SPS

Sculpture and Post-Studio Practice Alumni Conversation

Anonymous — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 21:26:09 +0000

Sculpture and Post-Studio Practice Alumni Conversation Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 02/23/2024 - 14:26

Amy Hoagland, MFA 2021

RS. I sense that there is a lot of enjoyment and excitement in the new work for you — What has been the most exciting project you’ve done since finishing at CU?

AH. The most exciting project since completing my MFA studies at CU was an Arctic Circle Residency. My experience in the Arctic was life-altering and powerful. The residency was on a sailing vessel with 29 artists and scientists from around the world. There was a diversity of artistic interests, but the reasoning for being in the residency was similar: to create work about climate. This uniting factor led to deep and inspiring dialogue between me and the other artists. I enjoyed how much the Arctic Circle residency connected to themes of post-studio practice. During the residency, I explored the concept of the Arctic as a time capsule. It contains secrets of our past, present, and future. It is a place where time melds together— the rocks, ice, and land tell stories that the past is present and folding upon itself to be replayed once again. I created 3D scans of the ice, writing, taking microscopic videos of air bubbles within the ice, and making videos of performance with the landscape to inform this research.

RS. It sounds like the residency was rather profound. What was it like to be in a place so remote but visually impactful with so many other artists?

AH. I could visually see and feel the loss in the Arctic: this was profound. I acted as a sponge during the residency. I wanted to see, feel, and absorb the environment to translate this sensorial knowledge through my artwork. I gained an overwhelming amount of artistic knowledge during the residency that I will unpack for the rest of my lifetime. The experience is just beginning to unravel within my work and I am excited for the continued influence it will have. My goal is for the experience in the Arctic to be translated within my artwork to instill change in its viewers and cultivate greater empathy for our planet. The Arctic Circle is incredibly remote; no one on the residency had cell reception or wifi connection. This lack of exterior connectivity was truly a gift and encouraged a setting of deep and powerful discussions with the other residents— we were fully present. I had never experienced spending so much time on a boat before. The movement of the water in tandem with the 24 hours of Arctic summer daylight led to a positively disorienting experience and facilitated new creative ways of thinking.

RS. I know you’ve had some challenges as well. You’ve been doing commissions, gallery shows and working with public art. What’s been the most challenging project you’ve undertaken in the last three years?

AH. The most challenging project that I have undertaken in the last three years was a large-scale sculpture commission for the entry of the United Airlines lounge in terminal A of the Denver International Airport. My proposal was selected by the United team stakeholders in October 2022 and was installed in August 2023. My original proposal shifted dynamically as the project advanced. Through this process, I learned to be adaptable while holding true to my work, how to work with installers, and about public art regulations. The project required me to remain dedicated to my practice and to plan ahead. I found great inspiration for this sculpture through the ephemeral installation I did during my MFA program at CU and the Tallgrass Residency in Matfield Green, Kansas. The installation in Kansas involved scientific glass rods that blur the horizon line— this sculpture utilizes roughly a thousand scientific glass rods across a 20-foot by 7-foot area and blurs 3D scan paper rocks behind the glass.

RS. Do you think more Public Art commissions are in your future? It’s a challenging route to go for sure, but it must be rewarding to see your work at DIA, and know thousands of people see it every day, no?!

AH. Yes! I am actively applying for and seeking opportunities. I enjoy the challenge and problem-solving that comes with it. I learned a great deal from the United project and will apply that knowledge to future projects. I find it an enjoyable supplement to my practice to continue alongside my research-focused work.

RS. Finally, what are you working on now?

AH. A solo exhibition of my work showcasing the confluence between the Chihuahuan Desert and the Arctic desert recently opened with RULE Gallery in Marfa, TX. This work is a culmination of my residency in the Arctic in conversation with time spent in the Chihuahuan desert in 2023. The exhibition involves scientific glass sculptures, moving images of Arctic ice, and rocks from the Chihuahuan desert. I am part of a traveling exhibition across the state of Colorado for 2024 as part of a Colorado Art Science Environment (CASE) Fellowship. This work is created through a collaboration with Dr. Tania Shoenaggel— a ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� fire scientist and aims to cultivate resilience around the more frequent fires within our region. The exhibition is a series of collaborations between artists and scientists across Colorado focusing on different regions' climate issues— recent CU SPS MFA Dennis Doyle is also a CASE Fellow! Next month, in March 2024 I will attend the Uncommon Art Residency in Greenport, NY to continue my research on the Arctic, time, and place.

Alumna Amy Hoagland sits down with Professor Richard Saxton to talk about her recent projects after graduation

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Abby Bennett (MFA 2015) brings public artwork into focus

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 20:32:44 +0000

Abby Bennett (MFA 2015) brings public artwork into focus Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/26/2023 - 14:32

Master of Fine Arts alumna Abby Bennett has launched a successful career in the arts after graduation and now builds monumental public artworks around the world. Professor Yumi Janairo Roth sat down with Abby and talked with her about her time at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� and her career trajectory.

What was your experience in the MFA program?

"I went right into the sculpture and post-studio program. I have always just worked with my hands and with a wide variety of mediums. So, no matter what area I would have been in, I would have still been making sculptural things.

"It was nice to have the time and the freedom to learn creative problem-solving, I had lots of time to experiment. The time in the MFA program enabled me to explore new materials and learn valuable skills because I understood that it would be hard to do this later when I didn’t have a studio and an entire wood shop full of tools available.

"I felt a real bond and closeness with the other sculpture grads, we all hung out outside of school as much as we did at school. Even though everybody's at different places in their personal lives, you're bonded because you are in this collected shared experience. And you go through the ups and downs of that journey at the same time. I'm still good friends with all of them."

A Search for Comfort, 2015. Concrete

How did you shape your career in the arts at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ��?

"The first week or two before I started classes at CU I was on campus and saw a sculpture being installed between the museum and the Art & Art History building. That was the first time I had interfaced with Demiurge, a large-scale fabrication studio based in Denver, who was doing the installation. I was asked to help with the installation, and it really made a big impression on me.

"Once I finished school, I was encouraged to apply to Demiurge. I sent in my resume, followed up, and finally got an interview over lunch. It went well and they called me as I was driving away from the restaurant, thinking I got the job, but they had locked their keys in the car and asked, “Can you give us a ride back to the shop?” I was like, yeah of course, but I had to move a ton of tools in the backseat to fit four people. I think that's probably why I got the job because I had an insane number of tools in my car.

"When I started at Demiurge, my desk was in a hallway, between the designer's office and the owner's office and so I was a part of every conversation from beginning to end. I listened and learned things out of the necessity to formalize and realize projects—from administration to installation."

Formations by artist, Mark Reigelman. San Diego International Airport

How has your work in the MFA program informed your career?

"It comes naturally for me to conquer complex logistical issues and working in the Art & Art History wood shop with Bill Rumley (the AAH Woodshop Supervisor) was one of the things I really enjoyed when I was at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ��. I loved helping students figure out how to do their work and encouraging them to use what resources we had available to solve their problems. Having the curiosity, mindset, and tenacity to look for answers through hands-on problem-solving has always served me well."

"At Demiurge, we've done so many cool things, one was a pavilion dome structure made from 900 aluminum panels. Our team had never completely assembled it and it took four people, 14,000 rivets, and four days to install it. Your arts vocabulary and materials library gets bigger and bigger, especially working with so many diverse and creative people. It's incredible when brilliant minds from all sorts of different backgrounds, collaborate to solve the same problem.

"When clients come to Demiurge everybody comes at a different stage. Some people show up with a fully fleshed-out design and stamped engineer drawings, others come with essentially a sketch on a napkin or just a wild idea. Our team listens and collaborates however they feel most comfortable and typically it’s in those beginning conversations you learn whose skill sets will be best used when and where. That’s the joy of making public work with a team as flexible as ours is, we can make any part or the entire project, or we can fully collaborate, whatever suits the client best.

"The challenges at Demiurge don't stop, I learn new things every day. Sometimes I'm grinding metal and sometimes I'm doing payroll. In the future, I want to continue working, designing, and building monumental artworks and work with artists I have admired forever. There's still a lot to look forward to at Demiurge, it's still exciting to fantasize about future projects."

Octopus. Aquarium at the Boardwalk, Branson, MO

How has your art practice grown for you personally?

"The thing that I'm doing for myself that I still consider art or just uses that same part of my brain is renovating a 100-year-old house. There's a lot to do, and it's super satisfying. It’s incredibly creative and I find I’m solving many of the same problems an artist does when building a public artwork. Additionally, I've always loved good design and nice things, especially domestic touches, so the house feels like a cool freaking art project."

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Artist vivifies the pain, diaspora and tragedy of Kashmir

Anonymous — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Artist vivifies the pain, diaspora and tragedy of Kashmir Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 12/21/2022 - 00:00

Shloka Dhar, who majored in art practices and molecular, cellular and developmental biology, is the College of Arts and Sciences’ outstanding graduate for fall 2022

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'We are coming' highlights Filipinos in the American West

Anonymous — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 06:00:00 +0000

'We are coming' highlights Filipinos in the American West Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/21/2022 - 00:00

Professors’ conceptual art shines spotlight on those who existed at the margins of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West shows

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Mountain art residency attracts participants like moths to a flame

Anonymous — Sat, 31 Aug 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Mountain art residency attracts participants like moths to a flame Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 08/31/2019 - 00:00

New program aims to promote cross-disciplinary research between art and science, and to support new creative works

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Pushing Boundaries: Grad students think like barn swallows to craft an artistic nesting site

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Pushing Boundaries: Grad students think like barn swallows to craft an artistic nesting site Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/05/2018 - 00:00

Molly McDermott, a PhD student, and Aaron Treher, an MFA graduate, collaborated on the wooden sculpture that has been installed at a barn swallow colony on private land north of Boulder.

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