Hey Guys,
Its been 4 months since my last entry, actually more than 4 months. The past months were a period of flux for myself. At the beginning of December I was accepted to Alfred University, in Alfred, New York. Alfred University is known for their incredible ceramics program, and although it was 1000 miles away from comfortable Mankato, I felt it necessary to at least visit the campus and see if it was a fitting school for me. My mother and I flew to Buffalo, and drove the few hours through some of the most rustic, untouched land i had ever laid eyes on. When you think of New York you think of the city, obviously, but beyond the city and more inland the land is near untouched. I saw one corn field the entire time I was there, which came as an utter shock coming from a place where all i see outside of a town is corn. The town of Alfred was beyond anything i could have ever imagined, and I mean that. Alfred is a very small town, and by small town i mean one stop light, and maybe a mile long main road. on either side of main street there was a college, Alfred University, and New York State University. The majority of the town is populated by art students, I dont believe I saw one "bro" while I was there. the first day I began a long day of three different tours, a general campus tour, then an art department tour, then finally a specific ceramics tour. I met John Gill at the final tour. We began discussing my plans to maybe attend Alfred next fall. After 45 minutes he said how nice it was for a graduate candidate to come down and actually have a meeting with him. When I told him I was a undergraduate and a sophomore, he seemed confused and asked me why i would travel so far as an undergrad to just see the campus. I didnt really have an answer.
he walked me around the ceramic studio and I was in awe. amazing facilites, amazing people, and the most rigorous curriculum in the nation. It was the closest i had ever come to perfection. it was a perfect school in a perfect town, with some of the nicest and most passionate people i had ever met. After being offered a substantial scholarship that would cover a portion of the tuition. I returned home hell bent on going to school at Alfred the following fall.
During winter break I had plenty of time to think about my decision before i committed to the school. The more I thought about the decision, the more something kept prodding me in the back of the head. Like I was about to betray something or someone. I pushed the feeling down and kept thinking about how incredible of an experience it would be. Over time I came to realize that Alfred was the perfect school for a ceramist, it wasnt the perfect school for me. Something about the art program at MSU has fostered my growth in the best way possible. I started in the most humble way possible at MSU, and I intend on finishing my undergraduate degree here. The combination of the people/ my professors/ the freedom to study whatever I want in ceramics, regardless if the professor is teaching it/ the women of Minnesota/ Minnesota in general helped me make my decision to stay. There are days I regret the decision, but theres always grad school, I just need to teach myself to slow down and look towards the more near future rather than the ever romantic distant future. sometimes I look so far into the future that all it becomes is just dreams and fantasies.
ok, enough Alfred shit. what was a doing over the 4 months? Functional work. I needed a break from sculpture and functional ceramics always has been like a brain massage for me. Ive recently gotten back into sculptures and im back at it with a vengeance.
O, I took my first Best In Show last week! that was cool, it felt like christmas.
I also have friends now, which is a pretty cool feeling.
As you see from the photos, my work is taking a different direction, and with 8 months till the opening reception, it looks like it may stay in this direction, unless i take another long hiatus for some reason. I update with a new post ( i promise) as soon as the new pieces are fired.
All Good Things,
Michael Cimino.
