Another art book
I've recently started reading another art book. This one is called, 'My Love Affair with Modern Art' by Katherine Kuh. She started earlier than Irving Sandler did, in the '30s; and she was a curator while Sandler was a critic. But it seems that they both had interactions with several of the same artists. Fascinating reading. Art history from personal perspectives.
Why did I get stuck with history teachers who felt the best way to teach kids about history was to have them memorize as many dates as possible. Dried-up old teachers drying-up young minds. It wasn't until I was in the Navy, serving aboard the USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19 - 'LCC' is shorthand for 'let's keep (sic) circling') and studying college lessons courtesy of the US Navy's 'Program for Afloat College Education' program with Chapman College in California that I had the pleasure of meeting someone who made history come alive. This college lecturer had been in the service of the US Government during the Bay of Pigs disaster and the Viet Nam war, and his knowledge of this era was amazing. If only I had a smattering of contemporary US history knowledge so I could have asked him intelligent questions about his experiences.
I read how Sandler taught art history by teaching it in reverse order: let's start with what we see today and work backwards to discover where it came from. I like that approach - it's like what we were told in presentation school, 'tell'em what you are going to tell'em, tell'em what you tell'em, and tell'em what you told'em.' It helps keep the big picture in mind.
I'm not far into Kuh's book but did chuckle about an exhibition of work by conceptual artists during the 'golden years between 1965 and 1975' and how the curator of that exhibition (not Kuh in this case) was running out of room to show all the work. Good news for the curator when one 'artist stipulated that his work could not be exhibited, but only described verbally in the catalogue.' You gotta love that one! True to his (conceptual) art!
The installation of "Silent Embrace" at Montalto went very well and it looks great there. Montalto is a beautiful winery with an award-winning restaurant. Very worth a visit if you are on the Mornington Peninsula.
Tomorrow I drop-off a funny little sculpture to the Adelaide Zoo for the Adelaide Fringe Festival's 'Zoo Walk' art show. Next week I install a sculpture at Greg Johns' Palmer property along with 20 other artists for the 'Palmer Sculpture Landscape Biennale' and late in March I'll deliver a few sculptures to Central Gallery at Adelaide Central School of Art for exhibition with a number of other contemporary sculptors. In September I'll have a number of garden sculptures for exhibition and sale at a local nursery. So lots happening. And right now I'm assembling a large (1.5 x 1.5 x .5m) steel sculpture at a friend's factory - it's too big to make at my workshop!
Why did I get stuck with history teachers who felt the best way to teach kids about history was to have them memorize as many dates as possible. Dried-up old teachers drying-up young minds. It wasn't until I was in the Navy, serving aboard the USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19 - 'LCC' is shorthand for 'let's keep (sic) circling') and studying college lessons courtesy of the US Navy's 'Program for Afloat College Education' program with Chapman College in California that I had the pleasure of meeting someone who made history come alive. This college lecturer had been in the service of the US Government during the Bay of Pigs disaster and the Viet Nam war, and his knowledge of this era was amazing. If only I had a smattering of contemporary US history knowledge so I could have asked him intelligent questions about his experiences.
I read how Sandler taught art history by teaching it in reverse order: let's start with what we see today and work backwards to discover where it came from. I like that approach - it's like what we were told in presentation school, 'tell'em what you are going to tell'em, tell'em what you tell'em, and tell'em what you told'em.' It helps keep the big picture in mind.
I'm not far into Kuh's book but did chuckle about an exhibition of work by conceptual artists during the 'golden years between 1965 and 1975' and how the curator of that exhibition (not Kuh in this case) was running out of room to show all the work. Good news for the curator when one 'artist stipulated that his work could not be exhibited, but only described verbally in the catalogue.' You gotta love that one! True to his (conceptual) art!
The installation of "Silent Embrace" at Montalto went very well and it looks great there. Montalto is a beautiful winery with an award-winning restaurant. Very worth a visit if you are on the Mornington Peninsula.
Tomorrow I drop-off a funny little sculpture to the Adelaide Zoo for the Adelaide Fringe Festival's 'Zoo Walk' art show. Next week I install a sculpture at Greg Johns' Palmer property along with 20 other artists for the 'Palmer Sculpture Landscape Biennale' and late in March I'll deliver a few sculptures to Central Gallery at Adelaide Central School of Art for exhibition with a number of other contemporary sculptors. In September I'll have a number of garden sculptures for exhibition and sale at a local nursery. So lots happening. And right now I'm assembling a large (1.5 x 1.5 x .5m) steel sculpture at a friend's factory - it's too big to make at my workshop!
posted by Rick's Rambles at 7:38 pm
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