Ryan Taber will come to campus to share a lecture and media presentation on his woodworking/artist practice with our Art 127 Sculpture Practicum course. Taber’s practice parallels many of the technical methodologies we are learning in this course.
Ryan Taber is a Los-Angeles based artist, woodworker, and educator. Since 2015, he has served as head of the Wood program at Cal State University Long Beach’s School of Art. The program has expanded significantly under Taber’s leadership, emphasizing sustainability and critical thinking at every step in the creative process.
Taber’s art practice fuses painting, photography, and mixed-media sculpture. Each piece utilizes an intricate web of historical references to interrogate notions of art and visual culture. Taber prioritizes materiality, which is reflected in the CSULB Wood program’s initiative to recycle wood from nearby dead trees which would otherwise go to a landfill. The challenges inherent in working with imperfect, recycled wood encourage Taber’s students to continuously problem solve and maintain an ongoing dialogue with their materials.
This event was supported by the The Frederick J. Salathé Fund for Music and the Cultural Arts Fund / Teaching, Learning, and Campus Life Committee.
