Back in high school, I had a math teacher who knew nothing about math.
The guy would stand in front of our class clutching a piece of chalk and use it to scribble equations violently on the blackboard.
At best, his lessons were mildly confusing. At worst, they were misleading and mathematically unsound.
In fact, it wasn’t uncommon for our class of 15-year-old students to correct him on an integer or variable or formula; an occasion which would cause the bumbling teacher to turn red and to load the class with extra math homework for being “a bunch of smart Alecs.
While painting and drawing generally favor creativity over precision, art students at the American University in Cairo (AUC) will nonetheless have the chance to mull over their teachers’ work this month, thanks to a new show at AUC’s Falaki Gallery.
Dubbed “Fresh Cream, the show features a whack of recent works by AUC faculty members and staff all rolled under one roof.
“I think it’s very important for the students to know who’s teaching them, says Shems Friedlander, a graphic communications professor who is showing a pair of paintings.
(Attention art snobs: “Fresh Cream is also the name of a trendy journal which boasts the latest in contemporary art.)
“If they take a drawing class they should know that their professor knows how to draw, and if they’re taking a painting class, it’s important that they know that their professor knows how to paint.
Rather than just standing off against each other in class, adds Friedlander, the show “creates another level of communication with the students and strengthens the “connection between the students and the professors.
The idea for the show was hatched by AUC professor and Falaki Gallery director Brian Curling. Curious about what the other professors and instructors were up to, and hoping to create a “shared dialogue, he rung up some of his colleagues and asked them to submit their freshest stuff.
“My only stipulation was that the works had to be from the last six months, Curling tells The Daily Star Egypt in a telephone interview.
The resulting exhibition features everything from audiovisual installation pieces and mixed-media works, to sketches, sculptures and exactly one stack of chairs.
“What I was trying to do was to motivate faculty and staff to bring their most recent works, says Curling, who submitted two abstract drawings which he says reflect the “humbling nature of life in Cairo.
“Everything I see in this show is very sincere. It shows a very human experience, he says.
For Curling, the exhibition is a chance for him to express his impressions about life in the bustling, big city. Indeed, it’s been quite an adjustment for the young professor – before coming to crowded Cairo, Curling was living on a 600-acre property in rural Kentucky.
“For my own work, it’s about coming here and being part of this almost mythical city, and living in this contemporary city, and where you find yourself in the middle of it, says Curling.
Another professor showing at “Fresh Cream is Hassan Kamel, who created two cubic, bronze sculptures inspired by ancient Egyptian art forms. Ironically, one of Kamel’s first art teachers, Gamal Lamei, is also exhibiting at the Falaki.
“It’s very important for the teachers to show their experience through their work, says Kamel.
“After some time, especially when you become a real artist, your teacher will feel like a friend. It’s important to have a discussion, but at first, the teacher should be admired.
Fresh Cream runs at AUC’s Falaki Galleryuntil Feb. 22Open daily from noon to 9 pm, except Fridays For more info call (202) 797 6103
