As part of his visit this fall, Harris' paintings will be on display in Trisolini Gallery through Sept. 27. The visit also follows more than a year of communication between Harris and School of Art Director Joe Bova. It's an extraordinary opportunity for students and faculty to get this exposure. It is rare for an American art school to offer students a class like this. In class, Harris is teaching his art students the use of sumi-e, a black ink that is quickly absorbed by paper.
Artists mix the ink with water to create gray tones in their work.
Students will earn four credit hours for the intensive training, which includes eight hours of class time on Fridays and Saturdays and three-hour meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I don't paint from imagination. Harris taught himself to use sumi-e about 25 years ago after a student suggested he try the Japanese ink. He opted not to undergo the rigid traditional Japanese study of the technique, favoring instead adaptation of the materials to his own style of painting. I just wanted to use the materials.