One of my favorite classes from college was Color Theory. Not only did we learn a lot about hue perception and color relationships in conceptual form, but we also had to mix paint on swatches (hundreds of them), then cut and manipulate into compositions. There were many projects that had to adhere to strict format of presentation. Even with all the rules there was enough room for personal choices, thereby yielding unique expressions of creativity amongst my fellow students. The lessons learned from that course still resonate with me today and it was so much fun to revisit – this time with less rules and no grading rubric. The article appears in the January/February issue of Somerset Studio.
Below are pieces from 1984 - I still have the zippered leather three-ring binder filled with the assignments that gave me great angst at the time. It was a pleasure to take artistic liberty as I reinvented using the Chromabridge to build new work.
As I was preparing for this article I reached out to the current instructor of the same class at the University of Minnesota. Turns out she was also a student of Lee Fargo, and we may have passed one another in the halls. I was disappointed to learn that students are no longer required to mix paints, and instead prepare all their assignments digitally, as most of the class is online. While I think there is merit in learning how to build similar compositions with the aid of a computer, I also think the students are missing out on a huge element of discovery - using their hands to mix paint and apply to paper, using their eyes to discern equal steps of a gradation, and then carefully measure, cut and assemble a collage with tangible moving parts. However, I got the sense that she is enthusiastic about the subject and the students are in good hands, regardless of the format.
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