Tuesday, March 17, 1998
Art molds professor's view of life, study
Editor's Note: This is the sixth story in a weekly series profiling University professors and instructors. This story focuses on Sallie McCorkle, associate professor of visual arts.
By PATRICIA TISAK
Collegian Staff Writer
Sallie McCorkle, associate professor of visual arts, is used to
expressing herself with her hands.
Sprinkled with white dust from the plaster covering her art studio,
McCorkle moved her hands expressively as she talked about her
art.
As a sculptress, the human body and its relationship with space
is her primary focus, McCorkle said.
From 1978 to 1980, she studied mime and clown arts and performed in a political street theater in San Francisco because of her interest in the human body.
Sallie McCorkle, associate professor of visual arts, relaxes by a jigsaw in the Visual Arts Building earlier this month. McCorkle said she enjoys teaching and hopes students will create their own masterpieces. (Collegian Photo/Christa Rimmoneau - click for full size image)
Through its performances, the street theater commented on political
and environmental issues. Art is as powerful as a written message
because it contains aspects of the artist's culture, society and
economy, McCorkle said.
"It's observing how we deal with a three-dimensional reality,"
she said. "Now with the influx of computer technology, the
constant exposure to two-dimensional images desensitizes us to
the three-dimensional world."
The human body and its relationship with space is not the only
focus of McCorkle's art.
"Some of my work has to do with lesbian identity and the
complicated issues of positioning one's self as an authority figure
while not feeling as if you're allowed to have your full voice,"
McCorkle said.
In addition to teaching sculpture classes, McCorkle is the chairwoman
of the University's Commission on Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Equity.
McCorkle said her position on the commission, her professional career and her personal life weave together to make her the person she is.
Sallie McCorkle, professor of visual arts, discusses sculpting techniques with Dan Olivetti (senior-art). (Collegian Photo/Christa Rimmoneau - click for full size image)
McCorkle's strong self-identity allows her to teach her students
to follow their own instincts when it comes to their art, she
said. Her job, she said, is to teach students technical and conceptual
thinking skills.
"So my job is to help them make their art better and better,
not to help them make art like mine," she said. "Once
the framework of the classroom is gone, you're left with just
yourself and your work. If you love it, it's a great place to
be."
With another strong hand gesture, McCorkle said she loves being
an artist.
"It's exciting, it's interesting, it's different, it's challenging. It's another way of trying to communicate," she said.
