’s day-to-day curriculum
or their space, how can they relate to you? What would
your role be now?

T.H.: Well, | was talking with John
Wertschek(Foundation chair) this morning, and he
asked me if | could do some teaching next year, and
the problem is | would very much like to teach in
Foundation more than | do, but | think the demands of
television are going to preclude me doing much of
anything during the year. However, | will be wanting
some Foundation students to be working with me on
specific projects. For example, this coming spring we'll
be preparing some special projects(as we did last year
and the previous years) for the International Children’s
Heritage Festival, as it’s now called, and what | would
like to do is expand that. Last year we had three teams:
we'd selected teachers from three High-schools, and
their selected students, and then some of our volun-
teers from Foundation. I'd like to carry on with that.
There are other projects too; I'll shortly be preparing
the next T.V. series(Three Dimensional Systems) . They
always overlap each other, so we'll be starting this
week to shoot the next ten-part series on Two-
Dimensional language- that’s drawing systems. But |
really need some Foundation students to work with me
on the next series for preparation of the Master
classes; | usually like to do two or three sets of Master
classes so | know exactly what I’m going to do when |
come to the programs and write the scripts. 3-D is
going to be very important because they’re going to be

J.L.: Maybe you could recap what’s happened
with the Colour series, and perhaps, if you’re at
liberty, tell what you can about the drawing series
and any projections about the other projects. These
are sort of linked to the college, and yet at the same
time some of the students may not know about it.

T.H.: Well, when we became the provincial
institute, which coincided with the time | came, we
developed an absolutely remarkable distant- learning
project which is called Outreach, and it has a lot of
admiration around the world. But that was to provide
opportunities for people within the communities. It
was always considered that people who did have a
professional interest would automatically come to the
college. Well some people have said why did | bother
to do television, because I’ve criticised it as a media,
criticised ivvery adversely. | mean in North America |
see this enormous wasteland of American television

“It has been said that if countries which are not adapt-
able cannot meet and reconcile themselves within the

context of technological change, within ten years they'll —

be left so far behind that they'll just be a new dispos-
essed, another form of the third world — they'll be a

bloody fourth world!”

auite different than some of the other projects. My
future will be some intermittent teaching and lectures
and I'll continue to do the four major lectures, and
maybe some odd seminars and tutorials, but yeah
you’re right, the whole of my development has been
based on the work I do with young people and
particularly the Foundation developments. So | don’t
want to lose the connection. I’m not going to start,
you know, rewriting history.

J.L.: Or become a T.V. celebrity!

T.H.: No, | don’t-want to do that at all. | think that
everything | do, everything I| talk about, is based on
actual experience and actual doing and working, and
I’ve got to do that all the time. I’m not going to be a
pontificating and ruminating old man reliving history
or anything like that.

creeping over the civilized world rather faster than
the Sahara desert creeps over the Central African
Republics.

| think there’s a sociological and human reason
why there are so many people who cannot afford to
come to this college.

Our fees are about the lowest in North America.
But Vancouver’s still a very expensive place for
people to live, especially if they’re coming down from
communities up in the north where there is a lot of
unemployment. So first of all, we’re thinking basically
in terms of putting the first four courses of the first
Foundation semester onto television. But then |
thought maybe we should be doing something more
broadly than that. I'd really like to make links with
other levels of education. The first one was that we
would run this course not as a kind of course where
you would have to apply for entry, show a portfolio,
the usual kind of thing, but to make it more open; try

6

to re-cast the course. So although it would be useful
for people who are going to professional studies, it
could be a satisfactory experience for anybody who
is interested in color in any way, to enhance their
lives, their experience. This is Colour 1, which is
about negotiating the experience and the theory, and
later on, hopefully, we'll be doing Colour 2. I'll be
starting the first Master class on Colour 2 next
January. That'll be two evening classes a week, so if
anybody’s interested that'll be the first project thay
can join me on.

J.L.: A plug!

T.H.: | think the Colour series is going really well,
but a half hour of television | find very difficult to cope
with. You have to package so much information, so
much demonstration, and then you’ve got to summa-
rize, and you’ve got to deal with the assignments.
Ultimately, you’re not dealing with minutes, you’re
dealing with seconds. What I’d normally spend an
hour on, I have to get into five or seven or eight
minutes. | have a kind of dream of paradise as a place
where all of the television programs are over an hour
long. You know, where people learn to
concentrate!(laughs)

J.L.: With respect to the television series the
problem, as you say, is the half-hour format. Maybe
the idea is a kind of home video market approach,
where viewers can sit back for two hours, at their own
discretion.

T.H.: Well there’s nothing wrong with that. I think
you try to function this so that it’s going to be visually
and informatively interesting for anybody. That’s one
clientele - a general audience who might tune in. Then
you have the other audience, those who pay for the
course, and they’re going to get the manual, because
the television is only a small part of it. The major part
of the course is encapsulated in a book- about one
hundred and forty thousand words of precise
instructions and diagrams, so you can have it ata
number of levels. But it seems to me that in the future
(Tom Hudson- Dean Emeritus ofthe Emily Care
Ccnge ot Art and Design: ha recent returnes
{rom Britain where he gave the principle addross to
the Annual Conference ofthe National Saclay for
Education in Art and Design, onthe conference
theme of “liaives in Art and Design Edvestion”,

"Tom was ralsed and edvated In Duthem,
England and has worked and taught around the

in such far reaching and diverse locations as

Brasil, Turkey, the U.S, across Canada, ond
{throughout Europe. Formally trained as s pater,
‘Tom moved on to become one ofthe original
performance arists and was Involved with the
Fluxus group in N.¥.C In the mid-60s, where he
developed multmedia memorial pieces In tribute to
both Pleasso and Matlase. At his me Tom also.
began experimenting with computer drawings and
‘educated himself In 2D processes, particularly

4J.L: Everyone's probably aware ofthe fact that
you have retired; you're ne longer Dean of Instruction.
Foundation Is stl your main area of interes: i's sort
‘of a spring board tothe whole reat ofthe college. Now
that you're notin Foundation’s day-to-day curriculum
or thelr space, how can they relate to you? What would
your role be now?

‘more than Ido, but think the demands of
re golng to preclude me doing much of
“anything during the year. However, | wil be wanting
‘some Foundation students to be working with me.on
‘specie projects. For example this coming spring we'll
be proparing some special projects(es we did la

like to dole expand that. Last year we had three teams:
We'd selected teachers from three High-school, and
thelr selected students, and then some of our volun~
{wore from Foundation. ike to carry on with that.
‘There are other projects too; il shortly be preparing
the next T.V. series(Three Dimensional Systems) . They
always overiap each other, so we'll be starting this
\woek to shoot the next ton‘part series on Two
Dimensional language- that's drawing systems. But |
really need some Foundation students to work with me
‘on the next setles for preparation ofthe Master
‘’lasses; | usualy lke to do two or three sets of Mastor
‘lasses 801 know exactly what 'm going to do when |
‘come tothe programs and write the scripts. &-D Is
‘g0lng to be very important because they're going tobe

“JL: Maybe you could recap what's happened
with the Colour series, and perheps, I you're at
liberty, tell what you can about the drawing series
land eny projections about the other projects, These
orf linked to the college, and yet atthe same.
ime some ofthe students may not know about I.

“TH. Wel, whon we became the provincial
Intitute, which colnclded withthe time I came, we
developed an absolutely remarkable dlatent learaing
project which Ie called Outreach, and It has alot of
‘2dmiration around the world But that was to provide
‘opportunities for people within the communites. It
Iways considered that people who did have a
professional Interest would automaticaly come tothe
College. Well some people have sald why did I bother

“It has been said that if countries which are not adapt-
able cannot meet and reconcile themselves within t!
context of technological change, within ten years they'll
be left so far behind that they'll just be a new dispos-
essed, another form of the third world — they'll be a

bloody fourth world!”

‘uite diferent than some of the other projects. My
future willbe some Intermitont teaching and lectures
‘andl continue todo the four major lectures, and

ome odd seminare and tuorisle, but yesh
igh, the whole of my development has boon
based on the work !do with young people and
particularly the Foundation developments. So! don't
‘want to lose the connection. 'm not going to start,
‘you know, rewriting history.

JL: Or become a TV. celebrity!

TH. No, don't want to do that at all. think
‘everyting | do, everything | talk about, Is based on
‘etual experience and actual doing and working, and
Fe got to do that al the time. rm nat going to be 2
pontificating and ruminating old man reliving history
‘r anything ike that.

{think there's & sociological and human reason
why there are 20 many people who cannot afford to

"about the lowest In North America
very expensive place for
specially I they're coming down from

Communities up Inthe north where there Isa Tot of
tunemployment. So first of all, we're thinking basicaly
In terms of putting the frst four courses of the fst
Foundation semester onto television. But then |

It maybe we should be doing something more
broadly than thet. realy lke to make links with
‘thor levels of education. The first one was that
‘would run this course not as a kind of course whe
You would have to apply for entry, show a portato,
the usual kind of thing, but to make It more open; ty

6

‘going to professor
‘ould bea satistactory experience for anybody who
Is interested in color in any way, o enhance their,

Starling the first Masterclass on Colour 2 next
‘January. Thatl be two evening classes @ week, 0 if
anybody's interested that'l be the fist project

an joln me on,

JL: Aplua!

“T.H. think the Colour series I going really wot
but a half hur of television I find very dificult to cop
with, You have to package so much Information, 20

then you've got to summa-

tong. You know, where people learn to
concentrateliaughs)

‘JL: With respect to the television series the

ou say, Is the hal-hour format. Maybe
Kind of home video market spprosch,
‘whore viewers ean at back for two hours; at thelr own
discretion.

‘you have the ether audience, those who pay for the
Course, and they're golng to get the manual, Because
‘the television Is only small part of I. The major part

‘umber of levels. But it soome to me that in the future