Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Old and New Out of the Blue.. A three man show in the Hodo Restaurant

Arts | November 21st, 2013

I've been spending a fair share of my Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in the Minnesota State University Moorhead art department, not as a student, but as an art model for Andrew Stark's figure drawing class. Nearly two months ago, Stark was expressing how overwhelmed he was with having an upcoming show at both The Hotel Donaldson and ecce art gallery. Plus, he was moving and staying quite busy with the ultimate job -- being a dad to his 10-month-old son, Liam.

Stark asked me if I had any pieces that I had ready to display. Fortunately for me, I had been experimenting with cyanotypes and I had a few pieces that I was excited to show. Along with me, Stark asked his good friend Cameron Peterson to show his prints at The HoDo as well.

Stark and Peterson first met through Zhimin Guan's painting class at MSUM.

"I was not always drawn to printing. I did originally set out to be a painter and that is where I met Andy, through the instruction of Zhimin Guan. Then I started taking printmaking. It was clear when Zhimmy would be frustrated with me and say; Why can't you paint like you print? I think that the process of printing slows me down enough to really evaluate the aesthetic of what I am producing."

Peterson’s studio is called Fun House Press, located in the Spirit Room. Here he works with his partner Annette Dubord.They have a medium-sized etching press, and this is where the printmaking magic happens. He will often have a bag of tools and necessary materials to work on cutting linoleum blocks (for printmaking) wherever it is convenient. The two have full-time jobs so fitting in time to make new work can be a challenge.

"The story of an artist -- we work to work,” Peterson adds.

"The recent work I have been doing with the animals and columns is a play on what nature thinks is good and what humans think is important. The inspiration for the pieces I put in the show at Hotel Donaldson would be ‘Old and New’ on one hand I am doing something with an old friend and on the other I am doing something with a new friend.”

Stark wasn't always drawn to painting either: "I didn't pick up a paintbrush until college. I began as a graphic design major but quickly found I wasn't technically proficient and I desired a more tangible, direct contact with the media and materials. I switched to Illustration and was encouraged to take as many drawing and painting classes as I could. My mentors, Carl Oltvedt and Zhimi Guan were just so integral and influential at this time. They were these wonderful positive forces in my life that pushed my creativity, encouraged experimentation and exposed me to so many great artists. Once I started painting, I just fell in love with everything about it. The material, the texture, the whole process from beginning to end was so illuminating, and challenging, frustrating and meditative. I spent hours in the library looking and reading about as many different styles, artists, as I could and how they dealt with the struggle of Painting.”

Stark has taught at MSUM for three years. In this time, he has taught foundation design, basic drawing and figure drawing.

"I encourage all the artists I meet in class to be disciplined, explore all media and technique, find their voice and not be afraid to fail over and over again,” he said. “Letting go, loosening up and immersing yourself in art history.”

IF YOU GO:

What: Andrew Stark’s Figurative Mementos Where: ecce art gallery, 216 BroadwayWhen: Reception: Fri, Dec. 6, 7-9 p.m.Info: andystarkpainting.com

What: Works of Stark, Peterson and Hornung @ HoDoWhere: HoDo Restaurant, 101 Broadway, FargoInfo: hoteldonaldson.com

thealabasterdisaster@gmail.com

Recently in:

By Winona LaDukewinona@winonaladuke.comIt’s been eight years since the Water Protectors were cleared off the banks of the Cannonball and Missouri Rivers. It was a bitter ending to a battle to protect the water; and for most of us…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Rodeo is a family tradition for sisters Kate and Tera Flitton. The duo performs under the moniker Stellar Trick Riding Cowgirls. The Utah natives will be performing along with bareback riders,…

Saturday, April 19, 8 p.m. doors open at 7 p.m.Fargo Theatre, 314 N Broadway, FargoCheck out this cult classic on the big screen as a live band performs along with David Bowie’s vocals, all while basking in the Art Deco glory…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com I feel like reading a newspaper is the equivalent of listening to music on vinyl. Not only is it analog, it’s an experience. I might be a little biased, but there's something about the rustling…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comA column on How Trumusklicans are trying to change historyIt took William L. Shirer a couple decades to write and then publish “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany,”…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Photos by Rick GionLiving in downtown Fargo has its perks. One of them is taking walks along Broadway and peeking into the restaurants and shops for a glimpse of what’s new. Sometimes this makes a…

Mooncats and Pert Near Sandstone play Empire TheatreBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comThe MoonCats describe themselves as “Americonscious Campfire Folk.” They have a clear acoustic folk sound with a sense of whimsy — think…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Making her feature directorial debut, Rachael Abigail Holder guides “Love, Brooklyn” to a satisfying conclusion, even if some viewers might have hoped for a different outcome for the…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comPhoto by Chad Nodland, "Artistic Freedom"On January 19, 2025, the last full day of Joe Biden’s presidency, he commuted Leonard Peltier's two consecutive life sentences to home confinement at his…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Josette Ciceronunapologeticallyanxiousme@gmail.com What does it mean to truly live in a community —or should I say, among community? It’s a question I have been wrestling with since I moved to Fargo-Moorhead in February 2022.…

By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com Somewhere lost in the cultural scuffle of what it means to be transgender is that it is an absolute joy to experience the world in such a way. When you take away the societal prejudice and…

By Gilbert Kuipersgilbertkuipers@outlook.com I live in North Dakota District 24 and have been challenging the district Republicans about their understanding of climate science for years. There has been no serious response to my…