Visiting Artist Lecture: Spencer Finch 9-24-09

I think Spencer Finch did a great job lecturing (and entertaining) yesterday in the student commons theater. I was truly inspired by the amount of research he puts into every piece. He is obviously a reader of mythology and history and takes a great interest in their figures. I could tell that simply reading about these influential people or characters just wasn't enough. It is his passion to incorporate them into every day of his life whether through his artwork, research, discussion, or travel.

All of his work was heavily color based (some quite literal and others conceptual), and I am much appreciative of someone who has found so many different ways to express his interest in a unifying subject matter throughout his art career. I found myself particularly drawn to Poke in The Eye. The idea of poking yourself in the eye and seeing an individually defining mark or pattern is something I have thought of before, but never imagined someone emulating in their artwork. I assumed a scientific explanation and left it at that. Finch has found another way to explain the effect and express something that could never be photographed or seen by anyone other than himself.


I was also fascinated by his series of colors based on the contents of a French hotel room at different times of the day. He blends the line between an artistic and scientific study of color. I wasn't so much drawn to the visuals of this project, but the concept. The below image is another project based on the same idea, but is a study of sunlight on his studio wall.


He approaches much of his work in a scientific manner (much like his admired historical figures) and literally experiments with his materials to achieve certain light waves. His consistent use of a colorimeter excited me, especially after learning about them in digital printing class last year. I personally think artwork based heavily on scientific fact or research is captivating, mostly because I enjoy a concept that is grounded in the rational or absolute (cold, hard evidence). More emotional, faith, or personal based concepts are harder for me to project myself into and my interest is left fleeting.