Art news: Rembrandt print

Long considered a copy of a Rembrandt, this red ink portrait from the National Gallery of Scotland has been verified as a Rembrandt. Depicting Jan Cornelis Sylvius, a preacher from the artist's town of Amsterdam, the work is considered by the hand of Rembrandt because it was pulled from an etching plate that was created by the Old Master himself. Even though it was printed posthumously, the print is still considered a Rembrandt and, thus, holds particular merit in the printmaking world and in art history. It was likely inked in the 18th century, when red prints were all the rage. 

The following print, from the Art Institute of Chicago, is similar in character to the red one above. But, its granular differences, tonal distinction, and overall grainy appearance detract from the clarity and quality of the work. Thus, this apparent copy of the original 1633 plate, too, is classified as "a Rembrandt" even though it is derivative and, presumably, made after the original plate had been created. 

Finally, consider the print below, from the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Made in 1646, it borrows in subject and composition from the earlier two works above. The Cleveland piece is considered reproductive and illustrative, and yet, it, too, is a Rembrandt.  

Seeing is believing: it's a wonder that it took the National Gallery in Scotland so long to realize that their print was pulled from the very plate that Rembrandt had etched. We tend to think that works created by Old Masters have an aura. And, yet, clearly, we can't always see what we should really believe. 

Conference Report: CAA in New York 2013

This past week I was able to attend the College Art Association conference in New York. This is the annual conference for the largest organization of artists and art historians in the United States. College Art is the oldest such organization in the United States - it was founded during the dawn of "modern" art in New York (think Armory Show and Marcel Duchamp!) 

In addition to attending the conference, I was able to attend a digital humanities pre-conference (I was selected to attend this limited seating opportunity - yay!). There I participated in several sessions (some hands-on, others lecture and others discussion oriented) that focused on teaching as well as research and collections. These sessions were well-organized but also allowed for organic information exchange -- the direction of conversation within each session could migrate off topic and yet still remained helpful!

After two days of the digital humanities, I attended the conference itself where I sat in on a number of sessions, panel discussions, and lectures. These presentations and discussions are made by academic art historians and artists, as well as museum professionals, conservators, and others who are working in the fields of art and art history. I really enjoy hearing what others are doing and, also, asking about their work either during the Q&A or afterward. With such learning opportunities, this conference is the off-campus highlight of my academic year. 

In sum, this entire visit to NYC was cloaked with art visits as well, since there are so many opportunities to view art and, second, because so many museums in New York are open late. Here's a bit of a brief recap below...

* Upon arrival, I visited the World Trade Center Memorial by Michael Arad shown here. It was contemplative and moving. How do you even smile in such a photo? I was fortunate to have lunch the next day with an architect whose friend's firm won the competition for the museum. We had a full conversation about site, space, and placemaking. 

** On Thursday I went over to the Brooklyn Museum of Art to see the Gilbert Stuart there (Mike-from-the-KHS and I have conversations about this work frequently, in terms of style, connoisseurship, and context). Also at Brooklyn, I was able to take in their visible storage display. The Met's visible storage, which I saw afterward, was really different and came across as an exhibit rather than a workspace and show place. 

***At MoMA, I was mesmerized by Wolfgang Laib's installation of hazelnut pollen. 

Info above and here, my photo below.

****At the Guggenheim (which is a work of art in its own right), I was able to take in the Gutai exhibition which was in its preview. Pioneers of performance and the idea of "concreteness," Gutai’s participatory environments took the form of organic or geometric abstract sculptures incorporating kinetic, light, and sound art, turning exhibition spaces into chaotic dens of screeching, pulsing, machine-like organisms. According to the curators, this site of creativity is what Shiraga called “a splendid playground” and what Yoshihara sought as a “free site that can contribute to the progress of humanity.”

These photos and this short list of activities really only scratch the surface of my week of professional development. I attended no fewer than 30 talks, visited 18 exhibitions at museums, libraries, and even the home of a private collector. I  connected with colleagues while also meeting associates. While I missed participating in campus activity over the past week, I greatly benefitted from taking in so much art and learning throughout the week. I look forward to sharing more with you in classes or conversations in the coming weeks. 

All Eyes on LexArt's new project--UPDATED

Update: Concordia was installed last weekend by New York-based artist, DeWitt Godfrey. Read all about it here.

  Artist talk, Tuesday, July 31st @ 5:30 at the Downtown Art Center. Friends of public art -- don't miss it! (thanks Celeste for the photo of us!). 

Culture Wars

Art is not a luxury; art is a precondition to success in a world increasingly driven by creativity and innovation … Investing in arts and cultural institutions … can be the economic equivalent of bringing a manufacturing plant to a neighborhood and — from a cultural and quality-of-life standpoint — more than surpass it.
-- Luis Ubiñas, president of the Ford Foundation on the philosophy of creative placemaking. See info here.

Times are tough, there's no question about that. Listen in on conversations with peers, colleagues, and others both on and off campus.


It may seem easier to cut back funding entirely rather than invoke austerity measures that would enable programs (in this case, the arts) to continue.



But, those of us in the arts, and others who benefit from them, see the greater good in sustaining such programs. This is a topic that we've engaged recently in my New Museum Theory course.




Take our gallery programs and exhibition schedule. The current exhibition "A Passionate Pursuit: The Milward Collection" has brought in folks from the region who have never visited our gallery or our campus. I met a few such ladies this afternoon when I popped in during Spring Break briefly. I am thrilled that this exhibition offers something of interest for these individuals. And, I hope it offers something for you, also.



Next month, we'll usher in the senior projects from five graduating art majors and one student who is pursuing an area major in Cultural Studies. These six students will fill both galleries with work that is new, fresh, and (hopefully) pushing themselves toward excellence.



But, we have myriad events tied to both courses and galleries. As evidenced by the photos above, taken from events over the past two years. These give visual witness to coursework, site visits from area middle schools, gallery openings and receptions, and artists' talks.



It's interesting to think of the arts as an incubator in much the same that an industrial plant fuels a city. Imagine the capacity for power if we could collaborate more, reach broader audiences, and cross-pollinate both on campus and with those in our community?





Read the full article from where the quote was taken here. Thanks to KLev for pointing me to this article:) Yep, she's another art history major who's MAKING ART WORK, as in MAKING (that) ART (degree) WORK (for her)!!

Modern Art Presentations

Students in the Modern Art course have been giving presentations on art movements and sub-movements, approaches, and media of the past half century. Topics this week have included assemblage, photography, architecture, pop art, minimalism, feminism, and earthworks. Despite the cold and, yes, snow flurries! students left the art building, under Katie's direction, and went across the street to create an earthwork first hand. The task: to engage and make work with the earth or the living environment.

As readers of the blog may know, my personal and professional interest in public art extends to land art as well. While there are multiple definitions of this movement (and, as Katie pointed out today, Stokstad only gives us two paragraphs of information about this movement), I see earthworks and land art as one of the defining shifts in modern art. The premise of this sub field (pun intended) is straightforward and two-fold. Land art and earth art/earthworks, a movement and classification of public art that emerged in the 1960s and continues today, makes the earth both a canvas and the pedestal for works. Such artworks are intended primarily as permanent, large-scale forms in wide-open spaces and in particularized natural environments, such as along a river, within a lake, amidst a field, or in an urban setting. Examples include Claes Oldenburg's Placid Civic Monument (1967), Michael Heizer's Double Negative (1969-1970), Walter de Maria's The Lightning Field (1974-1977), James Turrell's Roden Crater (1977-present), Christo and Jeanne-Claude's Valley Curtain (1970-72), and Nancy Holt's Sun Tunnels (1973-76).

Our earthwork was conceived in the space across from the Art Building -- the grassy area that Allison Warren once took up for her public art piece, Crossing (after Whitman). As a class, we chose to create one work rather than single works individually. Aptly titled A Pile of Sticks (We're Very Literal), the installation/earthwork was created with natural materials only and without the aid of any connective materials or alterations of the form in order to join elements. See top photo for the completed work. While A Pile of Sticks (We're Very Literal) may not withstand the semester or, even the day, we hope that you enjoy this ephemeral earthwork.

Our next project is the Modern Art Game Day. Join us on Monday, December 12 in the Wilson Gallery around 12:30 (giving us time to set up the games at noon). All are welcome to join us!

PS to TJ: Thanks for taking our photos.

PPS: as a way to link this post with the previous one by Darrell, see this information on a new exhibition in Paris on anamorphosis, that is, an image that needs to be seen from a special angle to be seen without distortion. Story here.

You Are Your Own Asset

It's the beginning of the advising weeks, so faculty are sitting with students and talking to them about next semester, and the one after that, and the one after that. As a student myself, I always found advising and picking courses to be a thoughtful, reflective, worthwhile, and eye-opening experience. I had high hopes for each new semester and the challenges it would bring inside and outside the classroom. Every dime that I spent, then, seems such a sound investment to me, now.

As you're looking at schedules and contemplating your education and your future, consider making the most of your experience in college. Definitely consider studying abroad (as has been mentioned on this blog so often!). Also, consider undertaking an internship for academic credit or otherwise. Please see any art faculty if you have questions about recent interns and where they have served. Consider, also, taking an extra class -- if it will fit into your 18-hour schedule -- just for the sake of learning. As a full-time student you're entitled to take 12-18 hours at the same rate of tuition. Why not make the most of it, by taking additional hours -- beyond what you "need" -- and, possibly, taking them pass/fail or auditing them? That way, you can gain knowledge without having to invest as much time as if you were a full participant in the course.

Finally, consider that education is an investment. Despite the controversial stance coming from the Occupy Wall Street movement as to the astounding amount of college debt, there is Obama-style HOPE forthcoming (likely) with the President's announcement last week of plans "to expand loan consolidation and income-based repayment programs a bit." Consider, too, Justin Wolfers's observation that when you take out a student loan or undertake some other investment in your own education, “the asset you are borrowing against is human capital” and that, unlike home values, the value of human capital isn’t likely to drop sharply in a year, he says. (See article here.)

Invest in yourself. The rewards and payoff may not be immediate, but your hard work, diligence, and a stake in your own education may serve you well down the road.

Pictures, from the top: Angelina and Earl Grey at GC Commencement, 2010; GC grad Hannah (GC'11) at the Speed Museum, spring 2011; Jacob (GC '11) at the opening of our exhibition for Curatorial Studies, Fall 2010; Anna (GC '14) and Earl Grey at the International Museum of the Horse, Fall 2011.

Guest Post from Italy: Elizabeth Metcalfe

As a freshman in Dr. Decker’s survey class, we discussed and studied Brunelleschi’s famous dome in Florence, Italy. If you had told me then that in just 2 years I would see this dome in person, I wouldn’t have believed you. But here I am, spending a semester in Italy (my first time outside of the United States!) and walking past the enormous Duomo every time I step outside.

It’s almost unfathomable to me that buildings like the Duomo, built before America was even discovered, are dispersed throughout contemporary Florence. In Florence, I get to live life with one foot in the 15th century and the other in the 21st. The street I live on is referenced in letters written by members of the Medici, a powerful Renaissance banking family and patrons of the arts, but today bustling tourists walk the same steps of the Medici with guidebooks and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Here in Italy I have become acutely aware of the vastness of human existence. It’s one thing to read about Renaissance works in Stokstad, but it’s an entirely miraculous and humbling experience to be actually standing before the works I read about in class, especially considering the Renaissance is relatively recent in terms of the entire history of art. I wonder if Michelangelo, Botticelli, Leonardo, and other Renaissance masters knew how widespread and lasting their legacies would be.

Though the Florence of today is incredibly different than the Florence of the Renaissance, there is still so much to love about it:

1. the art—almost every week I am traveling to museums for class to see works of the Renaissance firsthand. The art in Florence isn’t just limited to the Renaissance either! There are many small contemporary galleries, and it’s impossible to walk through the city center without passing street artists or seeing guerilla art.

2. the sounds—whether it’s the clinking cups in the espresso bars, the street musicians, or the emphatic sounds of the Italian language, I love walking around and just listening to Florence.

3. the people—through passing the same street violinist on the way to class each day and being recognized by the vendors at the market, Florence is becoming more of a home to me. I love when I get to have conversations with Italians on the street, on the train, or in restaurants because they are so friendly! Plus, it’s an excellent opportunity to practice my Italian.

4. the food—everything in Italy is so fresh and delicious! I have a feeling caf food is going to get old really quick when I return next semester.

5. the travel opportunities—not only is there so much to do in Florence, but there is so much more in Europe BEYOND Florence! My school sponsors several trips around Italy, but I’ve also discovered upon coming here that it is extremely easy to travel to other countries. By the end of the semester, I will have gone to Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Germany, France, the Netherlands, England, and several regions of Italy. One of the wonderful differences between America and Europe is that in Europe, so many different and rich cultures are so close together!

Needless to say, studying abroad has been wonderful so far. It is definitely something I believe everyone can benefit from, even if just for a summer or winter term. There is so much to see, and every day I experience something new. It’s now the halfway point of my semester abroad, and despite the noisy neighbors downstairs who are always on the terrace either passionately fighting or casually singing opera, I conquered a week of midterms. Time has flown by and although I will probably be excited to return home, there are so many things I will miss about Italy. I can’t say it enough—STUDY ABROAD if you can!

Feel free to follow my travels at elizabethmetcalfe.tumblr.com. I hope everyone in the art department is having a great semester and I’m looking forward to seeing you all in January!

Join me@.NO Gallery, Sat.10/22, 1-5pm

.NO Gallery is located 251 E. Houston, (btwn. Norfolk and Suffolk) on the Lower East Side in NYC. (take F-train to 2nd Ave, closest stop). See full program HERE.

Noah Becker: "… Authorship of ideas is fluid in the current online environment with ideas and images distributed like a digital wild west. We are still moving forward at a rapid pace with no sign of slowing down. When the paradigm shift in the art world began (from print to digital) things began to change. Whitehot took a drastic step at that juncture bringing in a large number of new critics, artists and curators forward. This involvement will hopefully provide the reader with a disconnect from the massive amount of cyclical commentary and intellectual pollution that is characteristic of our time." (from: The Letter from Editor, Monday Jan. 10, 2011. See: http://whitehotmagazine.com/documents/about)

Franklin Evans: "… Are we the Make It Bigger Generation? I think we are past that (possibly linked to recent economic decline). … Nothing felt like Richard Serra’s Torqued Ellipses, Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty, or even the maquette for Jeff Koons’ LACMA Train. The recent economic past may be a harbinger of what’s to come (slow decline of economic hubris and transition to more moderate lifestyles) and in ways it may be seen in some of the GNY work. Matt Hoyt’s strange work wonderfully relates (and more than just this) to what I suggest as the current social attitude digesting the socioeconomic decline of America." (from: Greater New York Roundtable by Richard J. Goldstein, Sep.7, 2010)

Vanessa Albury: "…The light, the image, once you’ve reached it, it consumes the space and cascades before you. You are surrounded by images on top of themselves. A montage of a white lily, black lace trim, dust & sand in a mirror. I send my images back upon myself in reflections on dusty mirrors & on glossy glass windows. I send these images on to you." (from: http://www.vanessaalbury.com/2statement.html)

Tanja Thorjussen: "… One thing that is specific to the Norwegian art market is its multiple grants for artists, this sets the economy of those Norwegian artists that receive a grant in a different light than the American artists that do not get grants to the same extent. We will not be able to sidestep this comparison. I will therefore briefly explain how the grants are built up and how this influences the way many Norwegian artists work." (from an email correspondence with Boris Zakic, Oct.11, 2011)

Inger‐Reidun Olsen: "… Through the physical body, sound and simple scenographic elements [RE-ACTION] is reflecting how these power structures affect us and the way in which we have power over our own lives, in relation to other people and the world around us." (from: http://irodance.wordpress.com/main-projects/)

From the object to the non-object

Above: a view of Georgetown College from 1892. Below: the Cochenour Gallery, the Dr. Donald L. and Dorothy Jacobs Collection, and the Anne Wright Wilson Fine Arts Gallery, three exhibition spaces on the Georgetown College Campus.

In the Curatorial Studies class over the past few weeks, we've moved from curating objects to recording information to be placed on the smartPhone app "Take it Artside!" that we helped bring to life last year. (The app was launched in 2010 and GC art is one of the founding educational partners. See info here.) The third part of this transition is to move from the object and its record to the non-object and its story, that is, the oral history. Well, truth be told, the oral history is an actual object, in that it exists in a digital file, but its essence is truly the conversation with others. And readers of this blog will hear more about this project in the coming weeks.

As we transitioned through these projects, though, we engaged in a discussion about "the object." We asked if art, science, history, or any museum needs objects. We read Rainey Tisdale's attempt to answer this question. We mentioned Steven Conn's recent query articulated in a U Penn podcast where Conn points to museum experiences and, in our "museum age", the blending of culture, politics, and commerce, when we venture into a museum and purchase a replica or memento experience in the gift shop!

In museum circles, there is a divide between those who feel the object is essential and those that do not. Take, for example, Google Art Project. Truly, seeing John Constable's Salisbury Cathedral via GoogleArt affords me the opportunity to see a digitization of the canvas. I can see evidence of Constable's brushwork in a way that I cannot, even when I am standing directly in front of this magnificent work in the Frick Collection. There's an enhancement to my experience when I see the canvas through the monitor or screen of my computer. But, this is not a substitution for the painting. I have seen Constable's painting first hand and, after several views of it, I feel I can begin to know about it. And, I can appreciate this opportunity to view a digitization of the painting. But, I also know that this digitization is not the painting itself.

So, you might heed caution against using an app as a substitution for the work of art (or other authentic object). The object - the painting, the sculpture, the installation, the work itself -- is necessary in order to live the experience in most cases. Unless you're David Hockney.

To move from viewing art to educating us about it, I think that one of the most interesting applications of technology to the museum experience is as this type of enhancement that we see hinted in the Google Project. Recently, the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh has connected works of art -- through technology -- to educational purposes. Their fantastic new app affords viewers "a multimedia exploration of Warhol's art and life, combining archival materials, letters, images, film, video and audio clips. It sheds light on more than 50 works that span the artist's career, including Silver Clouds, Sleep, Mao, The Last Supper and Self-Portrait. See information on the Warhol app here.

So, to return to the question above: is the object necessary? Given some of the information above, what do you think?

From Analog to Digital...and Back Again

This Friday I'll be participating in the UK Art Department's PhotoDay. Twelve Georgetown students will be exhibiting works in the Kentucky Next Show. I'm also hoping to see a number of our students in attendance. From my experience last year, I believe it will be a worthwhile event.

Part of my time will be spent doing portfolio reviews, looking at student work and providing feedback and insights. I will also be presenting a lecture on the idea of incorporating both digital and analog methods in the production of photographic work.

This methodology has been on the forefront of my mind in recent days—so much so that I have begun to design ART 120, Photography, around the concept. It has become a large aspect of my own personal practice and has provided me with a relatively unique and definitely refreshing way of working.

I heard a statistic recently that there are 1,000,000 photos uploaded to Facebook every two seconds. This is only a symptom of the ubiquitous nature of digital photography. My main concern is that there are so many people with good digital cameras that great exposure, color, contrast (the technical aspects which used to be difficult to attain) are a given. This makes it all the more difficult for your work to stand out these days. But what's not common are traditional analog methods, whether it be in capture or in print. And the rich (although somewhat brief) history of photographic processes can be accessed to create unique and authentic works.

If you have the opportunity and would like to find out more, I'd certainly love to have you join me for my presentation at PhotoDay; better yet, enroll in ART 120 and invest your time this Friday in attending other great workshops and lectures.

DK

Photo above: Blessed Are Those Who Are Invited (I shot it with a twin lens reflex camera using medium format b&w film, scanned with a film scanner, edited in Photoshop, digital negative printed on Pictorico OHP from an Epson R1800, final print is a toned cyanotype on the back of "recycled" Ilford fiber based paper)

Fall Break plans: Consider visiting a graduate program?

Fall is a great time to visit that MFA or PhD program you have heard good things about. See about its former alums, faculty, the scene and locale. Let me suggest New Orleans for the upcoming weekend, not only because of my ties to the University of New Orleans (UNO), which I will briefly showcase below, but for all the cultural offerings this city presents, given the resuscitation efforts and the related magnet-effect, in terms of attracting visual artist, it has produced. At the New Orleans Museum of Art, for example, Wayne Gonzales show opens tomorrow, Ogden celebrates its 10th anniversary, see the "Art for Arts Sake" programing all over the city's art districts, and that's just for starters--

UNO MFA badge buckle, designed and produced by an alum sometime in 2003-04 (Tim Hailey)

Obviously, graduate experience is situational, ongoing and will only grow fuller, or for some, let's be honest, lesser. Here are a few "must see" artists, with their recent work:

Christopher Jahnke http://www.chrisjahncke.com/

Michael Greathouse http://www.michaelgreathouse.com/

Dan Tague http://dantaguestudio.com/ (some of you may remember Tague's Visiting Curator Lecture in 2006)

These three are my peers, but please see others (link here). I would gladly discuss any of them further with you.

Long-time Painting Professor Jim Richard (pictured center left, next to me) at his NYC exhibition in 2006. Many UNO alums were in attendance, representing various generations: Gonzales (on far right), for example, the early-80s and Halley (left), the period of only a few years earlier. Many, not just the ones mentioned above, have either taken their work to great heights or carved-out distinguished paths otherwise, which, either way I suspect, could hardly match the art ambition one might have had driving-up Elysian Fields or Lakeshore on their daily commute.

Enjoy the break!

ABSTRKT @ Manifest, Cincinnati

Alizarine @ A B S T R K T

September 30 - October 28

Opening Reception Tonight
Friday Sept. 30
6-9 p.m.

Guest Post from Italy: Evy Fuson

Greetings from Florence Italy! Or as the Italians call this bustling art capital, Firenze. I’ve been here for almost a month now and I’ve already learned a lot about myself and about the world in which we live.

As I walked to my classes today, I thought about how different life in Georgetown is. In Georgetown you’re surrounded by a few buildings complemented by large patches of grass and pieces of the natural world. When you walk to class you pass familiar faces and places in which you have memories. In Florence, you must walk a decent amount to get from class to class as the classrooms are spread out throughout the city. You weave through throngs of people from all different nationalities, passing carts full of merchandise and postcards for tourists, storefronts littered with advertising and sales, you catch sights of the rounded top of Brunelleschi’s Duomo (which is always a good reference for figuring out where you are) and meander past tall buildings that have gracefully stood the test of time watching the streets and people change.

Visitors beware: Florence, a lovely woman with so many gifts to give those visiting, enjoys taking her time. Whether you’re traveling to a museum or desire to taste the world-renown gelateria “Grom” you’re going to wait in a line, but those who have spent time with her will tell you that she’s worth the wait.

That’s something that I’ve learned to enjoy about Florence… the process of slowing. So often, the students here get frustrated by the tourists who clog the sidewalks and stop abruptly… just as if we were back at home shaking our fists at drivers who slow us down. It’s frustrating to feel as though our time is being wasted. I think it’s human to always want to get to our destination because that’s where we have been taught the reward is. Would it be an interesting theory to consider that we are a little off in our perception of our reward?

Here’s what I’ve learned: If you embrace the dilemma with open arms and realize that there is something you can gain from the experience as well as the destination, your time is never wasted. I take a lot more time here to recognize small beauties because I am more patient with this foreign place. It’s new and full of new things to discover. I find myself ashamed to realize that I’ve missed so much at home by not being more patient with the dilemmas that I have found myself in.

I encourage you to consider studying abroad not only for the new horizons that you can discover but also because it puts where you’ve been and where you call home into a brand new frame of reference. Expand your mind. Slow down today and recognize something that you hadn’t before.

For more insights and discoveries of mine you can read my blog HERE.

To the seniors who have October Review coming up, work hard and put your heart into what you’re doing… you’ll do great!

Painting Class: cut-out billboard for Homecoming @ 225th Anniversary