Thursday, November 17, 6:30pm
CFA Concert Hall
855 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA
The Boston University School of Visual Arts at the College of Fine Arts is pleased to present acclaimed artist Enrique Chagoya as one of this year’s featured artists in the sixth season of the Contemporary Perspectives Lecture Series. The lecture will be held on Thursday, November 17 at 6:30pm in the CFA Concert Hall (855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA), and it’s free and open to the public. In addition to this public lecture, Chagoya will also participate in critiques of student work and will create a small suite of prints based on Goya’s The Disasters of War in BU’s printmaking studios during his brief residency at the BU School of Visual Arts. Lecture is free and open to the public. Call 617.353.3371 for more information.
Considered controversial by some, this particular artist was invited as part of CFA’s Keyword Initiative, which is a programming initiative that focuses on the theme of violence in this inaugural year. School of Visual Arts Director Lynne Allen explains, “Chagoya makes painting and prints about the changing nature of culture. Although he may be considered controversial, he brings to our attention the problems of man-made pollution, as well as shifts and often opposite viewpoints concerning ethnic stereotypes and ideological propaganda.” She continues, “This is especially interesting for young artists who question their role in our changing society. Chagoya’s artwork is a ‘collision’ of popular culture and deep-seeded historical roots. He invents his own account of many possible stories in history with many possible scenarios. It is up to viewers to find their own truth in his work.”
The lecture series was started as an opportunity for students to work in both lecture and studio settings with artists who offer diverse and multicultural perspectives. Allen, who launched the series when she joined the BU School of Visual Arts in 2006, explains, “The lecture series has brought contemporary art practice into our own studios. Artists from the U.S. and abroad not only lecture to the public, but also participate in studio visits with undergraduates and graduates. The public lectures bring a snapshot of emerging and well-established artists to the BU campus, and over the last five years we have seen many attendees from outside our own community attend the lectures. We once had folks fly from Florida to hear a lecture! We hope this trend continues and that artists and the public continue to find these lectures stimulating.”
Enrique Chagoya combines imagery from art history and cartoons, appropriates images from various cultures, and juxtaposes disparate figures in satirical ways. Born in Mexico, and now a naturalized American citizen, Chagoya mixes images of Superman, Jesus and Aztec diagrams with portraits of artists and political activists. He utilizes painting, printmaking, drawing, video-animation and installation in his work. Chagoya grapples with the conflicts of his own life experiences while also expressing an irreverent and wildly pluralistic imagination.
The Boston University School of Visual Arts at the College of Fine Arts is a community of artists within a great university and in a city that offers diversity within a vibrant arts culture. Founded in 1954 as a professional training school at Boston University, the school offers an intensive program of studio training combined with liberal arts studies leading to the Bachelor’s of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees. The first-rate teaching and mentoring of its regular faculty is supplemented by a vibrant program of visiting artists, guest lecture series, and exhibitions. The School offers introductory and advanced classes in painting, sculpture, graphic design, art education, ceramics, photography, glassblowing, and printmaking. A solid background in art history, contemporary critical analysis, and liberal arts complements the studio arts courses.
