As most of you know now, I was thrown out of the OCA for asking to change my tutor. Students change tutors all of the time in the OCA for one reason or another. It seems that this did not happen in my case. My tutor, Linda Khatir, said in her assignment note to me that she was not prepared to answer any of my questions in between assignments (not her job) and sent me to the STUDENTS’ forum for “answers”, the OCA guidelines said that we should have constant contact with out tutors and that we should expect to be able to ask one short question a week and one long question a month. Khatir, obviously, refused to comply with the guidelines. And madame DEE from administration said that, as I had made a serious accusation against a tutor with no evidence, I would be thrown out of the OCA. I cannot actually see where my “serious” accusation was and why there was no evidence when they had Khatir’s assignment report where she says she had no intention of doing, what appears to be, her job. Of course, all I actually wanted was a new tutor who was prepared to the their job.
I believe that this raises a few question. Does the OCA deliberately mislead us about the level of their educational programme? Do we all waste our time and money in a “university” that is actually running courses for “housewives” where some professor did a practical joke by introducing an intelectual book to study?
The level of tutors (I am not saying teachers, because, as far as I can see, none of tutors in the OCA could dream of working as a teacher, you cannot imagine teachers hitting children in the classroom – not physicaly and not mentally) seems very low in my experience of them, whether intellectually or in their abilities to encourage and support.
I thought my bohemian life in France was boring and to raise myself to a new level, I decided to go to, what I assumed to be a university, the OCA, but the life in the OCA is really what I call boring. Although I have held more exhibitions in last few years than my “tutor” for all her carrier, I will not critisize her work, because it is too easy a target. As my tutor has never made proper contact with me, she is not aware of who I am and what I am doing. At my first introduction I sent her my authenticity certificate that I used for my paintings 7 years ago.
I was looking in the OCA for students with whom I can connect to and invite for my art projects, but I guess I was mislead about the level of the OCA and even though I did meet a few talanted people there, if they stay they will easily become part of the machine; not artists anymore – all about artist is insparation. I guess I will return to a Russian art university forum and invite, for next summer, students from there; Russians have a lot of connections with European countries and easily integrate with the French lifestyle and cultural traditions – something I doubt students from the OCA can do from their views expressed on the forum.
Some people there asked why they are poor when they work so hard. I am not sure what they mean by “work hard”. A lot of artists think that photograph is not art, but as it happens, I have met a lot interesting people in my life and a few of them were photographers. I not will mention Russians or Europeans because it seems that the OCA people cannot understand Europe or Russia. I will take as an example an Australian (I will not say his name because we had personal relationship in a past, but, if some people our curious enough they can found his name) who is international photographer and, if you see his pictures, you will understand why those in the OCA have not anywhere near the talent or expertise that he has (I am talking about the tutors, I wouldn’t expect the students to have such skill). It is what I call art.
So, as I am taking advice at moment, this story will progress.
And now I am looking for REAL university.
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