Kenneth Noland, Sounds in the Summer Night (1962)

Weekly Flipboard Links and Media Round Up

July 16, 2017

Finding myself back home in the middle of summer after a wonderful field school adventure to Paris and Documenta, I am finishing up one last summer class and then setting out for the year ahead on sabbatical. In many ways, I am tremendously excited, and in other ways I am quite anxious. Being a creature of habit and routine, I have wondered how I will fill the days and weeks that are carefully plotted around the university semester. Will I waste time? Can I find the external motivation to complete the projects I have planned out for the year? Will I miss the classroom? It reminds me very much of the feelings I had in the final years of my Ph.D. when I worked more or less in isolation, with only myself to rely on for a schedule and the ability to meet distant deadlines. I am easing into the idea of it all, and trusting that the constancy of this blog will be a way to keep connected to the world outside my research and projects. In the meantime, I am planning to enjoy the rest of my summer and pick up with the weekly round up now that the field school bloggers have all had a turn in the spotlight. Grab a cool summer drink and enjoy the links!

"The Art World Needs a Jolt. The Electricity Is Coming From Some Surprising Places."

vulture.com

"Fixing the Met: Art Lovers Speak"

nytimes.com

"How San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art Used Text Messages to Make Art Go Viral"

artnet.com

"Translating Computer Algorithms into Tangible Fabrics"

hyperallergic.com

"Why Robert Rauschenberg Erased a de Kooning"

artsy.net

"The Culture Gabfest “Summer Strut 2017” Edition (PODCAST)"

slate.com

"Liu Xiaobo: The Man Who Stayed"

nybooks.com

"Power Trip: Drugs and the Pharmacology of Control"

artforum.com

"Stan Douglas: Channeling Miles Davis | Art21 "Extended Play" (VIDEO)"

art21.com

"Chris Burden: Ode to Santos-Dumont / Art Basel 2017 Unlimited (VIDEO)"

vernissage.com

Dorothy enjoying the sights and sounds of a sunset bike tour of Paris.

Location| Paris & Kassel: Meet Field School Co-Organizer Dorothy Barenscott

July 13, 2017

Tell us a little about yourself—your teaching areas and interests and/or your background and how you became connected to the Paris /Documenta field school?

Bonjour and Guten Tag! My name is Dorothy Barenscott and I am the co-organizer along with Elizabeth Barnes of the 2017 Field School to Paris, France and Kassel, Germany. I am an art historian and researcher with a Ph.D. and specialization in the field of modern and contemporary art, and I am proud to say that this is the third field school that I have helped organize and run through Kwantlen Polytechnic University for the Fine Arts Department (past trips include a fantastic visit to New York and Venice in 2015, and my first field school to Paris and Kassel in 2012, both with artist/studio Instructor Nancy Duff, now retired).

My interests and research in the fields of urban studies, the artistic avant-garde, theories of modernism, and the expanding field of new media studies, together with the history of art exhibitions and the art market, have informed the cities and sights of interest chosen for the field schools, but I would say that the primary goal of this type of teaching and learning environment is to bring students and artists into closer physical and intellectual proximity to the living objects and dynamic histories that the world’s great art cities have to offer. As a lifelong traveler, both as an adult and graduate student studying in the world’s archives and museums-- but also as a child traveling between Canada and Eastern Europe to visit family and navigate the complexities of very different cultures-- I have long believed that world travel fosters a kind of active and pragmatic critical thinking, compassion, and tolerance that is unique and distinctive from other kinds of social engagement. My blog (and the field school blogs assembled here) serve as extensions of this broader interest in “travel” to reach beyond the classroom and enter into dialogue across wider distances and dimensions.

Dorothy, captured here, inside Jean Dubuffet's Le Jardin d'hiver (1968-70) immersive installation at the Pompidou in Paris.

Group photo with the field school students on the night of the memorable bike tour (Dorothy pictured seventh from the left).

How did you approach the task of teaching and working with students inside and outside the classroom for the field school?

Since I have learned a great deal from past iterations of the field school, I have had the benefit of fine-tuning both the pre-trip activities and on the ground itinerary for the art history course that makes up one of the two core courses for the field school. From my experience, one of the best ways to get students to engage with the art of the past is to assign them individual and relevant artists and art works that they can study ahead of the trip. Since my course’s focus was on the nineteenth century renovation of Paris and the modern art movements that emerged in conversation with these urban transformations (i.e. Impressionism and Post-Impressionism), Elizabeth and I sat down early in the planning phase of the field school and carefully chose and assigned artists and works from the Orsay Museum collection that we anticipated would resonate with individual students enrolled in both of our classes. We did this partially based on our knowledge of the students’ interests, but also as part of our desire to push and challenge the group, as individual members and collectively, in new ways. Reading, research, and careful consideration of historical context therefore made up the condensed three-week lecture and seminar portions of our pre-trip classes.

Once on the ground in Paris, and later in Kassel, we asked students to keep a daily travel journal of their encounters with the city and the art works they had studied, prompting them to reflect (through daily questions and mini assignments) on the unfolding and deepening knowledge they were gaining about their assigned artist and artwork. For students who were enrolled in both the art history and studio courses, this engagement also translated to their art practice and the daily art assignments that Elizabeth devised in coordination with my art history questions to keep our students creatively engaged for the duration of the trip. One of the bonuses of then traveling to Kassel to see Documenta was the challenge we posed to our students to connect their nineteenth century artist to some of the many contemporary artists featured at the important global art exhibition. Many people do not realize how radical and difficult much of the art of the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists was to the audiences of the their time, and it was therefore an important goal of this field school to have students critically engage with cutting edge contemporary art—an often difficult task—through their own appreciation and knowledge of past cutting-edge art movements.

Capturing 180 degrees of Monet at the L'Orangerie Gallery in Paris.

Looking up to see Chagall at the Paris Garnier Opera House.

Traveling out to Giverny to see and experience Monet's gardens.

Graffiti and street art hunting in Kassel-- here with Graham, who made it onto both ends of the panorama shot!

What was unique or memorable about experiencing Paris and Kassel with a group of students already interested in and/or practicing art making?

So much! To be honest, part of me worried that experiencing Paris and Kassel for a second time, albeit with a new group of students, would somehow lessen the exhilaration I experienced on the first trip in 2012. But nothing could be further from the truth. My number one thrill—watching students encounter and become captivated by compelling works of art or artists that they have long loved—was something I got to experience many times on this trip, and that feeling never gets old. Other moments, like walking with students through the grand halls of the Louvre and the Orsay, hunting with them on the streets of Paris for the perfect café experience, bike-riding at sunset, dashing for the Metro in laughter, discovering new local restaurants or street art, or stumbling upon some fantastic new artwork in an unexplored part of Documenta—the many many special moments that made up this trip were experienced in entirely new ways for me. This was perhaps one of the biggest revelations of the trip. Each field school is very unique, and it is the individual students—their distinct personalities, interests, quirks, and backgrounds— that bring the energy and special character that inform the final “feel” and long-term memory of the adventure.

Dorothy photographing the Champs-Élysées after touring the Arc de Triomphe.

Which of the activities during the trip stand out to you? Any special highlights or memorable moments for you?

I can say that one of the most memorable aspects of this trip, something I had never done in the past, was that I kept an art journal and did daily sketching and drawing along with the art students. I also took many photographs and enjoyed the process of selecting, editing, and filtering images for the field school Instagram hashtag #kpuparis. Exercising another outlet for creativity besides my writing and research was a revelation, and I was grateful to be encouraged in my efforts by Elizabeth and many of the other students. I believe I am becoming a better art historian as I experiment with art making, and the more time I spend working with and teaching studio artists, the more I appreciate their mind-set and unique perspective on art history. I also made a quick exit from the field school on our final day in Paris to present a conference paper (based on the collection Canadian Culinary Imaginations I am co-editing with Dr. Shelley Boyd) at a Canada 150 themed international conference hosted by Paris Diderot University. This momentary pause to put on my researcher hat and represent KPU was somewhat surreal as it brought two very different parts of my job into sharp relief.

Looking back at this group and this particular field school, I have a big smile on my face as I can think of many great moments that I shared with each individual, but some of the special highlights that come first to mind include: taking a trip up to Giverny with Ashley to see Monet’s Gardens (where I think we both had one of our best meals of the trip); laughing so hard my sides hurt and tears were streaming from my face at our group dinner; wandering into the majestic Pantheon with Cameron, Kate, and Elizabeth on an impromptu visit; hunting for Yves Klein paintings with Kenneth at the Pompidou; finally experiencing the whole “Supreme” phenomenon in the Marais with Lukas; dreaming up new business ventures to pitch on Shark Tank over beers with Graham; seeing (and somehow photographing!) Celine Dion and Olivier Rousteing at the ballet I attended with Elizabeth; and finding many quiet moments alone to sit back and reflect on how fortunate I am to be on this adventure of a lifetime yet again.

To see more photos and impressions of Paris and Kassel as the field school continues, check out our Instagram feed #kpuparis

Elizabeth performing her best Mary Cassatt In the Loge on opening night of a series of contemporary ballet performances at the Garnier Opera House.

Location| Paris & Kassel: Meet Field School Co-Organizer Elizabeth Barnes

July 08, 2017

Tell us a little about yourself—your teaching areas and interests and/or your background and how you became connected to the Paris /Documenta field school?

My name is Elizabeth Barnes and I attended the Paris / Documenta Field School as one of two faculty members. At Kwantlen Polytechnic University, I teach drawing, painting, and advanced studio courses in the Fine Arts Department. When Dorothy Barenscott approached me to teach in the field school, I agreed to do so immediately. I had never been to Paris or Documenta, so this was a very exciting proposition.

My personal studio practice is based mostly in painting, although I also work in digital media. I am particularly interested in the intersection between art and technology from both a current and historical perspective. The structure of the field school, beginning with historical work at the Louvre and ending with Documenta, where we experienced some of the most challenging contemporary art being made today, allowed me to consider the depth of my own practice with renewed focus.

Elizabeth examining and discussing a Monet panel with field school student Kenneth.

Elizabeth (first on left in second row) with the field school students, examining the iconic Olympia (1863) by Edouard Manet at the Orsay Museum.

How did you approach the task of teaching and working with students inside and outside the classroom for the field school?

The studio aspect of the field school began with three weeks in our Surrey studio, where students completed two projects informed by the Impressionist artist they were assigned to research. I worked with the students by sharing examples of contemporary artists whose work touched on ideas relevant to the Impressionist work they were studying. For the second project I also assigned a quote from a contemporary source for students to consider and to help students to expand their ideas. During our travels in Europe I was encouraged by the fact that quite a few students came to me relating thoughts from their studio work with what they were seeing. Students sketched daily, and their sketchbooks showed that their ideas continued to evolve.

What was unique or memorable about experiencing Paris and Kassel with a group of students already interested in and/or practicing art making?

Travelling with a group meant that we all became much better acquainted and more open to sharing our thoughts. Having an historical knowledge of the renovation of Paris in the 19th century and understanding its transition, affected the way in which we looked at the architecture, as well as life in the streets. Watching students become excited over seeing the actual art they had studied was equally as exciting as seeing the work myself for the first time. It became clear that this trip would change students understanding of art and the way they make it. I look forward to seeing what they produce over the next school year.

Elizabeth was delighted to see the work of Stan Whitney, her former teacher and mentor, at Documenta in Kassel, Germany.

Elizabeth was especially struck by the work of Ross Lovegrove, a designer she encountered at the Pompidou in Paris, working in some of the same forms she has used in her art practice.

Which of the activities during the trip stand out to you? Any special highlights or memorable moments for you?

There were many highlights on the trip, and each museum seemed to increase the excitement, but I think that the trip to the Pompidou was a high point. It was here that the transition from modern to contemporary became clear. It was also here where I witnessed students barely able to contain their excitement upon seeing a familiar piece of art close up and live for the first time. I remember this excitement for myself, and know that this will now be an important part of life for each of these students, one that will enrich and inform who they are and who they become.

To see more photos and impressions of Paris and Kassel as the field school continues, check out our Instagram feed #kpuparis

Meet Kate, posing here in a fantastic selfie at the majestic Versailles Palace.

Location| Kassel: Meet Field School Blogger Kate Akshentseva

July 04, 2017

Tell us a little bit about yourself—your background, major program of study, reasons for taking this trip, and anything else interesting you want to share (maybe something people might not know about you).

Hello, my name is Kate, and I am a Kwantlen Polytechnic University student majoring in Psychology and Fine Arts; actually you can say that in a few days I will be a KPU graduate. My post secondary journey began with studies of developmental psychology and explorations of the mechanics of the human mind. Two years into my education I was confident enough to re explore the passion of my life, and took a painting class as a test. It turned out that years of transcultural assimilation and geographical transitions are not as omnipotent as they ought to be in terms of causing identity crises. Together with the artistic freedom I regained self-sufficiency in expression and perceptivity.

Just like that, before I had the chance to reconsider - my days were accompanied by solvent smells, paint stains, and sudden impulses to sketch, and the nights saturated with coffee and APA Journal terminology. It turns out that one cannot simply walk away from art, especially considering that the world around is practically overflowing with it. And so, having gained enough practical experience in the studio and theory in class, it is finally the time to see how it all ties in together on a larger scale. Here I am, roaming the streets of Europe, bathing in the glory of the civilizational accomplishments and soaking in the history.

Group photograph at the Orsay in front of one of the most important works of modern art-- Edouard Manet's Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe (1863). Kate second from far left.

What has met or exceeded your expectations or surprised you about Kassel?

Arriving at the city of Kassel was a refreshingly different experience; if the residency in Paris was accompanied by some knowledge of the language and expectations, Kassel was a clean slate. Doing some research ahead of time would have been a good idea, but I am not complaining, because figuring out the significance behind the city’s history on my own (by simply basing my guesses on the monuments and landmarks) was a true revelation. It turns out that the city of Kassel is famous as the place where brothers Wilhelm and Jakob Grimm created most of their world famous fairy tales. It is an old town with a modern façade, so different from Paris that came off as a proud juxtaposition of the classical and the modern. When I asked the locals about the reason behind this, and I was lucky enough to encounter a history enthusiast, I was told that Kassel was badly damaged and almost completely destroyed after the Second World War, and that the modernity comes from the renovation of 1945. The heart of the city has wide shopping streets and colourful buildings, surrounded by scenic landscapes of green parks and gardens. The first glimpse of Germany has exceeded my expectations - I got the opportunity to enjoy the picturesque nature, get acquainted with unique works of art, and of course witness the Documenta.

Kate was assigned Edgar Degas's Portraits at the Stock Exchange (1878 – 1879) from the Orsay collection.

Unable to see her original Degas in person, Kate was pleased to see this work, The Bellelli Family (1858-1867), a painting that was discussed in the resource materials she studied when preparing her studio projects.

Give us some insight into your assigned artwork from the Orsay Musuem. After seeing the work in person in Paris (and any other related art from the same artist or art movement associated with the assigned work), what struck you most about it and/or how did the artwork’s form, content, and context shift for you when seeing it.

I was assigned Edgar Degas’s Portraits at the Stock Exchange (1878 – 1879), a 100 by 82 cm. oil painting on canvas; depicting a portrait of the banker Ernest May (as the title suggests) at the stock exchange. By choosing to depict a chaotic composition, and filling it with agitated faceless figures, the artist depicts a setting and the relevant mood that are so representative of the time. And just like Degas does in many of his other works, here the artist includes himself into the painting through the mood; knowing the money world well, he comments on the shady nature of the money exchange business.

The painting, however, was not at the Musée D’Orsay on both days of my visit. Nobody seemed to know where it was, which was quite upsetting, especially after seeing all of the other works that were discussed in class and how they make an impact on first hand experience.

The piece that impressed me the most was Degas’s The Bellelli Family (1858-1867), oil on 200 by 250 cm. canvas. This painting was discussed in the assigned reading accompanying my painting, and taken apart on a very methodical level; therefore, witnessing it in person was an overwhelming experience. All of the mentioned elements were presented as detail images, which of course does not compare in any way with the opportunity to come up-close and examine them. The scale, richness of the colour, and the presence of the original images (in the same room) that were copied into the painting, all of these factors changed my reading of the painting completely. It was like getting to know a person through a photograph and then finally meeting then in person and getting the full range of the individual’s character.

Kate completed this painting titled Trend Whispers as her final studio project in dialogue with her assigned Degas painting.

How did you approach the creative task of responding to this assigned work in studio? What were your challenges as an artist to be in dialogue with the artwork and artist? Would you do anything differently now that you have seen the work in person?

As a response to my assigned work I created a piece exploring the idea of stock exchange in the context of the twenty-first century. Interviewing professionals in the area, I gathered mental images and ideas of what the market looks like in the minds of data analysts. Then, using magazine cutouts and other clippings assembled in a brainstorming sketch, I generated a vision for the final piece in terms of content and compositional layout. Combination of these research methods resulted in a 3’ by 4’ painting on canvas utilizing acrylic paint and watercolour pencils.

Titled Trend Whispers, the painting explores the meaning behind symbolism used to describe the stock market and comments on the anonymous quality of the exchange processes. Washed quality of the background and sketched finish of the figures depicted, comments of the fact that stock trading is a shady business that may be done by anyone from anywhere. Symbolism behind the use of bull and bear to describe markets comes from the way the animals attacks their opponents; the bull thrusts its hurts upwards, while the bear grounds its paws into the ground - a metaphor for how the market is behaving. Incorporating features of these animals in the painting was meant to involve the audience and raise a question of how these figures are related to the market context. Figures bearing the animal features are meant to hint at the attributes of the two types of markets, and help to piece the picture as a whole. The concept of the male gaze is inverted in that it is depicted in the image and not used as a perspective point - the viewer is confronted with the figure’s (on the left) stare, bearing the connotation of the “Big Brother watching you” in the context of stock exchange; the “Big Brother” representing the influential sources behind the economic downs and falls.

I found being in dialogue with an artwork is like having a two training wheels attached to your bicycle – it is a good starting point and at a certain stage you can just take them off and roll on your own. The assigned painting pushed me to explore a subject that I would not have chosen otherwise. Research and experimentations were the two factors that made it happen. The main challenge was reworking my process and stopping myself from obsessing about the finished quality. If I were to change anything, it would be to allow just a little bit more realism and finish in certain parts of the painting. Overall, choosing a topic and technique that is not of my character and analyzing it in the context of the present moment is definitely something that should be done every once in a while, if not for technical advancement, then at least for the sake of inspiration.

Today’s activity was located at the Documenta 14. What were your impressions? What will you take away of the experiences of this day? What are the most memorable moments for you?

Today’s activity took place at the Documenta 14 exhibition in the beautiful city of Kassel. I must admit that this event is a challenge to me on many levels, however, I was taken by surprise by how engaging and flowing the experience of art viewing turned out to be. Spread out though the whole city, the exhibit makes you walk, makes you see, hear and smell in order to make a sense of the happening. Unlike in other exhibits, the viewers are not locked into one building and forced to examine art within the artificial environment, ripped out of context; here the city itself is included in the dialogue, the history plays a role as well.

Touching on many topics, mediums and scales, this exhibition redefines art. It has an attitude; it is multifaceted, controversial, yet, settle at times, and even (I will not be afraid to say) beautiful. This was an overwhelming day. If Musée du Louvre has overthrown me by its history and technicality, Documenta was a conceptual feast. In the walls of the exhibit I heard a whisper saying that ignorance is bliss. I disagree. The Documenta is a treasury of contemporary art, a library of the modern issues, a fountain of inspiration.

To see more photos and impressions of Paris and Kassel as the field school continues, check out our Instagram feed #kpuparis

Stephane posing in downtown Kassel, the site of Documenta 14.

Location| Kassel: Meet Field School Blogger Stephane Dufault

July 03, 2017

My name is Stephane Dufault, and I am a third year Fine Arts student moving on to fourth-year this fall. My area of study has mainly been drawing and painting, but I would like to challenge myself further by using creative nods and references found from my previous art history classes. I will be graduating in spring of 2018, and as I continue on into my fourth year program, I believe that my art requires creative aspects from art history to further push my creative thinking and ideas. As I have partaken in this trip, it felt to me as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to study abroad with fellow students like myself, and travel and see up close artwork I have studied in my previous classes and to see them with my own eyes. The level of authenticity in viewing artwork with your own eyes and not from a computer screen makes the journey worthwhile and helps expand creative thought processing and idea building.

Back in Paris at the Louvre Museum, Stephane (at far left) poses with field school students in front of Gericault's Raft of the Medusa (1818-19).

Stephane enjoying the local beverage of choice at Documenta!

What has met or exceeded your expectations or surprised you about Kassel so far?

With Kassel, the city streets feel more open and vibrant to travel through. Unlike Paris, the streets are not stretched thin or narrow and are not crowded with cars wanting to get from place to place. Kassel feels more open and allows its citizens to take up as much space as they like and not be overwhelmed by its large and expansive streets. Walking towards the city from the hotel, the first glimpse of Kassel feels open and inviting. There are no restrictions in terms of travel and it feels encouraging to be able to cover ground on the streets of Kassel to explore new and unfamiliar areas of the city. As my expectations continue to grow traveling through the city, I am still looking forward to exploring uncharted areas of the city and to be able to discover areas and shops I did not notice my first time around.

Stephane was assigned Georgs Seurat's The Circus (1891) from the Orsay Museum.

Seeing his assigned image up close, Stephane was surprised by his reaction to Seurat's painting.

For my assigned artwork, I was assigned Georges Seurat’s 1891 painting The Circus. Made in a Neo-impressionistic style with oil paints on canvas, it was the last piece Seurat made before his death in 1891. The painting was created using bright vivid tones and painted in a pointillistic form. The painting, however, remains unfinished, as Seurat was never able to finish the painting after his death.

After seeing this piece in the Orsay Museum, I felt quite underwhelmed. Seeing the painting for the first time, the painting did not feel like it belonged in comparison to the other pointillistic pieces in the room in which The Circus sits. Looking at the painting through the screen seemed to be more enlightening than looking at the painting in real life. Even if the digital representation distorts or adjusts the color of the image, the painting seemed far more vivid and bright through its tones just by viewing it from a specific source. Seeing it in person, however, felt more of a bland and unfinished experience that feels as if something appears empty when gazing upon the piece.

By its content, the piece hints subtlety about the distinction of social class and how people come together through performance. Although looking at the painting does not shift this idea, it does numb this aspect due to the unfinished quality of the piece. Finally, by its context, viewing the artwork in the Orsay relies upon presenting entertainment and movement within the moment of the depicted scene. The aspect of movement is clearly retained within the piece, as it does establish a gripping sense of placing a subject found at the moment in front of an audience that is separated by social class. Seeing it in the Orsay manages to highlight an aspect of the “in the moment” quality of Neo-Impressionism as well as presenting audiences with the idea of performance being a distraction from everyday problems in the world.

With each assignment for the studio portion of the field school, I relied solely upon creating artwork I saw and documented it in my journal. Some of the challenges I embarked on in the process was mainly with the representation of the subject I was gazing upon and sketching. Like most artists, I do not seek to recreate an entire piece of work another artist has made, but rather add my own take on its style. In regards to representation, it is challenging to make art that appears entirely new. The problem is that someone will likely have seen something like your image before and respond in their own way and will struggle to find a new take on it. In this respect, there is nothing I would change about my studio projects.

Today’s activity was located at the Documenta 14 exhibit. What were your impressions? What will you take away of the experiences of this day? What are the most memorable moments for you?

Today’s activity was located at the Documenta 14 exhibition in Kassel, Germany. As I traveled down to Documenta, the show felt very dynamic and expansive. The exhibition did not have a handholding pace to walk the viewer through the exhibition grounds. Instead, the exhibit encourages its viewers to view at their own pace and in their own time. By doing so, the exhibition feels expansive and encourages exploration, as there are artworks in unexpected areas of the city many spectators could easily miss the first time through. Traveling through Documenta, there were works of art that I did not realize at first could be considered artful in the world of art production.

Seeing Documenta made me realize that art could be as simple or as complicated as the artist wants, and can produce creative dialogue with the spectator. With today’s experience, I will be taking away the sheer dynamic range and expansive quality the show is recognized for, as well as the use of ready-made objects to create artwork in new and strange ways. Documenta will remain memorable to me for its sheer creative diversity of installation and artistic application of form and scope in art making, as well as giving audiences the expansive freedom in viewing art at their own pace. A show produced once every five years is quite something to walk away from and feel proud talking about.

To see more photos and impressions of Paris and Kassel as the field school continues, check out our Instagram feed #kpuparis