Lecture- Janet Koplos: Art Critic and Editor

Janet Koplos discussed many artists in her lecture that focused on the use of labor and manual skills in their work. Describing each one gave a good understanding of what particular skill and focus each artist had.

She began first with a video introduction of art that was designed to be demolished. She also mentioned Pollock to begin with describing how each of his lines were intentional and created depth for the eye. She described the definition of "process art" being the physicalness of what the art is doing. Adolf Wolffi was mentioned as an artist that focused on emotions through his own world creations, Gary Lang was mentioned as an artist that focused on a meditative aspect with the labor being euphoric, and Yoshihiro Suda's work emphasized craftsmanship through his flower wood carvings.

Tara Donovan was one of the artists that emphasized the philosophy of material through the use of creating her cloud banks with cups. Others such as Anne Wilson were mentioned as an artist who dealt with time and history through her work chronicling days with cloth. Janet Koplos also mentioned artists such as Liza Lou, Nina Katchadourian, Rona Pondick, Tom Friedman, and Aeneas Wilder, who was the featured artist at the beginning and the conclusion.

Janet Koplos's lecture overall truly emphasized the focus of the labor in art, and how the labor alone can be the art. This has made me think about my work in animation, and how I can move forward as an animator and illustrator, as well as question a few things as a digital artist in that medium.