Lecture #1

Tony Allard and the Pesky Heckety 

During the Tony Allard lecture, I noticed several things. I really appreciated his speech on his alter-ego, Heckey, because it showed how important and often grueling art can be. When he goes out as Heckety, he, like much any good art, is seriously questioned and sometimes looked down upon by authority figures or simple on-goers because they're unaware of how to react to something so raw and uncontrollable. It really takes guts to continually stand up for your art and in Tony's experience — truly be your art. I thought it was great that he brought the mask in to show and represent this non speaking character that can communicate so much. For example, Tony as Heckety is pesky. He is the trickster as an artist and the artist as a trickster.  

Another major component of Tony's lecture was sampling bits and pieces of his past and current art. One piece that really stood out to me was his "Drawing in the Media Stream." This appealed to me probably because I'm a journalism major and am particularly sensitive and curiously receptive to how people view the media, what is remembered and what is picked out for projects like this from what journalists produce and inform on daily. Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to participate in the version he did on campus, but I did see the results. I think it's a great idea to incorporate this sort of thing into art. Reacting to the media is a huge thing. It's a great way to express one's self. 

Overall, I found Tony to be refreshing in the sense that he was able to communicate his process and motives well. I find that many artists are phenomenal at actually producing art but maybe not the best as explaining it. Tony seemed open about his work which made me appreciate it more. I also loved that he was able to draw on quotes for inspiration. 

In my opinion, the most compelling quote he shared was:  

"Minds like beds, all made up." — William Carlos Williams

I liked that this made me think about changing my mind and being open to new things. I think part of an artist's job is to introduce people or at least invite people to come along with them to question ideas, practices and thoughts. 

Below is addition information concerning the lecture and his website.