MEET the SPEAKER
Faigin interviewing American artist, Roger Shimomura, about his critically-acclaimed, and oft-times controversial, work in an "Art Talk" televised at Town Hall, Seattle in July 2015.
To inquire about engaging Faigin for your next event, please use the
on-line Contact Form Faigin MC-ing the "Gage Collector's Gala," an annual fundraiser to support scholarships and programming at Gage Academy of Art in Seattle.
Faigin presenting "Drawn into Life: A Demonstration of Drawing Vivid Expressions" as Keynote Speaker at the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery's 48th Annual Conference in New Orleans - November 2017..
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Gary Faigin has been an educator, lecturer and public speaker for over three decades. His breadth of understanding in the visual arts as a practitioner, historian and educator, combined with his enthusiastic speaking style, make him a warm and accessible speaker for audiences of all ages.
Faigin has given art demonstrations and talks in schools and colleges, as well as to many art groups. He has spoken at conferences and Rotary Club meetings, lectured at museums and given art tours of many public and private collections. He has been a moderator, panelist and host for a variety of art-related talks including televised ArtTalks at Seattle's Town Hall. A sampling of Faigin's speaking topics are included below: ART HISTORY: Michelangelo’s "David": One of the world’s most famous works of art, Michelangelo’s "David" is not as straightforward as it might seem. Faigin gives the fascinating and surprising backstory of this monumental masterpiece – why it was commissioned, how it was carved, and its complicated life after completion. If you haven't made the trek to Florence to see the real thing, this lecture might put you on the next plane! The 20th Century's Least Known Great Artist : Faigin examines the fascinating life and work of Italian painter, Giorgio Morandi. Barely recognized during his lifetime, Morandi is now considered the greatest master of Natura Morta (still life) in the 20th century. His art works are noted for their simplicity, repetition and tonal subtlety. Worst Paintings by Famous Artists : No one can be a genius 100% of the time. With ample visuals, Faigin compares and contrasts the worst and best artworks of a number of famous artists and gives his own explanation - as both painter and art historian - for the reasons behind their failed projects. The Medici in Florence : A thoughtful and penetrating overview of the Medici family, the powerhouse dynasty unofficially running renaissance Florence, and their historically-significant patronage of church art. The art images are gorgeous, and the story of their multi-generational rise and fall is fascinating. Masterpiece Theater : A close look at single paintings and their complex origins and meanings. Examples: Raft of the Medusa; The Nightwatch; Demoiselles d ’Avignon, and the Arnolfini Betrothal. Caravaggio, the Bad Boy Who Rewrote Art History : Sublime master of realism inside the studio, incorrigible delinquent on the street, Baroque artist Caravaggio brought intense drama and light to his spectacular religious and secular paintings. Faigin provides a survey of Caravaggio's most famous artworks and illuminates his fascinating life story. The Art Bucket List: 10 European Art Masterworks that Everyone Should See Before They Die : More than simply a “best-of” list, this talk is a quick tour through some of the most compelling artist personalities and stories of Western Art. A rewarding talk, even for the armchair traveler. See the Light | How Renaissance Painters Changed the way We See : This 4-part lecture series offers an intellectual resource for practicing artists and the general public--encouraging us to see with our minds as well as our eyes. Faigin focuses on the impact Renaissance masters had on the history of representational art, discussing artists such as Masaccio & Caravaggio not as historical figures but as colleagues, and explains how the ideas they developed 500 years ago are still pertinent today.
ART EDUCATION & ART TECHNIQUE:
Why Johnny and Janie Can’t Draw : A brief look at the end of academic training (the Bauhaus etc.), and why a few schools like Gage Academy of Art are trying to save traditional art training before it becomes extinct. See an Apple, Draw an Abstraction? Faigin discusses the forgotten link between academic training and breakthroughs in modern art, and how Gage is maintaining that connection. Artists are Made, not Born : Yes, everyone can draw. How it happens, and what it means. Myths about who is an “artist” exploded. And why, at Gage, no portfolio required. Out of the Shadows (#1) : Light has been a preoccupation of artists at least since the Renaissance. Faigin demonstrates various light-creating techniques, and traces the history of their use in art through the centuries. Out of the Shadows (#2 ): What color are shadows? Once they appeared in art, they needed to be described. Artists have been changing their minds about how to do that ever since. Making Space : Perspective was re-discovered simultaneously in North and Southern Europe during the Renaissance. Faigin demonstrates the simple basic principles behind the idea, and traces its emergence, heyday, and marginalization. Final topic: Cubism seals the deal. FACIAL EXPRESSIONS: No surface on earth is scrutinized as closely as the 36 square inches that comprise the feature portion of the face. We're all experts on this topography, and instantly respond to the tiny changes we recognize as facial expressions. After decades of study of the face in action, Faigin's clear and lively public presentations look at the key elements that underlie sadness, joy, anger, and the like, and his descriptions are accompanied by real-time digital drawings, perfect for conference-room projections in which he makes the face come alive with the smallest of drawing tweaks. Everyone who works with the face will benefit from Faigin's original and often surprising insights into this most important subject - the human face, and how it communicates with others. The Art of Facial Expression: Drawing from his classic book on the subject, Faigin provides a wide-raning visual presentation of human facial expression in life and in art. This lecture is of interest to the general public, plastic + dental surgeons, as well as traditional + digital artists. Facial Expression Demos 1, 2 + 3: "The Movement of Individual Facial Units," "Facial Expression of Emotion" + "Advanced Concepts." These in-depths demonstrations are designed as 3-hour professional development modules for VFX studios and college animation departments. INTERVIEWER/HOST: ArtTalk: During one hour animated conversations,Faigin engages with prominent local representatives of the art scene, such as Jeffry Mitchell, Joe Park, Dan Webb, Tip Toland, to learn more about their influences and artistic process. To view Faigin's televised interviews on the Seattle Channel, go here. Report from the Front: Faigin takes a look at some of the most interesting Northwest artists and exhibitions he has reviewed on his art beat for KUOW and the Seattle Times over the past fifteen years. |
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