Chapter 4 of Advice to Young Artists in a Postmodern Era: Tradition and the New in Current Art

Chapter 4 sums up the idea that an artist's foundation should be built from tradition, but absorbing as much new characteristics from what is current would be the most beneficial way to learn and build. The author says for the artist to help build a solid foundation learning concepts is more efficient than learning over technique, practice, and drill. He says that schools spend most of their time teaching students facts that can easily be referenced. He says schools in America generally don't help students think outside of the box and learn new ways to process information rather than remembering facts. The author says that he has three students that excelled in his class, but not by his guidance, but how they explored their field in every other way possible. This chapter should make artists want to see what worked in the past and how can they take that and make it into something original.