Illustration: Arthur H Moore. Lace border design. 1896.
Competitions are often portrayed as a system whereby standards can be judged and assessments made. They have been used across many of our institutions and no more so than through education. Many critics of the various state and private educational systems have been uncomfortable with the idea of competitiveness within schools, drawing attention not to those students who constantly win, but to those who constantly lose. Although many would see competition as healthy, the phrase 'healthy competition' seems to be alarmingly well used in our contemporary world, it is not inclusive and can often be extremely divisive and damaging to the personal identity of those who are often designated as habitual losers.
Illustration: Clara Derrick. Lace border design, 1896.
There are an infinite range of factors as to why individuals succeed or fail within a competitive framework. It is simplistic to believe that competition is natural or desirable to human nature as human nature itself is much more complex than most would have us believe. Although competition for resources, mates and personal identity are often highlighted as part of the history of the human species, nurturing, compassion and support of others which were just as important, are often not seen as such.
Illustration: Frederick Jeffrey. Lace border design, 1896.
Personal success is very often entwined with personal development, which itself can be intangible and certainly subjective. The act of judgement, particularly of an artistic nature, is often seen by many as arbitrary and even unguided. The parameters of choice between a winning artistic and creative endeavour and a failed one do little towards the self-respect of the judge or the artist. A number of art-based competitions for example, have come in for some scathing criticism whereby some state that the publicity generated for the sponsor of the competition is more important than the often arbitrary prize.
Illustration: George Marples. Lace border design, 1896.
Art and Design schools have had a particularly difficult time at trying, over generations, to quantify and grade creative individuality. Most of those who have worked in this form of education are fully aware that the framework for judging the individual is woefully inadequate, and often actively harmful. Competition within further education is usually set by those who have little understanding or empathy with the creative journey of that individual. Interestingly, a number of those who have failed at art and design school have gone on to have interesting and developed careers despite originally failing the competitive system.
Illustration: H C Graff. Lace boder design, 1896.
The five examples shown in this article are from competitions set up by The Studio magazine. The magazine held regular competitions open to students of art and design schools and were of varying disciplines. This particular one was produced in 1896 for lace design. It is uncertain how many entries the magazine usually gained and who and how judgements were made. Although no doubt believing that competition both publicised the various design formats, and separated the better skilled students from others, the magazines attempt at highlighting success through a crude system of basic competitions was both unimaginative and a real failing in the fundamental understanding of what personal and individual creative development really meant.
Creative students need to be handled with care, patience and compassion. Each sees the world separatley and their creative identity is just as uniquely separate. A creative person needs to be the best they can within their own personal framework. They have a genuine message to portray which is only theirs. However, this message can become lost in a world where the illusion of competition can become the overriding factor. To beat someone else for a ribbon, cup or plexiglass ornament is not really the point in a creative atmosphere, to develop the personal create journey is.
Further reading links:
No Contest: The Case Against Competition
Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes
Feel-Bad Education: And Other Contrarian Essays on Children and Schooling
The Brighter Side Of Human Nature: Altruism And Empathy In Everyday Life
The Case Against Standardized Testing: Raising the Scores, Ruining the Schools
