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Art 232:001 Painting I Spring 2015 Art 232:001 Syllabus M/W 10:30 a.m. – 1:10 p.m. School of Art / Room 2044 Office Hours: By Appointment Professor Harold Linton Office: 2010 / X: 4615 linton@gmu.edu Please read all of the enclosed information regarding this course. You are responsible to understand and follow the enclosed guidelines unless emended by the instructor during class lecture(s) and project discussions. Changes to the enclosed syllabus are normally made during the inception of studio project(s) and with ample time preceding due dates. Course Description and Objectives: Studio Introduction:

1. Expand awareness of the life and work of many different artists, broaden painting vocabulary, and gain appreciation for the historical accomplishment of representational and abstract painting as well as allied forms of visual expression. Be prepared to respond imaginatively to painting problems from various approaches to the creation of visual expression.

2. Apply all foundation design and drawing skills in support and development of original concepts for painting

problems.

3. Develop skill and confidence in working from observation, exercise powers of visual perception, handle studio materials and methods with care and sensitivity. Follow protocol with respect for the physical condition and well-being of the painting studio, one’s own personal safety, and safety of others including lockers and painting storage area(s).

4. Demonstrate accomplishment in understanding traditional practices with materials and tools of the painting studio.

Use oil paint and allied mediums to full advantage and efficiency in accomplishment of goals in painting compositions, creative concepts, and innovative ideas.

5. Demonstrate growth in ability to construct quality stretchers, strainers, and create/select successful subject set-

ups, i.e., still life, fruit/veggies, objects of a personal narrative, eggs, etc.) Able to stretch a quality canvas.

6. Students will complete six to seven “major” painting projects; sometimes class will begin with a series of small paintings as exercises and broaden into larger painting problems as well as canvas size, shape, and format. Critiques will be scheduled according to the completion of each project or series of projects.

Growth and Expansion:

7. Cultivate an in-depth demonstrable understanding of subtractive mixing and paint color that is growing throughout painting studies. Cultivate a working knowledge of color theory and light related to painting and your work.

8. Develop/broaden your own experience of brushwork, mark-making, and surface quality to create expressive

works of art. As the course continues, students should individualize approaches and materials in response to the given assignments.

9. Develop an appreciation for 19th/20th century colorists and modernists in painting, i.e., impressionism, post-impressionism, fauves, cubists, constructivism, futurists, abstract expressionists, color-abstraction, pop/op art, minimalism, and more. Collect samples of these works for sketchbook and class projects.

10. Engage in open class critique and discussions of other students’ interests and accomplishments in painting. Be able to discuss time-tested methods of preparing and executing paintings - archival.

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11. Discuss the success of your paintings and other students’ paintings in achieving the specific goals of each

assignment. Compare the work of established artists to the work you and your peers create.

12. Prepare to discuss and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the semester’s work at the final critique pointing to areas of growth in your work, milestones in new awareness, s specific work(s) that became a hallmark of achievement, and comment on less than successful projects and what was learned from them.

Discourse: This course will broadly address the discipline of oil painting including technical aspects, material handling, pursuit of creative directions, and experimentation with expressive elements. The course is intended to help students develop control in painting from observation. We also place great emphasis on the artist’s creative response to painting problems reflective of significant art forms, media and styles, and/or modern art movements, i.e., still life, landscape, figurative, narrative, abstraction, expressionism, non-objective, mixed media and more. Many of the class painting projects focus on developing technical skills and aesthetic goals with regard to handling painting media, implementing a range of unique visual qualities of line, value, color, composition and design, perspective and representation. Safety in all aspects of studio materials is discussed and emphasized in relation to all of our responsibilities for personal care and care of the studio. Exercises in visual perception support problem-solving in painting. The creative response to painting problems includes examining technique, experimenting with materials, cultivating eye-hand coordination through practice and repetition, pursuing intriguing concepts of form and composition, and discovering avenues in reflective personal practice that appear fruitful. The great thing about painting is in the imagination and the doing! Sensitizing our eyes to see and respond with increasing visual purpose and control, painting is in and of itself a kind of dialogue between our tools, our minds, how we visualize our world, and what life is all about. This class fulfills a General Education Core requirement for Arts. Core requirements help ensure that students become acquainted with the broad range of intellectual domains that contribute to a liberal education. By experiencing the subject matter and ways of knowing in a variety of fields, students will be better able to synthesize new knowledge, respond to fresh challenges, and meet the demands of a complex world. Arts goal. Courses aim to achieve a majority of the following learning outcomes: students will be able to identify and analyze the formal elements of a particular art form using vocabulary appropriate to that form; demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between artistic technique and the expression of a work’s underlying concept; analyze cultural productions using standards appropriate to the form and cultural context; analyze and interpret material or performance culture in its social, historical, and personal contexts; and engage in the artistic process, including conception, creation, and ongoing critical analysis. This course helps to further develop painting skills by extending discussion with handouts about means, materials, and objectives. The ability to form an artistic vision requires practice, a critical eye, and the persistence to work and rework studies guiding them toward your vision. This eventually means being in control of technical issues of painting such as line, value, texture, perspective, composition and inclusive of the expressive aspects of mood, emotion, qualities of illumination - drama, dominance, contrast, etc. The course subject matter begins with discussion of the creative use of traditional painting media, (oil-base paint and related paint medium/agents), construction of appropriate painting supports, discussion/demonstration of appropriate studio painting tools i.e., brushes, palettes, palette knife, general tackle box painting/drawing tools, etc. The instructor will sometimes set up the painting subject, i.e., still life. You will, however, be periodically required to design still-life subjects (created in lightweight cardboard boxes) and to participate in the conceptual meaning of defining the ‘work’ and thereby derive the benefits and challenges of working with the meaning of the set-up! At the outset of the course, an introduction of basic painting composition is included such as construction, perspective, proportion, elements of harmony, contrast, balance, size/scale, inter-space, and conceptual dimensions are discussed relevant to the introduction of painting problems and projects.

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Course Work Responsibilities and Studio Procedures: Generally, new problems will be introduced at the beginning of each week in the first class meeting. You will be required to work during scheduled studio sessions on project assignments related to this course. You are required to work on paintings a minimum of one additional hour (at home or in school) for every hour spent in studio class or 6 hours outside class per week. The second studio period per week will generally used for work on current project. The second studio period may sometimes be used if necessary for project introduction, demonstrations, critiques, slide presentations, and/or further work on the weekly concepts + painting projects. Assignments are normally due at the beginning of the first studio class period the following week in a format as per the presentation guidelines of the instructor. You are responsible for assigned readings the instructor makes available through handouts. You can expect short critique-based writing assignments throughout the semester. Oral and written critiques help build critical values and reinforce vocabulary and concept understanding. Therefore, we will work occasionally with ‘critique sheets’ during project critiques. This is an excellent opportunity to express your growing awareness of vocabulary and its applications to studio assignments and painting projects. The ‘Buddy system’ explained by the instructor is also an important aspect of being organized and responsible in the course. You are required to form a buddy group of 2-3 students in the class and be available to exchange information regarding course assignments and activities if one of you are absent and need to catch up. Safety and Studio Maintenance It is of utmost importance that students clean up after themselves and that materials are put away. This studio is a multi- use space which is used by other classes and must be kept in order. You must comply with health and safety rules as explained in class. Health and safety discussion of lead, cadmiums, solvents, long-term and immediate effects, usage and precautions, choices for painters. Bridging Drawing and Painting: A New Vocabulary The following vocabulary list introduces familiar and new terminology for your review and awareness. These ideas will broaden your work and add confidence to explore new horizons in painting. It is quite relevant to our course - please review and get to know these terms. They relate to all that we do in painting.

Alla prima - A painting technique used by the impressionists where a work was usually completed in one sitting with opaque layers of paint. Many impressionist works were painted directly from nature. (see Monet)

Analogous colors - Related colors that lie adjacent on the color wheel such as blue, blue-violet, and violet. Analogous colors share the same primary color.

Binder - An ingredient in paint which allows it to bind to a surface. A drying oil, such as linseed, is a binder for oil paint. In acrylic paints, the binder is acrylic polymer emulsion.

Blending - The process of mixing adjacent colors to eliminate abrupt divisions and create a smooth gradation from one color to the next. Because of their slow drying time, oil paints are ideal for blending colors.

Chiaroscuro - An Italian term meaning, "light-dark", chiaroscuro refers to substantial changes of light in a painting that contribute to creating dramatic mood in a work. Chiaroscuro became popular in the baroque period. (see Carravaggio)

Complement and Complementary Color - In color, any hue that is directly opposite on the color wheel.

Dabbing - A painting technique used by impressionist painters where short strokes of paint are applied to the surface. Dabbing was done in layers and contributed to the flickering effect of impressionist works. (see Pisarro)

Fresco - Fresco is a type of mural painting done on fresh lime plaster. Pigments are absorbed into the moist wall

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and become integrated into the surface. (see the Sistine Chapel ceiling)

Gesso - Originally used in fresco painting, gesso referred to various mixtures of coarse and smooth plasters that were applied in layers in preparation for painting. Later, gesso (or gypsum) was added to rabbit skin glue to create gesso sotile (soft) for panel painting. Today, the gesso most artists use is a blend of polymer emulsion and white chalk and is used for both oil and acrylic painting on either panels or canvasses.

Glazing - Is the process of layering thin transparencies of paint. Glazes create luminous effects because light can pass through them and reflect back from the surface of the painting. In oil painting, most glazes are made from a combination of oil, damar varnish, solvent, and small amounts of paint. Today, many glaze mediums are made with alkyd-based resins to allow for both low toxicity and fast drying. In acrylics, glazes are made from a mixture of polymer media and small amounts of paint. (see Dutch still - life painting)

Ground - The initial layer or surface of the painting which serves as a barrier between the canvas and the paint. Before the use of acrylic gesso, grounds were applied to canvas, while gesso (see gesso sotile) was used on rigid supports. Grounds can be textured, colorful, neutral, opaque, or transparent depending on the surface the artists wants to use. Before the impressionists, most paintings were done on a prepared ground, either imprimatura or toned.

Impasto - Impasto is a thick application of paint. Rembrandt used impasto for highlights in a painting. This technique added both spatial and expressive qualities to his work. Later, painters such as Van Gogh used impasto throughout the entire canvas. Today, acrylics are often used for impasto applications because they dry quickly and are easy to cleanup.

Intensity - is created by the density of pigment in a particular paint. Intense colors are also known as saturated colors. Mixed colors tend to loose their intensity -- which is why many painters prefer to use pure tube colors rather than mixtures. (see Vermeer)

Local color - The "actual" naturalistic color of an object -- as opposed to subjective color which is exaggerated or invented.

Matte - A dull surface as opposed to a shiny surface.

Medium – combination of oils and thinner | makes paint spread smoother | makes mixing paint colors together.

Opaque - An application of media that completely covers, for example, any underneath drawing or color. The opposite of transparent, light cannot pass through anything that is opaque.

Pulling - A painting technique whereby paint is removed by a rag or brush to expose areas beneath the outermost layer of paint. Pulling is also used to create marks on a surface.

Shade - Colors which have been darkened by adding black.

Scumbling - A technique where paint is lightly dragged over a dry surface. Scumbling does not entirely cover the surface and allows underneath areas to show through.

Tint - Colors which have been lightened by adding white.

Underpainting - One of the most widely employed Old Masters painting techniques , underpainting is the preliminary process that allows the artist to render the outline, define the composition, and set the tonal atmosphere of his or her painting. Underpainting creates a neutrally colored version, i.e. terra cotta, of the final painting using tempera or oils. Underpainting is usually monochromatic but may also be colored.

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Value - In art, the relative darkness or lightness of tints, shades, and colors. White is the lightest, or the value with the highest key; black is the darkest, or the value with the lowest key.

Varnish - A mixture of solvent and a resin, such as damar or alkyd. Varnishes are used to create an even gloss or matte finish over a surface which restores the original appearance of wet paint. In acrylics, gloss or matte mediums serve as varnishes.

Wash - A thinned paint made from a solvent (as in the case of oil paint) or water (as in the case of acrylics). Washes are different from glazes, because they are not made by adding more paint binder, such as linseed oil or acrylic polymer emulsion. In painting with oils or acrylics, washes should only be used in the initial blocking-in stages of the painting.

Wet in wet - A technique of painting when wet (or oily) paint is applied onto a wet or oily surface. This is essential for blending colors. Painting is often done by applying paint directly onto wet surfaces so blending and color mixing can be done directly on the canvas rather than on the palette.

Brief Bibliography: contains the titles and authors of books useful to this course. Additional titles on painting are Included as reference for wider reading. Many of these are available in used condition through Amazon.com. A few are in the GMU library or available by Interloan.

The Painting Guide by Debra Clem (online)*** http://homepages.ius.edu/dclem/ptgguide/ptggd.htm

The Artist’s Handbook of Materials and Techniques, by Ralph Mayer

The Painter’s Guide to Studio Methods and Materials by Reed Kay

Oil Painting Tips – You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcWr2r27EZ8

The Oil Painting Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artist (Watson-Guptill Materials and Techniques) Paperback by Bill Creevy

Color by Paul Zelanski and Mary Pat Fisher

Interaction of Color by Josef Albers

Color; A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finley

Plein Air Painting in Oil (Artist's Library Series) by Frank Serrano

The Art of Drawing by Bernard Chaet (Contributing Editor Harold Linton)

Sketching the Concept by Harold Linton/Scott Sutton

Drawing: a Contemporary Approach by Betti / Sale*

Reading Drawings by Susan Lambert

Drawing Lessons of the Great Masters by Hale

Drawing the Human Form by W. Berry

***Excellent introductory reference that can help kickstart your understanding of oil painting.

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MATERIALS LIST Text: There is no assigned text in the course. Readings however from online sources and/or hard-copy handouts are made available by the instructor. Pop quizzes on vocabulary and terminology are included in the course. Critique sheets are also used in context with review and discussion of course projects and/or examples supplied by the instructor.

BASIC PAINTING SUPPLIES: (1) Paper palette or Plexiglas palette (NOT glass) approximately 14” x 18” with taped edges. Palette carrying case at Plaza – check to coordinate sizes. (6) Pre-stretched canvas 9” x 12” | 12” x 12” | 11” x 14” | 12” x 16” | 16” x 20” | 18” x 24” (4) Canvas boards (panels) 4” x 6” | 5” x 7” | 8” x 10” | 9” x 12” | 11” x 14” ***As the semester progresses, you will need to purchase additional canvases at increasing size. Other grounds/supports (such as primed untempered Masonite) may also be used after consultation and do require gesso primer. Always have at least two canvases to work on in class each class meeting. Stretching and priming your own canvas: Instructor demonstration – OPTIONAL NOT REQUIRED! Stretcher bars | Staple gun and 3/8” staples | Canvas pliers | Hammer | Sandpaper (fine and super fine) | raw cotton duck canvas – lightweight – approx. 7 ounces. General toolbox supplies: Artbin tacklebox | 1 Trowel metal palette knife | 1 metal painting knife (flat, flexible) | old rags / towels to clean brushes Sketchbook, graphite, soft charcoal sticks. Color wheel. Brushes: Hogs hair, oil. As explained in class – please purchase one of each kind - Flat, Round, Bright, and Filbert at varying sizes #6 - #12 | #4 or #6 pointed sable or sabeline for detail. Assortment of Jars (2-3 tin or glass preferred) w/air-tight screw-on top) | Rags | Vinyl Powder Free Multipurpose Gloves - Linton | Old clothes or smocks are strongly advised. Paint: (Purchase student grade traditional oil paint). Titanium White, large tube = 150 ml Ivory Black Burnt Sienna Burnt Umber Ultramarine Blue Cobalt Blue Cadmium Red Alizarin Crimson Cadmium Yellow Medium Yellow Ochre Sap Green Manganese violet

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Painting systems & mediums - required & optional: Required: Odorless Turpenoid or Odorless Mineral Spirits - Required

Weber Odorless Turpenoid is THE premium turpentine substitute. Very volatile, thin, and colorless, it possesses the same painting properties and drying time as turpentine — without the strong odor.

Use Weber Odorless Turpenoid as a medium with artists' oil colors and varnishes. It has a PEL (Permissible Exposure Limit) of 500, the highest of any product in its class. It evaporates quickly and cleanly, and leaves behind no harmful residue that could promote cracking in oil painting.

Odorless Turpenoid also makes an excellent brush cleaner and solvent, and is useful for removing paint spots from clothing.

Caution — Follow safety instructions carefully. Not suitable for use by children. Shipping restrictions apply to hazardous materials.

Refined Linseed oil - Required

Linseed oil is the traditional medium, as it is the binder for most oil colors. Generally oils dilute the color, increasing gloss and transparency and are used in combination with solvents. The consistency, color and drying time of linseed oil can be varied by different processing.

Murphy Oil Soap - Required Designed for cleaning brushes. Pour a dot of the Murphy soap directly onto the brush from the bottle.

Run it around and around on the palm of your hand - I wear gloves most of the time and it would seem like a good idea for this too, I was taught to do it barehanded years ago, but it is probably smarter not to grind pigments into the skin of your palms.

Additional Supplies - Required

Small set of palette cups for medium and solvent Painter’s apron | old clothes | paper towel | rags Don’t forget vinyl gloves!

Liquin Original Medium - Optional

Modern resins called alkyds are used to make fast drying mediums for oil painting. These are extremely popular because they generally halve the drying times of the colors.

Japan drier - Optional Speeds drying time. Art Supply Sources:

• Plaza 3045 Nutley Street Pan Am Shopping Center Fairfax, VA (703) 280-4500

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• Utrecht Art Supply (good prices, own brand inexpensive paints, student discount) 1250 Eye Street, NW (at 13th and NY Ave) Washington, DC (202) 898-0555

• Craft stores such as Michael’s and AC Moore have some limited supplies but offer great coupons and good prices.

• www.dickblick.com

Notes:

The purchase of art materials in the course may be best accomplished by visiting local art supply dealers, Plaza Artist Materials regularly stocks most everything we require.

Project(s) Weights and Submission policy: There are three types of projects of various lengths/duration involved in the course. 1. Sketching exercises are typically short-term projects and are either a single class period or may continue into a second

class period. They are weighted accordingly as half-project grades or full-project grades determined by their duration and relation to the course/project content.

2. Typical studio painting problems are considered to be one-week projects receiving a single weight project grade. 3. Longer term painting problems of two weeks receive either a double-weight or triple-weight project grade as determined by the instructor. 4. The mid-term project and final projects are typically longer duration projects and may not be submitted late.

Sketchbook/Journals are due with the final project presentation and receive a double weighted project grade. Students must be present for class critique for both the mid-term and final project.

Submission Policies: All work is due at the beginning of class on time and properly presented however... 1. Students are permitted to hand in one painting project late without reduction in grade. Continual projects (a

second or third) submitted beyond the due date/time will be reduced one letter grade for each class period late beyond the due date of the problem. Work, that is either not properly presented (before the beginning of class), will be considered a late project. The mid-term and final project(s) may not be handed in late. They are not acceptable for evaluation beyond their established due dates (early is acceptable).

2. Exceptions for a grade reduction for a second late project must be documented as an appeal with stated reason in an

acceptable written form such as a letter from a doctor, lawyer, police or psychiatrist and must be verifiable. No guarantees on the results of a grade appeal are possible – case by case review. A third late project will not be considered for grade appeal under any circumstances.

3. All painting critiques/presentations, students should make an effort to protect the surface and condition of paintings. 4. All paintings are typically signed and dated on the front or reverse side of a canvas. Use soft lead on reverse - #5B. Attendance Policy: “Students are expected to attend the class periods of the courses for which they register. In-class participation is important not only to the individual student, but also to the class as a whole. Because class participation may be a factor in grading, instructors may use absence, tardiness, or early departure as de facto evidence of nonparticipation. Students who miss an exam with an acceptable excuse may be penalized according to the individual instructor’s grading policy, as stated in the course syllabus.” - GMU Catalog 2007-2008 Page 35.

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This is a studio class and it is almost impossible to make up work that you miss. Therefore, attendance is critical to your success in this class! Students are required to attend all courses, however... 1. Students are permitted to have two excused and/or unexcused absences during the semester. You are, however, still 100% responsible for all missed assignments and class notes and are advised to consult a fellow student (buddy system) for missed course work. 2. Three classes missed (one beyond two excused absences) will result in a lowering of the final (earned) grade by a full letter grade. Four classes missed (two beyond two excused absences) will result in the final (earned) grade being lowered by two full letter grades. Five absences (three beyond two excused absences) will result in a failing grade for the course. 3. If you are late to class or leave early, two late arrivals or early departures (before or after the instructor has begun a lecture, discussion, project, demonstration or presentation) are equal to one absence in the course. Coming late to a class and critique and pinning your work up late counts as a late attendance and a late project. 4. All work missed must be made up on the student’s own time. If a project is due on a day when the student must miss class, it is the student’s responsibility to send the work with a classmate or deliver it early. Late work beyond one acceptable late project will be marked down in accordance with syllabus policy! If a student has an emergency or is ill, the instructor should be notified by telephone/e-mail that day. Grading: Students work is based upon the cumulative average of all projects and creative processes involved in the course throughout the semester and reflected on a student’s grading matrix form*. Three areas to consider in every project in the course.

Process: Paintings are not evaluated in a vacuum but with consideration for one’s reflection (including visual notes, sketches and preliminary trial studies) on painting methods and ideas.

Concept: The exploration of painting, spatial concepts and imaginative composition includes the content and/or ideas important to the problem. During the formation of ideas for a painting composition - how did the ideas develop and how were alternatives tested, evaluated, discarded, and/or explored along the way - their meaning and purpose to the painting’s end result at hand.

Execution: The execution of materials (and tools) employed during the development of a project includes how they are utilized in a creative and exploratory fashion leading to the final crafting for presentation. The verbal presentation of one’s work includes awareness of the project goals and the visual elements, vocabulary, and the principles of their application. It also includes a broader view of the application of the problem to various art and design precedents, history of art, the environment (natural and man-made), and societal issues. Participation in critiques of fellow students’ presentations with objective, rational, and purposeful commentary, advice and constructive criticism is an important part of class participation.

Grading Scale: is equal to the following: Painting problems are normally one – two weeks in duration and weighted as single or double project grades depending on their duration. Projects exceeding one - two weeks are weighted accordingly as double or triple project grades. This is announced at the beginning of the project by the instructor. 90-100 = A Outstanding and consistent preparation in project(s) for class and critique. 80-89 = B Progress noted with direction for continued development of course work. 70-79 = C Minimum/passable effort was made without clear understanding/demonstration of painting goals. 60-69 = D Student does not fully understand problem content nor is able to demonstrate adequate solution(s). 0 - 59 = F Student did not demonstrate an acceptable solution – and/or nothing was submitted. GRADING*: Attendance, participation in the studio, project grades, critiques, progress, and the successful completion of sketchbook and all individual projects will be the basis by which your semester grade is determined. Projects will be evaluated on the basis of technical, creative, and aesthetic merit. A student’s overall progress throughout the semester will receive a weighted grade and will be used in the final average of grades. Separate from the painting projects, single weighted grades are also awarded for the student’s attendance record; participation in critiques and studio life; and demonstration

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of growth and improvement in studio work throughout the course. Each student is expected to fully participate in written and oral critiques and in studio activities. The grade of “A” 90 – 100% signifies that the student has achieved competence and performed at a superior level across all elements of the course experience. “B” 80% - 89% is above average competence. “C” 70% - 79% is average competence. “D”60% - 69% is poor and “F” 0% - 59% is failing. A full range of grades will be used. * A grading matrix will list all of the projects and grades in the course for each student, as well as grade weights, class participation, growth and progress, and attendance. The instructor reserves the right to subjectively and professionally judge your work and performance in this course. Preparing for a critique Each of you will have the opportunity to ask yourself whether or not a project has been successful - and is the success relevant to gaining new insights in painting and visual communications. Most artists rely heavily on past lessons gained in their work to help them establish a next set of ideas and form new judgments. Acknowledging one’s mistakes inevitably leads to better results. The very best artists and designers constantly revise and reinvent in an attempt to add/discover new elements for each and every project/painting they become involved with. In other words, they do many studies for each and every assignment and project. Why? In general, you would do well to realize early on that the nature of producing painting studies is in a way a rehearsal or plan for future work as much as it is a completed work of art and/or design. Never let a painting go off of your desk without giving it ample time, energy and study to achieve excellence in it’s craft, method, concept. Always be self-critical of your preliminary planning throughout the early stages of a painting, not afraid to make changes and rip it down, in order to rebuild a better result. Always be self-aware about the early stages of line, value, texture, contrast and composition - which are the most formative and general of building blocks of paintings - and be comfortable that your concept fulfills the problem and related graphic vocabulary of the assignment. Included is a sample critique sheet that will help you to evaluate not only your own work but also that of your classmates. Please remember that your reading assignments and discussions in class can all be related in what you say about a work on these sheets and that, of course, to be as objective as possible when evaluating someone’s work is just as important a skill to develop as knowing your own work. Critiques are usually conducted orally and sometimes in written form with an entire class - be willing to participate by asking questions of other students and their work. Help the discussion to focus on the areas of importance to the project. Always be aware of historic precedents in an assignment and feel free to mention relationships you find between a classmates work and part of a painting and something you recall from recent readings. Try to enrich the critique, whether its written or oral, with observations about ideas that are relevant to the assignment. When presenting your own work, if appropriate to the assignment, it may be advantageous to demonstrate alternative paintings; compositions, sketches and/or on-going work and be able to explain in your own words the development of your thinking and visualization.

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Painting Critique Sheet Name: __________________________ Painting Number: #_________________ Date: ____________________________ Please evaluate based on the guidelines of the project at hand with appropriate visual concepts and vocabulary. An evaluation includes discussion of improvisation-imagination-idea; composition/design; proportion; perspective; visual harmony/balance; contrast; form construction; interesting scale relationships between objects and/or spaces; surface and texture; instrumentation (application of tools, techniques and control); shading and illumination; precedents (art history); a series of several related paintings of one’s preliminary ideas* 1. Concept and Composition: (areas of interest; balance; contrast) 2. Construction and layout design: (proportion, perspective, scale and form relationships, interspace) 3. Color, Value, and visual/physical texture: (concept for surface texture, gradation, control of illumination) 4. Execution: (application of painting elements, control of surface and elements of composition). 5. Critical pathways, Art History precedence: (influential work, ideas, artists, authors, etc.) *use reverse side and number accordingly, if you need additional space for your written response to the above question

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CLASS SCHEDULE & WEEKLY PAINTING JOURNAL (SKETCHBOOK) Week #1: Introduction | Syllabus Review | Materials purchase | Media experiments and media studies on panels | home still life study in value | studio demonstration [color runs + mixing] | Review of materials list. Discussion of paint systems, allied mediums, paint brushes, tools, supports, studio responsibilities for personal and class safety. Week #2: Still Life mini-series (3 ptgs) | view-finders with thread grid | testing color + value relationships | Working with assorted brushes, painting knives, rags, mediums |– white or gray | Monochrome Still life Introduction to different kinds of brushes and knives

Brushes: Flats | Rounds | Filberts | Bright | Boar’S hair | Nylon | Sable | Badger | Brush sizes Knives: Palette (Trowel type) | Painting (Flat type) | Sizes | Uses (mixing, painting with, scraping out) Modeling form through value Principles of light and dark (chiaroscuro) Composition Relative scale

Week #3: Still life study (selective composition from in-class set-up) | Color Theory - working with monochrome, analogous, complementary & split complementary colors | further strategies for color harmony | Intro to Indirect painting and painting direct | alla prima painting | Demo: stretcher construction, stretching canvas, priming canvas

Canvas, Linen, wood panel, shaped supports, other materials as support How to build a stretcher How to stretch a canvas Priming White Primer: gesso (regular and absorbent traditional gesso Clear Primer: rabbit skin glue, synthetic hide glue alternative Clear Primer plus lean white oil primer

COLOR DISCUSSION | DEMO | EXERCISE(S)

Basic Color theory Review o Color wheel: primaries, secondary, tertiary o Complements, triads, tetrads, analogous o Numeric Powers of Color: Saturation and extension (Itten) o Balance and evocation o Warm/Cool; Push/Pull o Color as light and shadow (through saturation) o Key o Simultaneous Contrast

Basic Color Mixing for painters o Laying out a palette o Creating earth and intermediate colors (mixing complements) o Shades o Tints o Color Chart

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General Painting Methods+Allied Strategies

Indirect Painting:

Indirect painting involves procedures in which the final effects in a picture are built up gradually by placing several layers of paint, one over the other the upper layers modifying, but not altogether concealing, the lower layers. Indirect painters put their first strokes on the canvas with the expectation that they will paint over them again when they are dry in order to change their effect in some way.. Therefore when they put on the first layer of paint, called the underpainting, they do not try for a finished comp, complete in final color drawing definition, and pattern emphasis.

Instead at the beginning of the work they concentrate on one or two of these problems, and they depend upon (and make allowance for) the subsequent layers of paint to develop and modify the underpainting until the remaining problems are finally solved.

Indirect methods of painting have been employed in the past by many artists including Van Eyck, El Greco, and Rembrandt. More recently such painters as Soutine, Modigliani, Rouault, Braque, and Paul Klee have utilized the optical effects of indirect processes. The existence of indirect painting arises from the fact that although paint may be used opaquely to conceal what is beneath it, I it can also be applied so as to be transparent, revealing to a greater or lesser extent what it covers. For example, an oil color such as cadmium red, in paste consistency may be brushed over an area of thoroughly dried yellow paint. If it is applied evenly and fairly heavily, it will conceal the yellow color entirely - alternatively the red paint may be thinned with an appropriate diluent and may be spread so thinly over the dried yellow color that it lies over the yellow like a sheet of red cellophane, tinting the area a fiery orange color while allowing the shape and every surface brush mark on the yellow area to remain visible. The orange tone . obtained, by superimposing a layer of transparent red on an opaque yellow will differ considerably in optical character from an orange made by combining the same red and yellow pigments in direct mixture on the palette. The directly mixed tone will have a weighty solid opacity, whereas the orange tone produced through the indirect, or "optical," mixture of the two colors will have a more luminous vibration, rather like that seen in stained glass when light passes through it. By exploiting this characteristic of the oil technique, painters found that they could develop a brilliant luminosity whose exact character was unobtainable in the direct techniques. The procedures most commonly used in indirect painting are called glazing and scumbling. Direct Painting

This method of painting is used to make paintings in a single application. This is an opaque painting technique used by the Impressionists in their early work, the Fauves and the Abstract Expressionists. (But consider a painting made with transparent colors all in one layer a direct painting, too.) Direct painting relies on more planning because artists must consider form and color simultaneously.

A few guidelines:

Paint from light to dark Vary brush marks from long stroke to short mark (like Cezanne's) to stippling, etc Scrubbing in multiple directions Scumbling with a near dry brush

Among the many choices, consider:

Paint the background to the foreground Mix the colors primarily on the palette or on the canvas Begin with the middle tones and gradually increase the contrast

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For painting wet-into-wet, use mostly artists' grade oil colors with a small of amount Painting Medium to increase the fluidity of the paints.

Alla prima is a method of direct painting in a single paint layer usually on a white ground.

Plein Air describes a direct technique of painting a landscape entirely out of doors.

Most painters use a combination of direct and indirect painting. For example, a landscape painting may look better when a glaze is applied to certain areas, such as the sky.

Other techniques:

Impasto is the use of thick layers of paint to create texture. Often painters use Galkyd Gel (transparent medium) or Cold Wax Medium (translucent medium) to body oil colors. When painting on linen or canvas, we recommend using ½ Gel and ½ Cold Wax Medium. Using only Galkyd Gel, painters can create impasto of ¼ inch per layer. Using only Cold Wax Medium in a mixture of more than 30% wax (70% oil colors) may cause paintings to crack when moved.

Imprimatura is the application of a wash or glaze of color that tones the canvas before beginning a painting.

Sfregazzi - (Italian: "light rubbing") shadows applied as a glaze over light areas.

Sfumato - (Italian: "softened") making transitions from light to dark very gradual.

Week #4: Still life study | split complementary | new color strategies | object choice to reinforce color composition | study boxes painting indirect | glazing and developing color | Week #5: Alla Prima Painting | Animal Portraits | Expressive paint technique | Critique of Still life studies.

PROCESS (AND NON-OBSERVATION-BASED STRATEGIES) Different approaches to the canvas Dialogue with your painting (call and response) Editing as you go (seeing what you have and lack) Following the physical Following a concept Following the act of painting itself Painting as thinking Mapping, diagrammatic painting Painting with self-imposed restrictions (e.g., rags instead of brushes, or only big brushes, or no paint, etc.) Building a painting whole

Week #6: Alla Prima Painting | Animal Portraits continued | Week #7: Alla Prima Painting | Abstraction, Expressionism, Neo-Expression | Critique of Animal paintings

CONCEPT/SOURCES Observation as a source Sources beyond observation Painting Ideas Painting systems

CONTEXT Introduction to contemporary ways of thinking about painting Exposure to painting (old and new)

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Week #8: Indirect Painting | Landscape, Seascape, Cityscape | Critique of Expressionism Paintings. Artists to explore: Wolf Kaan, Ann Guidera-Matey, Sheila Delimont, Phil Hopkins, Alexandro Berrios

Diane Barbee, Jeff Love, Carolina De Medina, Judy Thompson, Karen Hansen Racheli Hilai,

Mac Stevenson, Myles Cavanaugh, Kesra Hoffman, William Worcester

Week #9: Indirect Painting | Landscape continued | Week #10: Free Choice DP or IDP | Open Subject matter of your choosing | Critique of Landscape Paintings

Colorists: Milton Avery, Gene Davis, Robert Natkin, Josef Albers, Marc Rothko, Pierre Bonnard, Edouard Voullard, Vincent van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Casey Klahn, Yacov Agam, others.

Week #11: Indirect Painting | Self-Portrait Narrative | “The Artist as a _________” | Critique of Free Choice Portrait Artists: Charles Reid, Ben Silverman, Lincoln Schatz, Eric Daigh, Bryan Lewis Saunders, El Mac,

Lou Ros, Nikki Rosato, Harding Meyer, Daniel Kornrumpf, more. Week #12: Indirect Painting | Self-Portrait Narrative | “The Artist as a _________” | Critique of Free Choice Week # 13: Indirect Painting | Self-Portrait Narrative | “The Artist as a _________” | Critique of Free Choice Week # 14: Final Presentation | Portfolio Presentation & planning (process, trial studies, versions, size, technique}. Note: Gen Ed Core Requirement This class fulfills a General Education Core requirement for Arts. Core requirements help ensure that students become acquainted with the broad range of intellectual domains that contribute to a liberal education. By experiencing the subject matter and ways of knowing in a variety of fields, students will be better able to synthesize new knowledge, respond to fresh challenges, and meet the demands of a complex world. Arts goal: Courses aim to achieve a majority of the following learning outcomes: students will be able to identify and analyze the formal elements of a particular art form using vocabulary appropriate to that form; demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between artistic technique and the expression of a work’s underlying concept; analyze cultural productions using standards appropriate to the form and cultural context; analyze and interpret material or performance culture in its social, historical, and personal contexts; and engage in the artistic process, including conception, creation, and ongoing critical analysis. Field Trips All students in this course are required to participate in a local field trip to view professional work. A one page written report outlining each student’s critical response to the exhibition is required due before final class meeting. Students are also strongly encouraged to make regular gallery and museum visits in the Washington D.C. area, or beyond. In addition, AVT students must participate in one Artsbus trip to New York City. Purchasing tickets as soon as possible is advised; trips usually sell out weeks before each travel date. More information is available at http://artsbus.gmu.edu

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University and School of Art Policies In accordance with George Mason University policy, turn off all beepers, cellular telephones and other wireless communication devices at the start of class. The instructor of the class will keep his/her cell phone active to assure receipt of any Mason Alerts in a timely fashion; or in the event that the instructor does not have a cell phone, he/she will designate one student to keep a cell phone active to receive such alerts. Commitment to Diversity This class will be conducted as an intentionally inclusive community that celebrates diversity and welcomes the participation in the life of the university of faculty, staff and students who reflect the diversity of our plural society. All may feel free to speak and to be heard without fear that the content of the opinions they express will bias the evaluation of their academic performance or hinder their opportunities for participation in class activities. In turn, all are expected to be respectful of each other without regard to race, class, linguistic background, religion, political beliefs, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, veteran’s status, or physical ability. Statement on Ethics in Teaching and Practicing Art and Design As professionals responsible for the education of undergraduate and graduate art and design students, the faculty of the School of Art adheres to the ethical standards and practices incorporated in the professional Code of Ethics of our national accreditation organization, The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Open Studio Hours SOA teaching studios are open to students for extended periods of time mornings, evenings and weekends whenever classes are not in progress. Policies, procedures and schedules for studio use are established by the SOA studio faculty and are posted in the studios. ArtsBus - Dates for Spring 2015 February 21 March 21 April 11 ArtsBus Credit * Each student must have up to 5 AVT 300/Artsbus credits before graduation. For credit to appear on your transcript you must enroll in AVT 300. This also applies to anyone who intends to travel to New York independently, or do the DC Alternate Assignment. * If you plan/need to go on multiple ArtsBus trips during a semester and need them towards your total requirement, you must enroll in multiple sections of AVT 300. Please go to the ArtsBus website: http://artsbus.gmu.edu "Student Information" for additional, very important information regarding ArtsBus policy. * Non-AVT majors taking art classes do not need Artsbus credit BUT may need to go on the Artsbus for a class assignment. You can either sign up for AVT 300 or buy a ticket for the bus trip at the Center of the Arts. Alternate trips must be approved by the instructor of the course that is requiring an ArtsBus trip. Visual Voices Lecture Series Spring 2015 Visual Voices is a year-long series of lectures by artists, art historians and others about contemporary art and art practice. Visual Voices lectures are held on Thursday evenings from 7:20- 9:00 p.m. in Harris Theater: January 22, 2015 Grad Students “Loading Content” January 29, 2015 Ray Nichols & Jill Cypher “A colored letter at the bottom of a ditch” February 5, 2015 Klaus Ottmann “Art and Contemplation” February 26, 2015 Jame Anderson “I make things” March 5, 2015 Steve Badanes & Linda Beaumont “Jersey Devils” March 26, 2015* Anil Revri [Bonus Speaker] “Evoking Memories” - Johnson Center Cinema

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*Anil Revri’s lecture will be held in Johnson Center Cinema on the lower level at 7:30 p.m. Important Deadlines Last day to add classes or drop without financial penalty: January 27 Last day to drop classes with 33% penalty: February 10 Last day to drop classes with 67% penalty: February 20 Last day to file graduation intent: February 20 Selective withdrawal: February 23- March 27 Once the add and drop deadlines have passed, instructors do not have the authority to approve requests from students to add or drop/withdraw late. Requests for late adds (up until the last day of classes) must be made by the student in the SOA office (or the office of the department offering the course), and generally are only approved in the case of a documented university error (such as a problem with financial aid being processed) , LATE ADD fee will apply. Requests for non-selective withdrawals and retroactive adds (adds after the last day of classes) must be approved by the academic dean of the college in which the student’s major is located. For AVT majors, that is the CVPA Office of Academic Affairs, Performing Arts Building A407. Students with Disabilities and Learning Differences If you have a diagnosed disability or learning difference and you need academic accommodations, please inform me at the beginning of the semester and contact the Disabilities Resource Center (SUB I room 234, 703-993-2474). You must provide me with a faculty contact sheet from that office outlining the accommodations needed for your disability or learning difference. All academic accommodations must be arranged in advance through the DRC. Official Communications via GMU E-Mail Mason uses electronic mail to provide official information to students. Examples include communications from course instructors, notices from the library, notices about academic standing, financial aid information, class materials, assignments, questions, and instructor feedback. Students are responsible for the content of university communication sent to their Mason e-mail account, and are required to activate that account and check it regularly. Attendance Policies Students are expected to attend the class periods of the courses for which they register. In-class participation is important not only to the individual student, but also to the class as a whole. Because class participation may be a factor in grading, instructors may use absence, tardiness, or early departure as de facto evidence of nonparticipation. Students who miss an exam with an acceptable excuse may be penalized according to the individual instructor's grading policy, as stated in the course syllabus. Honor Code Students in this class are bound by the Honor Code, as stated in the George Mason University Catalog. The honor code requires that the work you do as an individual be the product of your own individual synthesis or integration of ideas. (This does not prohibit collaborative work when it is approved by your instructor.) As a faculty member, I have an obligation to refer the names of students who may have violated the Honor Code to the Student Honor Council, which treats such cases very seriously. No grade is important enough to justify cheating, for which there are serious consequences that will follow you for the rest of your life. If you feel unusual pressure about your grade in this or any other course, please talk to me or to a member of the GMU Counseling Center staff. Using someone else’s words or ideas without giving them credit is plagiarism, a very serious Honor Code offense. It is very important to understand how to prevent committing plagiarism when using material from a source. If you wish to quote verbatim, you must use the exact words and punctuation just as the passage appears in the original and must use quotation marks and page numbers in your citation. If you want to paraphrase or summarize ideas from a source, you must put the ideas into your own words, and you must cite the source, using the APA or MLA format. (For assistance with documentation, I recommend Diana Hacker, A Writer’s Reference.) The exception to this rule is information termed general knowledge—information that is widely known and stated in a number of sources. Determining what is general knowledge can be complicated, so the wise course is, “When in doubt, cite.” Be especially careful when using the Internet for research. Not all Internet sources are equally reliable; some are just plain wrong. Also, since you can download text, it becomes very easy to inadvertently plagiarize. If you use an Internet source, you must cite the exact URL in your paper and include with it the last date that you successfully accessed the site.

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Writing Center Students who are in need of intensive help with grammar, structure or mechanics in their writing should make use of the services of Writing Center, located in Robinson A116 (703-993-1200). The services of the Writing Center are available by appointment, online and, occasionally, on a walk-in basis. The Collaborative Learning Hub Located in Johnson Center 311 (703-993-3141), the lab offers in-person one-on-one support for the Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, Blackboard, and a variety of other software. Dual monitor PCs make the lab ideal for collaborating on group projects, Macs are also available; as well as a digital recording space, collaborative tables, and a SMART Board. Free workshops are also available (Adobe and Microsoft) through Training and Certification; visit ittraining.gmu.edu to see the schedule of workshops and to sign up.

VISUAL VOICES PROFESSIONAL LECTURE SERIES BIO-BRIEFS | SPRING 2015

Graduate Students | “Loading Content” | Thursday, January 22, 2015 Melissa Hill | Sarah Zuckerman | Nathan Loda | Marianne Epstein

Melissa Hill (b. 1986 in Norfolk, Virginia) is an award winning artist who received both her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 3D Media (2011) and her Bachelor of Arts in Art History (2012) at Old Dominion University in Norfolk Virginia. She is currently working on her Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture at George Mason University in the Washington D.C. suburbs of Fairfax, Virginia. A fascination with tactile materials lead her into working with yarn and other fibers. Hill’s art has been represented in four solo shows, several group exhibitions, and has been collected internationally. She is currently working as a graduate lecturer at George Mason University.

Sarah Zuckerman is an MFA Candidate in the Printmaking Department of George Mason University. Sarah’s work is an exploration of a variety of materials and actions including printmaking, papermaking, installation, and performance. She explores similar underlying concepts including nature, memory, and the multiple. In creating environments she examines positive versus negative space, internal and external structures, and light and shadow. The process of the work is furious action resulting in an overall calm in a finished work. Creation and collection of numerous objects, exhaustion of material, rigorous process, and the excitement of the new and unexpected are all part of her process. Zuckerman earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Printmaking from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, where she graduated with honors in 2009. She was subsequently awarded the Arches Paper Award at the 2009 Boston Printmakers Biennial. After taking on the position of director of Panopticon Gallery of Photography in Boston Massachusetts, she traveled to Svolvær, Norway as part of an artist residency at Kunstnerhuset i Lofoten. Most recently she was a Cultural DC Fellow, and had a solo exhibit at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia. Nathan Loda (b. 1989, Vienna, VA) is an MFA student at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. He earned a BFA in Painting from Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV, in 2011. During his undergrad studies, Loda had the opportunity to travel in Central and South America, visiting Nicaragua, Honduras, Peru, Uruguay, and Argentina, as well as studying abroad at the Lamar Dodd School of Art in Cortona, Italy. Traveling gave Loda new perspective and helped him look at the development of his identity threw family heritage, history, and pop culture. When he is not painting, Loda enjoys playing music and spending time with his wife in the great outdoors. Marianne Epstein is a Master of Arts candidate in graphic design at George Mason University's School of Art. She earned her B.A. in psychology from Dartmouth College and taught elementary school for several years before discovering her passion for design. Marianne works as a product designer at Gannett Digital, where she designs mobile and web experiences for delivering the news. Early in her studies at Mason she fell in love with the possibilities of bookbinding, and continues to work independently and in collaboration with poets on interactive artist books. She particularly enjoys blending digital and analogue image-making techniques, and delights in the marriage of control and accident that results. The unifying thread across her digital and print work is a desire to create a potent experience for anyone engaging with it— whether it's an iPhone app that brings you the headlines, a board game that gets you to write poetry, or a small book that leads you into a world of memories. View more of her work at marianneepstein.com.

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RAY NICHOLS + JILL CYPHER | LEAD GRAFFITI | “A COLORED LETTER AT THE BOTTOM OF A DITCH” | Thursday. January 29, 2015

Jill Cypher

Jill holds an MFA degree in Advertising Design from Louisiana Tech University. She was the graphic designer for the University of Delaware Publications Office from 1978 to 1984.

Jill, with her husband-partner Ray Nichols, opened Cypher + Nichols + Design, their own advertising and graphic design business, which operated from 1984 through 1999. Some C+N+D clients included Esquire Magazine, Winterthur Museum, Hagley Museum & Library, Direct Radiography, Alanx Products, Omega Medical Center, and Delaware Manufacturing Alliance among others. The firm’s work received numerous awards from the Advertising Club of Delaware, Print, Graphis, CASE, and the University and College Designers Association.

Jill served as president of the Advertising Club of Delaware as well as several terms on its Board of Directors. She was a cofounder of Raven Press at the University of Delaware with interests in letterpress printing, paste paper designs and bookmaking. She is currently president of Lead Graffiti (formerly Wallflowers Press), a letterpress studio producing creative typography cards, posters, and other items.

Several recent projects, most notably a series of posters promoting the Kalmar Nyckel, Delaware's tall ship, are utilizing Jill's illustration expertise using woodcuts as the medium.

A favorite annual project is the 8th grade diplomas for the Waldorf School of Philadelphia. The students come to Lead Graffiti, print the text for their diploma, handset in metal type and print their names on the diplomas, and produce several sheets of paste paper. Lead Graffiti assembles a folder modeled on the Nobel Prize Certificates which holds the diploma, along with an original piece of artwork by the student. Jill loves making paste paper.

Ray Nichols Ray holds an MFA degree in Advertising Design from Louisiana Tech University. He was coordinator of Visual Communications at the University of Delaware from 1978 to 2005 (retiring in 2006), where he helped lead the program to an international reputation. His own design work has been honored in juried exhibitions by the Art Directors Club of New York, The One Club for Art & Copy, University and College Designers Association, along with inclusion in annuals by major design organizations such as Print Magazine and Graphis Posters. His graduates are regularly included in design and advertising competitions including the One Club for Art and Copy, D&AD (London), Art Directors Club of New York, Communication Arts, and Graphis.

Ray, with his wife-partner Jill Cypher, operated their advertising and graphic design business, Cypher + Nichols + Design, from 1984 through 1999.

As a co-director of Visual Communications / UK while directing study abroad trips to London, Ray fell in love with letterpress printing. He, along with Jill, was the co-founder of a letterpress studio called Raven Press at the University of Delaware.

Ray was also a professor in the Center for Material Culture Studies, where he designed and maintained their website and won awards for the recruiting and publishing materials he helped produce. Through CMCS he has overseen the production of two books on the history of the New London Road community (an African American Community in Newark, Delaware), including a cookbook. Ray is a past president of the Advertising Club of Delaware.

In 2008 The Art Directors Club of New York announced an annual award for instructors in the fields of advertising design, graphic design, interactive design, photography, and illustration. Ray was included as one of five in the inaugural exhibition held in October 2008 at the ADCNY gallery in New York City. The ADCNY describes the ADC Grandmasters as educators whose careers in creative education have impacted and mentored generations of student ‘creatives’ and whose legacy is a far-reaching network of industry leaders and professionals in Advertising and Design.

A major endurance letterpress project they call Tour de Lead Graffiti which is in its fourth year. Following the Tour de France they produce a series of 23 posters produced one each day, paralleling the events of each stage of the Tour de France. Major libraries maintaining sets of the series includes, The British Library, University of Delaware, Library of Congress, Baylor University and UCLA.

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Book related projects include Thunder Road, working with the writing of British author Bruce Hornsby and Bruce Springsteen, The Multifaceted Mr. Morris with the Mark Samuels Lasner Collection, and Boxcar Poems 1 - 12 by author John Dorsey.

KLAUS OTTMANN | “ART AND CONTEMPLATION” | PHILLIPPS COLLECTION | FEB 5, 2015

Klaus Ottmann is Director of the Center for the Study of Modern Art and Curator at Large at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. He is also Editor-in-Chief of Spring Publications, which publishes books on archetypal psychology, symbolic imagination, art and the philosophy of art, phenomenology, the philosophy of psychology, religion, mysticism, and gnosis.

Klaus Ottmann (b. 1954) began as a philosophy student, earning a Masters Degree from Freie Universität Berlin, in 1980. After twenty years, Ottmann would return to the classroom and earn a PhD., from the European Graduate School. The two decades that separate his involvement in academia were anything but a hiatus. Ottmann has curated over forty exhibitions thus far in his career. Between 1988 and 1995 Ottmann was the curator of Exhibitions at the Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery, which focuses on contemporary art, exhibiting the works of both professionals, and students of Wesleyan University’s art program. During his time at Wesleyan University, Ottmann inscribed himself into its history; leaving tracks and horizons for both future students and successors. He implemented an original exhibitions program, which balanced exhibiting both established and emerging artists, while focusing on contemporary American and European art since the 1960s. He provided a platform for the future of art to speak, and an opportunity for the past and present to be heard. The list of artists who graced the stage that Ottman had set is large, but the number of people who embraced the stage is endless. While Franz Erhard Walther, Astrid Klein, Mary Kelly, Kiki Smith, Jessica Stockholder, and Tom Friedman were given the opportunity to be heard, countless students were offered new horizons. Certainly not unaware of Dostoyevsky’s famous words, Ottmann did a part in helping art do what it can do, that is – and in his own words: “art has the power to change the world … by addressing or reflecting our deepest fears and the existential questions of the human condition”. 2006, Ottmann curated the most comprehensive survey of James Lee Byars’ work ever shown in the USA. Ottman also curated the critically acclaimed 6th Site Santa Fe Biennial, entitled Still Points of the Turning World. Aside from the particular works displayed, the exhibition was a thinly veiled criticism of traditional curatorial practices. Ottmann reduced the exhibition to 13 one-person installations without a specific curatorial theme. During an interview regarding the daring exhibition, Ottmann explained the absence of an overarching theme as a response to Museums having “gone a little bit too far in didactics these days”, claiming that he “wanted to create an environment where the art could speak for itself as much as possible… I thought that if you have the works without a theme, there’s less filtering going on and there’s more of a chance for the viewer to see the works on their own terms”. Ottmann also makes the important point that over-curation gives the false impression that art can be completely understood, by being reduced to some combination of hermeneutics, biography and technique, he claimed that: “Art education is, of course, important, but its important not to give people the illusion that they could understand a work of art, because works of art can never be completely understood.” The reduction of the exhibition to a mere thirteen works was another criticism of traditional practices. Questioned on this decision, Ottmann replied that: “[museums] also force you to go from work to work to work, and it would be better for people to understand that its not about quantity, its about quality. When you go on a Sunday to the Met, and you see hundreds of people moving from one work to the next, yes, you see a great show, you see 300 paintings, but what did you actually remember afterwards?” Ottmann’s imperative should remind us of Francis Bacon, who would skim through an exhibition before devoting himself to a single piece, before which he would sit for hours on end. Reducing the number of works, Ottmann believes, may force people to “stop and think… and that will make them, perhaps, look a little differently.” The exhibition also included several performance art pieces; in an attempt to acknowledge the recent resurgence of ephemeral art mediums, and more importantly, the fundamental relationship between art, aesthetics, thought itself, and time. To conceive of Ottmann as a mere exhibitor, would be inadequate. His philosophical musings extended to art and the art of exhibition. During his time at Wesleyan he initiated and taught courses on contemporary theory and exhibition practice; courses whose importance and popularity have inscribed them as a pivot of the schools curriculum to this day. In an age where it is increasingly difficult to distinguish art from design, entertainment and window dressing, Ottmann’s philosophical ruminations and education have traced his work in art with an undeniable and properly aesthetic dimension. We can say that it is not so much that Ottmann permits the thoughts of Theodore Adorno, Blaise Pascal, Yves Klein and others to

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influence works and shows, but rather, that he imposes a discipline on art, thereby saving it from (perverting?) itself. In 1996 Ottmann moved to the American Federation of Arts, in New York, where he served as the Curator of Exhibitions. The American Federation of Arts had a much broader focus, and substantially larger resources then the Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery. Despite this disparity in weight, a particular, and certainly for Ottmann, essential identity remained, namely, a focus of exhibition and education. As Curator of the AFA, Ottmann conceived numerous original exhibitions, and collaborated with other enviable figures in the field to develop and implement exhibitions, which traveled across the globe. A man of his word, he utilized the principles and affordances of the AFA to bring art and people together, for the good of both. Aside from his books on Yves Klein and Mark Rothko (Yves Klein by Himself: His Life and Thought; Yves Klein: Works, Writings; The Essential Mark Rothko) Ottmann has also tackled the grueling question of art in post-modernity (The Genius Decision: The extraordinary and the Postmodern Condition), and published a collection of his writings on art, entitled Thought Through my Eyes: Writings on Art, 1977–2005, where he fused, or perhaps, sublates philosophy and contemporary art. The collection includes his critically acclaimed essays: Painting in an Age of Anxiey, The Solid and the Fluid: Bartlett, Laib, Kiefer, The Spectacle of Chaos, Heidegger, Beuys, and the Consequences, Spiritual Materiality: Contemporary Sculpture and the Responsibility of Forms, The Art of Happenstance: The Performative Sculptures of James Lee Byars, Frank Stella's Prince of Ambiguity, along with numerous interviews with some of the foremost contemporary artists, including: Richard Serra, Wolfgang Laib, Jeff Koons, and Jessica Stockholder. Since 1991 Ottmann has served as the publisher and editor of the Journal of Contemporary Art, which features interviews, conversations and collaborative projects with many of the leading figures in contemporary art, including: Marina Abramovic, Arakawa, Judith Barry, Barbara Bloom, Larry Clark, Christo, Dan Graham, Gilbert & George, Leon Golub, Antony Gormley, Imi Knoebel, Jeff Koons, Jonathan Lasker, Wolfgang Laib, Rita McBride, Mariko Mori, Takashi Murakami, Cady Noland, Adrian Piper, Mimmo Rotella, Richard Serra, Cindy Sherman, Bill Viola, and Sue Williams. Ottmann is also the editor-in-chief of Spring Publications Inc., which focuses on publishing works on psychology, philosophy, religion, mythology, and art. Aside from these publications, Ottmann is a regular contributor of Flash Art, Arts, Domus, Art on Paper, Art Press, Sculpture and Artnews. Ottmann has also written extensively on art and aesthetics for the Museum of American Art, New York, IVAM, Valencia, Kunstmuseum, Bonn, Museum Serraives, Porto, and many others. JAME ANDERSON | NATIONAL GALLERY of ART | “I MAKE THINGS” | FEB 26, 2015 Jame Anderson is an Architect, and chief Exhibit Designer at The National Gallery of Art. Every exhibition requires careful planning with a diverse collection of ideas about the art or design content, gallery layout, lighting, color, typography, technology, brochures and announcements, and much more. Transforming the content of an exhibition into an engaging public experience is an act of juggling 12 balls in the air that simultaneously have to land in a unified form together. In order to accomplish the complexities of her job, Jame Anderson works hand in hand with the originators, curators, museum directors, and staff who often have curatorial goals that require support to achieve their wisdom and vision. Education Rhode Island School of Design Wake Forest University Architect, Exhibit Designer The National Gallery of Art Government Agency; 501-1000 employees; Museums and Institutions industry February 2003 – Present (11 years 6 months)

Design Office Exhibit Design, Architecture, and Capital Projects Architect SmithGroup January 2000 – February 2003 (3 years 2 months)

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Architect Tobey + Davis June 1998 – January 2000 (1 year 8 months)

Graduate Intern The Metropolitan Museum of Art May 1997 – September 1997 (5 months)

Exhibits Specialist | Smithsonian Institution Having a professional degree in architecture from RISD and being licensed as an architect and currently serving as the exhibition designer for the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, Anderson has an amalgam of professions under her belt. “I don’t really consider myself [an artist],” said Anderson. “In fact, I’m not really sure what I am anymore.” In her artist statement, Anderson wrote “I make things” to describe what she does. Whether creating a piece of art or a birthday cake for her daughter, through which she goes through the same planning process, Anderson has spent her life making things, whatever they may be. “To make art, it is for me and for me alone,” said Anderson, which is quite different from her “very humbling” day job, working at the National Gallery with what she calls the most beautiful things and the best professionals in the museum world. Anderson traced creativity through her life with the phrases, “I make things,” “I (help) make things,” and “I make things that showcase what other people make,” finally returning to “I make things.” Jame Anderson, Exhibit Designer, has worked on such projects as the National Museum of the American Indian and the Arts and Industries Building of the Smithsonian. Jame Anderson worked on the design for the Gallery's Dada exhibition, which was a major initiative as a first ever comprehensive look at this fascinating movement. Jame Anderson feels the importance of not being isolated but sharing her expertise in civic projects where exhibition design and museum/gallery planning can be useful. The Greater Reston, Art, Center gains a new home, a new look and a new beginning. GRACE will continue to be a gallery, a non-profit, an educator, and a part of the community, but with a new space, a new look and a new presence.”

STEVE BADANES AND LINDA BEAUMONT | “JERSEY DEVILS” | MARCH 5, 2015

Steve (Steven Paul) Badanes is widely known for his practice and teaching of design/build. He is a founding member of the Jersey Devil design/build practice,and is currently a Professor in the University of Washington Department of Architecture, where he holds the Howard S. Wright Endowed Chair of the University of Washington College of Built Environments.

Badanes received his Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University in 1967, and his Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) from Princeton University in 1971. Seeking an alternative to conventional practice, Badanes and partners Jim Adamson (who now also teaches a design/build course at the University of Miami) and John Ringel founded the Jersey Devil design/build firm in 1972. The firm has designed and built a wide variety of projects over the ensuing three decades. Their work has been the subject of two books, Jersey Devil Design/Build Book (1985) and Devil's Workshop: 25 Years of Jersey Devil Architecture (1997). Their work has also been featured in numerous articles in various professional and popular media.

Badanes has taught at various architecture and art schools since the 1980s. He has been on the Board of Directors of the Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Warren VT since 1983, and regularly teaches there in the summer. He first taught at the University of Washington in 1988. In 1996 he accepted an appointment as a permanent member of the UW faculty and is the first to hold the Howard S. Wright Endowed Chair. He typically teaches a design/build studio every year in the spring.

Badanes has conducted design/build workshops at the University of Technology in Helsinki, Finland, Auroville, India, the University of Oregon, the University of Miami, Atlantic Center for the Arts, McGill University, UNCC, Ball State University, the University of California at San Diego, Florida A&M University, Miami University in Ohio, North Dakota State University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Wisconsin. He is a frequent speaker at architecture schools across the United States and internationally.

Linda Beaumont, Ar t is t Statement:

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“The arc of my works , f rom in t imate drawings and paint ings in to large-sca le ins ta l la t ions of publ ic ar tworks , share many of the same sources of insp i ra t ion. There is a v iscera l , t ransformat ive journey of the making that charges the work, and the sense of hand that is a lways present w i th in the work. The images reveal themselves s lowly . . . I want my paint ings to breathe, and the publ ic ins ta l la t ions to make a space s ing.”

Linda Beaumont and Steve Badanes carve out a home in the woods The Whidbey Island home of the artist and the architect is a place to nurture and create.

By Rebecca Teagarden, Pacific NW associate editor

The house, 2,200 square feet, is a hybrid pole barn: a box on top of a box with wings. The exterior is Zincalume, recycled steel made mostly from ground-up cars. The massive twisted fir is "like the totem pole in front of the Indian longhouse," owner Linda Beaumont says. An old, $30 TV antenna supports the trellis.

THE LANE cuts through miles of meadow. A border collie works a wave of sheep in the distance. The road winds into the forest. Ferns and firs; the air crisp, chilled, drinkable. A lawn dart, affixed to a plywood board that reads "parking," points its scrawny metal finger.

We have arrived.

"It's three pole barns. They're cheap to build," Steve Badanes says simply, describing the Whidbey Island homestead he shares with his wife, artist Linda Beaumont.

He would know. Badanes is the Howard S. Wright professor of architecture at the University of Washington. He also teaches at Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Vermont and is a founder of Jersey Devil Design/Build, a roguish group of designer-builders who built their own ecologically oriented designs while living on site.

And not the least, Badanes and friends gave us the Fremont Troll.

"Every summer Steve devotes himself to Camp Beaumont for one month before he goes to Vermont," says Beaumont of their five-acre property. Her résumé is also long. You know her work at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the King County Courthouse, Safeco Field, Bellevue City Hall and more.

When a place is beloved, things are named. Thus, Camp Beaumont. Out back is a shed, Winter Camp. "This is the Spirit Center," Beaumont says in the kitchen, pointing out the liquor cabinet.

Camp Beaumont is a work in progress, evolving as time and money allow; the private delight of two public professionals.

"This is the first one for me," Badanes says of the home. "We built so many for everybody else. It's so amazing to stay in a place 10 years. This is the first time I've seen a garden grow."

Boy, does it. Beaumont is an enthusiastic gardener. Raspberries, blueberries, beets, lettuce, broccoli, plums, apples, chard, peas, Asian pears.

Badanes' greenhouse achieves thermal mass via wine bottles filled with water. Everywhere it is like this: Where there is a her, there is a him. Her mosaic garden table, his benches. His wood bowl, her salad greens.

"The longer you can stay comfortable with unresolved issues, the more appropriate the solution," says Badanes. Behind him is a cement-board wall in the living/dining/kitchen.

"I finish everything with cement board. Every time you see cement board Linda's going to do a mosaic," Badanes says. "She's way behind me." This is a good sign for their continued life here. And Beaumont is in no hurry. Sometimes you have to wait to see what a thing wants to be.

There is, however, a most grand turquoise mosaic shower accented with glass rods and mirrors. Outside, another shower, creamy white with shards of marble, mirrors, dragonflies etched in stone.

The kitchen counter is also a Beaumont: cement terrazzo with jade, carnelian, shells, mother of pearl. The dining table: epoxy terrazzo, grass green and filled with color.

There are more places to make art at Camp Beaumont than to live. But making art is living. In the upstairs studio, under

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covered porches, within the big black building down the drive: 900 square feet for her, 900 square feet for him.

"I grew up in a big suburban house where I couldn't do anything but in the laundry room," Beaumont says. "I just always wanted a place to work. And here I am like a witch in the woods."

Making magic.

Rebecca Teagarden writes about design and architecture for Pacific NW. Benjamin Benschneider is the magazine's staff photographer.

www.jerseydevildesignbuild.com. | lindabeaumont.com.

ANIL REVRI | “EVOKING MEMORIES” | JOHNSON CINEMA | March 26, 2015 A native of New Delhi, Anil Revri holds a degree in interior design from the Sir J J School of Art, Bombay and a BFA in graphic design from the Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington, DC. Despite these contrasting backdrops, Revri's style is an intriguing marriage of these two disciplines and environments. From the Washington Color School's abstract languages of serialized stripes, dots and circles to the meditative aspects of Middle Eastern arts, Revri's works offer boundless theories about what truths can be expressed and discovered in the order of visual language. Revri's geometric abstractions employ a variety of dotted, curved and slanted lines that create an illusion of three-dimensional space. Metallic paints, markers and pencils create patterns within patterns. With subtle elegance, the viewer is simultaneously drawn into the void of negative spaces and repelled as shapes move over and under one another. These serialized patterns are premeditated, each one having internal harmony and a wholly balanced completeness. Implied in the sequence of Revri's works is that order — both personal and universal — is possible. "Though abstract in their rendering, the work is inspired by Eastern philosophy. Each piece becomes a meditation," comments Revri. "There is no reference to narrative here, excepting that of an implied order beneath the restless surface." In his acclaimed series "Cultural Crossings," Revri explores themes of peace, desire, lust, greed and renunciation through the order of theology. Incorporating calligraphy in different languages from sacred texts and holy writings that address universal human concerns, Revri examines religion through involved, finite and delicate patterns. Eric Denker, Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, adds, "Anil Revri's elegant and subtle geometric abstractions are visual poems that induce contemplation. At once sensual and serene, they resonate in the inner and outer worlds of the viewers." Working in series, Revri's individual works reveal themselves as elements in a larger whole. His concepts come together in a robustly articulated metaphor for the disorder that prevents humanity from achieving the calm it so desires. It is, as Art in America art critic J W Mahoney wrote, "an inner order so complete that its face is, gently, everywhere at once."

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