two hundred sixty-two

The "Looking Up" exhibition debuted winter 2104-15 at the Turchin Center for Visual Arts in Boone, NC on the campus of Appalachian State University.  The show came with a fantastic opportunity to interact with other discerning visual artists and the current undergrad art students.  An art professor who also taught me, Gary Nemcosky as well as Painting Professor Mike Grady invited me to visit with the students in several classes.

Back story -- when I was at ASU, an artist came in for a week long visit and told us one day during a studio session (rather flatly) to "not pursue becoming fine artists as a career".  That's actually good advice, but the taste he left in my mouth was more foul than the youthful vinegar that was fueling my young artist voice.  I swore if I ever had the opportunity to speak to other upcoming visual artists that I would be honest and hopeful no matter what (if I ever became a professional fine artist).

Yep.  Just about eating those words (with pickles!) -- but I found an audience recently during my visit.  The students asked great questions.  I gave them honest answers.  The phrase that kept coming up was "you got to skin the cat.  There are many ways to skin that cat" -- meaning if being creative is important to your life, find a way to be creative.  The phrase also means my story is but one way to go about it.  There are many, many ways to also pursue a career in making art.

In the upper level painting class Gary asked me to show the students examples of my work.  They really got into it.  Their minds aren't all whacked out by 'real life' scars nor are they hardened by deaf eyes and inhibited exclamations.  Their perceptions and observations were quite delightful and refreshing.

Then in what I think was a 'professional concerns' kind-of class.  Those students.  They were awake.  They asked the deep questions that made it challenging to stay positive.  Stuff like "Les, you ever have any regrets?"  "What would you do differently?"  And "what advise do you have for us now that you've pounded the pavement for over a decade?"

Another cool thing that happened according to Emelie (who was nice enough to document these experiences -- thanks, Emelie!) was one of the students wasn't visually quite engaged at all by the visit.  Yet when the images of Les III art started flashing on the screen she clicked her phone to compare an earlier image she had made of my work when visiting the "Looking Up" show. You can kinda see the student subtly looking at her phone in the photo.

Then on to Professor Mike's painting critique.  Folks, it is genuinely refreshing to witness artful souls engaging in a sincere convo about art.  Sure, it's for a grade, but again we all got swept up in the dialogue.  That's what visual art is -- visual communication.  I miss crits where sincerity and desire to visually engage with others is paramount.     

These types of interactions were just as powerful to me as hanging art work on the walls of a fabulous museum amid other great artists.  Humbling all the way around.  And lots of fun too.  It was nice to reconnect, Appstate.  Let's do it again sometime.