Hello Blog Fans,
I'm Michael Knaub and i'm a Senior Multidisciplinary Fine Arts Major. I am currently working a summer fellows internship with artist Michele Kishita. She introduced me to a documentary that has inspired me to think more about the context in which art can make a change in the world. It is called Waste Land by director Lucy Walker. This film follows artist Vic Muniz to his homeland of Brazil as he puts a spotlight on the modest, hardworking people who call themselves "Pickers". They sort through trash piles in a landfill to recover recyclable materials. Muniz helped them gain recognition so that they may have better working and living conditions.
In her studio, I explored fabric as a means to make a painting. My first work is fabric on board. It is a text piece showing the words, "For your eyes only", I want to explore the meanings behind textile and apply them to my ideas. To me this work suggest words that can be taken from an intimate conversation, ironically, the work is meant to be displayed publicly so the word 'your' describing something seemingly private becomes a conversation that is not so secretive.
I received a question sheet from Michele that would allow me to think more about my work. I am answering it in essay form so here is a preview of the document.
The first material I ever used for art was the crayon. Whither it was on paper or the wall, I can’t remember. My older brother often made drawings for our grandmother so they had always been in crawling reach. I was told by coloring books that I should apply a certain color to certain shapes based on what they depicted, I ignored these suggestions by drawing grass orange, pants green, and dogs blue. I used more than one color in a designated space. I never stayed in the lines. My current oil paintings are created in a process similar to that of filling a coloring book. I’m told how I should not treat my work like it were a paint by number but I cannot yet separate myself from the literal narrative I achieve through drawing to aid my concepts. I create my own cartoons and fill in the pattern appropriately.
There will be more to come. Until next time...
-Mike
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