Perlman Teaching Museum - Fred Hagstrom

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Fred Hagstrom
United States printmaker
American, b. 1954
Currently employed by Carleton College as a professor of art.

Artist Statement:

I work in prints and book arts, with drawing being a constant activity, even though I don't end up exhibiting drawings. I am interested in art that touches on social issues, although I use a broad interpretation of what that includes. I am influenced by studying the history of print artists- from its great statements of political and social content (Kollwitz, Dix, Rouault) to the many artists who are more obscure than they should be because they worked primarily in prints (Munakata, the early Iowa printmakers, Karl Schrag, etc.). Printmaking and book arts have a tremendous history, even though much of it is hard to find.

My work has been framed by my experience of taking student groups to the South Pacific. I take a group of students there every other year. Drawing from nature in national parks, studying both historical and contemporary art that draws upon the indigenous traditions in those countries, and meeting contemporary artists there has greatly broadened my view of art and of the world. I spend hundreds of hours in drawing from nature. I also look to the arts of Japan as an example of how a sense of the importance of nature can permeate a culture. It is obvious that modern society has a flawed relationship with nature and that this is at the root of our ecological crisis. I feel that we can look to other cultures for a healthier model of a relationship with nature. I have no intention of imitating the work that I see from other cultures, but I do have a deep desire to learn from it. This issue of how our art and culture reflect our relationship with the natural world is the primary subject matter of my work.

After working figuratively for over twenty years, I began working in a more abstract style because it felt like the best way to explore what interests me. I want to see the art world become more concerned with passionately held beliefs and beauty, and less concerned with irony or market based strategies. I believe that art should be a part of people's lives, and that it has the power to change the way we view the world.

Artist Objects

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