Printmaker shares thumbprint with USU
Art is a beautiful thing – in any language.
Printmaker Alfredo Benavidez Bodya from Buenos Aires, Argentina, was a part of Utah State University’s Visiting Artist Program.
With the help of a translator, Boyda spoke in Spanish to aspiring artists, professors and others about art, ideas and life experiences Tuesday night at in the Eccles Conference Center. Those who attended were able to see slides of his prints, pictures of his house and his family.
“My idea is to show you too much,” he said before his slide show.
One slide was pictures made from his thumbprint. An image of his thumbprint had been blown up and Bodya had made various pictures out of them. One thumbprint was a picture of a woman with big hair.
“This is my mother-in-law,” Bodya joked.
After his lecture members of the audience were able to ask questions and see examples of original prints. His work has appeared in numerous exhibitions including several print biennials including in Buenos Aires; Sapporo, Japan and San Juan, Puerto Rico. He has received numerous awards, including a fellowship by the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation.
“He is the most renowned print artist in the world,” said Joseph Adams, a graduate student in printmaking. Adams also translated for Bodya throughout the lecture.
Adams said he feels Bodya is very talented with his pictures as well as critiquing other artists. He can tell from looking at pictures what the artist is trying to portray and what they are actually portraying, Adams said.
“He is very astute,” Adams said.
Bodya will spend five days at USU working with students, said Marilyn Krannich, director of the visiting artist program.
“Our program brings artists working in a variety of media and with varied background to USU,” she said. “Now, with both nationally and internationally known artists, we are trying to broaden our students view of the art world and to create a larger world context for them and their artwork.”
In addition to his lecture he will present a three-day workshop in the print studio. On Thursday he will give a workshop on composing books. His printwork will again be displayed in the Tippets Fine Art Gallery at 6 p.m.
Students who missed Tuesday’s lecture will be able to ask questions then. This opportunity for interaction between artist and the students is invaluable, Krannich said.
The final guest in this spring’s program is sculptor Patrick Dougherty who will be on campus March 22-24.
The artists participating in the Visiting Artist Program have been selected for their national and international rputations, and the ways in which their art reflects diversity with respect to the media used and their own backgrounds, Krannich said.
For information on the Visiting Artist Program contact Krannich at 797-7373.
-acbailey@cc.usu.edu