Walker captivates students with visual art

Blackbridge Hall Gallery was filled to capacity on Sept. 30. The walls were covered with captivating visual art by professor Larry Walker.

Walker is the second visiting professor to present his art in the Visual Legacies series. The series encompasses the spreading of culture through art and the relationships developed between students and their professors.

“It is a whole series of department chairs in the Southeast that talk about this idea of a visual legacy,” said Richard Lou, chair of the art department, at GC&SU. “[Walker] has been working steadily and prolifically in work that surrounds all of us, and it is really magnificent. We are really honored to have Professor Larry Walker.”

The visiting artist in the visual legacies series attracts students whose work facilitates this idea of spreading culture through art.

“They have some of their students that go out and spread this idea of culture through the visual arts. So that sphere extends itself, and then those people create another sort of sphere,” said Lou. “Each artist invited five former students that were under his tenure.”

The five students that Walker brought with him were former students of his that have moved or are moving into careers in art. Lisa Alembik, whose art is also on display in Blackbridge, is the curator at Agnes Scott College. Lillian Blades, Robert Bubp, Yun Lin and Michael Scoffield are former students of Walker’s whose art is also on exhibit.

Walker, 68, recently retired from Georgia State University where he was a professor in the School of Art and Design and its director for the past 11 years. He was eager to interact once again with students during his gallery talk.

“Just the idea to once again interface with young people is always exciting,” said Walker.

A series that was highlighted during the gallery talk was the wall series.

“The wall series is predicated on the notion that you are standing in front of an urban wall,” said Walker. “You are close enough to it and the wall fills your vision. You know there is space on the other side, and you can walk around it to get to the other side, and there is this strange notion that two environments coexist very close together. And in this coexistence one of the things that become evident on the urban walls is that whenever there is an opportunity to put a poster on one of the walls, they will do it. If the building is abandoned, then people will put posters on it.”

Senior Theresa Stegall especially enjoyed the wall series.

“It [the wall series] is taking an environment outside on a wall with graffiti and posters and putting it into a gallery. You step into the space even though you are not in an urban environment,” she said. “You are stepping into an urban environment by standing close and viewing the piece.”

His talk centered not only on his own work, but also on the importance of art inside and outside the university sector.

“Universities are better institutions when they have programs that are culturally based such as art, music, dance and theater. A university without that is missing a whole lot. I applaud that this institution is broadly based,” Walker said.

Walker encouraged youth artists to not give up on the pursuit of art as a profitable profession.

“Hopefully, this will provide some sort of bridge for those of you that are pursuing the arts and how perhaps it will let you know that your pursuit of the arts is really a valid and worthwhile pursuit,” Walker said.

Walker praised GC&SU for the development of its art program and the intimacy that it yields.

“The camaraderie and the spirit that I am picking up between the students and faculty is genuine and good. We do not see that in every art institution,” said Walker. When people can share the opportunity of discussing things among a group that is exciting interested and concerned about the same kind of issues, then you become a stronger group.”

The Visual Legacies series began with Professor John Alcorn who is the former chair of the art department at Clemson University. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Walker’s art, along with that of his former students, will be on exhibit until Oct. 29.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 8 2004. Filed under Other. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry