While we're on the subject of comics, we thought we'd mention illustrator Jamal Yasseem Igle's recent announcement that he'll be joining the teaching staff at the Art Student's League of New York this September. Igle is himself a graduate of the League (as well as of the School of Visual Arts).
We note that Igle will be joining the ranks of several artist staff members whom we recognize and respect, including painters Costa Vavagiakis and Harvey Dinnerstein, as well as sculptor Peter Reginato. Given the League's long history of playing fast and loose with the boundaries of art, we would have thought they'd have offered a sequential art class by now. (The school began partly as a reaction against an Academy deemed too conservative by art students at the end of the 19th century.) But no. According to Igle, the League "has never had a class that concentrates specifically on the comics medium." So this will be a learning experience all around.
Igle's classes will be offered on Sundays, and anyone 12 years old or older may register.
Comments
I went to the League for 2 years. It is not experimental at all, regardless of how it started. It did, however, for over fifty years, nurture some of the the hottest and heaviest in American Art.
But somewhere in the 60s, it lost touch (especially with the developing market and gallery scene) and just stayed within the comfort zone of painting, drawing and sculpture ... and that was it. However, if you wanted to work in those mediums, you were not at a bad place.
I think it's great that someone is able to stretch the format there - because it's about time - and whatever the case, it's a gorgeous building loaded with vibes and ghosts. Congrats to Jamal!
Hmmm. Yeah, that's a common arc: from innovation, to stasis, to conservation. Now that I think about it, when I was hunting around considering further art education for myself, the League always occupied the space of "if you want to perfect craft go here," something that was important to me at the time and still is. But also something that--given the current political alignments of the art world--necessarily puts you on the conservative end of the spectrum.