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Show Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, September 18-21, 2004 C-5 The Park Record Exploring personal experiences in art need manners? Artist Joseph Ostraff would like to create a dialogue through his work By CASEY R. BASPEN Of the Record staff A native of Laguna Beach. Calif., Joseph Oslraff has lived in Utah for the past \5 years, 12 of which have been spent as an art professor at Brigham Young University. Although he now spends his time teaching art, Ostraff had other things in mind as far as his career went possibly a doctor or a veterinarian attending UCLA. Things did not quite work out that way. After high school, OstralT earned a full scholarship from the Laguna Beach Arts Festival. Being "poor" it seemed logical to take the offer. According to Ostraff, "With art, 1 had a lot of room to wake up and do something different. I guess I had a strong aversion to growing up. That's what initially attracted me to art." Me eventually earned a bachelor's degree from BYU and a masters degree from the University of Washington, both in painting and drawing. Today, OstralT works .in mixed media, oils and quite a bit of watercolor. This artist will be the subject ol' the Kimball Art Centers Art Talk series, which came about through the Utah Arts Council Statewide Annual Competition. According to OstralT, "The Utah Arts Council puts up some of the finest juried shows in the slate. Period. From the artists1 point of view, we get to have our work exposed to artists or curators from these very qualified people." Since Aug. 20, and continuing through Sept. 27, select artists who entered the competition are exhibiting their work at the Kimball. Even though Ostraff was not one of the three to win Juror Awards, the Kimball asked OstralT to speak. The lecture, entitled "My Familiar and Contemporary Visual Culture," will explore some of OstralT's personal experiences. Ostraff says, "I read a lot, but even though I teach at a university I'm not really academic. 'Hie Way I understand things is by experience. The way I like to try and explain myself is through stories. In those stores 1 hope to discuss some of the things I'm trying to accomplish in art, some of my failures." em OstralT says it is human nature to seek that which is familiar. Sometimes that leads to assumptions - something dangerous in OstrafTs mind. But, realizing this notion. OstrafTsays, can make us more sensitized to what is going on around us. He recalls visiting a man in Tonga. The gentleman spent all day fishing for dinner only to return with small fish. I"he man, feeling apologetic, noted that Oslraff probably ciught bigger fish in the U.S. Ostraff jumped at the remark saying "y es -" A nudge from a friend indicated he had just insulted their host. It is the type of anecdote Oslraff likes to explore in his work hoping to stimulate discussion. "I do kind of have a prejudice as what art should do," says OstralT. *Tm personally more interested in art that solicits some response from people. Art that docs not cause people to think doesn't interest me much" Oslraff adds, "When I look at something, if it forces me or challenges me to rethink the way I look at something I think it's done something special. When I just see art that confirms I'm right, I see it as propaganda." Hanging on the wall at the Kimball, guests will find Ostraff*s "Incidental Target Series." The three-piece series stems from a controversy in his community regarding hunting. Not trying to justify an argument one way or the other, OstralT thought it would be interesting to explore what we has human beings are willing to shoot and why. These are the themes that Oslraff will discuss. Slides of his work will be presented and personal experiences will be shared. As OstralT says, "The art has been a catalyst for people to visit with me. When art creates a good dialogue between people it has done its job." The Kimball Art Center will present artist Joseph Ostraff, Wednesday, Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. The lecture, "My Familiar and Contemporary Visual Culture," will be held at the Kimball ART BY JOSEPH OSTRAFF Art Center, 638 Park Are. in Park Artist Joseph Ostraff, a professor at Brigham Young University in City. Admission is free. For more Provo, will speak as part of the Kimball Art Center's Art Talk Series. The information call 649-8882. lecture is entitled "My Familiar and Contemporary Visual Culture." V7V. - ^ www.cotillion.com Dance, manners & etiquette f o r Kids Jon D. Williams Cotillions since 1949 ^ r-^ 303-757-5333 • 800-860-1235^ GATEWAY Ma ADVANTA YOU WON'T GO BROKE WHEN EQUIPMENT BREAKS DOWN! > - . • • Not much to look at. Positive I I I (That's the point!) invisalign STRAIGHT TEETH. 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