Mitchell Siporin, Visiting Artist Lecture 1955

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.