This has been a busy term. Surprisingly, though I scheduled myself to write a blog every other week, it didn't happen once--too much working at one job or another, or having to write papers or read school books or attend meetings or go to talks. Or feed and shower myself (this, too, is necessary every week, and if it comes down to blog or shower, well ... ).
And just as life got busy, it seemed like the art history news wouldn't let up. While I was trying to keep on top of things ...
--Banksy escaped New York.
--A Francis Bacon painting of Lucien Freud became the most costly painting ever sold at auction (at $142 mil).
--And Jeff Koons became the mostly costly living artist, with a single artwork earning $58.4 mil (at the same auction).
--And over 1500 works of art found in a Munich apartment (by artists like Picasso, Matisse, Chagall and others) were confirmed to be Nazi war booty.
All of which would have been fun to write about ... but there were also so many things going on here, locally, that were just as cool--and that I've been just as unable to blog about. So, at the risk of sounding a little late to the party, allow me to reminisce ...
At the beginning of November the Art History Students Association of Portland State University, of which I am a leader, organized a mini field trip to the home of a collector of Japanese prints. Of course it helps to have a professor who can introduce you to local art collectors, and it was a fascinating experience to explore someone else's artistic passion in this way. I've always been drawn to Japanese prints because of their bright colors and the calligraphic appearance of their lines. They always seem to me to be the more likely predecessor to modern Japanese manga than American comics. And since manga was one of my first art-related passions, well, how can I not love prints?
But perhaps the most important thing you gain from viewing somebody's personal art collection is a certain level of access into a special part of their mind, life, and view of the world. If you, too, are interested in exploring this collection of prints, you can actually visit them online, here.
We also had a crazy, hectic, awesome time hosting a lecture on campus by art historian, feminist, and art dealer Kat Griefen of the Accola Griefen Gallery. Hectic, maybe, because I've never done the whole set up/take down thing on this sort of scale, but awesome as well because this might be the first lecture I've ever sat in where the speaker focused on giving advice and ideas on how to be a good art historian, how to get involved with art and artists, and how to blaze your own trail into the future. And, as an art dealer, she had tons of engaging and inspiring works to show us as well, and now I have some serious studying to do on feminist artists now that I'm free...
And what else? Not much, really. I've been having a wild time these last few months and now the term is over, meaning that it's time to plan the next round of AHSA events, and try to visit some museum and gallery shows in the meantime. And to do all the reading I've been wanting to!
Oh--and to get ready for next term!
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