Chicago Business

Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: Perspectives

[Click to enlarge]

I went on a little art tour of the Harper Center (HC) with Canice Prendergast, the GSB prof who heads up the committee that selects the artwork at HC. Prendergast talked about why they chose particular art, how the process worked, and what type of artwork they continue to seek for HC. I tend to like artwork on appearance alone and don't need the back-story, but I left feeling inspired. "How fascinating!" goes the little voice in my head. "It's like walking past a pot of gold every day and not even noticing!"

My 'nickel' art tour with Granner was quite the opposite experience. To his credit, Granner listened to my tidbits of info and flighty observations about each piece - Composition, References to Other Art, and Why You Couldn't Paint This Abstract Mess Even Though You Think You Could. At the beginning of the tour, he was attentive, even taking notes.

Toward the end, though, I could see him heaving subtle sighs as we approached each new piece. His eyes started to roll just a little as I observed "how interesting!" this work or that work was. And when I solicited his opinion, the floodgates opened. I learned that Granner hates photographs that are out of focus for any reason; does not see value in a still life of ironic subjects; and generally opposes the grayness of artwork in HC. Here I offer my counter-opinions…

Still Life with Carrot*

I love this photograph more with each passing day. In the great cannons of artwork, a still-life is a study in form, composition, and technique. It's a way of arranging every day objects, typically things like tablecloths, fruit and vases, and dwelling on them, making them beautiful. Comparing a still life between one era and another is a way of seeing what has changed in how people think about the world. The first thing I love about SLwC is the color - the bright purple eggplant, the deep green leafy thing. They're bright and primary and pure.

Perhaps even more, I love SLwC because, as a still life goes, it's ridiculous! In the place of painstakingly arranged drapery, there's a black garbage bag. The objects aren't even the focus of the artwork - they're kind of cut off at the bottom! Meanwhile a random pineapple hangs from the top, as though the TV camera is off-center and you accidentally see the microphone dangling over the actor's head. It dwells on the beauty of the striking color, but treats "Art" in a playful way at the same time. I think the Guy in Red Gym Shorts* would agree.

Poker*

This is a series of five graphite drawings that went down as follows: HC commissioned the artist to do some pieces. They paid him. He thought to himself, "What do Business People care about?...Risk!" and then decided to take his commission money to the casino, engaging "Risk," and then made artwork about it. The artwork tells the story of his five-day bender at the casino and the tally of poker losses.

Once again, Granner and I disagree. Granner likes these pieces because they tell a literal story, and in the literal story, Granner knows that he is a better poker player than the artist. While I find the literal story kind of funny, this is not the sort of Risk that I, as a business student or art lover, care about. The only thing I really like about the work is that it looks a little like communist-era posters for cigarettes or a union or something. And, quite frankly, that seems pretty far off the business school trajectory.

African Portraits*

Granner and I saw eye-to-eye on this one. This series of individual portraits is gorgeous. There's something about the human face that is always an interesting subject, and the people in these photos are beautiful, almost regal. Prendergast pointed out something that I found even more interesting, that compositionally they seem to refer to the work of the famous French painter Henri Matisse. The compositions are simple and elegant, and large, single-element patterns take up a broad swatch of each piece. In terms of form, a large pattern like that tends to play games with your sense of 3-dimensional space on a surface. This is a major task of modern art, taking apart your sense of what looks real and how ideas of space are communicated. I love these pieces because they remind me of all that yet are beautiful in their own right, as well.

In Conclusion

Whichever side of the art fence you stand on, I encourage you to take notice of what's being installed in HC. It is part of our b-school experience (and dollars, if you want to be literal about it, Granner), and you might be surprised at what you find. Wander on up through the other floors, or give me a shout if you're interested in taking a tour with Prendergast.



(*Not the real name of the picture)

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