Being an Art Major

I want you to enjoy this week's artwork before you read too far into this. I'm on a soap box today.

It's really frustrating sometimes to be an art major, or even an art appreciator, when you're a Mormon. I recall during my previous year at Snow of a couple of other students talking to one of the professors about their figure drawing class, how they were troubled with having to see and draw nude figures. I don't blame them; I'm troubled about the exact same thing. In fact, I won't be taking that figure drawing class until I transfer to another university, most likely BYU, where the figures aren't nude.

At the end of that same year there was a student art show with works made by a large chunk of the art students (and even a couple non-art-majors). I had a sculpture in that show. I had a very disconcerting experience, however, when I saw a drawing of a classmate. I had heard her mention working as one of the models for the figure class, but it was still very much a shock to see a nude drawing of her.

The art world at large, at least in the United States, doesn't seem to find anything wrong with nudity. In fact, I've heard the oft-repeated claim that the human figure is beautiful and therefore should be shown so freely. I, on the other hand, find the prolific exposure of the human body to be offensive. I understand and appreciate the value of studying the human figure to learn how best to render it, but seeing so many finished products tells me that's not what's going on. Also telltale is the proportion of female to male nudes. As I was researching artists online, I found an inordinate amount of nude figures among the artwork I was browsing.With rare exceptions, they were all female. After an hour of searching for what I felt was good artwork I gave up, frustrated and feeling sick inside. It felt like I had browsed through an adult video store.

It's frustrating that I can't just change the world in one day. What I can do, though, is to be one who adds to the good name of art today. I can set an example of what art is at its best, maybe not in quality, but in value.

First Week of Classes

I am almost through my first week of classes, just back from Drawing II. This is my first drawing of the semester,and my second art assignment. We drew some driftwood pieces, focusing on line quality. Our tools were Sharpie markers, powdered graphite, and kneadable erasers.

This week classes have gotten out early in most cases, which has facilitated running around campus making sure everything is in order - making sure my scholarship really does cover the $190 student fees, for example.

On a side note, although I was not initially pleased that meal cards were mandatory for cooking apartment residents (like yours truly), I am glad to say that the facilities have improved noticeably since my last year at Snow. They have an all-you-can eat buffet laid out most evenings, which for a starving college student is a boon.

In my Institute class today, I also found out that one of my classmates is going to be baptized this Saturday. I always find good things going on, and it amazes me and reminds me that this world isn't all the pits.