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Mark D. Gottsegen, M.F.A.
University of North Carolina
Department of Art |
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"Simply put, I have learned more about art materials from my ASTM colleagues over the past 25 years than I ever learned in school. The forum ASTM International provides is a terrific classroom." |
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At what university and in what department do you teach? |
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I teach in the Department of Art at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. |
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What is the nature of the courses you teach? |
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I teach drawing and painting (studio courses), and materials of painting (a lecture/laboratory course). |
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What year did you join ASTM International? In which committees are you active? Are you a committee officer? |
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I joined ASTM International in 1978 and am active in Subcommittee D01.57 on Artist Paints and Related Materials; I have been chair of that subcommittee since about 1994. |
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What are some advantages of your participation in standards development? |
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Simply put, I have learned more about art materials from my ASTM colleagues over the past 25 years than I ever learned in school. The forum ASTM International provides is a terrific classroom. |
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Do you incorporate standards, ASTM or otherwise, into your curriculum? If so, what types? How are they implemented (case studies, research, other)? What is the value of doing so? |
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In my materials of painting course I devote one lecture to all of the ASTM standards produced by D01.57 - some 15 of them. My students learn to read a product label, something most of them have not done before, and learn how our labeling standards and test methods were developed. They become, I hope, much better consumers of the products they use. |
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Have you been involved in research, either past or presently? If so, in what capacity? What role did standards play in this research? |
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I have done, and continue to do as time permits, research on the lightfastness of artists' materials using ASTM D 4303, Standard Test Methods for Lightfastness of Colorants Used in Artists' Materials, D 5383, Standard Practice for Visual Determination of the Lightfastness of Art Materials by Art Technologists, and D 5398, Standard Practice for Visual Evaluation of the Lightfastness of Art Materials by the User. |
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What advantages do you see for students to have an understanding of standards and their development? |
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I think the greatest benefit for my students is that they learn the tools to distinguish, in many aspects, quality art materials from junk. |
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In your view, should a familiarity with standards be required for graduate-level education, particularly in engineering, law and business disciplines? Would this assist in gaining professional success? |
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Yes, I think in those professions a thorough knowledge of standards and their development would be an asset. As for graduate students in art - it's generally too late for them!
2005
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