Lecture Archive

Painter James McGarrell gives an illustrated lecture about his work from 1956, explaining the ideas, metaphors and subjects contained within them, including a preference for the personal poetics of subject as opposed to political art; citing artists by whom he was influenced or whose motifs he borrowed; and describing the painterly challenges with which he likes to present himself. Some but not all of the works are identified by title. The speaker lectured again at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in 1968.

In this personal lecture, Sidney Simon gives a lecture talking about his life over the years becoming an artist. Simon begins by explaining to the participants how growing up in rural Pittsburgh was a healthy place to grow up as an artist. In Pittsburgh, the environment for Simon was so “anti-art” and even his own family didn’t understand his artistic impulses. Being brought up in an “anti-art” atmosphere gave Simon a private strength to keep pursuing his life as an artist. Simon then talks about his artistic practice which is rooted in sculpture and doing architectural work. Simon works in a variety of materials including wood carving, metal, and ceramics. Simon ends his lecture by stating that his unique upbringing and his multi-disciplinary artistic practice has allowed him to always be bold in exploring his ideas; especially his current ideas which tap into digression, tyranny, and liberty.

Artist William Zorach talks about the experience of being a young artist in the early part of the 20th century, sharing anecdotes and observations about many well-known personalities, and reflects on the effect of the 1913 Armory Show on the course of art in the United States. He exhorts young artists in the audience to develop their own vision and to work to create an art which expresses eternal and universal values rather than succumbing to the lure of “show business” and decoration. Marguerite Zorach contributes to the discussion.

Paint manufacturer Leonard Bocour lectures on what he calls “The Permanent Palette” (the paint pigments which are likely to stand the test of time, rather than changing or fading).  His lecture covers sources of these pigments, how they are prepared, and the effects of various solvents, extenders and canvas preparations on their quality and longevity.

Henry Varnum Poor gives a lecture where he talks about his painting practice through an intimate conversation between himself, the faculty, and the participants who ask him questions. Varnum talks about the importance of cultivating a strong vision and knowledge when approaching painting, through the process of trusting what one is seeing and letting their eyes guide them. Drawing is also an important part of Poor’s practice, functioning as a vehicle for him to cultivate knowledge as an artist. Poor draws on the five senses when working on his drawing practice and furthermore sees drawing from life as important because it allows humans to explain the structures that they see around them. Poor ends the lecture by telling the participants that for him, the quality of humanity is essentially the most important thing in a work of art. If this quality isn’t tangible for Poor, then it won’t be a work of art for him.

Painter Joseph Fiore reads from prepared notes while showing slides of work by other painters, relating it to his own interest in matters of color, light, form and spatial relationships.

Calvin Albert gives an art historical lecture showing a series of slides from a wide range of artists working in sculpture. These artists include but are not limited to: Alexander Calder, Isamu Noguchi, Henry Moore, Glenn Chamberlain, Louise Nevelson, Marcel Duchamp, David Smith, Seymour Lipton and Pablo Picasso. Albert shows how these artists go after their ideas and the kinds of preliminary works they create to construct their sculptures. Albert then goes into various biographical details about each sculptor, and the experiences that led each sculptor to become the artist they are today. Albert continues to also share details of the various materials and techniques each artist used in their sculpture making process. Albert ends his lecture by then explaining to the students how showing these slides is not just a history of sculpture, but also a history of money: how these artists received the money they got to make their sculptures, and what tools they could buy to make them.

In her third lecture at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, painter Isabel Bishop shows slides of a number of paintings and comments on where they fall in terms of the box-like manipulation of the picture’s surface. This manipulation makes it possible to pluck out different elements without changing anything else in the painting, and render a more continuous, flowing, sometimes transparent, illusion, which would suffer an atmospheric disruption if a figure were removed.

Kenneth Callahan gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking about various historical moments throughout painting, ranging from Abstract Expressionism to Impressionism, to the current movements in contemporary painting. Callahan says how new current moments in art that he sees all around him in New York are inevitably built from past discoveries. Callahan mentions a wide range of painters throughout his lecture, stating that the painters who become remembered forever are the ones who are able to achieve genuine identity in their work. Callahan warns participants not to try so hard to constantly be experimental and creative, but instead stay open to what they will find. When they open themselves up, they will find a way to their practice.

Painter and Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture co-founder Willard Cummings speaks about the early history of the School, beginning with the planning discussions among founding artists during their service in the War Art Unit in World War II. From the first summer, when there were 38 students in attendance, to the early years, devastation by fire, and financial and growing pains, Cummings gives an overview of the first few years. He goes on to show a selection of slides from those early years. The recording of this lecture is not complete.

Alex Katz gives a lecture talking about his painting and drawing practice while also engaging in a meaningful conversation with the participants. For Katz, he talks about how his paintings and his role as an artist hold a responsibility of engaging with the world in an honest way, however Katz also confesses that if paintings become too radical for him, there are moments when he starts to lose interest. Despite saying this, Katz does confirm that paintings still shouldn’t function as a display to just look nice, because paintings offer the possibility to become an aggressive philosopher. Katz ends his lecture telling the participants how being in New York has not only influenced his painting practice, but also how he sees himself as an artist; for it is the art that is produced in New York which sets the tone for the rest of the world.

Abbott Pattison gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking about his artistic practice which is rooted in sculpture. Pattison approaches his sculpture by thinking about it as a medium that is essentially just being used to make something. Pattison works in a wide range of materials, including marble, bronze, steel, and clay. For Pattison, sculpture isn’t a medium one should be afraid of, but instead should be approached as an incredible potential. Pattison also engages in a conversation with the participants, telling them that artists must be observers and participants in life. Pattison elaborates further on this, stating that for artists who want to go higher, farther, and more truthfully, they must accept that life is not static, and is in a constant state of movement. Pattison says that his primary function as an artist is to make something for himself, and urges the participants that they should never care what anyone else is thinking about it. Pattison then says that in order for artists to grow, they cannot back away from a challenge, because a challenge is a crucial part of an artist’s success, allowing them to grow and become strengthened. Pattison urges the participants to accept the failure that will inevitably happen, because failure will fortify their decisions which will be good for them in the long run and something that artists should never avoid. Pattison ends his lecture by saying that even if artists are filled with doubts, they must know within themselves that they have to act and think with as much truth as they can muster and they must work as diligently and as beautifully as they can. 

William Zorach gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking to the students about the importance of building a community of artists for themselves and the importance of building friendships with other artists. Zorach also shows a series of slides of his sculptures. Sculptures allow him to create a feeling of love for things that are felt, seen, and lived. He seeks to have his sculptures communicate something out of him and into his work. He tells artists that if they don’t have the quality of soul or personality in them, they won’t be able to offer it to others.

John Ciardi gives a lecture and a poetry reading at Skowhegan talking about his work as a poet, translator, and etymologist. He uses the structure, rhyme, and pace of poetry as an infrastructure to help guide the students on how they can learn longevity as artists in whatever medium they choose to practice with. Ciardi explains how they must work with all material in order to not waste it, and references many poets throughout his lecture. Ciardi believes that aesthetic freedom is easy to harness, and reminds the students that nothing in a good work takes place by accident, but instead they should aspire to create controlled accidents. Ciardi also warns the students never to chat as artists, but instead build an honest formula for themselves. This formula will help the students make stronger art that rises above what they are trying to say, transcending the original subject matter.

Painter John Laurent talks about his relationship with friend and mentor Walt Kuhn, reading extensively from letters Kuhn wrote to him. Laurent also reads from a pamphlet Kuhn wrote about the Armory Show of 1913 (often known as The International Exhibition of Modern Art of 1913), which he declares “probably the most important thing that ever happened… in American art.” Laurent also discusses a TIME Magazine interview with Kuhn done not long before his death in 1949.

In this 1961 lecture artist Henry Varnum Poor shows slides of his work (not identified) in pottery, sculpture, architecture, painting and drawing. He follows this with a talk on the importance of finding a personal artistic vision and mode of expression, and strategies which the young artist can employ to achieve that goal. A significant portion of the lecture, which is incomplete, is devoted to the idea of space in painting.

Kenneth Callahan gives a lecture talking about his artistic practice at Skowhegan. Callahan focuses on his paintings, which for him is a philosophy and a way of life the that helps him function as an expression of his thoughts. These living forms that are created through painting may sometimes have a living form, and sometimes it may not, but ultimately it is always an expression that Callahan seeks to create. Callahan reflects on how his time living in Seattle and studying the art of Japanese and Chinese artists has influenced his work. leading him to explore Buddhism, mysticism, and cultivating an inner eye for himself as an artist. Callahan uses these interests in Buddhism and mysticism to inform the participants how it is important for them to create positive and meaningful roots in their lives. This will allow artists to find their way in the world, and will allow them to really thrive as artists.

Paul Frazier begins his lecture at Skowhegan by showing a series of slides of his work rooted in painting and drawing, utilizing a wide variety of materials for his mark making ranging from pen, brush, gouache, and pencil. Frazier tells the participants how it’s important for them as artists to draw inspiration from books, history, nature, and other artists’ points of view that inspire and challenge them. He urges artists to follow their stimulation when finding an individual point of view as artists as this will help them break through their limitations.

James Kearns gives a lecture talking about his experiences over the years being an artist. Kearns explains to the participants that art is a search of positive values to predicate what will be the next act in an artistic practice. He urges them to reject indifference, stating that it is a negative force in art, and instead cultivate love which will always be a positive force in art. Kearns states that art from any period of time is not the work of one man or attitude but rather the character of any time which is the sum total of many artists working in a variety of ways; often contradictory, often merely differently, and often alike. Kearns also believes in responsible freedom and personal commitment which are necessary for orders to succeed. Kearns ends his lecture telling the participants that art is vitally important as a practice. It will allow them to always interpreting reality, and that sometimes it takes one style and not two individuals or styles working in various ways-often contradictory- to vitally and effectively interpret today’s reality 

Henry Varnum Poor gives a lecture talking about the importance of drawing and the role it plays in developing a strong artistic practice, referencing important artists who have influenced his approach to drawing. For Poor, one of the most important aspects of drawing is to capture the essence of the figure, or the anatomy of the subject matter drawn whether it is through the relationship between light and dark, or through the ways that lines and forms are used. Poor also shows a series of slides depicting his paintings, explaining how his work has been heavily inspired by art history; particularly the periods of the Renaissance and Impressionism. Poor ends his lecture by telling the participants to trust their eyes and be bold enough in their vision.

Robert Cronbach gives a lecture at Skowhegan where he talks about the sculptural form and how to find enjoyment in sculpture. Cronbach goes into great detail talking about the tactile senses that sculpture provides, and how this is a very intense experience. Cronbach believes that touch, and the experience of touch, is a very important part of a sculpture. Cronbach then discusses how sculpture at its core is made up of a combination of multiple identities including form, space, volume, and emptiness. For Cronbach, the ability for sculpture to produce form allows it to then create a relationship with the space it occupies. Throughout the lecture, Cronbach shares slides of various artists across history who have exploited the surface of sculpture by pushing the medium to absolute extremes. Cronbach ends the lecture by stating that sculpture is never a frozen motion, but an active movement in how it plays with different forms and spaces.

Ruth Gikow gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking about her artistic practice rooted in painting and drawing. Gikow implements a wide range of material in her work, ranging from watercolours, lithographs, woodblocks, oil painting, embroidery, paper, charcoal, and graphite to name a few. GIkow’s work oscillates between figuration and abstraction, drawing inspiration from the urban landscapes of New York, the relationships between light and dark, and representation of bodies that have historically been on the margins. Gikow also touches upon how gender has informed her life as a female artist, reflecting on how she’s had to push against the discrimination she has come across, and drawing inspiration from Anne Poor who has been a seminal artist for her to look at; especially with Anne Poor being one of the only female professors of art in the country. Gikow ends her lecture by urging the participants to also explore philosophy in their work, telling them that they should always strive for freedom as artists and be allowed to say whatever they want to say in their paintings.

Curator of American painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and drawing instructor at the Art Students League, Robert Hale presents a lecture on anatomy for the artist, starting by creating drawings of a person and a horse which show common mistakes the beginner makes in trying to draw what he sees, and then drawing muscles over the basic skeletons and pointing out how some muscle groupings which share the same function (extending or flexing a joint) can be drawn as a mass. He then fields questions ranging from how to draw an elephant to policies and structure of the Met with regard to new purchases.

John Hovannes gives a lecture at Skowhegan where he shares a series of slides featuring his sculptures. Hovannes works in a wide range of materials which include–but are not limited to–wood, stone, clay, and metal. Hovannes believes that anything produced with originality and quality can be art. Hovannes then tells the students to reflect on the importance of the tools they use for their sculptures, and not just the materials. Hovannes notes how there is a difference between primitive and modern artists. For Hovannes, primitive artists have something to say through their sculptures done in a simplistic manner, while modern artists have a conceptual idea they tend to express. Hovannes goes on to tell the students how artists always borrow from the past, but reminds them that they can borrow in a way where they contribute and pay forward the ideas they borrow. Going back to the materiality of sculpture, Hovannes believes that raw materials will always come from the past, because the past has an important role in one’s development as an artist; and artists must borrow from the past in order to learn from each other. Hovannes ends his lecture by telling the students to utilize tradition in modern art as found in theory and books, and apply this knowledge in their physical practice as artists.

Herbert Katzman gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking to the participants about his experience being an artist. Katzman offers many words of wisdom to the participants, beginning by stating that the road of an artist will be rife at times and that artists will always be faced with problems. Katzman says that the thing of greatest importance for artists is their work, and the second greatest thing is to keep themselves going in order to keep doing their work. Katzman states that artists must be willing to struggle without any thoughts of material success or rewards, and that there are hundreds of thousands of ways for artists to reflect on the times in their work. Katzman says that the work that the participants create will be the result of their own experience and inspiration. Katzman states that artists should always fight with themselves for their own liberty, and they should be coarse and unperfected. There should constantly be an immense struggle within artists to free themselves of all rules in order to surpass themselves. Katzman goes on to say that it’s not necessary to hide suffering, mistakes and disappointment, and that artists should be guided by what they feel. While they should listen to the advice of others, they should follow only what they understand and believe, always trusting their instincts. Finally, Katzman ends his lecture saying that it is better to be nothing on one’s own terms than be an echo of another artist, and that any fleeting thought an artist may have will always be better than a borrowed thought.

Richard Stankiewicz begins his lecture by briefly talking about his work, stating how he has always been interested in old machinery and junk metal scraps in order to put them together into compositions which carry his ideas. Stankiewicz then engages in an intimate conversation with the students where he shares his thoughts on what it means to be a working artist. Stenkiewicz begins by telling the students that every person is a special kind of artist. Stankiewicz believes that communication and strong impressions are important qualities to cultivate as an artist. Communication has to be structured in an artificial way with logic and an element of order in it. Stankiewicz believes that originality is a valuable trait to cultivate as an artist, for it allows them to create something in a way that no one else has. If originality is executed in a genuine way of seeing and doing things, other people will have their vision improved which will allow for more variety around the way of seeing. Stankiewicz believes that really important, original thought has come as a result of following familiar patterns to their end. When an artist arrives at the end, they must make up where they go from there, and do it according to the systems they have already been using. Artists then must believe in their work and process, and explain what it is they’re doing. Stankiewicz warns the students that they should not concern themselves with acting like geniuses or “great” artists, for the “great” artists who have made their mark in history were never conscious of the fact that they were great. Stankiewicz states that if they have an idea of infinite purity, they have to find the right medium to match that idea. Stankiewicz warns the students that they must not fall into the trope of the poor artist, for suffering is easy: they must believe what they’re interested in, and do what they like. Stankiewicz then goes on to tell the students that they must exhibit everything they can, as often as they can, whenever they can, and wherever they can. Stankiewicz ends his lecture by telling the students that character will always be more important than talent. He has never seen someone with weak character who is also a good artist, and that ultimately there is nothing great that is produced by small people.

In this lengthy lecture, William Zorach speaks candidly and intimately to the participants about his life as an artist. Zorach begins the lecture by urging students to close the door on their schooling, and open the door on their own art. He states that in a time where one is constantly bombarded with all kinds of ideas, it is important for artists to make up their minds in order to develop resilience, as well as to learn how to become a dedicated human being. Artists must then try to cultivate luck, even though it is something they won’t always have control over. Zorach then states that the art world is full of illusion and one of the most important things as an artist is to retain one’s integrity and fight for it. When artists do this it is easier for them to express with clarity their simplicity and power, which are spiritual qualities and aspirations of the humanities which are timeless. Zorach states that a work of art is something conveyed, a feeling, an invocation, and that art must not just be a beautiful thing. Art’s goal is not to just echo, enhance, and animate life, but it must also be an expectancy, a foreboding, a tension, or a vision. Zorach says that artists should also challenge themselves to go beyond the limitations of their mediums, which will teach them how to develop their consciousness in taste and understand what art can be about. Zorach then shifts gears and speaks about his own artistic practice, which includes painting, drawing, stone-carving and ceramics. Zorach shares some of the themes that have inspired him as well, drawing from ideas around African sculpture, history, geography, spirituality, and autobiography. Zorach ends his lecture urging the participants to try and make a living by their work, while never compromising it. Zorach says the participants should believe in themselves and find people in their community who believe in them as well.

Isabel Bishop gives a lecture where she shows a series of slides talking about the history of the nude throughout the history of art. Bishop’s talk spans many periods in art history, ranging from Ancient Greek and Indian art, Italian Renaissance, Hellenistic art, all the way to Cubism and Abstraction. Bishop explains how the nude is the most complete example of the transmutation of matter into form. Bishop also talks about the subtle differences between painting, sculpture, and even poetry, going into depth on how these various mediums communicate with implicit and explicit messages. Bishop states that any image that is powerful–whether an image comprised of painting, sculpture, or words– is rooted in two essentials, a relation with the “austere tradition of design,” which she defines as order, and a relation with the “antique religion of sensuality” from which the nude derives its authority and momentum.

Henry Varnum Poor gives a lecture talking about the role of contemporary painting, with a specific focus on how Henri Matisse has shaped the conversation of painting, showing a series of his slides. Poor also talks about the way Skowhegan has fostered an environment to nurture students on how to be artists with multiple points of view, and tells participants not to be committed to a single point of view before they have evolved completely so they do not stifle their voices as artists. Poor says that Skowhegan’s mandate is to delay one’s consideration as arrived geniuses or lonely spirits trying to express themselves, and that Skowhegan tries to make artists forget about themselves and invest so much in the pursuit of knowledge that they arrive at their own voice naturally. Poor makes comparisons to other residencies like Yaddo and MacDowell, and says that what sets Skowhegan apart from them is that it will always function as a school. Poor also tries to make artists realize that any point of view which they may push or develop as an artist must be based on a very fine understanding of the world, and the visual world. Poor states that he believes artists must tap into nature and that the simplest means allow an artist to truly tap into themselves, while painting with reason alone makes a work an artifice. Poor ends his lecture by stating that ultimately that every work of art is a fusion of the artist, their spirit, and the material they work with.

David Aronson gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking about his experiences becoming an artist. Aronson speaks candidly to the participants, telling them that their main task as an artist is to communicate their personal imagery to others. Aronson says that their message must have a universality without becoming generalized. Aronson also states that artists must express a varied vision to reach the differing awarenesses of different individuals. For Aronson, the key to doing this is to be simultaneously simple and complex. Aronson states that in order to arrive at these thoughts, artists have to have a broad and empathetic understanding of humankind. Aronson states that artists should strive to possess a continuing insight into their own inner structure and an ability to organize and channel their reactions into unified and orderly statements. Aronson ends his lecture stating that a significant work of art is the result of the most sensitive balance of many factors.

Louise Bouche gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking about his experiences as an artist and educator. Throughout the lecture, Bouche engages in a lively conversation with the participants, talking about artists that have influenced his practice–particularly Picasso–and offering words of advice. Bouche encourages the participants to value integrity and warns them not to be an artist solely for the purpose of chasing success, because this kind of thinking can produce suffering. Bouche then says that artists don’t have to be tortured souls, but have the right to live happy, successful lives. Bouche ends his lecture by stressing that artists should turn towards nature for inspiration, as nature improves their ability to actively look. Bouche concludes that looking is just as important as creating and will lead the participants to find their own direction as they continue to grow as artists.

In an early lecture at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, painter Kenneth Callahan speaks about pitfalls facing the artist, including how making a living through or apart from one’s art affects that art; the effects of publicity and criticism; influence versus imitation. This is followed by a review of slides of Skowhegan faculty work with minimal commentary and some general remarks on the speaker’s personal philosophy of art.

Robert Cronbach gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking about the extended use of space and its impact on sculpture. Cronbach describes sculpture as a combination or arrangement of forms in space. He states how these forms create excitement and aesthetic response depending on the intensity of the image they project, or by their design. Cronbach believes that the design of sculpture is the sheer arrangement of these various masses through their size, direction, quality of form, and the surface of the form. Cronbach goes on to talk about the history of sculpture by sharing slides of sculptors throughout history. Cronbach begins with classical concepts of sculpture such as Michelangelo and Auguste Rodin, and the way they explored emotional and expressionistic surfaces. Cronbach then turns to modern artists including Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Henry Moore, and Louise Nevelson, and highlights their contributions to the medium. Cronbach tells the students that at the end of the day–as human beings–they will always get emotional excitement out of the human figure and its three-dimensional, plastic quality. Cronbach highlights how sculpture will always thrive because it contains a three-dimensional, spatial statement about the human being, a quality he believes is inherently fascinating to viewers.

Painter William Kienbusch talks about his love for his craft and the Maine coast, (which is most often the subject of his work). He also discusses his materials, technique and working methods. In response to questions he talks about various well-known painters of the day (devoting particular attention to Picasso and Jackson Pollock), his interest in poetry, and his predictions about future trends in art.

Addressing questions submitted in advance, artist Ben Shahn talks about humanism and abstraction, the issue of trends in art, eclecticism and influence, and other philosophical issues, mostly dealing with his views on contemporary art. The speaker then opens the discussion to questions from the audience, which leads to exchanges on the social obligations of art, government support of the arts, critics and museum directors, a heated debate about the relative merits of Bill de Kooning and Alberto Burri, the difference between genuine and fake art, the danger of absolutes, and the subject of illustration or illumination as art.

Harold Tovish gives a lecture talking about his experiences as an artist, explaining the sense of urgency he felt in art during the Works Progress Administration and the shift he felt after World War II. Tovish meditates on the development of abstract art, talking about his interest in it as being purely technical. While Tovish admits to using techniques from abstract art, he also states his inability to truly accept the philosophy of it. Tovish goes on to talk about his experiences teaching, and his years of visiting Skowhegan as a visiting artist. Tovish notes a shift in the attitude and skills of arts students, whom he sees as having a much deeper level of sophistication than he did at their age while also being more closed off and harder to convince to change their point of view. Tovish then turns the conversation towards himself, remarking on his self-critical nature and suggesting that world changing art is perhaps being made now and that he simply cannot understand it. Tovish ends his lecture by inviting the students to question him and challenge his perspective.

William Zorach gives a lecture talking about his painting and sculpture practice. Throughout the lecture, Zorach engages in an intimate conversation with the participants, telling them that art is about healing. Zorach states that a great artist is someone who is dedicated to great ideas. Zorach states that one will never be able to commercialize art, religion, love, and justice. Zorach encourages the participants to try different mediums in art, for experimentation will always lead to growth. Zorach then encourages the participants to understand how to find good and real art, and sift through the garbage of so much bad art there is out there. Zorach elaborates further on this by stating that the works of art that are expressed with great simplicity and power are the works that will be deemed as great art. Zorach also tells the participants to draw constantly, for drawing is very important and it will allow them to familiarize themselves with the human form. Zorach ends his lecture telling the participants that they have to work for everything they want to achieve in this world.

Artist Peter Blume engages his audience in a thoughtful and complex lecture about the nature of reality and illusion as they pertain to painting. At the end of the lecture he also addresses the question of making a living as an artist.

Jack Levine gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking about his work and life experiences as an artist, stating the many artists who have influenced his thinking and trajectory along the way. Levine reflects on his painting practice and engages in an open conversation with the participants as well. Levine tells the participants how he believes that abstract structure is the way ahead, because of the way it is based on a peculiar kind of publicity and need for self-expression. Levine urges the participants to be assertive and find strength as they go forward in their careers, and tells them they should never accept a premise in an artwork that they don’t agree with, but should fight against it. This will also allow them to develop their own trajectory and accept a certain direction in their work as artists. Levine ends his lecture by telling the participants that the function of art is to show people and the world something they have never seen before through the mediums in which they choose to engage with.

Following a short statement on the topic of “What is art?” sculptor William Zorach identifies work by different, named and unnamed, sculptors from slides selected by Sidney Simon and gives his opinion on the works and an occasional anecdote or historical tidbit about each artist. Questions lead him to express his general disdain for non-objective and welded sculpture as decoration or architectural renderings, and to offer advice to the young artists about circumstances around making art and being discovered in the contemporary art world.

Henry Varnum Poor gives a lecture talking about his experiences as an artist and offers words of wisdom to the participants. Poor begins his lecture by stating that in order to be an artist, artists should cultivate a fundamental sense of excitement for his or her relationship to the world. This will allow them to establish a point of view but also remain open minded to the world around them. Poor then states that Skowhegan pedagogically believes in discipline, specifically self discipline. Though there is no imposed outside discipline, every artist who expects to achieve anything must have a tremendous amount of self discipline. Poor tells the participants that they must throw themselves into problems, be able to cope with those problems, and put themselves through necessary routines in order to deal with them. Poor then goes on to describe how art is different from science, stating that science accumulates knowledge which leads to understanding but art is essentially primitive, because art is an expression of each new person who is a part of the world. Artists don’t need to know all the accumulation of data which lies back with them because that denies the whole point of art which is meant to be immediate and personal. Poor states that the accumulation of knowledge which the artist can use is a very slight accumulation of knowledge. Poor also states that art is the opposite of science, because art is not a river which goes towards an end, but a constant tide which rises and falls. Poor further elaborates by saying that the finest works of art come out of the immediate understanding of a person and their relation to the world. Poor then shifts gears and tells the participants that the artists don’t need to worry about freedom because freedom has already been established for them, and artists can carry their freedom with them everywhere they go. This will allow them to develop a steadiness and purpose which lets them go somewhere towards an end. They don’t need to determine what their end already is, but simply have to feel that they are going in a direction that they believe in and work towards that it. Poor ends his lecture saying that imagination in art lies in finding the most complete expression of the existing thing, whether that is the beauty in nature or any other forms they may encounter it in. Once they find these expressions, it will become a part of them and their art.

Gardner Cox shows a series of slides talking about a wide range of artists, specifically focusing on artists and their relationship to the human skull. Cox also focuses on the way artists handle paint and think about the formal qualities of painting in relation to ideas of morbidity, death, and mortality. For each artist that Cox talks about, he stresses the importance of their mastering a strong skill set in observing, and drawing from life in order to create their cinematic masterful oeuvres. Each painting should have a life of its own and should represent life and liveliness as well as darkness. Cox also talks about his own artistic practice, and the deep connection he has to drawing, particularly the medium of charcoal for the way it forces him to deal with the unknown and guide him to make the right choices in his practice. Cox then ends his lecture stressing to the participants how important drawing is and encourages them to cultivate a strong drawing practice in their work. Cox specifically states that whenever participants get the opportunity to draw models around them, they should render themselves vulnerable and sensitive. This vulnerability allows them to be sensitive to the models they draw, to deeply feel their expressions, and to connect to the body and their surroundings, which makes them stronger artists.

George Grosz gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking about his experiences as an artist, and shares intimate details about his life as a painter. Grosz talks about how the experiences of war influenced his portraiture practice, and how he draws on themes of trauma, psychological upheaval, and historical memory to create the figures that occupy his paintings. Throughout the lecture, Grosz shares the influences of many artists who have inspired his way of thinking, and ends his lecture by engaging in an intimate conversation with the staff and participants. Grosz ends his lecture by telling the participants that anything in life that they have to overcome, they will learn how to deal with it by sublimating it.

Abbott Lawrence Pattison gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking about his experiences as an artist. Pattison begins his lecture by telling participants that being an artist today means exploring and being a part of an incredibly challenging yet tremendous adventure. Pattison also urges the participants to make sure they spend time in cities, for being in a big city will be an important experience due to the vital, disturbing, and challenging ways it will allow them to grow. Pattison then begins to talk more intimately to the participants, stating that the artist is a rather lonely person, and there are not many people artists can talk to courteously and intelligently that can provide a space of home for them. Pattison draws on his own life experiences, saying that there have been many times when he has done something which seems to him to be perfectly understandable and recognizable while someone who knows nothing about the art world will make a cutting remark which they wouldn’t make about any other profession. Pattison tells the participants to ignore that kind of energy and not let them cloud the way in which they perceive the world. Pattison then goes on to talk about the importance of realizing that there are no boundaries, physical or spiritual, that the artist cannot transgress; everything is open. If an experience that an artist has gives them a deeper insight to the land, sea, mountain, or other human beings, this will allow the artist to be equipped to comment significantly on the great truths of the universe. Pattison elaborates on these points by stating that an artist should be a good craftsman, but firstly a good thinker, for a good thinker and a visionary must be transgressive. This will allow artists to also be their own critics and arrive at their own conclusions of the world around them. Pattison goes further by telling the artists that they have to look at what they’re making and they should never count on anybody to push them along. All the pushing, deciding, and figuring out has to be done absolutely independently. Pattison concludes that artists will always be lonely breeds because they have to figure things out themselves in their practices.

William Zorach gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking to the participants and faculty about his experiences as an artist. Throughout the lecture, Zorach talks intimately about his sculptural practice, and uses a wide range of materials that range from bronze, marble, wood, and stone. Zorach then starts talking more intimately to the participants, first by telling them to elevate the importance of drawing in their mediums, and then urging them to always be aware of art history in order to think more critically about how they wish to engage with their chosen material. Zorach goes on further to state that the material shouldn’t just be something that they use to copy the model, but something to collaborate with. Zorach says that this will allow them to understand that art is about communication and not decoration, and that art’s real power lies in the ability to be expressive and to move, awe, and exalt people.

In this early lecture at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Isabel Bishop shows a variety of slides to illustrate how different artists have worked with the surface they are painting, be it canvas or object, flat or shaped, with varying degrees of success and interest. Unfortunately, although many of the artists are named, the works are not identified.

Francis Chapin gives a lecture at Skowhegan speaking in depth about his watercolor practice. Throughout the lecture, Chapin gives demonstrations on how to mix colors and prepare surfaces for watercolor. Chapin states that the rule with watercolor is not to mix more than two colors together or it will get very opaque. Chapin tells the students they also must have a solid understanding of color theory, in particular how complimentary colors work. Chapin believes that as students, it’s important for them to work with a complete range of colors when exploring watercolor, and not just paint with bright or earthen tones. Chapin then states how he works with one-hundred forty pound cold press papers which he stretches on a piece of board. Chapin states that if students choose to work with rough paper instead, they must wet both sides of it, because the first time they put brush and water on a rough paper, the paper will repel the water. Chapin emphasizes that understanding the mechanics of watercolor painting is fundamental. Chapin then shares another tip regarding conceptual ideas with the students: they must never execute their conceptual ideas too quickly, or the ideas will wither away. Chapin ends his lecture by reminding the students to learn about the practical side of how to build a career as an artist to ensure longevity.

Abbott Pattison gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking about the various art historical movements he has studied while showing a series of slides of a wide range of artists as well. Some of the historical movements Pattison touches upon include Italian Renaissance, Ancient Greek sculpture, Impressionism, Cubism, and Dada. Pattison also focuses on specific forms in the body during his slide presentation, showing a series of sculptural heads ranging from Egyptian and Samaritan, to Indian and Chinese, explaining to the students the various ways in which they can explore portraiture through sculpture. Pattison ends his lecture by sharing some of his own works, including his drawings and sculptures. Pattison stresses to the participants the importance of drawing, stating that the more they draw the stronger their artistic practice will become.

Painter Richard Pousette-Dart reads an inspirational overview of what art, and in particular painting, means to him, followed by questions and challenges about his thoughts on abstraction in painting, in response to many of which the artist admits that he is conflicted, or as he puts it, a bundle of contradictions.

Mitchell Siporin gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking about his painting practice and sharing his experience as an artist throughout his career. Siporin touches on many historical movements throughout art, explaining to the students the importance for them to always study their art history. Siporin also mentions many painters who have influenced his thinking, and tells the participants to trust their intuition as artists. When artists engage in this deep feeling of building trust with themselves, they will be able to arrive at the feeling of knowing what they want to do, and how the directions they want their work to head for in the future. This type of trust will also only come with making a commit to be an artist for the long haul and to be patient with themselves. With time artists will understand what it is htat they want to say. Sipron also says that it is important for artists to try to be in America, because it will help them find freedom and to also have their work entered into the various museums across the country.

William Zorach gives a lecture talking about his life experiences becoming an artist. He reflects on his time being a student in New York and how New York taught him that one can learn so much being an artist outside the tradition of an academic school. Some of the activities Zorach personally engaged with as an artist included participating in murals and working on projects with his friends throughout the city. Zorach tells the participants that no one knows who the true masters of art will be that are currently living, and which artists will be remembered hundreds of years to come. Zorach then explains to the students the importance of learning how to discriminate between style/fashion and art. He states that there is a great difference between the two, and one must always be careful of the trends that come and go in art. Zorach elaborates on this point, telling the participants that the art world is now steeped in an age of over promotion and advertising, and that the participants must not be worried about the ivory tower or commercial success. Zorach tells them that everything will solve itself out if they believe in themselves and their work and have confidence as artists, while also finding people who believe in their work.

Henry Varnum Poor gives a lecture at Skowhegan and shows a series of slides focusing on a selection of 18th and 19th century artists, with a particular focus on the works of Paul Cezanne, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Henri Matisse, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, and Pablo Picasso. Poor draws on these artists, the Italian Renaissance, and the contemporary moment of art, showing the ways in which they were inspired in their practices. Poor uses their trajectories to explain to the participants that being an artist is never about being in a fixed moment, but always oscillating with the artists from the past, as well as the artists who will come after you. Poor further elaborates that it is important to understand these artists in order to make sense of the contemporary moment in painting, and to move the conversation of painting further along. Poor also explores the ways these artists were able to bend the genres they worked in, whether it was the fruit or landscape paintings of Renoir, the vivid colours of Toulouse-Lautrec, the psychological figurative works of Picasso, or the still lifes of Matisse.

Using analogies from the drawings of children and the insane, as well as several important periods in art history, painter George Biddle engages his audience in a discussion of idea that the best art in any age represents a balance between a representational, extroverted style and a stylized, abstract, symbolic, introverted style. The conversation then moves on to a discussion of government involvement in art at the national level, which includes opinions on a proposed Fine Arts Bill, the Commission of Fine Arts, the WPA, and the role the government plays in art in other countries.

Through a series of questions from the audience, sculptor Concetta Scaravaglione is drawn out to speak about her own philosophy and approach to her work, sculpture and the arts in general, and the work of selected contemporary sculptors; this is followed by a slide show. The recording has suffered numerous losses and appears to be incomplete.

Manfred Schwartz gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking about his artistic practice. Schwartz believes that creating art allows for a search for intelligence, and reminds artists the importance of living in the moment. Schwartz reflects on the spiritual and psychological importance of what it means to create art today and why the meaning of art should be created. Schwartz shares these reflections with the students by also talking about various artists and art movements. Schwartz then tells the students that creative impulses can emerge from oppositions, and that learning to paint is simply learning to see. Schwartz believes that once an artist has learned to see through their paintings, they must learn to carry the burden of enlightenment. Furthermore, if an artist chooses to compromise with the public, they must do it in a way where they have the courage and conviction to stick to their identity.

Painter Ben Shahn engages in an interactive discussion with participants about the homogenization of artistic expression which he sees as an outcome of existing art publications.Shahn also talks about the high costs associated with mounting an exhibition and the role of art education in encouraging the young artist to find art close to himself rather than copying what he sees in books and magazines. This recording is incomplete and has audio losses.

Mitchell Siporin gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking about his life as a practicing artist. Siporin states that the experiences one may have may not always come out of their work, because it is the artists who will decide on a certain subject and certain idea for themselves. Siporin says that the most important thing for artists is to keep being themselves as they immerse themselves in the world. When they do this, they will surrender to the idea that no matter what they wish to create as an artist, it will always come from themselves and the types of experiences that they have. Siporin urges the artists to make sure that the experiences they embark on as artists are strong, and that their knowledge of the world be vital and important to the work that they make. Siporin also stresses the importance of having a rigorous working habit, stating that making art requires work. An artist will never be inspired until they put in the work to create their art, and if they don’t work hard, they won’t be inspired. Siporin ends his lecture saying that the truth isn’t something fixed, but something that the participants can always draw on to guide themselves as artists.

Reuben Tam gives a technical lecture where he presents slides of his landscape paintings and shares methods to become a strong artist, particularly working in the medium of painting. Tam explains the way imagination exists in the formation of abstract painting as well as in landscape painting. Tam explains to the students that they must learn how to communicate and to feel the element and drama of a conceptual idea, such to the point that they are moved by an idea before they begin to think about painting it. Tam warns the students that without emotion, an artwork is not a painting, but instead operates as a decoration or an illustration. Tam then tells the students to always be open to new ideas, for the aspect of discovery in originality can revive and add meaning to a conventional subject. Tam states that in this shift, a painting will be worthy of attention because it depicts the world one is from and the world one lives in; allowing oneself to see beyond the image of what was painted.

Artist Marguerite Zorach gives an off-the-cuff autobiographical talk about her early experiences in the art world with her husband, the sculptor William Zorach, noting their naiveté and haphazard approach to incorporating art into their everyday lives. Particular attention is devoted to tapestry, interaction with art dealers, and the exhibition and disposition of her work.

In this early lecture at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Henry Varnum Poor talks about the loss of tradition in art, which he relates to the proliferation of reproductions of artwork from many times and cultures. He contrasts this with true artistic traditions in which the artist lived in the same culture as, and was familiar with, through direct association, the work of his predecessors and contemporaries in that tradition, be it Native American pottery, Impressionism, or classical painting. He illustrates this talk with slides of paintings by a number of artists.

Reed Kay gives a lecture talking about the formal and technical qualities of color. Kay gives live demonstrations where he grinds color and tells the participants how to observe the difference of behavior between different colors. Kay teaches them how to work with commercially prepared casein color, and explains to them the differences between synthetic resins and other water techniques, egg temperas, and gouaches. Kay explains these demonstrations in meticulous detail and outlines a course plan for the participants that will teach them how to concern themselves with the property of materials. Kay states that learning this will be of utmost importance, for painting is a fairly fragile affair and is particularly susceptible to changes over time. Kay also states that the fact that someone can use oil against another material does not mean that they have to close their eyes to detail. They can still search for different ways of expression. Kay ends his lecture and demonstration by telling participants that it is possible to express anything in one medium that you can express in another, one just has to search for different terms.

In this fragment of an early lecture at Skowhegan, African American painter Jacob Lawrence answers questions about color, texture, line and mood or emotional content in his work.

Jack Levine gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking about his experiences as an artist. He begins his lecture by telling the participants that what they invest their faith in over a period of time will be determined by how hard they work. Levine then urges the artists that a healthy feeling of skepticism in how one approaches the art world is necessary for young artists. This will help them examine how to take apart the art world and critique it in order to be a part of it. Levine also talks about own practice, sharing slides of his paintings, which are rooted on telling stories about the human race and about people in order to create moving human documents that represent the times today. Levine reflects on his wide range of influences which have developed this practice–including but not limited to– Flemish and Russian painting, the concept of aesthetics, speculations on mysticism and fragility, pure primary coloration, geometric constructions, and expressionistic brushstrokes. Levine ends his lecture by stating that what’s lacking in painting today is the feeling for artists to express their own lives and how their lives can look.

Charles Rudy gives a lecture at Skowhegan looking at the history of painting and sculpture through a series of slides. He reflects on many artists such as Edgar Degas, Pablo Gargallo, August Gaul, Isamu Noguchi, José de Creeft, and many others. Rudy goes into precise details regarding how these artists have made their works, and the technical frameworks they used. Rudy then starts sharing slides of his own work with the students, and explains how his various life experiences have informed his sculptures, particularly being around the rural landscape. The rural landscape informed Rudy’s love for sculpture of animals, with a specific affinity for mountain goats, mountain lions, buffalos, and bears. Rudy shares his passion for working with a diverse range of materials, such as oakwood, Greek marble, and Indiana limestone and how these surfaces have all helped him expand his relationship with sculpture. Rudy ends his lecture by telling the students the importance of collaboration, stating how collaboration with architects has informed his approach to scale when thinking about the construction of his sculptural practice.

Reading from prepared remarks, sculptor David Smith challenges his audience to refute the idea that art must derive from a tradition, most notably the Italian Renaissance tradition, contending instead that it comes from a more recent family heritage which is particular to the individual artist. He shows slides of his own work and that of other artists, points to other important artistic traditions (Gothic, Egyptian, Etruscan, etc.), talks about his art education, advocates for an art which exists in a space not shared by words, and answers questions from the audience.

Sculptor William Zorach reads two unpublished articles, the first on “what makes an artist,” and the second on “where is sculpture today,” followed by a question and answer period and a slide show with commentary of sculptures from diverse times and cultures. Some attention is paid to the sculptor’s opinions of Mondrian. The recording for the lecture has suffered some minor losses.

Henry Koerner gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking about his artistic practice. Koerner’s lecture covers many of his interests: American illustrators, New Yorker Covers, and a wide range of artists whose practices Koerner learns from. Koerner shares his desire to understand the visual aspect of reality through painting. For Koerner, painting is an investigation and an expression of philosophy in which the painting is a screen on which his concept of reality is presented. For Koerner, the subjective idea of telling a story is something he tries to represent through color, shape and lines; which is his goal as a painter. Whenever Koerner is presented with a literal idea, he seeks to investigate it through painting. Koerner is curious to continue exploring his subconscious in painting and also see how painting can bring about a change of attitude towards the world that artists live in.

Henry Varnum Poor gives a lecture talking about why he believes that the present day situation for contemporary painting is so confused. Poor begins this thought process by stating how the orderly progression of painting came to the end with Picasso. With the arrival of Picasso, instead of any singleness of intention, there are now so many differences that there is no accepted tradition of painting anymore. This has triggered the development of a hundred ways to paint, and developed a hundred points of view, which can create confusion because of a lack of a singleness in tradition. Poor goes further stating that Imagery is an essential part of painting, and that abstract painting has also become a new medium, due to its ability to raise the element of decoration into another dimension by making it emotional, injecting it with a force, and being imbued with a power that it has never had before and seeing how far that power can be carried. Poor uses these histories to tell the participants that they–as artists– should always push back against tradition. Poor elaborates on this point by stating that the real quality of a work of art must always lie in the tension between imagery plus the abstract qualities of art. As soon as one completely overpowers one or the other, the art work will become completely dead, giving the example that just as when one eliminates all qualities of design and composition from a painting, it also becomes dead. Poor ends his lecture by stating that artists should never lose track of their own contact with the world. Every painter who is any good paints out of the sense of excitement and rediscovery of the world around them, and that rediscovery will always be influenced by how other painters have rediscovered this before them.

Katharine Kuh, curator of Contemporary Painting at the Art Institute of Chicago, discusses the definition of contemporary art and the problems young artists face while trying to make a mark in the contemporary art world.

Karl Knaths gives a lecture at Skowhegan reflecting on his painting practice. Throughout the lecture, Knaths reflects on the importance of pictorial construction, emphasizing that it allows him to develop both a Cubist and representational aesthetic. Knaths shares slides of paintings and sculptures from various artists throughout his lecture as well, including Renaissance, Impressionist, and Cubist works. Knaths utilizes the slides to explain to the students the importance of structuring a painting, for it will allow them to strongly characterize what they wish to express. Another method to create structure that Knaths shares is to think about the thematic development of shapes. Once this is done successfully, students will be able to understand how to deal with space, lines, and color. Knaths then shares how the deeper artists go into their paintings, the less difference they will find, for it is essentially a story about who artists are as human beings. Knaths advises the students to always express themselves as artists. In order to express oneself successfully, artists should develop a method of communication that can be externalized so they can express what they wish.

Sculptor José de Creeft talks about various projects he worked on in Majorca, Spain, including a monument to soldiers and twenty-two different capitals carved from stone. De Creeft also discusses different techniques he employs in his work. This recording is incomplete.

Willard Cummings presents an overview of the history, of fresco, illustrated with a sampling of slides, most of which are not identified by name. Fresco technique and mosaic are also touched on briefly. There is some history of the frescoes in the South Solon Meeting House, which were painted by students in the early years of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture.

Alex Katz gives an in-depth lecture talking about his painting practice. Katz begins the lecture by reflecting on the paintings he has done, stating that he seeks to create an aesthetic reflection of a particular moment or a state of life. Katz engages with shadows as a way to allow him to understand perspective, deep space and build representational and abstract motifs in his work. Katz also speaks about the brushstroke in his work being a form that doesn’t always have to be seen, and the kind of energy that creates. Katz ends his lecture by saying that being a successful painter and artist requires an enormous amount of ego, an enormous amount of skill, and the ability to be anti-social.

Ben Shahn gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking about his painting practice. Shahn tells the participants that artists are people who make images, and that the artist’s point of view is one of foresight. Shahn says that the artist’s job is to make something that has never been seen in this world before. He then states that artists must differentiate between two images: what we call primary images, which are seen as fresh and personal, and secondary images, which deal with language and science. Shahn ends his lecture by saying that artists must always strive to make symbols that realize and communicate new meaning because this can lead to the importance of enriching the average individual’s experience of life.

Jack Tworkov gives a lecture talking about his pedagogical and artistic practice. Tworkov’s artistic practice is rooted in both abstract and representational motifs. For Tworkov, a good abstract painter is as much connected to the human spirit as any other painter because of abstract paintings’ ability to function as a free form. Tworkov tells the participants that painting requires a lot of listening and looking. For Tworkov, art doesn’t develop with just individuals, but it develops with given times, given situations and given pressures. Tworkov ends his lecture by telling the participants that all paintings should have a goal to successfully communicate something.

William Zorach gives a lecture talking about his painting and stone carving practice. He states that his primary influences in his work have been cubism and primitivism, and also that what he sees and feels impacts the art that he makes. Zorach continues to ask what art forms he can use to express what is within him. He tells the participants that this mindset allows him to understand the importance that luck can play in an artist’s life, even though one has no control over it. Further, Zorach tells the participants that artists must retain their integrity and fight for it. He urges them to see a work of art not just as a beautiful thing but something that must enhance and animate life. This will allow them to see art as more than a process of copying nature and to see nature as an element of magic and power. When an artist understands this, they can catch the vibration of visions and see the world in new ways with an inner eye. Zorach also tells the participants that art will always be felt deeply and that artists must convey this feeling to others. This will allow artists to use art not just as a way to make monumental records of human achievements but as a vehicle for sheer love and beauty. Zorach ends his lecture by stating that if someone wants to be an artist they must also be a dedicated human being.