blog one:

Art Institute of Boston

Limited Residency MFA Program

First Residency Reflections

Group One orientation:

It was nice to arrive a day early (Thursday), meet my peers and the AIB administration. Judith Berry and Louise Goldberg were extremely effective in their efforts to make us feel at ease and informed on the activities to come. The opportunity to take a break, eat and interact with classmates was a thoughtful and effective gesture.

Critical theory:

Stewart did a good job of covering the readings, while weaving the evening’s artist talks into the discussion. I felt confident in my knowledge when the art history he presented was no more than review for me. It is an affirmation that my previous studies and personal research efforts have prepared me for the program at AIB. Naturally the time restraints limited the depth of some discussions. On the other hand, this fueled Group One discussions after hours at Cornwall’s. Stewart was an informative and engaging instructor: an ideal combination for learning.

Portfolio presentation:

This presentation was the only negative experience for me. It was inconceivable to me that an institution would not have Adobe acrobat installed. While the professional version is commonplace on systems that install the Adobe Suites, the adobe PDF reader is a free download. Due to production efficiency, file size, and alterability (pirating) power point has fallen into disuse at many institutions. Consequently I put together a quick “plan b” (from JPEGs on my laptop) and abandon my notes. I feel it was my fault making the assumption that acrobat reader would be readily available. Reflecting on my anxiousness while presenting, I am considering taking up a class or workshop to hone my public speaking skills. Attending the evening artist talks brought home the importance of presenting oneself in an actively chosen light.

Faculty panel:

• Loved it

• Love the issues addressed

• I have been a huge fan of Purcell and really enjoyed learning more

• I feel it was an opportunity to learn more about the presenter/faculty’s nature

• The exchanges that took place between the panel and audience gave me much to think about in my present and future work.

Artist talks:

• Enjoyed Most: Dike Blair (due to imagery and delivery)

• Enjoyed Least: Michael Newman (due to imagery and delivery)

• While the Maureen Gallace talk was by far the worst, I was engaged by the audience’s reaction to her inability to talk about her work. It brought home the importance of the need to be articulate, expressive, and engaging as a speaker and artist. Ms. Gallace’s talk fueled dynamic discussions at Cornwall’s, as well as in the next Critical theory class. I likened the experience to a required text I purchased for a web class many years ago, “Web Pages that Suck: Learning Good Design Through Examining Bad.”

Graduate student presentations:

I felt privileged to attend these presentations. Not only did they give insight into AIB outcomes, they gave me cause to define my personal goals within this program. Later during critiques with Graduating students I felt more informed about their work and therefore more able to glean from their insight and recommendations.

Critiques:

Observations/responses to my work:

Digital Images

• Would love to see them printed big
• This gray scale image would make an interesting painting
• I do not see “you” in these images as I do in your paintings

“Weeds” (3 acrylic paintings on masonite or canvas)

• They have ethereal quality also found in your mural “3 Graces.”
• There is a sense of veiling in these images
• It feels like it is about an experience rather than just studies.

“Venus Transparent” (acrylic on masonite door)

• My throat felt tight when I first considered her
• At first I thought “not another Venus painting,” yet her transparency and surrounding sucked me in – challenged me to take her seriously
• She does challenge or confront the viewer
• I am repulsed and attracted to her simultaneously
• Artistic Influences cited (in “Venus”) by peers:
• Botticelli
• Braque
• Klimt
• Geiger

Questions that came up in critiques:

(Stated as questions to ask self to determine direction and assess results)

• Where do your interests emerge?
• What kind of painter do you want to be?
• What ultimately is your medium?
• Do I have any core set of issues?
• Is digital montage the direction to go in?
• What is (will be) your “question” (theme of exploration in body of work)?

Suggestions given:

• For six weeks: Create list/word doc. And collect topic/ideas for my subject/thesis (ex: nature, corners, toilet…)

• Create a list of what I hate (artists, styles, subjects, colors) you can learn as much about yourself from what you don’t like as what you do--then challenge these assessments.

• Do something I would never do – make a list of my current rules/parameters and break 2 on a new project.

• Try self portrait every day for at least a month (repetition, consistency, systems)

• Paint portraits of my children as objects and try to capture their personality

• Create imagined space (like my public murals) in a virtual 3d environment (3dMax/Sketchup software), possibly a fly through or animation (time base) so that one can experience art within the space. Think about creating site specific works this way. Could use with past murals or for new projects.

• Identify your “question” – create 4-5 questions to address when viewing art and analyzing/developing mine.

Cautions:

• If I choose to go the digital time base route I must consider time learning new software (extremely time consuming). Cost of software and equipment needed for display is also a consideration.

• Combining paint with digital art is extremely difficult to do well and hard to maintain the unique identities of each medium. It may help to set application and parameters for use of each medium to determine the best route for this kind of exploration. Final output will be a key factor in your decisions.

• Keep shipping (costs/difficulties), display space here (AIB), and future exhibition opportunities in mind when formulating your new project. Keep in mind the downside to working large. Un-stretching canvas after completion is one solution.

Artist to look at:

David Bradshaw

Julia Hoffman

Alon Langotsky

Berry Lopez

Steve Lake

Tony Qursyiz

Steve Stone

Samantha Thoran

Steve Tobin

Sarah Walker

Darren Waterson

Jerome Witkin

Meals:

• Whole foods was awesome. I hope they will be engaged next January.

• Having all meals attended to was a blessing. I would have skipped meals and squander time in the pursuit of nourishment. Such activities would have taken its toll over the ten days.

Conclusion:

I feel a personal transformation took place over the ten days of residency. I gleaned clarity in my work (and proposed project), as well as collecting innovative suggestions that I am anxious to try. Encountering a cornucopia of creative minds and unique perspectives was a new, welcome, and challenging experience for me: I am richer for this experience, thank you.