Saturday, May 10, 2008

And Sometimes There is Art…

To Hell…in Mom's Bathroom

Being at my parents' house this weekend, reminded me of this lithograph print I did 4 years ago. There are 4 prints in existence, I believe. The first resides in my parents' downstairs bathroom, a birthday gift to mom years ago. A second resides above the fish tank in the apartment dining room of an old classmate. She bought it off me at the end of the school year, it was weird to go to her apartment shortly after moving last year and seeing it hanging in someone's home. In a place of prominence. I actually didn't recognize it at first. Mike had to point it out to me. And the last two prints are stashed away in my Lithography 101 portfolio, which may or may not be in our new house.

I'll have to look. It would be nice to have some of my own art hanging in my own home.

I remember the frustration that led to this print, in a certain graphic design teacher. Nothing was ever right or good…the entire semester. It was a tough way to end my years in college. Trying so hard, but coming out only average. After a particularly tough assignment, I put ink to stone and was graced with a very emotional piece that came together without even trying.

It was one of the only times I felt like an artist. "To Hell…" really drove my interest in lithography. Before it the semester felt like it might be a wash (ha ha - that one's for anyone who's familiar with the lithography process), but after my drive was pretty intense. Saturday afternoons in the studio alone, grinding my stone. Circling figure eights. Very methodic. I ended up spending a lot of time in the studio. I even did two extra projects. I even became comfortable washing my image off without consultation from teacher or grad assistant, which the majority of the class was not (all those design students and art ed students aren't always comfortable if the hard core art stuff). I wished I had discovered lithography before my last semester.

1 comment:

Stacey said...

I think I know EXACTLY which teacher you are referring too, as he also makes an appearance in some of my anger ridden artwork of that time period.

GAAAHHHH!!! Still seething!!