I have never attended art school formally, but I have taken art classes and even there, people who loved drawing anime or in my case, cartoons faced their fair share of negativity from some art teachers. I understand it's not Rembrandt or DaVinci and while I am no big connaisseur, but I do know beauty and artistic skill when I see it and I do see it in cartoons and art. It's modern art, but art nonetheless. And I feel a need to give my own argument against talk or action on banning it from art classes or schools.
I think that is an unjust idea because it falsely assumes cartoons and anime are not art and don't merit the same respect other art mediums or styles get. Moreover, there is a great double standard behind this attitude considering that abstract, cubism and minimalism arts get heralded as revolutionary and moving. Moreover, some of these pieces have included a picture of a potato behind a black background, a canvas consisting only of white paint all over it and a world famous art piece which is an enormous boulder. In a time where beauty and art are accepted as being in the eye of the beholder, I think it is most definitely a double standard to be able to call pieces I mentioned before as distinguished pieces of art, but not do the same for pieces that are anime or cartoon style.
Yes, I admit that sometimes, such styles can be presented in such a way that they look comical, whimsical and sometimes clownish, but even when they are, that does not necessarily take away from the time, effort and beauty the pieces still contain. In fact, it adds to it. Just look at Picasso's art which can at times be interpreted the same way and just like cartoons and anime, doesn't take realistic human proportions or colouring into account. Plus, might I remind people that at the time, Picasso was considered was a fool too for making his art the way he did. Picasso showed us that the rules of art are in our head and are case by case. He should not be the exception, but a role model to open our minds.
By all means art schools should teach students all kinds of skills, styles and such, so they can broaden their minds and experiment. And if an assignment requires the student to make something in a specific style that isn't anime or cartoon style, it should be respected. However, if after experimenting and searching, the student still considers anime or cartoon to be their calling, it should be respected not judged, discouraged or put the student at risk of being expelled. I can understand that such styles are not every art teacher's cup of tea, but I have something to bring to light to all you art teachers; if you were to present something you considered as art or created, you can be sure that not all of your peers or students would like it.
I will be honest now and admit that I don't like minimalism, abstract or art that gets outrageous or plays up shock value to an almost offensive degree, but I am still willing to admit that it is art. With that said, why can't art teachers who are also adults reciprocate that same open mind and tolerance to others? You may not like it, but it is still art. And if everything is art, cartoons and anime should not be the exception. I say we don't ban them and if we have, the ban should be lifted from art schools.
Who is with me?