Colleen reflection

Colleen’s work intrigues me because she has bettered the lives of others through her artwork, and given back to communities. I find that hugely inspiring, because I feel that a large part of my academic studies has informed me of art’s more so decorative than functional qualities. (An object of contemplation, only permitted within the vitrines of the white cube) I also found it interesting that she and her sister were both artists, and along with the fact that they are twins – it really got me thinking about how my sisters and I had such disparate career pathways. I found the advice she gave to us young artists to be very helpful, and I enjoyed listening to her journey from a photographer to her grad school years at Syracuse. I think it’s always interesting to hear about an artist’s pathway, to see how their work stems from their prior experiences. I don’t think I’ve been to a lot of talks with artists in an age group close to my parents, so I definitely see her as a role model. I’m glad I got to talk to her at the end to ask her how design influenced her making, because that’s a conjunction I’m interested in pursuing – space has become an increasingly important aspect in my work and everyday life.