The images below demonstrate selected drawing from intermediate and advanced level students.
In these classes students balance assigned projects with independent work, answering questions such as:
· What is the relationship between process and product?
· What happens when we remove judgment from the process of art making?
· What is my role in the world as both an individual and an artist?
I have my students use their sketchbooks as a tool for inspiration, exploration, and an investigation of contemporary artistic practice. Each week students choose their own adventure, selecting a material, an artist, and a concept from a pre-formatted list and then develop a spread in their sketchbook documenting the results. They can only select an item from each column once. For example, if they complete the assignment using pencil in the first week, they cannot use pencil ever again during this cycle. The same goes for the artists and the concepts. Some combinations may be easier than others, but sometimes the more contrary the combination, the more interesting the result. Below are a few examples of student work demonstrating their investigation of the work of artists including Sarah Sze, John Baldessari, Ann Hamilton, and Kerry James Marshall
