Packed house at Hunter College / Times Square Gallery
Now that the conference is over processing what has transpired and the weight of some of the events is now being felt. One really wonderful event was participating in the Regional MFA Exhibition (please see Patricia Flores earlier post regarding the opening). In the expansive Hunter College / Times Square gallery space was at a premium with 20 institutions participating, and that was just concerning the artwork; the minute the reception began the gallery goers packed the space, making it an athletic feat to snake through the galleries, weave through the people and not bump into the artworks.
Patricia mentioned that the exhibition, between all of the schools, the artwork included feels very in tune with the currents of contemporary trends in New York work. I felt similarly when viewing some of the work and a comment that I overheard months before in a gallery came to mind: “it looks like MFA work.” This has passed through my mind quite a bit since first hearing it. Is there a MFA aesthetic? If so, what does it mean; a derogatory comment or some phase of artistic development that everyone goes through?” My thoughts and comments aren’t meant to be a defensive response to Patricia’s post, but a search for other people’s perspective on the MFA period of artistic development. Please discuss if you feel so inclined.