Anonymous Student
Zeke Berman
Untitled, 1988
Gelatin silver print
Purchased with funds from the Student Center Preview Program
CNS.1990.009
2020–2021 Student Stories
What drew you to this particular piece?
I like the tryptic composition as well as the fact that it was clearly made out of several physical elements. I also enjoyed the balance of figurativeness and abstractness in this picture.
How did you choose where to display the piece?
I wanted to see it when I entered my bedroom, and that was the only available wall.
Due to COVID-19, this piece has been with you for an unusual extended period of time, living in your space for two years. How has the extended loan period added, changed or affected your experience with the piece?
The piece has become even more familiar, to the point that I could no longer imagine the room without it (it looks very empty now).
Has the piece sparked any conversation with friends, family or roommates who have seen the artwork in your space? (via Zoom or otherwise)
Everyone who comes to my room really likes it and feels like it fits well within the space. The piece was not visible on Zoom.
What have you enjoyed most about having this artwork in your living space?
I enjoyed not having a blank wall.
What advice would you give to other students hoping to participate in the Student Lending Art Program in the future?
Do it!
Rijul Kochhar
Sergio Gonzalez-Tornero
At Sea, 1966
Etching
Gift of Cynthia F. and Michael W. Weisfield ('66)
WC.2011.028
What drew you to this particular piece?
It’s an aquatint etching of what looks like a slave ship (or is it a ship of migrants in search of shore?), and the idea that really drew me was the struggle within this. There’s an interplay of light and dark as the piece depicts people who are suffering in all types of ways, and it also depicts them in their humanity. We’re all undertaking journeys, and what I really found interesting was the power of these journeys and the movement of people.
How did you choose where to display the piece?
I live on campus, and this piece was hung in my living room, up on the wall next to my work desk. Light falls the best in the living room, next to the big windows, so the piece comes out nicely in the afternoon sun. The colors within the piece change their hue through the day based on the movement of sunlight.
Due to COVID-19, this piece has been with you for an unusual extended period of time, living in your space for two years. How has the extended loan period added, changed or affected your experience with the piece?
Having this piece for an extended period of time has made for a more intimate relationship between myself and the painting. It was almost as if a guest was invited into one's space and the guest stayed longer than anticipated. The artwork created a sense of the familiar and served as an anchor through COVID. This image of a slave ship has also felt relevant to the times we’re living in as it's a powerful and painful reminder of the inheritance of racism in this country. So many people were displaced early in the pandemic; however, this artwork has seen me through the pandemic and borne witness to the time we’re living in. I have a fondness for this painting, and it’s been quite meaningful to have this particular piece with me through COVID.
Has the piece sparked any conversation with friends, family or roommates who have seen the artwork in your space? (via Zoom or otherwise)
Unfortunately not. The artwork was not in view in my Zoom background, and I’ve not really had any visitors through this past year. There has, however, been an ongoing conversation between me and the artwork, which I guess is another signature of the times. Despite the lack of visitors this past year, I have been able to withdraw within and think more deeply about the piece, both in terms of its depiction and its quiet material existence over a half a century.
What have you enjoyed most about having this artwork in your living space?
Each artwork is a traveling exhibit in its own right. I like that it has a life prior to me and will continue to do so after me. I like the idea of the circulation of the artwork. You never know where these pieces have been, and I find it interesting that this material object carries the experiences of other people.
What advice would you give to other students hoping to participate in the Student Lending Art Program in the future?
It’s a unique experience, and I would urge people to participate. If you don’t receive the work you feel drawn to on your first attempt, you always have an opportunity in years ahead. And not to mention the pleasure of participating in the process of selecting artwork, standing in the List Gallery with so many other people all in the pursuit of curatorial curiosity—that’s sublime!
Marissa Beth Kondtadt
Marilyn Minter
Shit-Kicker, 2006
C-print
Purchased with funds from the Student Center Preview Program
CNS.2006.009
What drew you to this particular piece?
I love the bright colored shoes contrasting with the muddy water. She seems like such a badass—willing to rock a great outfit in any and all conditions.
How did you choose where to display the piece?
In both my living spaces, I wanted Shit Kicker to be of central focus. That way, I could enjoy the energy every day in my living/working environment.
Due to COVID-19, this piece has been with you for an unusual extended period of time, living in your space for two years. How has the extended loan period added, changed or affected your experience with the piece?
I got to live with Shit Kicker in two different apartments because of COVID19—she has really become a central part of my Boston décor. I miss her deeply now that she is gone.
Has the piece sparked any conversation with friends, family or roommates who have seen the artwork in your space? (via Zoom or otherwise)
Constantly—mostly because I point her out to any new person that comes into my home, but also because it is impossible not to notice such a neat photograph.
What have you enjoyed most about having this artwork in your living space?
I have often struggled to select art for myself. Having this piece helped me realize the style that I appreciate the most, and how it would fit in with my existing furnishings.
What advice would you give to other students hoping to participate in the Student Lending Art Program in the future?
Go with your gut! I think I won Shit Kicker in the lottery because others may not have listed it as highly. But she was my #1 choice because I knew as soon as I spotted it, it matched me.