[ We invited Bethany graduates in Communication and Media Arts to report what they were up to, and respond to some questions about how they have used what they learned at Bethany and since. Please feel free to greet, ask questions, and comment. ]
When did you graduate from Bethany, what was your major, and in what, if anything, did you specialize while in school?
I graduated in 2019, my major was studio art and I specialized in oil painting.
What are you doing now with media/technology?
I teach painting and drawing in private lessons, in adult lessons, and at Crown College. I rent a studio space in Minneapolis and sell my art. If you wish, please visit my website.
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Discussion
A great question (that sent me on multiple tangents ☺️). I divided my thoughts into two parts:
1) What makes an excellent piece of art?
Idea and technique combine to make a great work of art. Technically masterful art that is unsupported by an idea often falls flat- maybe it is visually interesting, but lacks depth. Vice versa, an idea that is not supported and communicated by technique will not be understood by an audience.
HOWEVER there is an X-factor that makes excellent art- power of idea, composition, style… it’s not random, but unfortunately (fortunately?) I don’t think it is a formula that we can pin down and replicate. We can look at a finished work of art, decide whether it is great, discuss what makes it great, and learn from it. By looking at excellent works of art and discussing excellent works of art, we can find ways to stir up excellence in our own work.
A follow up question- and one I would love for other people to answer: How can I make excellent art?
My thoughts…
We cannot make great work without making the work. I love this interview with artist Susan Rothenberg (I’ll try to link the video). She says, “If you're not in your studio physically most every day, you've denied the possibility of anything happening.”
How can we help ourselves as we strive for excellence in our art? We can start by giving ourselves the space (physical space and time) to do the work. Of course, easier said than done.
One more follow up question- what drives artists to make excellent work? I don’t believe perfection exists on this earth, but I think many artists are perfectionists, and unsatisfied with their final outcomes, so why continue creating?
I’d love to hear your thoughts, Charis! And thoughts from anyone else reading this thread.