Ruth Gikow, Visiting Artist Lecture 1960

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 exploring the representation of bodies that have historically been on the margins. Gikow also touches upon how gender has informed her life as a woman artist, reflecting on pushing 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 Ann Poor being one of the only women 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.