Black Lives Matter Protests
Lastly we asked Wallace of his opinions on the Black Lives Matter Protests, and it was very interesting to find out a different view of a very relevant
topic. We began by asking how it has
affected his life and he says it has made
him more aware about the issues
surrounding not only the black com-
munity, but also other minorities. We also
asked about if this is the biggest rights
protest he had seen in his life, and he
responded with a lot of examples
but more specifically he discussed the
Martin Luther King marches. He said, “They were the largest. It led to more protests coming in the future.” He believes overall realistically these protests will not achieve much to stop the issue, however it will help reach the end goal.
Who is Chris Wallace?
Providence Day School art teacher, Chris Wallace, has captivating
perspectives on a wide range of topics. Wallace grew up
obsessed with art and currently teaches a few art
classes and an AP Art History course. Throughout
teaching and making art, Wallace has little to no
time to see what is on the minds of our generation.
Many of his students refer to him as humorous and
always look forward to his class.
Mr. Wallace is known to the PD community as funny and wise, which made him the perfect candidate to present with topics our generation finds interesting.
Danielle Bregoli (The Catch Me Outside Girl)
We played Wallace the video that made
Bregoli famous, and his facial expressions
showed it all. At first he was intrigued, but
near the end of the video Wallace seemed
to laugh, as though he had seen stuff like
that before. As he explained, he has seen
many artists who have tried to use a shock
factor, so while Bregoli's approach is fresh
for current teenagers, it's nothing new to
him. We asked him why people in our generation have made her famous, and he seemed very sure with his answer. He responded with, “She is outside the boundaries and rebellious, it is interesting and attractive to any generation.” He even alluded to his life by giving examples of different entertainers stepping outside of the boundaries. One of which was Bob Dylan’s rendition of The Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock. The way Dylan makes it sound like a battle song surprised viewers and presented a shock value. We wrapped up the topic by asking if he would look for any other Bregoli videos, and surprisingly Wallace said he wouldn’t look for it, however he wouldn’t be against watching it.
Mr. Wallace reacts to current events
By John Marenic
Media Courtesy of creative commons license CCO. Giphy.
Mr. Wallace contemplating.
Image Courtesy of J. Marenic
"She is outside the boundaries and rebellious;
it is interesting and attractive to any generation."
– Chris Wallace
White Canvas Art
The next topic we brought to Wallace is the white canvases seen in modern art. We showed many different pieces of art to Wallace in hopes of stumping him, but we never did. Wallace knew every piece we showed him and spoke about each one in depth. One that really stuck out was Robert Ryman’s Bridge because Wallace says “He started the white art. It is a rejection of the art coming out at that
time. Those paintings are relevant be-
cause they take painting down to the
lowest denominator.” We found this
comment extremely interesting because
it added a dynamic that most people
would not acknowledge.
We then asked Wallace to explain why
an average person doesn’t appreciate the
art, and he believes it is because white is too familiar to them, he also added that these art pieces are more conceptual than skill based which is another reason why it may not be appreciated. After getting into all the details the charger asked Wallace if he would attempt a piece like these, and he responded with strong “No” because he believes "he is at a point where he over thinks his work.”
Media Courtesy of creative commons license CCO. Giphy.
It has made him more aware about the issues surrounding not only the black community, but also other minorities.
Media Courtesy of creative commons license CCO. Giphy.
COMMUNITY
Mr. Wallace poses for a picture.
Image courtesy of J. Marenic
The Charger, December 2017
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