I have Ron for drawing as well as painting class this term. I have a lot of respect for him and he's one of the best teacher's I've ever had. At the end of his lecture, I asked Ron a series of questions. I was so excited about hearing his background that I didn't realize it was somewhat inappropriate to ask him that many forceful questions during class. After the lecture I went to his office to apologize. He said, "You don't have to say anything." Then we began discussing his lecture as well as many other things. He said something that I thought explained why he's so successful. He said that through his years he has learned to be very accepting, yet still very critical. If a student wants to put in the effort, Ron will help you move forward to becoming a better artist not depending on how you see art. But at the same time, during critique he says exactly what he feels. If he doesn't like a painting, he will say so. If you're really bad at some aspect of painting, he will feel free to say that to you. The way he says it is not offensive, but rather pointing out an area that is under developed and needs honing. To some this could seem a bit harsh, but once you realize his intentions it begins to make sense.
What I also appreciate about Ron's ability for acceptance is not only in terms of art, but also within people. Probably gained from so many years of teaching, he has a very deep understanding of his students. I tend to put up a very tough, showy front, and Ron immediately saw through that and called me out on it. I liked that because it allowed me to take off some of my front and feel more open to creating my art. There also have been times where I paint too much and lose track of all other aspects of my life. I don't do my homework or go to class, I just stay in the studio and paint! Ron told me that sometimes you need to go out and party and make mistakes! He's right. Sometimes you have to step away from even the things you love the most in order to remember why you loved them in the first place.
I find Coco Fusco and Guillermo Gomez-Pena's performance totally fantastic! I see a relation between this performance and Ron's outlook through a disinterest in the common need for acceptance in the gallery setting. Ron doesn't prefer to show his work in a traditional gallery setting. They both see it as a flawed system. The artists performing "The Couple in the Cage" felt similarly, but responded to it differently. I also see very opposing ideas between Ron's outlook as apposed to Coco and Guillermo. Ron is very traditional with his painting style and outlook. He seems to paint more for refining his craft and as a challenge and form of meditation and thought. He doesn't specifically have a message he's trying to tell, other than emotional connections he may have to elements of the painting. For example, the pink color in his painting reminded him of his wife's sweater. I thought that was so sweet. Coco Fusco and Guillermo Gomez Pena are very obviously trying to prove a point to the audience by forcing you to feel uncomfortable by their live presence in the gallery space. It raises questions on traditions our country has held, and makes you feel directly responsible
I feel very lucky to have seen Ron's presentation of his work! He was my favorite presenter yet.
