Ocean Beach – Platinotype
© 2016 Chris Manfield

On Art & Photography     

There is often more meaning and truth in the questions we asked rather than the answers that we get. As a photographer, my job is to bear light — in all meanings of the word. My work therefore, can be considered as my invitation for you to meet me in a space where we can contemplate and learn together. I now practice art and make my work by drawing inspirations from my personal experience in relation to the experience of others. Through my work, I strive to foster a safe space where people can reflect upon and respond to a range of complex human conditions while keeping in mind that there is beauty in our desire to connect with the world and each other.The purpose of making art, after all, is to remind ourselves that life is more important than art.

On Art & Education

Learning is a collaborative effort, and while teachers bear the responsibility of facilitating the classrooms; it takes an entire community to produce a learning environment in which students are able to develop skills and knowledge that may benefit not only themselves but also their environment. It is important therefore for me as a teacher to establish a prior agreement with my students and colleagues to maintain a classroom conduct which prioritizes:

1. Health, safety, and growth of participating individuals.
2. Critical framing of the positionality of teachers and learners in relationship to the knowledge imparted and concerns discussed.
3. Conscious practice of deep listening and voluntary act of empathizing with opinions and ideas.
4. Open dialogues where ideas and opinions can be freely expressed, retracted, and reframed.
5. Safe space where teachers and learners are allowed to make mistakes and take accountability.
6. Structured discussions that are facilitated to provide equal opportunities between students to share their voices.
7. Bridging of classroom learning and real world-application

To me, the most inspiring thing about the art school environment is the rich diversity of ideas from passionate individuals which is sustained through a dynamic push and pull of boundaries within the community so they can be expressed, articulated, and developed harmoniously. I believe that great teachers and artists are those who are able to reframe the challenges presented to them as an opportunity to grow and respond to their communities. The ongoing practice of reframing perceptions, questions, and opinions is what breathes life into educational dialogue. As an artist and educator, my aspiration is to contribute to the growth of my students and my community. We are presented with an opportunity to grow when we are inspired to make something we couldn’t have made before, after having our ideas challenged. I believe that art has the potential to change, if not the world, then the artists. Moreover, it’s important for me to strive to be truthful in what I say, teach, and critique — as no work of art can generate the same meaning for everyone. The radical meaning of an artwork is fostered within the maker. It is therefore important for artists to help one another find meaning in their art by engaging with each other’s passion and critical thinking so that we may learn and grow together. The art school is a collaborative space where we build bridges between different knowledge and share different skillsets to develop a deeper understanding of our world. The system of institutional arts and education however, has never been free from the errors of post-colonialism, yet we cannot abandon the institutions as there is much owed and much to reconcile between the echo-chamber of the institutions and the world outside of it. As participants of this privileged space, we have the ethical and moral responsibility to strive to maximize the potential of its resources to foster the critical discourse of liberation.