Local artist, Kirk O’Brien, will be sharing a slide lecture on the topic of “The Role of Government in Comics”. This fascinating lecture will discuss how censorship, the Comics Code Authority, and ultimately it’s demise, shaped the comics industry of today. WATCH IT BELOW! (I will add some notes soon... stay tuned....)
"Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s seminal text, In Praise of Shadows (1933), discusses Eastern, specifically Japanese, ideals of beauty. Contrary to the Western framework of thinking, Japanese aesthetics favors the in-between, typically discarded or overlooked places of beauty: the grey shadows, the tea ceremony, and even a toilet seat. By looking at examples of Japanese fine and decorative arts, we will discuss Tanizaki’s major ideas concerning Eastern Aesthetics and then apply his understanding to the works in the VMFA permanent collection. " Lecture given by Amanda Dalla Villa Adams, VMFA faculty and independent curator, art writer, educator, and historian based in Richmond, Virginia. Amanda specializes in post-1945 contemporary art and holds a BFA in sculpture + extended media from VCU, an MA in art history and certificate in museum studies from the University of Cincinnati, and recently left VCU’s PhD program as ABD. She has presented her research domestically and internationally, including the Rothermere Institute at Oxford University. In addition to contributing art criticism for national publications like Artforum, Hyperallergic, and Sculpture magazine, Amanda is an art critic for the alternative-weekly newspaper Style Weekly. Her academic research has appeared in the peer-reviewed journals Art Inquiries and Archives of American Art and Amanda has curated exhibitions of the work of Hoss Haley, Emily Erb, and Carli Holcomb. (some of you will remember seeing 2 of those shows last year @ VIs Arts!).
If you WERE at the lecture: You will have a collection of notes that you can now review and compare with these resources as well as any related information learned in Global Studies. REFLECT on these connections. If you WERE NOT at the lecture: You will NEED TO RELY ON these resources, any related information learned in Global Studies, AND your own research to make sense of the topic. REFLECT on these connections. Resources:
Most lectures take place in the Black Box, from 11:45 am - 12:20 pm, unless noted otherwise.
 Alex Norman graduated from Maggie Walker in 2016. She started in Art 2 as a freshman and stayed enrolled in art classes - including Art 5, Photography, and Art History - through her senior year. She is familiar with the stressors of Maggie Walker or any school that has high expectations - and the work-load and rewards that come with. It was her art classes that kept her from going back to her home school, from taking the easy way out, from missing out on the potential that she is now aware of. Art allowed her the opportunity to begin on a path that would guide her to where she is now: VCU School of the Arts, as a Craft and Materials Study major. Art would introduce her to an Eastern philosophy that would further and support her journey by helping her to navigate the purposes of the delicate balance of work and play that is life: WABI-SABI Alex: "Wabi-sabi, as I’ve come to know it, is a Japanese aesthetic that is less of a style than it is an experience of finding beauty in the ordinary, the imperfect, and the broken; a process of accepting and even embracing the perceived “ugliness” and often uncomfortable emptiness inherent in our day to day lives. In the spring semester of my freshman year I ended up writing a fairly extensive research paper on wabi-sabi and explored the question: in what ways can the embrace of the wabi-sabi aesthetic in life and design contribute to human mental health and wellbeing?" This is a helpful video, which explains the hard-to-explain the concept of "wabi-sabi" while also describing its connection to the Japanese tea ceremony (don't mimic the way the narrator mis-pronounces "wabi-sabi," however...) Here's more information: Wabi-Sabi and Understanding Japan A philosophy and aesthetic as worldview As hard as it is to explain wabi-sabi, it is equally difficult to express what was gained from Alex's lecture. My mind was blown, really. She is mature beyond her years and has a voice that can enthrall and entrance (she is also a singer whose original songs are as raw and powerful as all she spoke about). I hung on every word. I tried to take notes but the words on my page began to seem petty or at least inconsequential compared to the truths that Alex was speaking about. If you missed this lecture, I am truly sad for you - you missed something exceptional. I will document some of my take-aways below but, please know, they don't do her talk justice and may not make much sense if you weren't there.
I hope for all of you the ability to find what drives you, what grounds you, what keeps you happy and productive, and what separates you from the rest. I'd love to know that you found it through studying art - but if not, just find it. Some things I wrote down:
 Here are my notes about Hamilton's journey as an artist and the trials and tribulations of following his passion. There are some additional resources posted below.
Who is HAM? The Online Portfolio CLICK HERE for a great article on Hamilton Glass Colleen Hall, a mural painter for 23 years, has a website that will give you a great overview of her work and career: http://www.colleenhall.com/about--press.html Her Lunchtime Lecture talk was comprehensive and included highlights of past mural projects (which you can see on the website) as well as sage personal/career advice that can easily be applied to anyone's life, artist or not. CLICK HERE FOR THE PRESENTATION SLIDES HER ADVICE:
As per her own advice, "keep evolving - don't be afraid to change," she has recently taken on a new direction in her work, especially as inspired by her interest in Social Practice Art. An example of this practice in action is the collaborative mural project that she just completed in downtown Richmond. The videos below highlight the project and its intentions and outcomes. 
SAGE ADVICE GLEANED FROM THE TWO SPEAKERS*:
*Please note that these words of wisdom go far beyond the realm of art... SOMETHING TO BE CURIOUS ABOUT... What is the difference between ART and DESIGN? HELPFUL INFORMATION: Most lectures take place in the Black Box, however, Lecture #1 will be held in the Forum.
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts registrar, Karen Daly-Junker, will be discussing her career as a museum registrar, her work on the recent Munch/Johns exhibition, and her research into Nazi-era art provenance. The lecture was fascinating - what an amazing job she has. It was enlightening to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes. As visitors to a museum, we just look at the art on the walls - DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT GREAT LENGTHS IT TAKES TO INSTALL AN EXHIBIT? If you attended the lecture, now you know! If you missed the lecture, you'll need to do some research to learn about it on your own. The presentation is below (may not be viewable on a phone) but you will need to do further research to truly understand what a registrar does. She did not have time to fully discuss her work with provenance research and restitution of stolen art. That is another topic that you can look into further. It, also, is truly fascinating. To understand more about Nazi-ear art theft, watch the trailers (also posted below) for The Rape of Europa (documentary) and Monuments Men (Hollywood movie). The Hollywood film is based on the documentary and chronicles efforts of the US Army to protect art during - and find/return stolen art after - WWII. Watch the full versions if you can. Good stuff.  Mr. Havranek must have been like many of you when was in high school....he entered college as a sophomore after earning many college credits in high school. This enabled him to design his own curriculum, which included art and science. He had many minors as well - a very inquisitive mind and a person who was willing to find a career that was "perfect" for him. He explained that his field is grueling in many ways - tough deadlines and sensitive information and imagery all day long. He seems to love it and after years at the medical illustration practice that lured him from Chicago to RVA, he went in with a partner to open a new practice. His studio is just a few blocks away from us @ Grace and Lombardy! He is open to answering additional questions that you might have. If you want to get in touch with him, please let Mrs. Mosley know.
Whether you attended the lecture or not, the following links should be helpful in learning all about the field of medical illustration: |
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