Below are a collection of all my Reflections and Artist statements from the Fall semester
Embedded Files
-- Responses to Readings --
Art and Fear - September 9th 2022
The idea that talent provides the ultimate gift that does not require work is false. Often, in art, there is a commonplace idea that talent is the only thing an individual needs in order to succeed. However, Bayles and Orland suggest that talent is only the foundation. Rather, they propose that while one can have talent, they must continue to develop it, especially when it becomes difficult. And it is only when an individual continues to work, go beyond their talent, do they truly become talented. With this talent, they can be immortalized and remembered because their works live beyond them.
As Bayles and Orland say “The world is filled with people who were given great natural gifts, sometimes conspicuously flashy gifts, yet never produce anything” (27). I find this idea to be true. Many folks are born with talent, however, their circumstances may not allow for them to find and/or develop these talents. For example, someone who is gifted musically may be born into a family without access to musical instruments. And the child goes to a school where music has been cut from the curriculum. Their talent may then go to waste unless there is some other intervention.
People who just sit on their gift, do not push themselves further technically to hone their gift and natural abilities, they are stagnant and eventually fade. These artists burn out eventually. It is nearly equal to never having that gift at all if they do not work at it and continue through the struggle of developing their talents. Artistic ability is like a muscle - if you don’t use it or continue to push it to grow, then it sits and regresses. Folks who are not talented but are determined and passionate, they can outpace those with talent if the talented do not develop their gifts. It is important to nurture and challenge all artists - talented by birth or simply passionate about their discipline because it is extremely important to self-expression.
Letters to A Young Artist - September 13th 2022
Xu Bing gives advice to a young artist that I feel can be applicable to every young artist. Every young artist feels they are inadequate or imposters, wondering if they will ever make it in the art world while retaining their values. And established artist Xu Bing responds to these thoughts by saying that there is no simple, easy answer. Rather, it is very layered and nuanced. The artist has to decide what their values and goals are - whether they want to be an artist that sells a piece every day online or once a month from a gallery. Bing also responds that by this student asking the question, being worried about their future, they are not being self-sabotaging, but rather engaging in a self-aware and reflective process. Additionally, Bing discusses how there are going to be obstacles and difficulties no matter where an artist lives. But it is how much the artist works to overcome these obstacles, that is going to be part of their artistic process. Bing also reminds the young artist that they should not measure their successes against the successes of their peers because not only are everyone’s goals and values different, but that their life experiences vastly influence one’s journey as an artist. Each person has their own measuring stick that is unique to them and it is up to the artist to determine how they use it to measure against themselves as it cannot be used to measure anyone else’s successes.
Sourcing Inspiration Response - September 13th 2022
My three words are: imagination, memory, and wit. Part of my artistic process is taking things from reality and altering it or otherwise subverting it in some way. I enjoy being realistic but I find that by using memories, which are fallible and no longer crisp and influenced by imagination, to create works. I utilize my imagination and wit the most when creating works. I think these heavily connect to memories. I want my art to be an extension of myself and my thoughts. Memories are the wide umbrella that can cover a multitude of emotions and I don’t like to be tied to one emotion or another. Because I want my art to be an extension of my thoughts, I want the feelings I am experiencing to be able to flow out and into my art. Or I want individuals to experience a range of emotions when they view my works, too. Not all my works are funny but I find that my sense of humor plays a large part in my artistic works. And wit is heavily tied to imagination. For example, I may see a blob and so may someone else, but I use my wit and imagination to turn it into a scene influenced by my memories or thoughts. I think these three words: imagination, memory, and wit will always be part of my artistic process and I will continue to investigate what these words mean to me and how I relate to them when creating.
Field Trip Reflections
Worcester art Trip - September 30th 2022
Robin Reynolds’s “Garden Immersion” is an abstract painting but is a sculptural painting with audio recordings of birds chirping. In “Garden Immersion,” while it is an abstract painting with gestural marks, I am still able to get a sense of what I am looking at - a garden. It is incredibly immersive as the sound pulls you into the piece with its abstract but bright colors and audio sound. I felt like I was transported to Reynolds’s garden where she created these pieces. The piece includes 12 canvases with varying sizes that are also laid on top of each other. Additionally, Reynolds painted these pieces over the course of a few days, so there is a visual change within and between the pieces in the garden that the viewer can pick up on. It shows us the passage of time and allows us to witness the change Reynolds saw in the garden as she captured it. While all of the canvases have their own story to tell, together, they allow the viewer to become further immersed in the garden. Reynolds uses scale differentiation where the viewer is unsure of where they are positioned in the garden, but this heightens the feeling of being immersed in the piece. The audio pairing also heightens this feeling of being in the garden, too.
Yale Art trip - November 9th 2022
“The Beautiful Ones” Series #1C by Njideka Akunyili Crosby is created with acrylic, photographic transfers, and colored pencil on paper. It was really breathtaking to see in person after watching the interview process with the artist. Seeing it digitally or via a video does not do the piece justice as you don’t get the understanding that it is on such a fragile medium - paper. You have to see the piece in person to grasp the magnitude and delicacy of the piece. Crosby uses photos from her personal collection along with historical photos that create a textural pattern and layers of the dress and the background, which also then create a visual history that viewers can read and examine. I was interested in how she painted the figures where they were inserted into the photo. The way she was able to manipulate photo transfer and use acrylic for her subjects to make the piece look utterly cohesive and seamless really captured me. The color palette, light blues contrasting with oranges and browns, Crosby uses is also interesting as it allows for the central figure to pop out against the personal and historical photos that tell a narrative. Together, the colors also add to the larger narrative of the story Crosby is trying to tell. As one stares at the piece, you can see Crosby reused photos but changed the orientation or otherwise manipulated to fit into the figure’s dress or the change in plane. Together, the colors and the photos, show the narrative of the emergence from girlhood to womanhood as a Black woman. This piece is very personal as the girl depicted in the dress is Crosby’s younger sister and Crosby created this piece to reflect on her culture. However, there are still elements that everyone can connect with - like emerging into adulthood
Artist Talk - September 21st
Colleen Fitzgerald and Matthew Gamber
Both Colleen Fitzgerald and Matthew Gamber are resident professors and artists at the College of the Holy Cross. Colleen began her artist career as a drawer and painter but then moved into photography her sophomore year of college. Much of her photography is film-based because she grew up with those materials being most accessible to her. From there, she got into gestural marks. Her works have developed since then where she manipulates her works, like manipulating the film. She works with one element of the non-controllable that then leads her curiosity. For example, she created her own camera that allows her to fold her film. Colleen likes to gestural marks and distort the film. For me, I really relate to Colleen and her work with gestural marks and how they compliment the piece as a whole. Colleen’s work is captivating to me and how it is outside the flat element that we typically see film in - that it is almost sculptural where she takes 2D images and creates small sculptural figures from the film.
Matthew Gamber’s creations are more immersive, especially inspired and derived from the transcendental movement. Since he is from New England, he is connected to the idea of observing nature in new and unique ways. One of his pieces created a 3D effect of a closeup of nature from Walden Pond where it was transferred onto a large wall decal. The wallpaper effect covered a corner and the entire piece was created so that folks could wear 3D glasses and become immersed in the giant scene. The piece was taken at Walden Pond but it was an extreme close-up of the branches of a tree. But because of the process to create the 3D effect, it distorts certain things, like the insect on the tree. It makes the viewer really examine the piece and think about the nature that surrounds them. By doing this, he was further connecting to the transcendental movement.
Final Faculty Talk - October 19
Susan Schmidt, Susan Elizabeth Sweeney, Susan Roney-O’Brien
Susan Roney-O’Brien is a Worcester, MA based poet and Susan Schmidt is a professor at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA who specializes in printmaking and book illustrations. Professor Susan Elizabeth “Beth” Sweeney is also a professor at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA who is interested in detective writing. Together, the women discussed the importance of collaboration and especially between mediums. They made a handmade book where Susan Roney-O’Brien contributed a poem, Susan Schmidt was in charge of organizing the book and the printmaking process. The book is multidimensional with 10 different artists and their works along with 10 different poems. How one opens the book changes what image and poem are paired together. Therefore, there are multiple ways the book can be read and the tone changes with each pairing. The images are more abstract and figurative so that they have the ability to be paired with different poems.
Professor Schmidt said that the best part of the project was being able to meet and collaborate with multiple artists. The four poems by Susan Roney-O’Brien were: “Old movie” for her son, one for her daughter about a red coat, one about dismantling a baby grand piano from a friend of hers, and “Edge of the ocean” was written as a wedding gift for both parties’ second marriage. All of the poems had deep connections with Susan Roney O’Brien and the art in the book strengthens the poems even more than she anticipated. Susan Roney-O’Brien said writing as an art form is similar to that of writing where writers contemplate single words like whether it should be “and” or “but” like an artist contemplates placing a single line.
Beth Sweeney talked about the collaboration between artists and teaching drives her inspiration. Beth emphasized the importance of cross-collaboration between medias and mediums. This is something that resonates with me as I also enjoy mixing media and mediums and drawing inspiration from others and their works, like adding to them or otherwise collaborating with them to create a cohesive story or narrative.
October 26 - Justine Hill , “The Traveler” in the Cantor Art Gallery
Justine Hill’s background is in abstract painting and art. Hill is an alumni of the College of the Holy Cross and focuses on her creations and how they move on a spectrum. Hill talked about her portfolio and the specific piece “The Traveler” in the Cantor Art Gallery. Because Hill came from a traditional abstract painter, she was around the square canvas. However, she moved in the direction where she is now creating abstract hanging wall structures. Hill draws some inspiration from sci-fi and fantasy books, especially ones revolving around the space race, as well as worlds that are constructed. One artist she draws inspiration from that has a similar theme is Lee Bontecou with his space-race inspired pieces. Her painting interests include patterns and different modes of painting. For her piece in the Cantor Art Gallery, Hill went through a long sketching process where she wanted the piece to walk about the idea of moving landscape. She also did multiple digital mock-ups, which she finds very important for planning as it helps plan for the scale of the piece where she can figure out how to divide and reconfigure the piece, too. For “The Traveler” she painted directly on the panels. The collage effect of layering is another aspect to the piece that Hill worked carefully to plan.For me, Hill using different paint mediums and applications of paint, resonated with me as that is something I am also doing in the seminar. I am enjoying exploring and playing with new paint mediums and applying them on different mediums, too.
--ARTIST STATEMENT WRITINGS--
MATRIX MAP
MATRIX MAP
5 Word Focus list:
“The world is filled with people who were given great natural gifts, sometimes conspicuously flashy gifts, yet never produce anything”
imagination, memory, and wit
Space
reminiscent of childhood
figure
Mark making
character
Pattern
Artist Statement Rough Draft:
Teaken Haggerty
Artist Statement Fall 2022
My work stands as an amalgamation of my mind and my life. Thus, the aspects of my work that show through both technically and physically reflect me personally. My mind is chaotic and constantly racing between thoughts. Yet, at the same time my mind is able to closely focus on things I am drawn to and interested in. In turn, this translates into my work with my use of meticulous lines and patterns as well as precise layouts. Through repetitive and cathartic mark making, I create non-repetitive patterns: a sense of organized chaos, which is representative of my mind.
I gravitate towards including recognizable everyday objects and animals in my work, for my own satisfaction as well as the connection my audience also has with being able to see the identifiable. I was raised around bands such as the Grateful Dead and other bands that have cultivated a culture of art and psychedelic imagination: skeletons, bright colors, pop culture references. This subculture is prevalent in the symbols and subjects that continue to come up in my work, whether I am purposeful in these connections or not.
My range in materials varies from pen and ink, watercolor, as well acrylics and digital painting and drawing. One reason why I utilize pen and ink and watercolors is because I enjoy playing with the controllable and uncontrollable. The juxtaposition between highly conscientious marks and patterns with ink, which are rigid, contrasting and playing with the highly uncontrollable element of watercolor. My art uses an oriented plane to give a viewer a controlled experience and insight into my uncontrolled and chaotic thoughts and mind.
I am very processed-focused, emphasizing the evolution and interplay between mediums, not necessarily as concerned with the final product. Deriving inspiration from the pop art and post-graffiti movements, I invert the artistic process: initial creation before creating substance and meaning. Since I am processed-focused, I also experiment with mediums - moving from familiar mediums like acrylic and pen and ink to experimenting with other mediums and the applications thereof.
However, the materials vary depending on what I think the piece calls for and what I think is best going to render the idea already existing in my head. This also connects with my constantly racing thoughts that notice subtle nuances in the world around me that neurotypical folks do not pick up on: noticing small details in the natural and material world and seeing the patterns within. My brain decontextualizes objects and patterns from multiple perspectives where I then decide on what elements I want to incorporate into my next piece. Viewers may gain insight into patterns that are nested into the world around us that they might otherwise overlook. My art forces viewers to pay attention to the small details and nuances that my brain deems equally as noticeable.
-Mid Term Critique Reflection-
From this experience, I learned to better put into words my process: gestural mark making, like a personal Rorschach test. I inverse the artistic process where I make meaning from what I first create. I am very process focused and enjoy playing with and across mediums.
I used a variety of mediums, like house paint, acrylic paint, watercolor, pen and ink, and even digital art. I also explored the layers of paint: like putting watercolor on first and then applying water or adding water first before adding watercolor. I played with the drying and layering processes of multiple mediums and techniques. Additionally, I did 12 obstructions where I played with paint and the layering of paint. These pieces are more abstract and highlight the brush strokes I used, a dry brush stroke over my original 12 lines.
From the review, the comment that has most stayed with me is what comes out strong in my work that I should continue to incorporate: strong details in my pen and line work. For me, pen and line work is something I enjoy and I relish the challenge of it. Also, I want to continue strengthening my composition process, like how I experiment with layers and also the scale of my pieces. Playing with size, whether having a physically larger scaled piece or doing different perspectives of subjects micro or macro was also suggested and something I want to challenge myself to potentially try. Another valuable insight I gained from the critique was the suggestion of other artists to gather inspiration from - like Tony Fitzpatrick and Sam Cox. In my future pieces, I want to ensure my humor is present but possibly playing with absurdity. For example, playing with juxtaposing subjects.
In my final project, I think I want to incorporate natural subjects and manmade subjects in a way that emphasizes the absurd. Additionally, I want to continue to play with new mediums and applications in different ways. In the critique, I was recommended to look at graffiti and post-graffiti artists. When I researched the recommended artists, I found many of them used spray paint in some or most of their creations. Therefore, I also want to explore using this medium and see how it plays with and influences how the changing of the application of paint will further influence my creation process.
Final Artist Statement
Teaken Haggerty
Artist Statement Fall 2022
My work is very processed-focused, emphasizing the evolution and interplay between mediums. Drawing inspiration from the pop art and post-graffiti movements, I invert the artistic process: initial creation before creating substance and meaning. Part of this process derives from my education as a psychology major where my creations are my own personal Rorschach (inkblot) test. However, the viewer is seeing the final product, thus, it is not meant to be a Rorschach test for them. Rather, it is an exercise for myself. But, viewers can examine the piece in whatever meaningful way their brain chooses to, just as my brain creates meaning from the “blots” that inspire and constitute my finished piece.
I gravitate towards including recognizable everyday objects and animals in my work, for my own satisfaction as well as the connection my audience also has with being able to see the identifiable. My range in materials varies from pen and ink, watercolor, as well acrylics and digital painting and drawing. One reason why I utilize pen and ink and watercolors is because I enjoy playing with the controllable and uncontrollable. The juxtaposition between highly conscientious marks and patterns with ink, which are rigid, contrasting and playing with the highly uncontrollable element of watercolor. My art uses an oriented plane to give a viewer a controlled experience and insight into my uncontrolled and chaotic thoughts and mind.
I was raised around bands such as the Grateful Dead and other bands that have cultivated a culture of art and psychedelic imagination: skeletons, bright colors that are tye-dye reminiscent, and pop culture references. This subculture is prevalent in the symbols, subjects, and color palette that continue to come up in my work as I let the image’s use of materials and spontaneous experimentation guide my final creations.
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