(Disclaimer: The iPhone, though it may be great for internet browsing and game playing, does not take quality photos in the dark. My apologies.)
For the past two weeks, students in David Schafer’s Professional Practice class have been giving their own “artist talks.” After a full semester of listening to professional artists present their work to us, we have now been saddled with the task of presenting our own work (ideas, concerns, theories, queries, etc).
Students have taken many different approaches to the assignment, and were, in many cases, more interesting (terribly so) than many of the successful gallery artists who have spoken to us. Some students focused on themselves as (growing, changing, thinking) people and the way their entire psyche informs their work. E.g. Dan Rosen played for the class some of the electronic music he composes with fellow DJ Superstar Erin Ferro Murray. Calla Di Pietro, an art history major joining us for the semester, described her influences as a thinker about art and how the past few months have helped her opinions take shape. Hannah Coleman presented her concerns about popular culture and thinking, while a series of “facebooky” photos (taken this semester with all of us on display) played in the background. Students found interesting ways to present their work, aside from a straight slide show with descriptions. We learned immensely about each other, the ways we can inform each other, and the concerns we (a blossoming generation of young artists) plan to contribute to the discourse of Fine Arts.
above: Christina Ko describes her efforts to reconcile a Korean heritage with her American citizenship.
above: Cynthia Baker describes her interests in family history and the ways in which is takes visual form.