The Truck Driver and the Artist.

Marilyn (Vanitas) 1977, 96”x 96.” 

 

“I HAD to take this class” Kim said.  Outloud. To my face.

"No offense," she added.   Like many, Kim was  enrolled in  Art Appreciation only because an arts class was required at this Community College. 

None taken. This was my favorite class to teach and those reluctant students were my favorite challenge. 

And my favorite semester icebreaker artwork was the groundbreaking Audrey Flack painting,  Marilyn (Vanitas) . Students who “knew nothing about Art,” happily weighed in on the luminous, super realism painting and readily speculated on its meaning and message.The painting offered a safe place to vocalize as we slowly developed a language for looking at Art.

 

"You want us to do what??"

Later in the semester,  students were assigned an admittedly unwieldy assignment meant to encourage creativity and personalize their research.

This 2-part assignment:

1-Write a letter in the voice of an artist we have studied. The recipient should be a person, place or time which represented an influence in their art.

2-Create something.  It should look like a collaboration between you and your artist. It could take any form: Poem, painting or potluck dish. 

The Audacity of Kim 

Kim, a Truck Driving student, selected Audrey Flack.  However the assignment left her in knots.  How to even begin? WRITE A LETTER?? I attempted to break it down and suggested different approaches. But my explanations fell short. 

In the end, she simply got on the phone. She attempted to speak directly to the artist!!

 

"There's a lot of A. Flack's in the NYC phone book!"  she said. She finally located THE Audrey Flack, introduced herself, and asked, " SO......who would you write a letter to?'"

I was gobsmacked by her moxie at phoning this famous artist while in awe of her 

audacious approach to 'research' .

They spoke for a long time. Flack not only discussed her ideas and her art, but she inquired about Kim’s interests, her 2 young daughters and why she was pursuing truck driving. It was a great conversation and Kim had learned what she needed to begin the project.

One Week later......

 Kim received a package from Flack!  

In addition to books and material to help Kim with her project, she invited Kim's entire family to the upcoming unveiling of Flack's new sculptures created for the City of Rock Hill, SC where she will meet her very favorite artist!

For the unveiling, Kim, inspired by the robes worn by Flack's Civitas Goddesses. created beautiful flowing gowns for her daughters to wear at the unveiling and to meet Flack.   A true collaboration inspired by the new sculptures.

On the day of project presentations,  Kim proudly exhibited the items and told the story of this amazing  connection between the world renown Audrey Flack and her own entire family. 

I hope Audrey Flack, in addition to her groundbreaking contributions to the Art World knows the rippling impact her generousity and authenticity made on a truck driver, her family and this art teacher.

Who knows? Maybe I'll call her.