The Macdonald Stewart Art Centre launched an exhibit featuring the charcoal-on-rag drawings of Ron Shuebrook on Jan. 23, 2014. Shuebrook was available on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014 for a brief but candid one-on-one conversation about his career, his artwork, his exhibit, and his life.
Shuebrook is the kind of man few people ever meet. Eloquent, wise, knowledgeable, and worldly, his opinions are down-to-earth and logical. His art speaks for itself, though it does take some occasional deciphering to understand his motivations. An artist trained in visual and studio arts, an academic, an administrator, the former president of the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD, now OCADU), and an occasional writer, Shuebrook is a man of many talents.
“My education is as a specialist [artist],” explained Shuebrook. “Ironically, [my degree] was called a bachelor of science in art education. It was science, mathematics, [and] economics, in addition to courses in art history and studio art.”
The irony extends to his belief in a unified school environment. The idea that universities have begun to cut funding from arts programs is startling to him, and the idea that arts departments have succumbed to infighting to determine which courses get priority is reprehensible.
“When I became a chair or vice president academic, I would look at programs, but I wouldn’t automatically think, ‘Oh, somebody who’s making ceramics is lesser than this or that field,” explained Shuebrook. “I studied craft disciplines, but in China or Japan, [that art] wouldn’t be called a craft. Whole villages are dedicated to preserving traditions.”
Speaking to Shuebrook is akin to speaking to an experienced historian. Within the University of Guelph alone, Shuebrook’s efforts lead to the creation of the School of Fine Arts and Music (SOFAM) and the withheld demolition of Zavitz Hall.
“If you look at [MacNaughton], there’s an element that juts out and looks like it’s going to hit Zavitz Hall,” said Shuebrook. “The belief was ‘Oh, we’ll just level old buildings.’”
On the difference between Canadian and American educational standards, Shuebrook described his experience when he first moved to teach at the University of Saskatchewan in 1972. According to Shuebrook, Canadian academics were more open to discussing Russian artwork than their American counterparts.
On the current state of academia, Shuebrook expressed disappointment at the absurd claim that any one particular field is more notable than any other.
“There are fields that are seen as worthy of study and fields that are not worthy of study in the university context,” began Shuebrook. “[If you look at] art history, [it’s] taught as paintings, sculpture, a little bit of print making, and reference to architecture. Where is textile? Where is design? Where is ceramics? Where are those other manifestations of culture in its broadest sense? They’re largely [ignored] and they don’t exist within the canon of university.”
Shuebrook began his studies at Kent State University in Ohio two years after the National Guard was called in to handle a student protest against America’s involvement in Vietnam. His recollection of the school’s atmosphere and his reflection on how profoundly these events shaped his life are identifiable in his work.
Shuebrook’s work in the MSAC, however, is a collection of pieces gathered from different periods in his life. The unifying factor in each of his pieces is the abstract design of his work, his use of lines to define space, and his emphasis on applying varying stroke intensities to characterize his art.
Utilizing charcoal pencils on rag paper, Shuebrook’s work requires time to analyze and understand the meaning behind each brushstroke. Of course, much like the man himself, Shuebrook’s art is worth experiencing.
The MSAC will be featuring Shuebrook’s work until Apr. 27, 2014.