In answer to your question about the zeitgeist of Bard art: isn’t it something like nature and nurture? Is there something in the air that needs to come out and the student/artist acts as a cipher for that something—hence movements are born. Does the charisma, success and interests of certain teachers influence the kind of art being made? Maybe. Does the place (nature/campus/relative seclusion of the campus) effect the work—maybe. Peers, library, CCS, closeness to NYC? Genetics, upbringing, parental expectations, the fact that Bard is not an art school, but a liberal arts college? Yes. Art has to be ABOUT something and I find the students’ choices of final projects often start with something they came upon in an academic class. There is a certain openness (or at least there was) and freethinkingness (is that a word?) connected to the arts division at Bard that probably contributes to and fosters a kind of open and adventurous art that comes out of the art departments. And lastly, the many visiting artists and lecturers in other fields that are brought to the Bard campus does impact on the student work (in a different way than in NYC where there are a zillion things going on at once). And of course there is that certain something that is ineffable that comes with each person and each artist whether they art at Bard or not.
Posted by: Manuela Moscoso
