Being a part time high school art teacher, I'm finding that balance is becoming more and more a priority as I journey through this process. I have great students and I enjoy going to work, but it does sometimes conflict with my studio time. This last week we had parent/teacher conferences for two days, which I didn't anticipate would be a problem until I realized that my teaching schedule would be changed to half days to accommodate; thus denying me adequate time in the studio at Western. There is a point of frustration for me when the scales of my time are tipped too far in any one direction, especially if I feel my time is wasted. Adding to that frustration is my continuing passion for promoting the arts at my place of employment, which seems to be (at least right now) very one-sided. I'm struggling to find ways to promote the art program and convey just how important it is for the sake of education to have a strong foundation that includes art. My students have been very successful, especially as I've continued my education and I have more to draw from. I've built a curriculum from the ground up, and in the last five years it has really started to pay off with graduates getting scholarships and going on to find success in art-related fields. However, I can't help but feel the pressure of competing for attention with other programs and focuses. I have also been named to the Board of Directors for the Ash Creek Arts Center (ACAC), which is a wonderful organization in Independence and Monmouth. We have strong leadership and a driven board, and I really feel like this may be a long-term fit for me. It's really a grassroots kind of project that right now is still in it's infancy, which I find really exciting to be a part of. | While those things prove to be potential distractions, I'm finding myself fixated on certain topics in the studio. One such topic, as it pertains to this idea of opulence, is the idea of consumption. There are a lot of ways to address this, but I find myself gravitating towards collage more and more. The National Geographic magazines are proving to be a continual source of fodder, from racist ads to wartime propaganda, and really just a lot of great photos. The question I'm currently struggling with is how do I tie these things together with some of my other work? How do I tie a collage work to a non-objective work and have them be cohesive? I have confidence that I will find the answers I seek, but it will just take some time. I'm also finding myself fixated somewhat on a Disney theme. I think the whole concept of the commercialization of childhood heroes and precious characters is interesting. Of course, it helps that one of the projects I give my students most years is a movie poster project inspired by the work of Drew Struzan. I've been reluctant to participate in the project in years passed, but this year I felt it may prove beneficial to my BFA studies. On a side note, I'm never too far away, conceptually speaking, from incorporating writing into my work, especially poetry. This week, in response to the ideas swirling around in my head, I wrote a poem, which I've entitled Bait and Switch. I'm not sure if I'll be including it in my body of work, but it might be a nice counterpoint to some of the visual imagery. |
1 Comment
|
Allow me to share my thoughts as I journey through my BFA year at Western Oregon University. Archives
April 2016
Categories |