THE EFFECT OF POOR STUDIO MAINTENANCE AND HOW IT AFFECTS PRACTICE

1.1 Introduction

Studio maintenance is a term related to all activities and procedures, planned and not, which are undertaken to ensure constant accessibility of operational equipment in art work production. The studio culture is an essential part of the design education. A report prepared by Koch and colleagues (2002) on studio culture explores current studio education and suggest a change in studio culture. Maintenance is said to be critical element for production effectiveness. Moreover, the aim of studio maintenance activities is to plan properly inspections, repairs and replacements and as an output for management staff, providing information about causes of failures and damages. Importance of appropriate maintenance policy is represented above all by considerable contribution of maintenance costs in total outlay of art work production (Mikler, 2011).

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

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1.2 Background of Study

Indeed, within the studio, the students aspiring to become entrepreneurs in Fine and Applied art should be guided on how to create a small enterprise or ways of becoming self-employed in a pragmatic and innovative way. They should be able to detect, evaluate, and implement entrepreneurship opportunities; define the goals and aims of the business they wish to run; do the business plan; market research; know the best sources for financing as well as manage the business. They should also understand the principles of concept attainment (Stanley 2009).

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. It is a poor attitudinal behaviour which has eaten deep into the social fabric of the Nigerian people. It manifests in different aspects of the industrial life of the people.

Most institutions of higher learning where Art is taught lack adequate infrastructure facilities and equipment for effective teaching and learning of art. Some of the institution that could boast of some facilities and equipment, have them in their dilapidated conditions were as a result of carelessness handling by student artists poor maintenance culture and total negligence on the part of departmental studio managers.

This attitude to Art studio materials, equipment and machineries is in line with the general attitude prevailing within the nation. A visit to various ministries such as works and Housing: Agriculture citic will reveal sorry site of abandoned tractors, vehicles and other heavy equipment and machineries which otherwise would have been put to effective use in the pursuit of the objectives and goals of such ministries (Kehinde Adio, 2005).

Most staff within the ministries, display lack of technical competence in the handling of machine and other working equipment. Where there are competent hands, surely maintenance cost would be reduced as the required repairs parts would be procured and repairs effected without engaging “experts” whose services would be very exorbitant. Reporting on the repair being carried out on the Niger bridge, Nwabueze Okonkwo of Saturday sun pointed out that the Commissioner for works lamented that lack of maintenance culture which has affected the bridge since 1962.

According to the Head of work and services department the institute lacks the necessary fund to put these vehicles and equipment back to life – hence their abandonment. From the foregoing it is discovered that lack of fund is one of the major factors responsible for the poor maintenance culture that is prevailing within the Nigeria system. Another major factor to consider is non availability of the required technical knowhow. Architectural structures also suffer similar fate. There are reports of such collapsed buildings all around the country in recent times. Poor maintenance culture has been the bane of our country which is having very adverse effect on national growth and development.

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Effect of Poor Studio Maintenance and How it Affects Practice.

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1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that most art studio in institutions of higher learning have facilities for the teaching and practice of art but because of their conditions many of them are not functional this situation has affected student artist especially those who are specializing in ceramics. Because of financial constraints facing management, money is not readily available to repair such equipment like electric potters wheels, kick wheels, kilns, ball mill, blunger, and other higher equipment like pugmill and compressors.

For lack of fund, electrical and mechanical experts cannot be consulted to effect repairs on these broken down equipment to this end, what is expected of the student artist whose progress in training depend on the availability of such tools and equipment.

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1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to investigate the Effect of Poor Studio Maintenance and How it Affects Practice. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To evaluate the effect of poor maintenance of art studio tools, equipment and machinery on the teaching and learning of art in tertiary institution;
2. To examine the factors causing poor studio maintenance among art students;
3. To identify the various ways in which poor maintenance of studio equipment affects students training in art; and
4. To find out how students can engage in self help activities to reactivate machineries, other equipment and tools for effective studio practice.

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1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Are the factors causing poor studio maintenance among art students?
• How can students engage in self help activities to reactivate machineries, other equipment and tools for effective studio practice?
• What is the effect of poor maintenance of art studio tools, equipment and machinery on the teaching and learning of art in tertiary institution?
• What are the various ways in which poor maintenance of studio equipment affects students training in art?

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1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: There are no significant factors causing poor studio maintenance among art students
• H1: There are significant factors causing poor studio maintenance among art students

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1.7 Significance of Study

The significance of this project is the new dimension it introduces in the study of art. Under this new dimension, students have the opportunity to study and understand the design and mode of operation of the tools, equipment and machinery that are used in art production particularly with reference to one’s area of specialization. In this regard the art student will not see his working tool or equipment as object whose production is beyond his scope of knowledge and understanding.

This approach place the art student in a position of great advantage like the driver/ mechanic. He or she will be asked to overcome problems associated with production within the studio or the industry.

This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

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1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the effect of poor studio maintenance and how it affects practice using Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri in Imo State as a case study.

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1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
4. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

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1.10 Definition of Terms

Potter’s Wheel: Machine designed to help potters to produce circular forms from a lump of plastic clay place on it revolving wheel head. This machine could be powered manually by kicking a pedal with the foot or by electric motor.

Throwing: A method of producing ceramic form in which a lump of clay placed on a revolving wheel head is manipulated with the fingers to become cylindrical and consequently give the desired shape of a flower vase, or mug or cup or bowl