Sidney Goodman: Man in the Mirror Elizabeth Osborne: The Color of ...
Sidney Goodman: Man in the Mirror Elizabeth Osborne: The Color of ...
Sidney Goodman: Man in the Mirror Elizabeth Osborne: The Color of ...
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6<br />
From <strong>the</strong> Desk <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Dean<br />
<strong>The</strong> Figurative Tradition<br />
at PAFA<br />
By Jeffrey Carr, Senior Vice President <strong>of</strong><br />
Academic Affairs, Dean <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> School <strong>of</strong> F<strong>in</strong>e Arts<br />
<strong>The</strong> School <strong>of</strong> F<strong>in</strong>e Arts at PAFA is well known for its<br />
dist<strong>in</strong>guished tradition <strong>of</strong> figurative art. Specifically, it is<br />
a tradition <strong>of</strong> pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g people large-scale, at or near life<br />
size, <strong>in</strong> a representational or naturalistic manner. It is a<br />
style characterized by <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> light and shade to model<br />
form, more or less “realistic” draw<strong>in</strong>g with an emphasis<br />
on depict<strong>in</strong>g people <strong>in</strong> a specific and believable space.<br />
<strong>The</strong> style is representational, but this does not mean it is<br />
always realistic. PAFA’s figurative tradition has <strong>of</strong>ten used<br />
<strong>the</strong> figure to depict emotional, dramatic, or even fantasybased<br />
subject matters.<br />
Thomas Eak<strong>in</strong>s is, <strong>of</strong> course, our resident old master <strong>of</strong><br />
realistic figurative pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g. His Gross Cl<strong>in</strong>ic was, and still<br />
is, a powerful and highly dramatic realist masterpiece. It is<br />
revolutionary <strong>in</strong> its dramatic realism, but it traces its tradition<br />
clearly to Rembrandt, Velasquez, and <strong>the</strong> great realist<br />
masters <strong>of</strong> Europe. In PAFA’s more recent history, faculty<br />
members Ben Kamihira and Arthur DeCosta carried on<br />
this realist, figurative tradition. In <strong>the</strong> Academy <strong>of</strong> today,<br />
<strong>the</strong> dist<strong>in</strong>guished faculty members <strong>Sidney</strong> <strong>Goodman</strong><br />
and V<strong>in</strong>cent Desiderio are contemporary grand masters<br />
<strong>of</strong> this dramatic and evocative tradition. PAFA artists Bo<br />
Bartlett, Barkley Hendricks, Wade Schuman, Brett Bigbee<br />
and many o<strong>the</strong>r large-scale figure pa<strong>in</strong>ters are prom<strong>in</strong>ent<br />
participants <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> national art scene.<br />
But traditions do not ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>mselves. As anybody<br />
who has ever tried to pa<strong>in</strong>t a nose can tell you, to pa<strong>in</strong>t<br />
and draw <strong>the</strong> figure skillfully, mean<strong>in</strong>gfully, and with style<br />
requires an enormous amount <strong>of</strong> effort, practice, and<br />
expert guidance. PAFA is blessed with a large faculty <strong>of</strong><br />
master artists representative <strong>of</strong> many different traditions<br />
<strong>of</strong> art mak<strong>in</strong>g. But <strong>the</strong> Academy’s figurative tradition is<br />
especially strong, and is ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed by a faculty <strong>of</strong> skilled<br />
and imag<strong>in</strong>ative figurative pa<strong>in</strong>ters. Al Gury, Scott Noel,<br />
Patricia Traub, Doug Martenson, Alex Kanevsky, Renee<br />
Foulks, Bruce Samuelson, Peter van Dyck and o<strong>the</strong>rs are<br />
masters <strong>of</strong> realist figure pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g, and actively teach this<br />
tradition to a current generation. <strong>The</strong> results are apparent<br />
to anyone who has attended <strong>the</strong> Annual Student Exhibition,<br />
and who visits area galleries. Our students cont<strong>in</strong>ue<br />
to excel <strong>in</strong> this demand<strong>in</strong>g artform, and go on to establish<br />
careers as successful practic<strong>in</strong>g artists. It is a PAFA tradition<br />
that dates back to Eak<strong>in</strong>s, and it is alive and well <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Academy <strong>of</strong> today.<br />
Class <strong>of</strong> 1933<br />
Graduate Visits<br />
PAFA<br />
Alumnus Leo Weisz still pa<strong>in</strong>ts at<br />
98 years old.<br />
On February 11, artist Leo<br />
Weisz, PAFA Class <strong>of</strong> 1933,<br />
visited <strong>the</strong> Academy to view<br />
student work <strong>in</strong> Gallery 128<br />
and see George Tooker: A<br />
Retrospective. As a student,<br />
Weisz studied with Thorton<br />
Oakley as an illustration<br />
major and recently donated<br />
a book illustrated by Oakley<br />
to <strong>the</strong> PAFA library. Weisz<br />
celebrated his 98th birthday<br />
on February 12th and still<br />
pa<strong>in</strong>ts daily. <strong>The</strong> Woodmere<br />
Museum recently acquired<br />
4 <strong>of</strong> Weisz’s draw<strong>in</strong>gs from<br />
1932-1933.<br />
Summer FUNdamentals Art Camp<br />
2009 Celebrat<strong>in</strong>g 22 years!<br />
Are you look<strong>in</strong>g for a fun, excit<strong>in</strong>g and creative way for<br />
your child to spend some time this summer? Summer FUNdamentals<br />
Art Camps <strong>of</strong>fer enrich<strong>in</strong>g experiences for campers<br />
<strong>in</strong> PAFA’s beautiful galleries and art studios. Art-mak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
experiences such as <strong>the</strong>se provide excellent opportunities for<br />
children to explore and develop <strong>the</strong>ir creative and artistic spirit.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are 24 different week-long sessions, which beg<strong>in</strong> July<br />
6 and run through August 14. A broad variety <strong>of</strong> sessions are<br />
available to choose from each week, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g, Draw<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
Sculpture, Cartoon<strong>in</strong>g, Animation, Wearable Art, Bookmak<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
Decorative Furniture, Circus Arts, and much more.<br />
Sessions are designed to appeal to all levels and <strong>in</strong>terests <strong>of</strong><br />
young artists (ages 6-15 years). Campers need only br<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir imag<strong>in</strong>ations!<br />
Each camp session runs for one week, Monday through<br />
Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A FREE pre-camp session is<br />
available for your convenience each morn<strong>in</strong>g from 9 – 10 a.m.<br />
An after-camp session is also available from 3 – 5 p.m. daily<br />
for an additional charge. On Fridays at 2 p.m., families and<br />
friends are <strong>in</strong>vited to a special reception and exhibition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
art and projects created that week.<br />
To register or for more <strong>in</strong>formation, call 215-972-2061 or visit www.pafa.org/camp<br />
Admissions: Ano<strong>the</strong>r First<br />
By Stan Greidus, Vice President <strong>of</strong> Admissions and F<strong>in</strong>ancial Aid<br />
Anyone who knows PAFA knows that we are proud<br />
<strong>of</strong> many th<strong>in</strong>gs, especially that we are America’s first<br />
school <strong>of</strong> f<strong>in</strong>e arts and museum. PAFA was at <strong>the</strong><br />
forefront <strong>of</strong> several American art movements over <strong>the</strong><br />
years, as well as be<strong>in</strong>g home to some <strong>of</strong> America’s first<br />
women and African American artists.<br />
In early January <strong>of</strong> this year, PAFA scored ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />
“first,” <strong>in</strong> sign<strong>in</strong>g a transfer agreement with a community<br />
college. Previously, because we were not able<br />
to accept most liberal arts credits <strong>in</strong>to our Certificate<br />
Program, community college students were at a<br />
significant disadvantage <strong>in</strong> transferr<strong>in</strong>g to PAFA. <strong>The</strong><br />
creation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Academy BFA changed all that. Thus,<br />
<strong>the</strong> first-ever transfer agreement was signed between<br />
PAFA and Camden County College (CCC).<br />
PAFA’s leadership team, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g President Dr.<br />
Edward Lewis, jo<strong>in</strong>ed CCC’s president, Dr. Raymond<br />
Yannuzzi, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr.<br />
Margaret Hamilton, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Kay Klotzbach, and<br />
several o<strong>the</strong>rs to celebrate this historic occasion with<br />
a luncheon and sign<strong>in</strong>g ceremony held <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sculpture Study<br />
Center. <strong>The</strong> sign<strong>in</strong>g was covered <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> local press <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>The</strong> Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Radio.<br />
This event was historic for two reasons: it is ano<strong>the</strong>r PAFA<br />
first, and it will lead to a strong partnership between <strong>the</strong> two<br />
<strong>in</strong>stitutions by permitt<strong>in</strong>g CCC students to transfer to PAFA<br />
with significantly more credits on <strong>the</strong>ir record. Additionally,<br />
Dr. Lewis took <strong>the</strong> opportunity to announce a new scholarship<br />
<strong>in</strong>itiative entitled “<strong>The</strong> Camden Connection” which will be <strong>of</strong>fered<br />
exclusively to CCC students based on <strong>the</strong> merit <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
academic and artistic portfolios. Yet ano<strong>the</strong>r first!<br />
<strong>Sidney</strong> <strong>Goodman</strong>: <strong>Man</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Mirror</strong><br />
(cont<strong>in</strong>ued from page 1)<br />
observation as <strong>the</strong> cornerstones <strong>of</strong> a practice that articulates<br />
<strong>the</strong> struggle for existence. Explor<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> full range <strong>of</strong> human<br />
emotions, <strong>Goodman</strong>’s draw<strong>in</strong>gs describe an arc <strong>of</strong> experience<br />
that leads from violence and trauma, through sexual passion<br />
and <strong>the</strong> eroticism <strong>of</strong> dreams, to <strong>the</strong> warm and tender portrayal<br />
<strong>of</strong> his wife, his children, and his dy<strong>in</strong>g mo<strong>the</strong>r. And at <strong>the</strong><br />
fulcrum <strong>of</strong> this arc, <strong>the</strong> artist depicts himself as a man question<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>the</strong> authority <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> image, realiz<strong>in</strong>g representation’s<br />
ambiguities as he gazes upon his own obscured reflection <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> mirror.<br />
Born <strong>in</strong> Philadelphia, <strong>Sidney</strong> <strong>Goodman</strong> studied at <strong>the</strong><br />
Philadelphia College <strong>of</strong> Art (now University <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Arts) from<br />
1954-58, and taught <strong>the</strong>re from 1960 to 1978. In 1962 he<br />
was <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> his first major museum show, Recent Pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
USA: <strong>The</strong> Figure, at <strong>the</strong> Museum <strong>of</strong> Modern Art, New<br />
York, and subsequently has been exhibited widely, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
major overview <strong>of</strong> his work at <strong>the</strong> Philadelphia Museum <strong>of</strong> Art<br />
<strong>in</strong> 1995. <strong>Goodman</strong> has been a member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> faculty at PAFA<br />
Left to right: Stan Greidus, Vice President <strong>of</strong> Admissions and F<strong>in</strong>ancial Aid, PAFA;<br />
Dr. Margaret Hamilton, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Camden County College;<br />
Dr. Raymond Yanuzzi, President, Camden County College; Dr. Robert Kaczorowski,<br />
Dean, Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, Camden County College; and<br />
Edward T. Lewis, President & Chief Executive Officer, PAFA.<br />
We are currently work<strong>in</strong>g on o<strong>the</strong>r transfer agreements.<br />
With<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> year, we hope to sign agreements with <strong>the</strong> Community<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Philadelphia, Northampton Community College,<br />
Montgomery County Community College, as well as Montgomery<br />
College (MD). All <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se agreements will encourage<br />
transfer students to consider PAFA for <strong>the</strong>ir BFA degrees.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se students will br<strong>in</strong>g a wealth <strong>of</strong> cultural and artistic diversity<br />
to our school <strong>of</strong> f<strong>in</strong>e arts and make us a major player <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
world <strong>of</strong> talented transfer students. As community colleges<br />
see dramatic <strong>in</strong>creases <strong>in</strong> enrollments due to <strong>the</strong> current fiscal<br />
crisis, we will all benefit from <strong>the</strong>se historic agreements.<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce 1979 and lives and works <strong>in</strong> Philadelphia. Includ<strong>in</strong>g<br />
documentation from <strong>the</strong> studio and <strong>the</strong> artist’s sketchbooks,<br />
<strong>the</strong> exhibition will be an opportunity to experience <strong>the</strong> power <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Goodman</strong>’s art and understand <strong>the</strong> processes that <strong>in</strong>form his<br />
ideas.<br />
<strong>Elizabeth</strong> <strong>Osborne</strong>: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Color</strong> <strong>of</strong> Light<br />
(cont<strong>in</strong>ued from page 1)<br />
associations <strong>of</strong> light and color. Clearly and impeccably<br />
designed, <strong>Osborne</strong>’s compositions <strong>in</strong>tegrate <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>tensely<br />
observed world with a thorough study <strong>of</strong> m<strong>in</strong>imalist and color<br />
field pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g. <strong>The</strong> result is a body <strong>of</strong> work that elides abstraction<br />
<strong>in</strong>to realism and challenges <strong>the</strong> viewer to reth<strong>in</strong>k dist<strong>in</strong>ctions<br />
between <strong>the</strong>se ways <strong>of</strong> see<strong>in</strong>g and depict<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> world.<br />
A catalogue written by Robert Cozzol<strong>in</strong>o and published by<br />
Bunker Hill Press will accompany <strong>the</strong> exhibition. This richly<br />
illustrated book will be a comprehensive stand-alone <strong>in</strong>-depth<br />
study <strong>of</strong> <strong>Osborne</strong>’s career and promises to be <strong>the</strong> standard<br />
work on her for years to come.<br />
Photo: L<strong>in</strong>da Johnson