Małgorzata Gurowska
Standards

Medium and tools: ink writing, father’s nib
Material: primary school notebooks

Walking in pairs, observing the time for talking and the time for silence, sitting in place for 45 minutes, not walking out, not rocking on the chair, not squirming. Writing neatly in the notebook: first lines and patterns, then letters, words, whole sentences and finally dispositions, documents, acts.

Not writing above or below the lines, drawing characters the right way, following the pattern, connecting letters smoothly, closing circles in letters properly. Three-lined notebooks, grid notebooks and grid paper under blank sheets define standards and teach one to repeat patterns, respect the rules and authorities, be obedient. They shape required behaviours in society. They teach one not to question authority: first at the school level, then at the national level. Patterns turn us into obedient citizens and disciplined officers. Lines, grid, bars and abatis all remind us that crossing the boundaries may lead to punishment.