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Teaching
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Visual literacy is an integral part of a liberal arts education. I teach students to express ideas in the form of images and objects. Often, the questions that drive this studio practice come from different academic disciplines and other areas of their lives. Exploring fundamental human experiences becomes paramount as universities serve an increasingly diverse student body. Making, looking at, and talking about art are powerful ways of examining the narratives that structure our understanding of the world. My classes are part workshop and part seminar. I focus on connections; how is one thing like, or unlike, another? For example, I use readings and slide lectures to explain how processes like movable type and lithography were highly innovative in their day. Examining the impact of the traditional when it was new redefines technology as a continuum of interdependent events. To connect the past to the present and situate themselves along this continuum, students must question the role of art in society, and the relationship between maker and tool. They must consider their audience and whether the medium of delivery can influence the content of the message. Critical dialogue is a key component of the studio experience. Discussing each other's work helps students examine their differences. In-progress critiques focus on the gathering and development of ideas, while final critiques assess the results of those efforts. My students work in both small and large groups to review each other's projects. Sometimes I guide discussion with assigned readings or critique questions, or by acting as a moderator. I ask lots of questions when I talk to students about their work, and I stress that they should learn to ask these questions of themselves. Able to separate self from work, students are free to take risks, to learn from failure as well as from success. Technical proficiency allows artists to translate ideas into the world of the real. I like to teach techniques by working alongside students. As we get our hands dirty together, I demonstrate that problem solving is both a practical and an intellectual exercise. Students learn patience through practice, gaining the confidence to fully explore their inspirations. Often, students know more than they realize, so I make analogies to daily activities such as music, sports, cooking, and tinkering. I enjoy the challenge of using of simple, direct language to explain complicated ideas and processes. I structure classes so that students must spend time on their own in the studio, testing their knowledge. The culture of remix is alive and well in the print studio. The collaborative, social nature of the shop offers many unique opportunities, and I encourage an interdisciplinary approach. I also encourage students to place themselves within the context of contemporary art practice by researching the work of contemporary artists, many of whom use printmaking as a way to incorporate appropriated elements into a cohesive unit, or address social issues by simulating actual events or objects. Artists today face a barrage of options, so synthesis is a key skill; students must make choices that best solve their problem, realize their vision, or make a statement about their world. I see the results of my teaching in the work of my students, who develop their own unique voices. Whether they go on to become professional artists or follow another career path, succeeding at studio practice teaches them a way of approaching problems they can apply to almost anything
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