The Bird and Cats Opening was nice, we had a good number of supporters come out and a super group of newcomers asking questions and visiting Oxbow Press for the first time. We sold a beautiful reduction-cut relief print by one of our members.
Today I was very lucky, a number of artists from the press and myself all listened to Melanie Yazzie give a lecture at UNR. Her talk didn't have an incredibly focused theme but I think a structured list of topics to cover wouldn't have felt natural. Professor Yazzie talked extensively about her travels throughout the world teaching printmaking and how she relates to people of other cultures as a member of an indigenous nation. Professor Yazzie's Navajo heritage plays a large role in her art as do the themes of primitivism vs. acculturation, earth as character and not thing, interacting with one's environment actively instead of passively and bridging the gaps between cultures and perspectives through sharing art, history and education. I admit I was very inspired by Professor Yazzie's travels, art and perspective on the world.
Lately my own art has taken an introspective bent. Themes I consider dead and buried beneath my dirty floor are beginning to work their bony fingers between the boards. Zombified ideas aside, Professor Yazzie's talk communicated many things to me not the least of which was that it's ok for an artist's personal perspective to dictate everything from process to end result of an artwork's creation.
As I re-evaluate how things stand in the world around me and how I relate to it I return more and more to art in order to communicate. Communication is a big deal to me from my long term relationship to what I try to create at my studio to how I interact with co-workers and friends. Think about what you create, whether they are reports, musical scores, or visual art. How do your creations communicate - are you vocal, aural, textual? Why do you think you communicate this way? Do you feel that you communicate effectively?
Important Events Coming Soon!
February RCO Concerts this Saturday 8pm and Sunday 2pm featuring Joan Kwuon
March RCO Concerts on Saturday 19th, and Sunday 20th featuring Orion Weiss and regional premier of new work by Osvaldo Golijov
More information about RCO Concerts, STUDENT TICKETS $5
Rocky Mountain Print Alliance Symposium - April 27, 28, 29
Propaganda in Print Exchange and Exhibit - April 20
Spring Classes:
Oxbow Press - Intro to Etching, Beginning Book Arts, Propaganda in Print Screen Printing, Summer T-Shirts
Find out more about my oxbow classes.
Nevada Museum of Art - Teen Knitting Class February 26th, Carve a Cartouche June 25th
Find out more about the NMA
NEXT POST - What is the Rocky Mountain Print Alliance and why should I think that it's cool?
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