November 07, 2005

Danny Rozin

Danny Rozin, resident faculty at ITP, and creator of the amazing Wooden Mirror, spoke to us on Tuesday. The mirror, one instance of which hangs in the foyer of ITP, was one of the reasons I got really excited about ITP in the first place. It was interesting to hear him talk.

I think the most interesting thing about what Danny said was when he spoke about the process of becoming an artist. "I started saying the 'A' word," he said. "I started saying that what I was doing was art." I think the question of whether what we do at ITP is art is an interesting one. There was a very active thread on the student listserv about whether we consider ourselves artists or not. Around half, maybe a little more, of the class consider themselves artists. I don't consider myself to be an artist, but I think that keeping an appreciation for, and a curiosity about, art, is important to the sorts of things that I want to do. I think having that sentiment also helps to create really interesting, exciting projects (as opposed to more utilitarian but uninspiring projects).

The subject matter of his art—or rather, its consistency—was also surprising. The man has made mirrors of one sort or another, for decades now, it seems. I see a lot of variation in his different projects, but it was amazing to me that he could focus on one small niche for so long. I have trouble sticking with a project day to day. To imagine doing the same type of project for the next 20 years terrifies me, frankly. On the other hand, maybe that's just because I'm still looking for my niche.

Posted November 7, 2005 09:51 PM. Categories: Week 7 | Permalink