A Little Too Abrasive? No, Never.

I'm a little hard on my alma mater, it's true. When I arrived at Cornish , I saw how sated my classmates seemed in comparison to how thirsty we were at Pratt Institute. At the time, it made me sad. I'm well aware of my brash generalisation. Maybe I'll be proven wrong and I'll find the student body has developed a newfound love of contextual art history. (I would love that)

I know I'm not the only one who wants to challenge artists to take in a broader scope. Jen Graves recently discussed in The Vancouver Problem how one of the defining characteristics she sees in Vancouver artists is their connection to other times. She says:

But the success of today's developing Vancouver artists is not their links to those guys (past artists). It's that they are connected in all directions—to other times as well as other places.

She's making a larger controversial claim to be sure, but is it possible there's a grain of truth in there somewhere?

And why am I so obsessively focussed on this?

Because the past informs our decisions. It helps us push further, get deeper, get past the history behind what we've made. Art students seem to view this as a hindrance, a roadblock (don't tell me what to do). But restrictions function to give us room for a louder voice. Learn the rules, yes a cliché, and then break them wide open.

Lastly, it's also about a dialogue. Artists talking to you, artists talking to themselves. Those I admire talk about their art in a way which opens the door to inquiry -- isn't an art practise about questions? Mine certainly is! And when you ask me a question about the piece on which I spent so many tedious hours, I want to be able to talk to you about it. I want to be able to answer your questions -- chances are you're going to have them. And there's nothing less satisfying than "I don't know" for either of us.

This isn't about academia or elitism. You don't need a degree to dig into the theory. You just need to be hungry.

So yes I want great things from Cornish and her graduates. Seattle needs Cornish. Seattle needs them. I hope they love their classes as much as I did and exhaust their resources. I hope they don't slip into obscurity. I hope they come bursting straight out of the gate and cause a ruckus. I hope they can learn to have a great discussion on escaping the burden of history, and that they know how incredibly important it is that we do.

Special Collections from the Sorted Books projectC-prints, each 12.5 x 19 inches, 1996