Paul Chan, Visiting Artist Lecture 2007

Interdisciplinary artist Paul Chan gives a lecture at Skowhegan concentrating on two works and the space between these two works. For Chan, the idea of change; what it means to change, the potential for change, how change grows, develops and how change can happen, are at the core of his practice. Chan also reflects on his personal journey becoming an artist, ranging from his days as a labor activist as a student in Chicago, to spending time in Baghdad with Iraqi families. The importance of mistakes, and seeing them as openings for talking about things one would rather not admit to themselves also drives Chan’s practice. Another aspect of Chan’s practice that is important to him is drawing. Drawing allows Chan to function as a way of thinking. It provides Chan space to reflect on ideas in his work; rage, his relationship to religion and philosophy, and reimagining failure as a tool to cultivate new openings and modes of thinking.