I thought, for my final post on this blog before we bring this semester to a complete close, I would give you guys a list of some contemporary artist who draw. So many of the artists we've looked at as references in this class (with the exception of Zac Smith) have all been dead white guys who were working 40 to 150 years ago. I think it's important that you see that there are artists right here and now who are just as concerned with the pursuit of draftsmanship in their work. Each of the artists below is out there working now, displaying in galleries and/or biennials. They are all very much alive (unless there's something I don't know) and active in the current art community. If you see any work here that you find fascinating, you should do some research of your own on that artist. Enjoy!
Mindaugas Lukosaitis
Anna Sigmond Gudmundsdottir
D-L Alvarez
(These may look like pixelated digital images, but they are executed in graphite pencil.)
Jason William Cole
(This guy is friggin' AWESOME. Hahaha)
Elizabeth Peyton
John Currin
Ernesto Caivano
Creighton Gann
(Creighton and I attended grad school together at MCA.)
It was a great semester. Some of you I will see again next semester. For those of you that I will not see, I wish you good luck with the rest of your time at MCA. Continue to be critical, analytical thinkers.
I am posting this because it will give you yet another opportunity to hear an artist talk about his own work, and because there's a section of the video in which he shows off his sketchbook. Enjoy.
Welcome back everyone. I hope that your Thanksgiving weekend went well and that you were able to enjoy the company of family and friends. If travel wasn't possible for you, I hope that at least you were able to make the most of your time during what I am sure was a much-need break from the grind if nothing else. I noticed that some of you placed items in the Holiday Bazaar. I hope that worked out well for you. A little extra jingle in your pocket (even if it is only just a little) is always a good thing.
We are truly down to the wire now. We have only tomorrow's class left to go before you turn in your portfolios on Wednesday, December 9. THAT'S IT! Where has the semester gone? Doesn't it seem like just yesterday you were staring at white boxes, spheres, cones, and cylinders, trying to figure out how the hell this linear perspective stuff works, and having nightmares of ellipses in your sleep? Compare what you are accomplishing now to what you were doing then. I should hope that you feel your work is far more confident now. And hopefully you see why it was important to START there before moving on to more advanced drawings rather than diving straight in without any scuba gear.
So, then, allow me to give you a few quick reminders here so you can be ready for what's coming up:
1. Don't forget that tomorrow is the final day to turn in any assignments you have reworked for the possibility of a better grade. I will accept any reworked assignment from any point in the semester, but I will NOT accept late drawings that weren't turned in on the date they were originally due. I don't have the time nor patience to grade, in addition to the reworked assignments, a bunch of drawings that were due weeks ago that you never turned in. This isn't make-up time. This is a final-shot chance to improve your grade through good, honest hard work. I will have them graded and replaced on our shelf in the studio by Monday. Arrange to pick these drawings up before December 9 so you can add them to your portfolio before you turn it in. Also, there are still MANY leftover drawings on that shelf right now. You will need these for your portfolio, so please take them.
2. Make sure to have your Bristol, 4H drawing pencil, and M- and F-tip BLACK ink pens tomorrow ready to go. Bring along a second sheet of Bristol if you think you may finish your first drawing early. PLEASE DO NOT RAID THE STORE RIGHT BEFORE CLASS. That didn't work out so well the last time. I don't want class held up again, especially since this will be the last time we work on a REAL assignment in class. Come unprepared, and I will request that you just leave the classroom and not waste our time.
3. Don't forget that tomorrow is "Bring Your Own Music Day." Yesterday, the first half of my Monday-Wednesday evening class brought their music to class, and it was an interesting experience. I look forward to hearing what the rest of you have to offer. Just bring a burned CD of 4-5 songs. I think that the stereo has an auxiliary jack, but I could be wrong. So, if you have an MP3 player and a cord that will connect it to the stereo's auxiliary jack, you can make a short playlist and bring that. Just remember that I might be wrong about that auxiliary jack.
4. Here is what you need to do in preparation for December 9:
Don't wait until the night before!
Build your portfolio: Before you do anything else, gather all your work and make sure that it is all fixed and will therefore not get smudged. Place everything you have done in this class (both in-class assignments and homework) in chronological order into your portfolio. On the outside of your portfolio HAVE YOUR NAME PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED.
Prepare your sketchbook: Make sure that YOUR NAME IS PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED ON YOUR SKETCHBOOK. I had a few at midterm that I had to guess by a process of elimination. You wouldn't want me to accidentally put your grade down by someone else's name, would you? Make sure that your syllabus and any handouts, articles, or research given to you or obtained on your own are in that pocket in the back. Hopefully your sketchbook is already in very good shape right now, but if you are one of those last-minute procrastinators, you have a week to make it look like you DIDN'T procrastinate until the last minute. Remember everything I wrote in your sketchbook at midterm and everything I said to you at the last sketchbook review (which was disappointing on the whole, with a few exceptions--you know who you are) and make sure it is well-designed, shows your progress and research, and is reflective of anentire semester's worth of diligent WORK.
Submit your final portfolio and sketchbook: You have until 9:30 AM on December 9 to bring your portfolio and sketchbook to the studio. After 9:30 AM I will lock the door and accept nothing later. There will be designated areas to place each item. Simply place your portfolio and sketchbook in their areas and you will be free to go. Just return at 3:00 PM to pick everything up again. There is an evening class in the studio after ours, so please come get your stuff in a timely manner so we don't disturb them. Inside your sketchbook I will write a sketchbook grade. This grade is for the sketchbook only and is not necessarily reflective of your final grade for the course, which will be averaged together just as I outlined in your syllabus and submitted to the dean. You will receive all of your final grades at some point over the winter break.
5. Speaking of grades: Some of you have not yet posted an evaluation of yourself and the course on your blog. Remember, that was part of your assignment over Thanksgiving break. Get that up there. Also, if you like, you can feel free to include in your evaluation the grade you feel you honestly deserve.
And that's all, folks! We are so near the end of the semester I can hear it squeak. (I don't know, it's something I used to hear oldtimers say and I always found it funny.) See you tomorrow.
