tonight was the reception for "On Beyond Zebra: 2012 UIC Art MFA Thesis Exhibition 3". i really liked it, as did a lot of other people. my former junior college professor, a colleague of his, and a former student came by. we were having a nice conversation... then we started talking about approaches to art education, mainly the role conceptual art does or doesn't have in that. his argument was centered on the idea that having a good idea is great but it isn't worth anything if it isn't executed well. this obviously assumes that if you work conceptually you can't work skillfully, don't need to learn any traditional skills, and throw out all the 'important' parts (traditional forms of making such as rendering and gesture) of art when you do so. later in the conversation he made reference to some of the work in the exhibition as proof.
Paul Cowan - Untitled (fishing lures on canvas) 2011
i tried to talk to them about differing approaches - and to explain that UIC might not honor the transfer credits from his junior college because the courses are taught quite differently; at UIC the foundations courses are centered on conceptual meaning-making through skillful application of everything from traditional to contemporary methods of working. (i didn't phrase this so tightly in the conversation, but the idea was there.) he replied, "well who's fault of that?"
Neal Vandenbergh - White and Yellow (High Intensity Prismatic Sheeting, Yellow High Build Traffic paint, copper, wood, latex paint, hardware) 2011 [another piece from "On Beyond Zebra" <3 ]
so i normally would let this roll off my back - compared to my thoughts, some people have different ideas of what the function of art should be, and that's valid. and then maybe this work isn't for him/them - and why should i care if someone hates on some stuff, i like it. the problem is that this was my teacher, a person that i considered a mentor.
it hurt to hear someone that i've looked up to for so long completely dismiss the way i work in my studio, the way i teach, and the way i understand art and the world. today was the day that i stopped seeing this man as my mentor, and started to see him as a person - imperfect like the rest of us. i think this is a good thing, and look forward to getting to know him in this new context. and i'm still want to include his work in the The Earth Below exhibition about faith and belief that i've been working on for... 3 years? here is the piece i want for the show (his name removed out of respect and privacy).
Personal Cross (mixed media)
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