A peak into the mind of a Chicago artist

Slideshow presentation of Molly Zuckerman-Hartung holding a sculpture foot, March 29, 2016. Photo by Will Richards.

Slideshow presentation of Molly Zuckerman-Hartung holding a sculpture foot, March 29, 2016. Photo by Will Richards.

Chicago based painter and teacher Molly Zuckerman-Hartung visited WCU on March 29 to talk about her art, with work showcased and created from Chicago, New York, Miami to California. Her work reflects nothing but experimental, engaging and abstract.

Around 40 students attended the lecture organized by Professor Ron Laboray from the School of Art and Design, to learn how Zuckerman-Hartung goes about making her work and to the inner thinking of her mind. They had a chance to see the in-depth work that it takes for her art to come to life and what it usually consist of as an artist in Chicago.

“That it’s about that action and finding oneself in relation to it,” Zuckerman-Hartung references how she creates paintings. She then explained that it’s more of a “reflection and pouring” oneself into the art.  

Molly Zuckerman-Hartung dropcloth painting show cased in the Corbett vs Dempsey show in Chicago, Illinois. Picture by Tom Van Eyde.

Molly Zuckerman-Hartung dropcloth painting show cased in the Corbett vs Dempsey show in Chicago, Illinois. Picture by Tom Van Eyde.

Zuckerman-Hartung has a unique style to her work. From cutting canvases and stitching them back together. Each canvas has a spine and within that she sees that the canvas should be manipulated and twisted to craft this structure that is holding the work together.

The techniques she uses is a variety of cutting, dyeing, painting and manipulating, so for her it is important to sometimes lose control and let the art take over.

“I’m just as controlling as anyone else, but being in control of it just doesn’t seem to makes sense to me,” explained Zuckerman-Hartung.

The atmosphere of the lecture overall was art has no destination, no need for control, or no need for a true subject. Zuckerman-Hartung gave the students of the room a chance to peak into her mind and to know where her art aspires from.

“She’s relevant! She made sense to invite to the school, because of her background, what she has done in the art world. Along with a background of traveling and teaching. It made sense to have her to talk to our students about her art and what it takes,” WCU professor at the School of Art and Design, Ron Laboray, said.

Watch the video below to see Molly Zuckerman-Hartung discus her art produced and show cased by Walker Art Center.