The Effect of Poor Maintenance Studio Equipment and the Practice of Art (A Case Study of Imt Ceramics Studio)
Chapter One
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to identify the possible ways art student can organize themselves through costless self help project to undertake effective repairs of broken down equipment and machineries in the art studio of their institutions that aid their training.
CHAPER TWO
LITERATURE REVLEW
The issue of poor maintenance culture as it affects tools and equipment used in art production in tertiary institutions in Nigeria cannot be over emphasized.
The Oxford dictionary defined machine as a piece of equipment with moving parts that is designed to do a particular job. The power used to work a machine may be electric steam, gas etc and machinery as, group of machine while the penguin English dictionary describe it as any tool or device for over coming resistance by applying force, usually at another point, any apparatus that applies power so as to perform work or direct movement; and machinery as the part of a machine.
Maintenance as the act of keeping something in good condition by checking or repairing it regularly; or act of maintaining.
Our experience throughout our stay in this institution has brought us to focus that something is wrong as far as the machinery and equipment of the ceramic art studio is concerned especially the potters wheel.
What obtains within the larger society obtains also within department of Art studios of most institutions of higher learning where art is taught. Most of these institutions cannot boast of adequate tools and equipment for art production where some of these equipment exist they are in very despicable state.
Banyi Adis of the Guardian Newspaper discussed “maintenance culture” he said that this is one of the most abused expression in this part of the world, yet it does not have much meaning to us. If it does how come public building, highway (roads) facilities and utilities are abandoned to elements to destroy despites, the huge amount government spends to build them?. It is not as if the government is simply the lack of will to do it that is the problem. Yes in the line with government lack of will to do these maintenance so also the managements of the institution lack the will to repair or maintain these machinery.
At obafemi Awolowo university, the faculty of agriculture engages in many profitable agricultural production ventures …. using some of the profits to rehabilitate some of the equipment and farm facilities (Kehinde Adio, 2005)
This could be remedy where scarcity of fund is the major factor responsible for poor maintenance culture, But in Art studios, where the student artists art the users of tools and equipment john B Kenny 1953 pg 31 B of the view that all tools deserve good treatment and any artist worthy of the name has as much respect for his tools, as he has for the day. Much later he concluded that as (an artist ) you must learn how to handle your tools and your material P. 301. As technical working, an understanding of the working mechanism of whatever machines use artists creative skills.
Cardew (1969) pointed out that difficulties and natural obstacles presented by the technical sides of the potters art are themselves a potent source of inspiration.
CHAPER THREE
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
This chapter discusses the research design and the methods by which the practical project was executed the research design covers the method of data collection and the strategies adopted in accomplishing the practical aspect of the dysfunctional electric potter’s wheel in the ceramic section of the fine and Applied Art Department of the institute of management and Technology Enugu.
RE- STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM
Poor- maintenance culture is having very adverse effect on tools and equipment used in art production in most higher institutions were art is taught. In what ways could student artist organize themselves to harness their resources to overcome the bottlenecks. Inherent in art studio practice in art departments.
METHOD OF DATA COLLECTIONS
Data for this research project was collected by the following means
- Personal observation
- Oral interviews
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Textbooks
Personal observation’s
Visits to the ministry of Agriculture – particularly the market garden Enugu, and the ministry if works and Housing and also the IMT (campus 2) gave the researches ample opportunity to observe the effects of poor maintenance culture which resulted to the abandonment of many vehicles, tractors and ………. Other equipment that have been abandoned over the years. Visits to a private ceramic cottage industry in Enugu afforded the researchers the opportunity to observe the use of killings improvised by the potter himself.
CHAPTER FOUR
PROJECT ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS
In the course of carrying out this project we the researchers achieved alt of things, because we now know the components of the electric potters wheel we work with and with this we the now knows the steps to take when certain things happened in the system during working.
CHAPER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY
The adverse affect of poor maintenance culture on growth and development within the Nigeria society is very glaring. Apart from water of resources which include money expended in erecting such structures and purchases that would have been achieved through their effective used is denied or hindered.
In art department of higher institutions student artists would eventually miss the opportunity to use such broken down facilities in so doing, some aspects of the skill and knowledge which they would have acquired in the process would be lost.
However, if had been amongst the student of effecting repair of whatever tools and equipment that are useful to their training, such would have been as added advantage to both the students and the department. Such acts would be considered was self – help which is highly commendable.
This practice has been successful demonstrated in the ceramic section of the fine and Applied Art department of the IMT Enugu. Three electric potters wheels had been successful re – activated this self help effort has increased the number of wheel available to students who are specializing in ceramic production.
CONCLUSION
Conclusion, strudel with special abilities in cash poor skill should be encouraged to put them to the service of their departments particularly in their areas of specialization. In this way, the damaging consequences of poor maintenance culture would be eliminated.
RECOMMENDATIONS
It is highly recommended that students should be encouraged to undertake group project aimed at developing tools, materials and equipment that will be useful to art training in the department of fine and Applied.
Wherever possible, such students with the financial ability should work in consultation with other professionals in the chosen topic. On single individual is the custodian of knowledge.
In ceramics students can take the design and production of test kilns fired by kerosene or gas or even wood or sawdust. In other section, special designs of wooden donkeys or Easles can be developed.
In addition to their formal training in art, student should be encouraged to study the equipment this will enable them acquire helpful insight to the part of the equipment and their functions. In addition, it will enable the students to prepare them to maintain such took.
LIMITATION
This project work has not been without some limitation. The first problem is trying to carryout a project on electrical course without the initial knowledge of how the electrical components work or relate to each other.
Another thing is time factor, there wasn’t enough time for us to, do the project, though when one is doing a project, no time will likely be enough to finish it.
Financial predicament is also one thing that we encountered since there are things to buy which required some amount of money.
Inspite of all these limitations, the effort expanded seem to have yielded good result. We art expecting that another person will take to our foot steps to fullest, explore more on how maintenance of equipment could be a culture that will be inculcate in our institution and society at large.
BIBLIOAGPHY
- Carded m. (1974) Pioneer Potter (the Macmillan press Ltd London.
- Colbeck J.(1974) Pottery The Technique Of Throwing. (Bats ford limited and Watson Gustily publication) New York.
- Edward A. B. (1966) Acquisition of skill (Academic press) New York and London.
- Hannah J. and Stephens R. C (1991) mechanics of machines (Edward Arnold publishers London.
- Kenny J .Y (1954) ceramics sculpture a hand book for the Artist potter, Chilton publishers New York.
- Mann J Y and milling I. S (1972) Aircraft fatigue Design, operations and economic Aspects (Pergamon press) Australia.