Painting Instructors Feast On Guest Artists by Lise Soskolne On Tuesday, March 2, two guest artists came to lecture at Emily Carr. Preceding the slide show and discussion, the painting department threw an elaborate pot luck lunch with free coffee.. My instructor required us to go, but it sounded interesting, if not fun and at best, inspiring. The first quest was Graham Fowler, a painter based in Saskatoon. His work lay somewhere between Robert Bateman and Claude Monet and whether | liked it or not, he seemed to know how to paint a landscape; water, lilies, boats and all. There were no figures except those which were cast in stone and dwelt in the gardens of France. There didn’t seem like much to say - seem being the operative word, because the instructors will always find something... Comments were made about his use of a trellis in the gallery to create a more three dimensional space. The instructors didn’t like it, and told him so. Perhaps this need for three dimensional space should be accomplished in the painting itself...perhaps. Perhaps his use of critical theory to BOOKS AT VERY LOW PRICES. SELECTION OF ART BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR BROWS/NG : ANIMATION: ARCHITECTURE: ART. CARSTOONS: DRAWING FICTION: GARDENING ILLUSTRATION: INTERIOR, DESIGN: LIFESTYLE: MAPS. PAINTING: REF ERENCE: TRAVEL: CHECK IT OUT... explain the work is unnecessary...perhaps. Perhaps he should have a more cohesive world view...perhaps. He must make a lot of money...perhaps. ]_ The discussion turned into a painting critique/ interrogation of the visiting artist. Maybe | was wrong but | was under the impression that artists were invited to ECCAD because generally we would like their work (if not simply appreciate it) and would want to learn something from them, not the other way around. Luckily, Mr. Fowler had a plane to catch and was able to escape the wrath of the instructors. As he left, the second victim, Medrie McPhee, a graduate of NSCAD who currently resides in New York, reluctantly moved to the centre of the couch/arena, visibly fearful of what may follow. This time, however, the instructors showed a little mercy, perhaps because her work addressed more contemporary issues (more meat to chew on) and thank God (for her sake) again, there was no figuration. But it couldn’t be that Ms. McPhee was painting industrial scenes - factories, abandoned processing plants, silos - that she admitted were anthropomorphic because she was simply attracted ART MATERIALS - PUBLISHERS 8UR PLUS WIDEST to them, or, dare | say it, she just liked them? Not possible. These images of peopleless factories must represent man’s failure of nature through industry. no, these macabre, dreary pictures suggest the artist’s preoccupation with aging and death. Maybe because she is a Canadian living in the United States, these pictures express the continent-wide decay of industry and also allude to the free-trade agreement. Finally, when it became too much for her she replied, “No, | would never say that about my own work”. Well, much to her (and my) surprise, this didn’t matter a whole lot and the critique continued. Naturally, we are all interested in where the artists believe they fit into contemporary art criticism and their intentions for their work. But, it is also interesting to hear about the nitty-gritty of being a practising artist, their inspirations and beginnings, as well as their technical painting knowledge. Aside from being inspired by some of the work, | derived very little from this experience except the awareness that, if the instructors feel that there is nothing left to learn, how can there be anything for them to teach? wats HE Painting Instructors Feast On Guest Artists by Lise Soskoine (On Tuesday, March 2, two guest artists came to lecture at Emily Carr. Preceding the slide show and discussion, the painting department threw an elaborate pot luck lunch with free coffee.. My instructor required us to go, but it sounded interesting, if not fun and at best, inspiring. ‘The first quest was Graham Fowler, a painter based in Saskatoon. His work lay somewhere between Robert Bateman and Claude Monet and whether | liked it or not, he seemed to know how to paint a landscape; water, lilies, boats and all. There were no figures except those which were cast in stone and dwelt in the gardens of France. There didn't seem like much to say - seem being the ‘operative word, because the instructors will always find something... Comments were made about his use of a trellis in the gallery to create a more three dimensional space. The instructors didn’t lke it, and told him 50. Perhaps this need for three dimensional space should be accomplished in the painting itself..perhaps. Perhaps his use of critical theory to BOOKS AT VERY LOW PRICES- explain the work is unnecessary...perhaps. Perhaps he should have a more cohesive world View...perhaps. He must make a lot of ‘money...pethaps. ] The discussion turned into a painting critique/ interrogation of the visiting artist. Maybe | was ‘wrong but | was under the impression that artists were invited to ECCAD because generally we would like their work if not simply appreciate it) and ‘would want to learn something from them, not the other way around. Luckily, Mr. Fowler had a plane to catch and was able to escape the wrath of the instructors. As he left, the second victim, Medrie McPhee, a graduate ‘of NSCAD who currently resides in New York, reluctantly moved to the centre of the couch/arena, visibly fearful of what may follow. This time, however, the instructors showed a litte mercy, perhaps because her work addressed more contemporary issues (more meat to chew on) and thank God (for her sake) again, there was no figuration. But it couldn't be that Ms. McPhee was painting industrial scenes - factories, abandoned processing plants, silos - that she admitted were anthropomorphic because she was simply attracted q a ART MATERIALS - PUBLISHERS SUR PLU: to them, or, dare I say it, she just liked them? Not possible. These images of peopleless factories must represent man’s failure of nature through industry. no, these macabre, dreary pictures suggest the artist’s preoccupation with aging and death. Maybe because she is a Canadian living in the United States, these pictures express the continent-wide decay of industry and also allude to the free-trade agreement. Finally, when it became too much for her she replied, “No, | would never say that about my own work”. Well, much to her (and my) surprise, this didn’t matter a whole lot and the critique continued. Naturally, we are all interested in where the artists believe they fit into contemporary art criticism and their intentions for their work. But, itis also interesting to hear about the nitty-gritty of being a practising artist, their inspirations and beginnings, as well as their technical painting knowledge. Aside from being inspired by some of the work, | derived very little from this experience except the awareness that, ifthe instructors feel that there is nothing left to learn, how can there be anything for them to teach? WIDEST SELECTION OF ART BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR BROWSING - ANIMATION- ARCHITECTURE: ART. CARTOONS: DRAWING FICTION: GARDENING-- ILLUSTRATION: INTERIOR, DESIGN. LIFESTYLE- MAPS. PAINTING: REF ERENCE: TRAVEL: CHECK IT OUT... ak = THE LOVERS.