John Waters, Study Art Sign (For Prestige or Spite), 2007, Acrylic urethane on wood and aluminum, series of six, each with unique wording, 56 x 42 x 4 1/2 inches 142.2 x 106.7 x 11.4 cm, Ed of 5
Thursday, April 14, 2011
E-Journal #10: Why Study Art?
Post a 100-200 word response to question posed above. Reflect on what originally prompted you to pursue a degree in Studio Art and relate that back to how you feel having (almost) completed your degree. Is studying art meaningful? How so? Now is your chance to really let it all out!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I can't remember what motivated me to choose Studio Art as a major specifically, I know that I came into Rollins declared as Studio and never thought of majoring in anything else. At the time when I was applying for school I was heavily involved in my high school's art department and so I couldn't think of anything that would have interested me more. Having almost completed my degree I realize that though I struggled A LOT along the way, I learned and grew a lot from studying art. I learned about motivation, time-management, and how to critically think about concepts and why I decide to do what I do. Studying art is meaningful in different ways for different people. Some people prefer to study the evolution of art, while some like to study how art is made. I personally enjoy both, learning to techniques and mediums while also knowing where they come from. Studying Studio Art at Rollins has been a love hate relationship and though I know I made it tough at times, I have learned a lot and will come out of it a more dedicated person.
ReplyDeleteI think the way that the art department was set up when I first got here was awful and so disorganized. Its taken awhile for everything to get sorted out and I think it will continue to get better but as far as my art education goes... I don't think it was all that ground breaking or great. I think part of my education has made me hate art and part of it has given me back my love for art. It's very much a push and pull. I know that I messed up in my time here at Rollins. Without a doubt I could have been a better student and a more productive person, but I've really enjoyed learning how to use new mediums and being able to experiment in different areas of art has been so amazing. Hopefully I have absorbed enough information to be a successful art maker. I'm not a fan of the word artist. At all. It just seems to pretentious and I haven't accomplished enough to be an artist.
ReplyDeleteugh the first half of my post got deleted and I forgot what I wrote :(
ReplyDeleteArt was something I’d always known I wanted to pursue. My cousin Michael had worked on shows like Doug and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and he was my absolute hero, always looking over my sketches and giving me feedback. I’d found inspiration in everything and everyone, and after a lot of flip-flopping, major-wise, I’d decided to stick with the thing I knew I had an unwavering passion for. Or so I thought, at least. I’m incredibly thankful for my time here at Rollins, for what I learned, but I’ve really lost my passion and drive for creating art, and this saddens me. I have, however, learned so much more about the art world than I’d imagined I would. I’ve gained an appreciation for every medium and style, especially the ones I’d overlooked. So in all honesty, even through the sleepless nights, the high stress levels, and the times I was ready to seriously give up on everything, I’m glad I took on this major. My work might not have been what the department considers to be “up to par”, but I think I’m finally okay with that, because I know that I worked hard and when I created, I did so with my heart.
ReplyDeleteThere was never really a question or consideration of what i may pursue as my major... i knew well before i applied to college that i would be furthering my art education. Art was never really something i had to choose to do, throughout my life it has always been a passion that gripped and held on to my attention and imagination (big deal for an ADD kid). I believe I am interested in art not only because i feel comfortable in my capabilities, but also because i know I will never truly master it completely. There are always new mediums and techniques and concepts to expose yourself to... this broad, never ending field is both intimidating and exciting.
ReplyDeleteIf i really look back at all the classes i have taken, i can honestly say i've wasted my time in only 2.. and not due to the fault of a faculty member, but my own unwillingness to take responsibility and be mature. After these incidents i realize that if i wasn't going to push myself then i may as well not be in college wasting not only my own time, but other people's time and money. Although the art classes at Rollins tends to have a majority of the students are "just fulfilling a gen.ed.", i think the faculty are involved enough to pinpoint when someone is truly interested and they will push the person accordingly (or at least this has been my experience). The faculty have never allowed me to relax or fall into a comfort zone, which has pushed me as an artist and challenged my own expectations for my work.. and for that i am grateful.
studying art is absolutely meaningful... its basically putting in to practice all the things i am learning in my other classes... It challenges you to deeply reflect on a topic and be able to understand it on such a level that you can translate it in a single visual. It has the power to evoke a vast array of emotions from people you have never met.
I have always been artistic/ creative, but I was never encouraged to pursue it seriously. I went to a military college where there were no art classes my freshman year and completely stopped any creative outlet. I was not happy there and transferred to Rollins where I took up economics. Second semester I took an art class and was reminded how much I loved it. I saw myself working in a creative field when I was older, not for a bank, or financial firm. Junior year after the first week of classes I made a daring move and declared to change my major to art. It was random, but I am happy I did. I was always told not to because it would be too hard as a student athlete. I am still figuring out what next. I decided I want to get into a field that involves artistic skills: digital media, graphic design, museums, work for a magazine, and things along those lines. Art was the right decision to study, and I plan on getting my masters too. The next step is in what?! Just a confusing place for me right now. But studying art is meaningful; I just wish a larger part of the world agreed. Art is a lot more important/meaningful to me after studying it here than it ever was in the past. It fits who I am as a person more than I could ever imagine/ hope.
ReplyDeleteI declared my major in Studio Art before arriving in Rollins. I took AP art courses in high school and knew that this is what I wanted to do later in life. I always had an interest in art and art making. At a young age, I had a pretty good talent in drawing and I just kept drawing. I didn't know why I liked art/drawing, I just enjoyed it. I would always draw things, and I would make my own characters and worlds in my drawings.
ReplyDeleteAs a senior, almost about to get my degree, I still have the same interest in art as I did as a kid. I like the ability to materialize images and ideas in my head and show others. My imagination and creativity did not leave as I got older. Studying art has given me an opportunity to tap into my imagination and be creative. Furthermore, the degree gave me more knowledge about the field and the ability to view art in an academic lens. I knew about design concepts and composition before arriving in Rollins, but I did not know about some of the philosphical discussions and history about art. Studying art allows me to properly fit my art in the wider field of art and also other fields. So much art is not tied to just art, but relates to economics, sociology, psychology, etc. Studying art provides an outlet to understand the world and provide a way express your opinion about the world. I learned its not just about making a nice drawing but about your message.
The night I purchased paint instead of shampoo on a midnight errand run was the night I knew I was meant to be an artist. Taking ceramics classes here and there as a little girl, art became a hobby of mine at a young age. The high school I attended had a wonderful ceramics program, where I developed a real passion for sculpture. When it came time to apply to college, I viewed art as an added benefit, unaware of my potential and the role art had played in my life at the time. Fortunately I ended up at Rollins where I was exposed to a wide range of courses my first year and a half there. After taking a couple of art classes I declared Studio Art as my major. I finally came to the realization that no other area of study interested me nearly as much, so I decided to make art more than just hobby.
ReplyDeleteIt was not until I took a four-week long jewelry design course at the Rhode Island School of Design, in the summer of 2009, that I realized my talent and passion for designing jewelry. In pursuit of this new passion I enrolled at the University of Edinburgh in the summer of 2010, where I studied wire jewelry and metalworking. It was in Edinburgh that I was able to further develop the skills RISD had introduced to me, including soldering, forging and welding. Just like choosing studio art over another area of study, I realized that out of all the mediums I had worked with in college career, my interest for sculpture and jewelry outdid all of the others. Therefore, when it came to choosing a medium for my senior show series I immediately knew I wanted to work with either metal or wood, having had the most experience with these two materials.
This year (after a lot of struggle) I found myself seeking comfort in my cabinets. I fell in love with them, jumping at every opportunity to go to the studio and work on them (or to do nothing at all). I found myself through my art this year, and could not be happier. For awhile I questioned being a studio art major, but looking back it was definitely the right decision for me. There is nothing else I could do that could make me feel the way I do when I am making art :)
Oh I remember part of what I originally said. i was talking about how I came to Rollins as an English Psych major because once I decided not to go to SAIC I felt like it would be silly to pursue art elsewhere. But when it came down to it I realized I needed art and I needed to be making art. I'm just not the same person when I'm not working on some project or just doodling. So eventually I let myself switch over and dive into the art major.
ReplyDelete