Ye Olde Classmates: Matt Ballou

Matt Ballou attended graduate school together at Indiana University and I didn't get to know each other very well due to our mutually extreme introversion, but we probably should have been friends. We were both outsiders who bore the scarlet letter known as "old master syndrome"

I am glad to have recently gotten back in touch again, and I have been enjoying his new work. Especially Poignant are his drawings.

This drawing is my favorite . It has the feel of an old engraving to me. I really enjoy the world he builds with the brick landscape.

This is a study/sketch for a painting that I look forward to seeing.

This reminds me of atlas, but he's carrying a bunch of brick's instead of the world on his back.


It reminds me of the Junk Lady in the 80's movie, Labyrinth.

"The Omen" reminds me of Jean Francois Millet's peasant paintings. (Compare below)


Jean-Francois Millet

Ye Olde Classmates: David Cunningham

David Cunningham was completing his second and final year of graduate school at Indiana University the year I began my first year. In retrospect it is hard to believe how many incredibly talented people I had the privilege of sharing a classroom with, and David was one of the best of them.

Primarily a still-life painter, David's paintings possess an almost mathematically precise perfection in form that is surreal in effect, free of spot or blemish. His compositions are light-filled arrangements of unambiguous color-shapes.

The drawings on David's site are not among his most recent works, but as a figure person myself I am partial to them, especially for the innovative ways that he uses the figure. The two drawings above are entitled "Annunciation I" and "Annunciation II", foreshadowing his wife's pregnancy with their first child. David mentioned to me that he used the shadow across the thigh to suggest a garter belt as well as a pregnant belly, which blew my mind. I had never thought of using shadow in such a way. I 'm not sure if it is intentional, but I can't help but think of the painting below by Andrew Wyeth


"Lovers" by Andrew Wyeth

"Past, Present, Future"

I find it interesting that when men represent their own bodies, there is often a bestial or animal quality in the pose, and the viewer is an uninvited guest. The drawing above always reminded me of a Bigfoot sighting.

Sasquatch

In Masaccio's Expulsion from Paradise, Adam's hunched over in a similar apelike fashion, suggesting the animal nature of fallen man. The figures almost try to fold in on themselves.

"Division"

"Division", also part of this series of graphite drawings seems to speak of the divide between the spiritual and animal side of man, at least that's my interpretation. I find it quite Gollumesque.


Lastly, I'd like to show you a piece that David worked on in graduate school. It was considered a fire hazard to paint in the hallways unless evacuation was necessary. David hung his in progress painting directly next to the fire hose to produce and exact visual replica, including an actual metal handle installed into the panel. Clearly disobeying the warning on the door reading "FIRE USE ONLY" he creates another possible fire hazard in producing a replica that may be mistaken for the real thing. David has since taken this one off of his website, but to me it is a memory worth recalling.

Ye Olde Classmates: Michael Lierly

Michael Lierly is one of my all-time favorite people and one of my best friends. We were classmates in Savannah and New York, and both got our MFA at Indiana University. He teaches at University of Arkansas at Little Rock this semester, but will soon be Moving to Austin, Texas. Formerly a member of the band Soophie Nun Squad, he now plays guitar for Universe.

I find this one exceptional.

A clever take on renaissance altarpieces. . Ok, maybe this one is my favorite. The frame here is a stuffed snake made by our goodfriend, Eli, a performance artist.

A piece from school. Probably Max's class considering the light.

We were both students of Assael and heavily influenced by him. I suppose we are similar as painters in many other ways, including an inability to settle on one thing thematically, stylistically, or geographically. I think that's great. We are writing a book together, but I won't tell you what it's about yet.

Lovely color study.

I own this one. One of his best drawings I think.

I find this one powerful an psychologically charged.

This was a collaboration. The model for the painting did the background.

Ye Olde Classmates: Todd Podolsky

Cream o' the crop at Indiana University's MFA program, 2004. Cool guy and next door neighbor to my studio. Always blasting Misfits, Tom Waits, and Leonard Cohen.




Gorgeous color study.

Showing Aurbach how it's done.

A shout out to Velazquez. (not the title.)

I wanted to buy this one. It's a great study of our favorite model, Hannah.

Teachers Of Mine: Bonnie Sklarski

Bonnie Sklarski is one of my favorite people. Born in New York state, Bonnie studied at Yale, Pratt, School of Visual Arts, and Brooklyn College. She was closely involved in the beginnings of the New York Academy, and was my painting and anatomy professor at Indiana University in Bloomington. She joined the faculty 40 years ago in 1970 and now serves as professor emeritus. Bonnie considers Martha Erlebacher her mentor, and they remain close friends.

"Persephone"

Bonnie has recently moved a little away from the figure toward still-life and landscape paintings, which are all wonderfully rich with meaning. As a figure person myself, however, am am most impacted by her allegorical work.

"Dionysius"

Bonnie is part scientist, part philosopher, and part painter, and considers Da Vinci a hero. Her painting possesses an almost medieval attention to the specific nature of the objects represented in them. Rocks, clouds, and streams of water are studied as characters in themselves rather than as merely a backdrop for the figures. She studies every aspect of picture-making as a concrete science. She keeps volumes of binders full of mixed colors, and diagrams and dissects compositions of the great masters, and categorizes them into types. She does the same with light effects and color combinations. She is the only person I've ever known to keep sketchbooks dedicated to understanding the way water moves and rocks cleave.

Left half of "The Four Seasons"

Right half of "The Four Seasons"

"Aphrodite"

"Pasiphae"

"Study for Dionysius"

Bonnie is an outstanding drawing anatomy instructor, and teaches in the manner of Robert Beverly Hale, who I believe she studied with. She collects human and animal bones as well as roadkill, and is an amateur taxidermist. Once, upon entering the classroom, I found something with a furry tail stuffed in a plastic bag that was hanging from the doorknob.

I found this early self-portrait of Bonnie somewhere online, and I think it is very touching. I also love the red curtain.

Here is a link to a wonderful interview with Bonnie and her personal website.