Academic Statement of Purpose

Joshua Duncan
A&D+ M.F.A
55698832

With the goal of teaching art at the college-level, I hope to earn the M.F.A from the Penny W.
Stamps School of Art & Design.

By choosing to raise a family in Nebraska, my parents hoped to not only pass on a love of
nature to their children, but also a love of literature and the arts. In high school, the
remarkable character of Mrs. Wilson, who refused to let a disability prevent her from
creating and teaching art, encouraged me to pursue art for life.

However, it was not until I had studied at Concordia University, Nebraska for over a year
that I began to seriously rethink past assumptions about art. Earning a B.F.A in Studio Art
challenged me to not only pursue academic excellence, but also to make artmaking a
disciplined practice rather than a pastime.

Had it not been for a teacher requiring me to research the life and theories of the late
Professor Emeritus Reinhold Marxhausen, I might have been too hesitant to create any of
my recent artworks. When I first entered the art program at Concordia, I thought I knew
what was and was not art. Presumptively, I would only recognize realistic painting and
drawing as high art, and furthermore, classical or religious subjects were the highest forms
of art. This was because I assumed that only realistic art required hard work and
thoughtfulness. Whether it was abstract expressionism, performance art, or conceptual art
with found objects, none of these were great art because they were too easy.

However, Marxhausen opened my eyes to the possibilities of artmaking. He taught his

students that seeing was an aggressive act, and that by paying attention, artists could
discover inspiration in the most unlikely places. Another key lesson his students learned
was to overcome their feelings of embarrassment which inhibited their artmaking.

For the past year and a half, I have struggled against timidity and a natural inclination to be
reserved in order to follow visceral, creative impulses.

Further stimulation was provided by one of Marxhausen’s contemporaries, Professor

Emeritus William Wolfram. Along with other members of the art department faculty,
Wolfram encouraged me to experiment and innovate new media. Where previously I had
only wanted to use very narrow media and subjects, I am now willing to take risks and try
anything, whether it employs abstraction, performance art, or found objects.

Therefore, the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design appeals to me because of its
emphasis on “new creative work” and its robust reputation for academics.
700 words on art

Because much of my art is rooted in a new-found willingness to experiment, there is great

variety in what I make. A common thread which weaves through my various bodies of work
is a love of art history and a desire to make connections with 21st century media.

The cross and the crucifixion became an important, recurring subject matter. This
exploration was initiated when Professor Emeritus William Wolfram suggested that it
would be an interesting challenge for an artist to begin every painting with a similar shape,
like the cross.

After making a continuous series of works depicting this personally important subject, I
had to engage in what the late Professor Emeritus Reinhold Marxhausen called lateral
thinking to avoid becoming repetitive. Whereas linear thinking is necessary for logical
progression and orderliness, lateral thinking allows one to move sideways, and make new
connections. Marxhausen used this concept to encourage young artists to find new symbols
for old ideas.

For example, instead of thinking about “Christ crucified on a cross,” I think about “X
crucified on Y.” The crucified “figures” are not necessarily Christ, nor do I limit myself to a
Latin Cross. To make my art, anything can become a cross, however oblique.

To this end, I began to film performances and cull material from internet pop culture. A
significant portion of my scholarship explores the potential for internet memes to comment
on the art world and vice versa. These memes are often humorous or superficially kitschy,
yet it is possible for them to possess a deeper, baffling quality, reminiscent of Marcel
Duchamp.

The humor and oddness conveyed by the most ubiquitous memes is comparable to the
creative process of artmaking and the development of a personal artistic language.

Many thoughtful artists engage in the exercise of searching for beauty in the everyday. This
discipline was emphasized by Marxhausen, and by adopting it, I often discover wonder and
beauty in unlikely places. When making an artistic discovery, there is a great sense of
mirth.

Even more important than making work which is aesthetically beautiful, I hope to make art
which lets the audience share in the joy of creating it. This sense of joy is more complex
than mere happiness or pleasure. It is best described as the moment of afflatus.

At times, what I make does not seem at all logical, like a young child playing pretend.
Marxhausen believed that an artist should try to see the world as children see it. As we
grow, we are taught to use words and to categorize objects into logical compartments. On
rare occasions, an adult may encounter something new, something their brains have not
yet learned to box in, and be filled with the same sense of discovery they felt as children.
While this sensation is not anti-logical, it certainly speaks to another part of our brains than
the parts which govern reasoning.

The conviction that an artist’s duty is to teach others to see the world the way an artist sees
it drives everything I do. The crucifixion, the study of art history, and a fascination with
new media and the use of my body in a performance, all of these passions inform each
other when making art. Furthermore, all stem from a love of the act of creating and
creation itself.

No matter what, this passion will push me to become a memorable artist. As an instructor, I
hope to pass down the lessons I first learned from Marxhausen, to never allow
embarrassment to hinder artmaking. I look forward to being challenged by other intelligent
artists in an academic environment, and contributing to a marketplace of ideas. Studying at
the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design will allow me to pursue this dream, and to
become an alumni who will be a credit to my alma mater.