Giacometti in NC

Made a little Thanksgiving trip to Charlotte, NC to check out the city and to visit some of the art venues.  One of my stops was the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art to see their exhibition "Giacometti: Memory and Presence"on view until February 8.  Comprising the entire fourth floor, the show highlights their considerable collection of his work, as well as loans from Zurich and Paris.  Considering the most Giacometti I have seen in a day has been 3-4 pieces, the 60+ works on display were easily worth the pilgrimage from Pembroke.  I've always enjoyed his work, and reproductions of his paintings were always particularly comforting to me as a student in contextualizing my own process.

Simply, Giacometti was reluctant to finish a painting, often working over the same face for many days. (A excellent account of his process and thoughts on art is described by James Lord in A Giacometti Portrait.) Giacometti's paintings reveal a deeply scarred surface of countless layers that evidence the intensity his of investigation. They evoke a strong presence and are objects as much as image.  We are left with the mystery of what is under the final layers.  In art classes we often stress achieving clarity of communication, but Giacometti reminds us that ambivalence and uncertainty can also be evoked, and remain a powerful aspect of the human condition.  

UNCP News

While some of you know what I've been doing down in North Carolina, it's time to make the official announcement:   I've accepted a full-time tenure track position to lead the painting area at the Univeristy of North Carolina at Pembroke this Fall. Of course, I'm very excited about the subjects I'll be teaching, ranging from figure drawing to advanced electives in painting.  I'm also proud to be part of an institution with a truly unique American Indian heritage that also boasts small class sizes and a diverse student student body.  Though the focus of this blog will remain on my studio work, I may drop a line or two about interesting projects as they come up at UNCP.


















 I've enjoyed my time in Maine more than words can say, and I will continue to work with the many friends I've made over the years, and would like to exhibit in Maine and visit as much as possible.  There's no doubt the lush campus environment will provide me with new inspiration, and I am looking forward to finding new venues to exhibit throughout the Southeast region.

Welcome to NC

 

It's been a busy summer.  New things and new places are on the horizon.   Expect a full update soon.

Snowshoeing Apatite

While my northeast readers have had well enough of winter by now, some of you in warmer climes may appreciate even more snow photos.  These are from a morning outing at Mt. Apatite state park in Auburn, Maine. Regardless of groundhog prognostications, I can't imagine seeing much more of this unseasonably warm winter. I'm reluctant to let the season go too soon and hoping for just a bit more snow. 

Fresh Snow

Woke up to a fresh light snow this morning, and took a few pictures to remember it by.   Again, I'm not enough of a photographer to catch the contrast between the morning light and shadows or the snow blowing off the trees in the wind.   If you squint and have a great imagination, you may be able to make this out in the image below:  

Gray Bates

 

Some photos from a walk around Bates, chapel and pond, the day after the infamous puddle jump. Surveying the aftermath, I was reminded of Friedrich's Ice Sea, albeit with less drama.