From the Compost Heap header. A pencil style illustration of a compost heap with flowers and plants growing around it. A bee buzzes by and a white rabbit hops by.
Black and white image of performance art. Actors swathed in white paper.

This week I’ve been doing a deep dive into Black Mountain College. It’s definitely an instance of orbiting ideas as Black Mountain College and artists have caught my attention many times over the years.

This is my first deep dive and I’m fascinated that so many things I’ve been studied and been drawn to over the years: Buckminster Fuller’s visionary design, John Cage’s Happenings, John Dewey’s educational approach, Ruth Asawa’s interaction of life and art all converged in these mountains.

I want to really go deep this time as I draw inspiration for a new project. I’ve ordered some books, but in the meantime I’ve been watching YouTube videos.

Here are 3 of my favorite quotes with the videos they are from below.

"We do not always create works of art, but rather experiments. It's not our intention to fill museums, we are gathering experience." Josef Albers

“We do not always create works of art, but rather experiments. It’s not our intention to fill museums, we are gathering experience.”

Josef Albers

Black and white image of performance art. Actors swathed in white paper.

“At Black Mountain there was no distinction between life and art.”

Black and white photograph of a child building LEGO with a Black Mountain College documentary of students building beneath a geodesic dome behind.


“The experiment was what would it mean to teach everyone to think critically.”

I watched the third mini documentary this afternoon while Davy made LEGO art.

I’m struck by how the concept of hands on learning through art aligns with my own views about home education. It’s all very exciting.

Child building a line out of LEGO

And then I found this video which linked Dewey and Freire in the progressive education movement.

Which ties nicely to this short video about handwork vs brain work. (Leading to Helen’s book Leap Before You Look.)

And another Black Mountain College documentary. This one is dated, but has an interview from an actual student (Jonathan Williams), “What appealed to me immediately was that everyone was available to each other and time seemed to be no problem. I had left Princeton because time was very much a problem. It seemed almost impossible to reach the faculty who were set up to do their one lecture or two lectures a week. And then suddenly they disappeared.”

Jonathan Williams founded Jargon Press which is “predicated on this idea that there are voices and poetry being ignored which deserve to be heard.”

On his process editing / curating, “You have to do the doing.” “Being self initiating. I don’t sit around waiting for these people to materialize. I mean I go out and find them.” He ties this to walking and hiking and Black Mountain College.

Cross Pollinate 🐝

More posts about Black Mountain College.

Footnotes

Carolina Finds. “Black Mountain College: The Most Influential School That Vanished.” 9 Feb. 2022 (Accessed 11 Febuary 2024.) https://youtu.be/C7foVazThjE

Craft in America. “Black Mountain College, VISIONARIES Episode.” Jan 7. 2019 (Accessed 11 Feb. 2024.) https://youtu.be/IKnmWmQi5Ew

ICA Boston, Helen Molesworth. “Life at Black Mountain College: Learning by Doing.” 7 Dec 2015. (Accessed 11 Feb. 2024.) https://youtu.be/Mze1rtN1OXA

Craft in America, Helen Molesworth. “Helen Molesworth on handwork.” 22 August. 2018. (Accessed 11 Feb. 2024.) https://youtu.be/NxBZqA-Asvw

“Black Mountain College: a Thumbnail Sketch.” Produced by Monty Diamond and South Carolina ETV. Documentary, 1989. (Accessed 11 Feb. 2024.) https://youtu.be/G3xSAew7vEU

Cross Pollination 🐝