Calendar

Situational: The Body in Contemporary Painting

Saturday, February 9, 2019 | 10am–6pm
Osher Lecture Hall, SFAI—Chestnut Street Campus

“During times of social and political strife, individual liberty and cultural ethics are contested through issues of the body. In that respect, a robust interest in figurative painting has intensified over the past few years alongside artist’s renewed purpose in painting people.

Situational: The Body in Contemporary Painting is a one-day symposium that will address what constitutes a contemporary body, how pressing issues are being translated rhetorically through the body, and the diverse artistic vantage points situated within figurative painting today.”

—Brett Reichman, Symposium Chair

On February 9, 2019, SFAI's Painting Department hosted renowned British artist Jenny Saville in conversation with Claudia Schmuckli, Curator-in-Charge of Contemporary Art and Programming at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Known for her monumental paintings of flesh from a feminist perspective, Saville has continually redefined the body politic in painting for the past 25 years. In addition, panel discussions will be delivered on a range of subjects by artists and professors in art practice and history, submitting their distinct perceptions about the dynamic state of figurative painting.

This symposium is organized by the artist Brett Reichman, Associate Professor of Painting at San Francisco Art Institute, and is generously sponsored by XL Catlin and The Broad.

Keynote Address

Artist Jenny Saville in conversation with Claudia Schmuckli, Curator-in-Charge of Contemporary Art and Programming for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Panel Discussions included:

“Queer Bodies: Hyper-spatialization”
Brett Reichman, Associate Professor of Painting, SFAI

“Body Politics From The Middle East”
Taravat Talepasand, Assistant Professor of Painting, SFAI

“Skin (Scratch, Strip, Scumble, Slather)”
Claire Daigle, Associate Professor of History + Theory of Contemporary Art, SFAI

“Internet Memes: Irony and Identity”
Christine Tien Wang, Assistant Professor of Painting, CCA

Jenny Saville, Red Fates, 2018. Oil on canvas; 94 1/2 x 102 3/8 x 1 5/8 inches. © Jenny Saville. Photo by Mike Bruce. Courtesy the artist and Gagosian.