> All this talk here has got me thinking and questioning. Joni attended art > school and I wonder just how much she was taught in the way of technique. > Did she resist formal training? Or did her teachers forsake technical > criticism or instruction in favor of original style?
As I recall, Joni said that she was more interested in figurative painting and abstraction was the flavor of the day. So her instructors were somewhat dismissive of the type of painting she wanted to do. I don't remember what interview or article this is from but I believe she also said that students with a talent or inclination toward figurative art were more or less pushed toward commercial art and not viewed as serious artists. On the whole the experience was not a positive one for her & she most likely was not engaged enough to get much out of it. Remember that she quit piano lessons when her creativity was stifled. I suspect that she either didn't learn much in art school or 'unlearned' it when it didn't suit her. Mark E.
