Monday, March 30, 2009

shirt No. 5 with dizzy shirt No. 5


Hi Everyone,
I've been taking a printmaking class and thought that I'd share one of my new prints. They are from the same drypoint card but the one on the left was put through the press twice.

  It was always my intention to take a print class at MassArt, but it never happened. A real shame that actually relates to the point Cole has made, in a certain way. The illustration department at MassArt is so separated from the other 'fine art' students. During my time on the Ninth Floor I felt very different from the painting majors (which is where I started out, in fact). My whole life I wanted to be a painter, but that department wasn't fun! I loved the pressure to draw from observation that the illustration teachers put on us, as well as the challenge to come up with strong conceptual elements. They have grouped illustration in with the design, which is why I think it suffers. I always wished to be closer with the faculty, but it never happened. They are chalk-full full of things I wanted to know, but the classes where too big and not condusive to building relationships. It seemed like they spent the most of the time talking about the elements of design and  other important though dry things. What has been said about the critiques is so true, they were often mind-numbing-ly boring and had no point at all. You really must teach yourself, everyday for the rest of your life.

Now, having graduated and spent my school-free time in galleries and museums, I have remembered the excitement of art, the unbelievable skill of some people, and the energy that I used to have to be a fine artist myself. Liverpool (where I live at the moment) has many good places to see old and new art, but I hope to live in an even more thriving art community some day. 

Anway, I'm trying to say several things here. I'm trying to say that I am working towards that productive way of life, that I'm looking at the history of art as well as what people are making today all around the world (It is so much!). And that MassArt is so tiny, but it taught me a thing or two. Don't be discouraged, get your degree and run with it!

1 comment:

a said...

Hey your drypoints are totally kickass. Drypoint is something I find very frustrating, because with copper there is no sense of a 'grain' that there is in woodcut. Have you tried plexi? It etches really well, but only lasts for a couple of prints before the plastic gets smooshed.

I'm glad you said some of the things you said, I agree with them very much :) Throughout the whole discussion these things have caused, I've realized that I can use them to make myself stronger instead of angry, and it's been awesome.