Professor Lindeman's ART-17, Beginning Drawing class met with Academic Curator, Solomon Salim Moore and toured "Line, Smudge, Shade," a drawing exhibition at the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College.
"Line, Smudge, Shade” showcases works on paper by sixteen Los Angeles–based contemporary artists who consider drawing an integral part of their studio practice and explores the emotional, formal, and environmental dimensions of mark-making on paper and beyond.
Three common drawing techniques are the framework for this exhibition: line, which reflects the deliberate act of mark-making and the conceptual choices behind using drawing as a foundational mode of expression; smudge, which represents the ways in which the Los Angeles region shapes these artists and their work; and shade, which references the personal and intuitive aspects of each artist’s process.
Featuring experimental and traditional drawings, artists’ sketchbooks, and other works on paper that span form, movement, and intention, Line, Smudge, Shade highlights a range of approaches to drawing that move fluidly among representation, abstraction, memory, and observation. At a time when artists have access to an unprecedented variety of media, Line, Smudge, Shade returns to the immediacy of drawing as a means of reflection and relation, both personal and public. Despite their varied presentations, all the works included in the exhibition reflect a shared commitment to drawing as an exploratory, embodied, and place-based act."
Later that evening, Professor Lindeman's ART-22, Two-Dimensional Design class experienced a public artwork by James Turrell, titled "Dividing the Light" (2007).
"Dividing the Light, a Skyspace by James Turrell '65, is perhaps the most glowing example of public art on the Pomona College campus. Opened in fall of 2007, the architectural installation heightens the viewer's awareness of light, sky and the activity of perception.
Called “one of the best works of public art in recent memory” by the Los Angeles Times, Dividing the Light gathers visitors on benches beneath a canopy that frames a window to the sky. At dusk and dawn a lighting program bathes the canopy in changing colors, from goldenrod to turquoise, altering the viewer’s perception of the sky. One moment it’s a dreamy lavender, another it’s an ominous tablet of black. A shallow pool centered beneath the opening to the sky mirrors the daytime sky and reflects a dark echo of the night sky.
Turrell, known for his work in light, has built several Skyspaces around the world; this is the only one available for public viewing in Southern California.
Through experiences like these, the Norco College School of Visual and Performing Arts programs continue to inspire creativity and critical thinking, connecting students with the broader art community of Southern California.