1、 ART has not always been what we think it is today. An object regarded as Art today may not have been perceived as such when it was first made, nor was the person who made it necessarily regarded as an artist. Both the notion of “art“ and the idea of the “artist“ are relatively modern terms. Many of
2、 the objects we identify as art today - Greek painted pottery, medieval manuscript illuminations, and so on - were made in times and places when people had no concept of “art“ as we understand the term. These objects may have been appreciated in various ways and often admired, but not as “art“ in th
3、e current sense. ART lacks a satisfactory definition. It is easier to describe it as the way something is done - “the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others“ - rather than what it is. The idea of an object being
4、a “work of art“ emerges, together with the concept of the Artist, in the 15th and 16th centuries in Italy. During the Renaissance, the word Art emerges as a collective term encompassing 包含 Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture, a grouping given currency by the Italian artist and biographer Giorgio V
5、asari in the 16th century. Subsequently, this grouping was expanded to include Music and Poetry which became known in the 18th century as the Fine Arts. These five Arts have formed an irreducible（不可缺少的） nucleus from which have been generally excluded the decorative arts and crafts, such as pottery,
6、weaving, metalworking, and furniture making, all of which have utility as an end. But how did Art become distinguished from the decorative arts and crafts? How and why is an artist different from a craftsperson? In the Ancient World and Middle Ages the word we would translate as art today was applie
7、d to any activity governed by rules. Painting and sculpture were included among a number of human activities, such as shoemaking and weaving, which today we would call crafts. During the Renaissance, there emerged a more exalted 兴奋的 perception of art, and a concomitant rise in the social status of t
8、he artist. The painter and the sculptor were now seen to be subject to inspiration and their activities equated with 等同于 those of the poet and the musician. In the latter half of the 16th century the first academies of art were founded, first in Italy, then in France, and later elsewhere. Academies
9、took on the task of educating the artist through a course of instruction that included such subjects as geometry and anatomy. Out of the academies emerged the term “Fine Arts“ which held to a very narrow definition of what constituted art. The institutionalizing of art in the academies eventually pr
10、ovoked a reaction to its strictures and definitions in the 19th century at which time new claims were made about the nature of painting and sculpture. By the middle of the century, “modernist“ approaches were introduced which adopted new subject matter and new painterly values. In large measure, the
11、 modern artists rejected, or contradicted, the standards and principles of the academies and the Renaissance tradition. By the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, artists began to formulate the notion of truth to ones materials, recognizing that paint is pigment and the canvas a t
12、wo-dimensional surface. At this time the call also went up for “Art for Arts Sake.“ In the early 20th century all traditional notions of the identity of the artist and of art were thrown into disarray by Marcel Duchamp and his Dada associates. In ironic mockery of the Renaissance tradition which had
13、 placed the artist in an exalted authoritative position, Duchamp, as an artist, declared that anything the artist produces is art. For the duration of the 20th century, this position has complicated and undermined how art is perceived but at the same time it has fostered a broader, more inclusive as
14、sessment 评价 of art. Today the questions What is Art? and What is an Artist? today are not easily answered. According to William Rubin, director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, “there is no single definition of art.“ The art historian Robert Rosenblum believes that “the idea of defining art
15、is so remote today“ that he doesnt think “anyone would dare to do it.“ Philippe de Montebello, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, states that there is “no consensus about anything today,“ and the art historian Thomas McEvilley agrees that today “more or less anything can be desi
16、gnated as art.“ Arthur Danto, professor of philosophy at Columbia University and art critic of The Nation, believes that today “you cant say somethings art or not art anymore. Thats all finished.“ In his book, After the End of Art, Danto argues that after Andy Warhol exhibited simulacra of shipping
17、cartons for Brillo boxes in 1964, anything could be art. Warhol made it no longer possible to distinguish something that is art from something that is not. What has finished, however, is not artistic production, but a certain way of talking about art. Artists, whoever they are, continue to produce,
18、but we, non-artists, are no longer able to say whether it is art or not. But at the same time, we are no longer comfortable with dismissing it as art because it fails to fit what we think art should be (whatever that is). We struggle with this because we have been taught that art is important and we
19、re unwilling to face up to the recently revealed insight that art in fact has no “essence.“ When all is said and done, “art“ remains significant to human beings and the idea that now anything can be art, and that no form of art is truer than any other, strikes us as unacceptable.Introduction to RCAL
20、ocated in the heart of London, the Royal College of Art is the most influential, wholly postgraduate university of art and design in the world. The RCA has a distinctive role in preparing its postgraduate students for careers in art, design and the creative sector indeed the College is widely viewed
21、 as a crucible of the creative industries. Courses are taught by internationally renowned artists, practitioners and theorists, and students have a unique opportunity to study art in a design environment, and design in an art environment. Its concentrated, customized forms of teaching and learning a
22、nd dedicated technical facilities and research centres contribute to an exceptional creative and intellectual environment. As well as welcoming students from around the world, the Colleges global dimension is enhanced through partnerships with leading art and design, cultural and educational institu
23、tions and though extensive links with business, both nationally and internationally. The Colleges Royal Charter, granted in 1967, specifies that the purpose of the institution is “to advance learning, knowledge and professional competence particularly in the field of fine artsthrough teaching, resea
24、rch and collaboration with industry and commerce“. Letter fro RectorWelcome. The Royal College of Art is the worlds most influential, wholly postgraduate university institution of art and design fine art, applied art, design, communications and humanities offering the degrees of MA, MPhil and PhD. I
25、t is the most concentrated community of young artists, designers and communicators to be found anywhere; a community focused on art in a design environment and design in an art environment. There are some 800 students at any one time, with an average age of 27 years. They are taught by around 120 me
26、mbers of staff, all of whom are distinguished artists, designers and writers who practise and research. The number of visiting lecturers and practitioners in an average year is huge. At the Colleges heart is a firm belief in project-based education, face-to-face teaching and learning and professiona
27、l orientation a belief that these are the ways in which postgraduates can best be encouraged to find their own voice and discover how best to use it. This is an approach that seems to work. At the last official count, covering the years 20022008, we discovered that over 93% of our graduates make the
28、ir livings, at an appropriate level, in the subjects they studied and practised at the College, or in related subjects. In some areas, the figure is as high as 95% and in one area 100%. The added value of experiencing the RCA is world-renowned. The Colleges international reputation for excellence in
29、 art and design education is firmly built on the achievements of its staff, students and graduates. These achievements depend on our ability to be inclusive to recruit talented students of great variety and complexity, whatever their background. We are proud of the fact that our students come to us
30、from all over the world as well as from all over the UK. This commitment to diversity and inclusion makes our ability to give financial support to as many students as possible very important. The RCA gives you the freedom to experiment, to think differently, debate, challenge and practise. The chanc
31、e to find your voice. We want you to leave with the confidence to follow your own path and pursue your goals with the right set of skills, and we work hard to ensure that happens.Studying at RCAThe RCA experience.Students at the RCA benefit from a rich educational experience that equips them to succ
32、eed in their chosen professional careers. Whatever their chosen discipline, our priority is to encourage each of our students to develop their personal brand of imagination and creativity, to help them acquire the knowledge, skills and experience needed to realise personal ambitions and to find thei
33、r unique voice as an artist or designer. In addition, we provide the opportunities for students to engage in a broader postgraduate educational experience; we encourage them to explore contemporary themes that connect all the visual arts and design disciplines, and enable them to acquire the busines
34、s skills that success in any career demands. Studying art and design at postgraduate level requires a high level of support, as well as access to facilities and services and an excellent Library resource. AdmissionApplicants to the College are selected entirely on merit, and we welcome applications
35、from all over the world. The criteria for acceptance by the Royal College of Art are talent and potential, along with the commitment and the ambition to make a difference within an art or design discipline. In this section you will find details on how to apply to the College, including entrance requ
36、irements, application dates and deadlines, fees and information about financing your studies. In addition, the Prospectus gives a useful overview of College life, and directs applicants to course information that will help them to complete their applications. Prospective students are welcome to visi
37、t the College. Please note the dates and times of individual departmental Open Days, along with contact details for enquiries. Online Applications for 2011/12 will open on 1 December 2010. Previous Education details and Previous ExperienceDetails should be entered in the online form and a copy of de
38、gree or diploma (if you have graduated) should be uploaded to the online form. If this is not possible, a photocopy can be sent directly to the Admissions Office. It must be clearly marked with your name, course and Application Reference Number.All candidates with overseas undergraduate degrees must
39、 also include a full transcript of their first degree course covering each year of their studies and stating subjects taken and marks obtained. The offer of a place to a candidate who is undertaking a degree at the time of application will be dependent upon the candidate producing proof of having fulfilled the Colleges criteria for admission. Transcripts may be sent separately to the Admissions Office and must be clearly marked with your name, course and Application
