Willie Cole, American painter and sculptor, spoke to art students about his transformative art at an informal lunch Friday, Oct. 2 at noon in Biggin Hall.
Indelible Impressions, an art exhibit featuring selections of Cole's paintings, photographs, prints and sculptures, opened Saturday, Sept. 26 and will be on display at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art until Sunday, Jan. 10, according to the museum's website.
Cole spoke Thursday, Oct. 1 from 5-6:30 p.m. at the museum and students were able to ask questions in a smaller setting today.
Cole's sculptures include transforming domestic objects such as shoes or water bottles into different shapes.
"I think I grew up in the idea of transformation because when I was kid all the cartoons on TV were about transformation," Cole said. "They were all inspired by these surrealist painters. You'd see a cartoon where a piano would, keys were turned up to make a smile ... so I've always been aware of transformation from that."
Cole said he was in a show in South France in 1981 where he discovered the work of Arman, which inspired him.
He said he got his guitar when he was 8 years old and studied piano and flute. Cole described himself as a professional music anthropologist, meaning he listens to a lot of music. In talking with the students, Cole expressed his some of his favorite artists to listen to.
"It's all creative energy, first of all," Cole said. "And I think music, especially jazz, to me that's the highest art form in the world, but the act of improvisation is very linked to visual arts because it's a sound collage. It's like you know what key a song is in, so now you can mix the notes around and make a whole new picture."
Cole said making music is like visual arts.
"I mean you know the colors you have and you got to mix them around," Cole said.
During the lunch Cassidy Kulhanek, senior in studio art with a printmaking concentration, said her art would be described as angry, when Cole asked the students to describe their art in one word.
"I wrap all of it up, and put it out on the art, so I don't have to take it out on other people," Kulhanek said.
Allyson Comstock, professor and chair of the art department, asked the students to recall the moment when they realized they had the gift of artmaking.
"Mine was a moment in second grade when I drew something and everybody was like, 'Wow, that looks just like a person, you got the toes just right," Comstock said.
Cole's advice to the students about their art career was to "always look forward." He said not to let hate, jealousy or fear hold them back.
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