Post by Chris Wolfe on Apr 6, 2005 17:08:13 GMT -5
PERSA ZULA
SNAPSHOT REPORTER
The Myers School of Art at The University of Akron hosted art educator, former museum director of MoMA, and former consulting curator Philip Yenawine for a week as a visiting artist and lecture for the last week in February. His theories and philosophies were explored and expanded in the classrooms, and students pounced on this unique opportunity to learn from a nationally-renown master in the profession.
On Tuesday, February 22, students from neighboring universities – even neighboring states – made the long trek over to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland to hear him speak. Feedback from students and other members of the community was positive, and many recommended going to his lecture, Looking for Meaning.
With such encouragement, I stayed after class on Friday night to hear his lecture in the Myers School of Art Auditorium, and to finally get a chance to see what this famous man had to offer. The place was packed, which was exciting to see (after all, who normally spends their Friday night at an art lecture for two hours, especially in the college community?). After much waiting, and a well-deserved introduction, Philip came out to the front and explained his purpose and the reason behind his lecture for that night. He stated that oftentimes when people view art, they spend far more time looking at the label than at the work itself. He also explained to us that art can be a conveyor of culture, but it is not specifically made and intended to serve that purpose. Instead, it is meant to express the trends that we easily share with one another.
Philip then turned his attention on how art has become misunderstood through art historians and specialists that tell us what the artist was thinking upon the creation of the work without fully knowing if this indeed were true. Art is open to interpretation, he argued, and if others are telling us what to think about certain things, it creates an inherent bias that colors our understanding.
After a brief twenty minute crash-course in art history, Philip turned his attention to the audience, and how each individual’s unique experiences reflected his or her interpretation of art. To prove this, he turned out the lights and showed the audience a series of slides and opened the floor to their opinions. From Madame X to work by Karen Findley, the responses were as varied as the individuals in the chairs and hallways of the building at this event, with themes of love, hate, death, distress, pleasure, and everything in-between. Each comment created a new spin on how others saw the piece in front of them, and would in turn spurn new ideas and fresh opinions.
After he had gone through all of the slides, Philip explained how this was part of a process that he has studied, called Visual Thinking Strategies, and how it effects the way he educates people to view art in a new way.
The experience was indeed unique, and I am glad I took the time out of my schedule to go and see him. His knowledge and insightfulness is something to which all art viewers should be exposed.
Philip has written numerous books, including How to Look At Modern Art, SHAPES, People, Instant Genius, The Cheat Sheets of Culture: Modern Art, LINES, PLACES, COLORS, STORIES, Key Art Terms for Beginners, How to Show Grown-Ups the Museum: A Young Persons Guide to Paintings in the Museum of Modern Art, and various textbooks.
To view the lecture online, visit: www3.uakron.edu/art/visitingartists.shtml
E-mail this reporter at:
photozula@yahoo.com
SNAPSHOT REPORTER
The Myers School of Art at The University of Akron hosted art educator, former museum director of MoMA, and former consulting curator Philip Yenawine for a week as a visiting artist and lecture for the last week in February. His theories and philosophies were explored and expanded in the classrooms, and students pounced on this unique opportunity to learn from a nationally-renown master in the profession.
On Tuesday, February 22, students from neighboring universities – even neighboring states – made the long trek over to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland to hear him speak. Feedback from students and other members of the community was positive, and many recommended going to his lecture, Looking for Meaning.
With such encouragement, I stayed after class on Friday night to hear his lecture in the Myers School of Art Auditorium, and to finally get a chance to see what this famous man had to offer. The place was packed, which was exciting to see (after all, who normally spends their Friday night at an art lecture for two hours, especially in the college community?). After much waiting, and a well-deserved introduction, Philip came out to the front and explained his purpose and the reason behind his lecture for that night. He stated that oftentimes when people view art, they spend far more time looking at the label than at the work itself. He also explained to us that art can be a conveyor of culture, but it is not specifically made and intended to serve that purpose. Instead, it is meant to express the trends that we easily share with one another.
Philip then turned his attention on how art has become misunderstood through art historians and specialists that tell us what the artist was thinking upon the creation of the work without fully knowing if this indeed were true. Art is open to interpretation, he argued, and if others are telling us what to think about certain things, it creates an inherent bias that colors our understanding.
After a brief twenty minute crash-course in art history, Philip turned his attention to the audience, and how each individual’s unique experiences reflected his or her interpretation of art. To prove this, he turned out the lights and showed the audience a series of slides and opened the floor to their opinions. From Madame X to work by Karen Findley, the responses were as varied as the individuals in the chairs and hallways of the building at this event, with themes of love, hate, death, distress, pleasure, and everything in-between. Each comment created a new spin on how others saw the piece in front of them, and would in turn spurn new ideas and fresh opinions.
After he had gone through all of the slides, Philip explained how this was part of a process that he has studied, called Visual Thinking Strategies, and how it effects the way he educates people to view art in a new way.
The experience was indeed unique, and I am glad I took the time out of my schedule to go and see him. His knowledge and insightfulness is something to which all art viewers should be exposed.
Philip has written numerous books, including How to Look At Modern Art, SHAPES, People, Instant Genius, The Cheat Sheets of Culture: Modern Art, LINES, PLACES, COLORS, STORIES, Key Art Terms for Beginners, How to Show Grown-Ups the Museum: A Young Persons Guide to Paintings in the Museum of Modern Art, and various textbooks.
To view the lecture online, visit: www3.uakron.edu/art/visitingartists.shtml
E-mail this reporter at:
photozula@yahoo.com