James Weeks, Resident Artist Lecture 1969

James Weeks gives a lecture talking about his painting and drawing practice. Throughout his lecture, Weeks references many influences. Weeks speaks about his painting practice, and the crucial idea of synthesizing a subject through painting. Color allows Weeks to enter a more complete state as an artist. Subject matter is a highly personal decision for him. Weeks believes that artists should create what they want, and avoid what they don’t want to create. Weeks tells the students that while nature is a challenging instructor, there will come a time when they won’t be able to learn from other artists, whereas the visuals of the natural landscape will always teach them. Weeks warns the students not to shut themselves off from looking at nature, or they will become arrogant. Weeks believes in the importance of working through difficulty, and nature will always provide that kind of challenge. Weeks shares how his favourite painters are the ones who have a lot of respect for nature. Weeks reflects further on nature by stating that the importance lies in the fact that it provides many forms to work with. This is a quality that artists should not deny. Weeks ends his lecture with reflection on light as a universal idea. The painters he admires the most are the ones who use light in an expressionistic and classical way as an approach which Weeks is also heading towards.