Artistic Integrity( Unesco), Committees and the Curator.

Alexander Sokolov analysis of UNESCO recommendations concerning artists: The Artist has a personal integrity of artistic inspiration to re-create his/her art, whether traditional to society or personally integral and is accorded dignity and well being as a result of this integrity, either as a public or reclusive worker in either a retrospective or an evolving human social culture.

*******Example of a central national Committee Policy with regard to support of Artists through purchase of their Artwork.

"The primary purpose behind the purchase of works for the Committee's Art
collection is to support the individual Artist. The Committee's's
criteria for selection are that the Artwork is central to the Artists'
practice and must be of high quality and ambition and be significant
within the general development of the Visual Arts. The Committee supports Artists
who are taking risks in their practice and explore new ways of working. The Committee has developed a considered and robust process around
the purchase of Artwork for its collection. An independent Curator advises
the Committee's Collection Subcommittee (see below) in the identification
and selection of work to be considered. The recommendations of the
subcommittee then go to Committee for consideration. ...Curators have a huge amount of experience and knowledge of the
Visual Arts."
********Note:This example's Collection acquisitions sub-Committee consisted of three Artists-with-Curatorial-experience, and one ex-regional, national Council Officer .

********Questions and answers relating to the definitions of what Artists are, and what Art Curators are.
Q: Is the Committee basis for Art Curators by appointment- on education/experience/previous appointments, international/national prestige, chosen academic practise/ or ability Academic publication, or ability to confirm an Artist's 'integrity'?
Q: Who judges the criteria- the Committee itself, another advisory sub-Committee, and if so did that include Visual Artists in the Committee?
Q: Who adjudges the Artistic integrity of the Curator if the Curator judges the integrity of the artists?
Q: What are the criteria laid down as guidelines to a purchasing/promoting Curator?

*********Example Answers (from above)

1)"...the Artwork is central to the artists' practice".
2)"... must be of high quality and ambition".
3)"...be significant within the general development of the visual arts".
4)"...taking risks in practice".

5)"...exploring new ways of working.".

Q: Curator judgements are:
(Example answers)
1)"...Independant".
2) are as 'short-listing', and then subject to sub-Committee and Committee approval
Q: What policy governs the Committee delegate/Curator attendance at an Artist Public Exhibition?
Q: What governs Curator attendance to an Artist's private/studio ?
Q: Is the identity of the Curator revealed to the Artist?
Q: Is the Curator permitted/encouraged to associate to an Art discipline by personal publishing career/personal Artistic career?
Q: What definitions of 'high quality' can be made by a Curator? Does this reckon the integrity of an Artists' attempt at expression of Art, or, qualify the produced expression.
Q: What definitions of 'ambition' can be assigned by a Curator? Does consistent integrity constitute an ambition?
Q: If an Artist is recognised as personally free within his integrity towards an artistic practise, is it considered prejudicial should that Artist renounce a section of his practise?
Q: If an Artist does not renounce a practise, is that adjudgeable as prejudicing integrity?
Q: What definitons of 'significant developement of an Art' can be made by a Curator? Does developement mean renunciation of earlier practise? If not, then continuation?
Q: Does the admitted distinction, on the part of Committees downwards, between 'contemporary Art' and 'traditional Art' of itself encourage renunciation of practises by Artists? Is this distinction prejudicial to the freedom of the integrity of Artistic expression by virtue of such 'downward' distinction?
*********In regard to the increasing cross-over between Artists and Curators, and Artists and Committee's, the following questions arise:
Q: Does the appointment of Visual Artists to a Committee membership affect the Curatorial
appointments made?
Q: Artists are 'elected' 0n what bases to Local/national/international Committees?
Q: Is an Artist enabled to Curate external disciplines? If yes, does the practising Integrity of the appointed Artists affect the Integrity of altenative Practise recognised by the Curator?
Example answer (from above):
1) yes, Artists sit on sub-Committee adjudicating the Curatorial selection.
Q: If Curatorial intervention has itself distinguished, by adjudication, such 'elected' Artists, what criteria support the Committee that oversees such 'elections' to itself?
Q: Are Artists that sit on full national Committee's, to adjudicate on Commissions and purchases, in some respects self-electing solely by virtue of other Committee membership in self-appointing Artists' organisations?
**********Elsewhere, example of a National Visual Art policy may include:
developement to achieve 'high artistic standards'
developement to achieve distinctive national expression
provision to sustain a supportive environment for artists
education such that individuals can learn to express themselves creatively
promotion of reflective practise, monitoring and review
encouragement of variation in the arts
the encouragement of high quality arts experience/ provision (to the public )
principles of equal opportunity
assistance to arts organisations
principles of partnership
**********Strategies adopted in Regions can be towards ( by example):
1) developement of partnerships between Committees and other organisations
2) intervention strategically towards artworks which challenge, enrich, renew and reaffirm
3) action towards training for artists and arts developement workers
4) improvement of communications between artists and art developement workers
5) supporting of "effective" artists, organisations and 'cultural enablers'
6) search for sustainable high performance career opportunities in the arts/ art developement work
**********Within these exapmle regional strategies can be included:
1) renewal of terms of reference towards delivery of objectives, institute policy base, audit, placement mechanisms for co-operation, connection to other regions and the national, support 'imaginative' use of Commission monies
2) alignment with current priorities and strengths of artists, articulation artform priorities for partnerships, evaluation key developement programmes
3) linkage nationally for allocation of funds to assist training needs of artists and art developement workers, support regional art training organisations, identify training providers, delivery of mentoring to artists, facilitation of skill sharing for artist and art developement workers, relation of regional language to 'contemporary' arts practise and criticism
4) ensuring the value of art is achknowledged in a region, assistance for active engagement of staff between regional bodies, assistance to interactive communication resources, identfication of developement potential with other organisations, assistance towards international contacts and anguages, promotion of regional arts elsewhere, commission of the means to do so, maximise the visibility of the strategy in collaboration with key partners
5) institution of competitive bursaries to artists, continuance to funding of individuals and groups, support for committed cultural and artistic 'enablers', support for artist contacts outside the region
6) provision of shared structures of support on the sub- and inter-regional level, stabilisation of priority organisations that deliver the strategy, selectively interpose artists into regional tourism, register, develope and refurbish buildings useable for the arts,assist other organisations to support artists and other organisations with altrnative or additional funds
************Implementation of this example strategy is by:
Redefinition of the role of arts developement team of workers, budgetary agreements, preparations of annual action plans, establishment of ongoing management and montitoring, the etablishment of structures for evaluation with mid-term review
************With the desired Conclusion being:
that the regional Committee and the national Committee will respond to regional needs by creating valuable regional staff to support good artistic practise, underpinning this national-regional partnership through shared goals and objectives to establish a core body of 'work' and a vlaue system around which new and other arts 'activities' can coalesce.

************Comments on Unesco Recommendations concerning Artists

UNESCO* Considering that the artist plays an important role in the life and evolution of society and that he should be given the opportunity to contribute to society's development and, as any other citizen, to exercise his responsibilities therein, while preserving (1) his creative inspiration and freedom of expression,
1) Any contribution to Society does not prejudice the freedom of the artist

UNESCO* Recalling the importance, universally acknowledged both nationally and inter-nationally, of the preservation and promotion of cultural identity and of the role in this field of artists who perpetuate(2) the practice of traditional arts and also interpret a nation's folklore,
2) 'Developement'(see below 6) as a policy factor should allow for traditional practise

UNESCO* Recognizing that the vigour and vitality of the arts depend, inter alia, on the well-being (3) of artists both individually and collectively
3)The Arts depend on an artists well-being.

UNESCO*Considering further that this recognition of their status as persons actively engaged in cultural work should in no way (4)compromise their freedom of creativity, expression and communication but should, on the contrary, confirm their dignity (5) and integrity,
4) Bases for recognition should not seek to compromise artistic freedom.
5) Bases for recognition should confirm dignity, and absence therefore of recognition amounts to indignification.

UNESCO*)Considering that the development of the arts, the esteem in which they are held and the promotion of arts education depend in large measure on the creativity(6) of artists,
6) Developement emanates from creativity, but earlier does not counter tradition.

UNESCO*Considering that contemporary artistic expression is presented in public places and that these should be laid out so as to take account of the opinions of the artists concerned(7), therefore that there should be close co-operation between architects, contractors and artists in order to lay down aesthetic guidelines for public places which will respond to the requirements of communication and make an effective contribution to the establishment of new and meaningful relationships between the public and its environment,
7) Artist must be included advisors in Committee's integrating their work into society

UNESCO*Taking into account the diversity of circumstances of artists in different countries and within the communities in which they are expected to develop their talents, and the varying significance attributed to their works by the societies in which they are produced,

UNESCO*Convinced, nevertheless, that despite such differences, questions of similar concern arise in all countries with regard to the status of the artist, and that a common will and inspiration are called for if a solution is to be found and if the status of the artist is to be improved, which is the intention of this Recommendation, .

UNESCO*. `Artist' is taken to mean any person who creates or gives creative expression to, or re-creates works of art, who considers his artistic creation to be an essential part of his life, who contributes in this way to the development of art and culture and who is or asks to be recognized as an artist, whether or not he is bound by any relations of employment or association(8).
8) On principle an Artist may reject all associations that he/she may maintain the integrities of artistic personal freedom for acreative expression, and contradiction is visible here between the essential part of his life and outside judgements as to a developement of culture.

UNESCO 2. The word `status' signifies, on the one hand, the regard accorded to artists(9), defined as above, in a society, on the basis of the importance attributed to the part they are called upon to play therein
9)There is in some countries no status other than that of a taxation recognition whose validation appears more simple, and relies solely on the decision that that which is Art is not possessive of any practical function or use.


Alexander Sokolov analysis of UNESCO: The Artist has a personal integrity of artistic inspiration to re-create his/her art, whether traditional to society or personally integral and is accorded dignity and well being as a result of this integrity, either as a public or reclusive worker in either a retrospective or an evolving human social culture.