Fourteen students spent two unforgettable weeks this summer studying with David Chang, Professor of Art and Art History, in Italy, where they visited Rome, Naples, Florence and Venice, among others. The experience expanded her knowledge of centuries-old painting techniques and brought her into contact with people who left a lasting impression. Art education students Carolina Quinonez and Olivia Pickering and Master of Fine Arts student Liliette Ferro wrote together about their time abroad and highly recommend that students of all disciplines consider studying abroad.
We returned from Italy different people than when we left, with a deeper understanding of what it means to be an artist. We walked in the footsteps of some of history’s most remarkable painters and sculptors, breathed the air they once breathed, and viewed the sights that stirred their souls, finding a deep connection to the essence of creativity and the human spirit. With the fast pace of Miami society no longer clouding our minds, we had the chance to explore what really matters to us as artists.
The trip reinforced some of what we already knew and gave us many new and unforgettable experiences. Much of what we had learned through our studies and from art history books fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. We gained new perspectives on how to create art, share it with others and be part of a creative community.
As artists, we had an almost religious experience looking at some of the most iconic Renaissance masterpieces, such as Bernini’s Abduction of Persephone, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Caravaggio’s Sacrifice of Isaac, DaVinci’s Last Supper, and more. By seeing these works firsthand, we were able to appreciate every nuance of texture (the look and feel of the surface as created by brushstrokes) and value (the lightness or darkness of a hue) that can never be captured online or in print. Looking at the 500-year-old paintings directly also inspired us to think more about the design principles we learned in drawing classes.
Trying out new skills also proved exciting and rewarding. A highlight was an eight-hour workshop in Genoa at the Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti, held for our group through a partnership with FIU’s Academy of Portrait and Figurative Arts. Led by Professor Silvana Ghigino, we learned from Italian students who taught us painting techniques not commonly taught in America: trompe-l’oeil, an optical illusion that tricks the viewer into perceiving objects or spaces as real; and fresco, a type of wall painting in which watercolor paint is applied directly to wet plaster. We also each made a plaster cast after making a relief sculpture from a sample piece provided for the class.
Another day we worked outdoors in plein air painting with watercolors. The exercise taught us to be very deliberate in choosing our compositions. Choosing a subject – a tree, a lake, a building, a bridge, a meadow – from a vast landscape full of possibilities is much more intimidating than, say, painting a live model, which offers fewer options.
On a social level, many of us bonded with our Italian counterparts at Accademia Ligustica because of our shared experiences as art students. We joked around and got to know each other over pesto gnocchi during a lunch break. We realized that we share many of the same issues, but our cultures and environments couldn’t be more different. However, one student, Miriam, expressed feelings about her upbringing that resonated with us Miamians. Born in Italy to Egyptian parents, she spoke about life in a multicultural immigrant household, something her own classmates had little understanding of.
Another important contrast with our host country struck us as we walked along thousand-year-old streets and were surrounded by centuries-old buildings: Miami tends to tear down anything remotely old without thinking and replace it with something modern, but in Italy people show respect for what came before. Even in the city of Pompeii, destroyed in a nearby volcanic eruption in 79 AD, the preservation of the ruins is of paramount importance. It is strictly forbidden to move even a single stone or take a souvenir stone.
Ultimately, the human connections we made gave the members of our group a sense of community and made each of us aware of our purpose as creative individuals. We left Italy aware of our power to shape culture simply by communicating in the most universal of languages: art.
