The 7th annual “Let’s Talk Art” lecture series returned this year as a part of the university’s Fanfare festival.
The Fanfare festival features artists, musicians and lectures on and off campus throughout the month of October.
Irene Nero, associate professor of art history at the university, gave a lecture titled “Robert Rauschenberg: It All Begins on the Street!” last Wednesday, October 14 in the Contemporary Art Gallery.
This year, Nero’s speech was inspired by one of her favorite artists, Robert Rauschenberg.
During the lecture, Nero praised Rauschenberg for never having a negative word written about him during his career.
“Since I’ve been studying art for 30 years, I have had a top ten of work in art history and Rauschenberg is always in the pick because he’s so different and broke all the rules,” said Nero.
Nero cites the everyday gritty and dirty things that were seen on the street, as being some of Rauschenberg’s inspiration for his art.
She describes his art as, “coming from the street,” because most of his art reflected where he lived.
The lecture focused on Rauschenberg’s journey as an artist in New York and Texas, which was the inspiration for some of his significant work, such as Estate, which was featured in the presentation.
Although Nero lacks a talent in drawing unlike Rauschenberg, she compares them by saying “they both think out of the box.”
Since 2007, Nero has participated in “Let’s Talk Art” lectures for the Fanfare festival.
Nero believes that students should take advantage of the entire Fanfare experience.
“It’s a beautiful month with a lot of fun, cultural things to do,” said Nero. “Students get to see things locally that would normally be in places like New York. They can feel a part of something bigger than themselves; it is culturally awakening.”
Junior art major Trent Pechon came to support Nero and learn more about Rauschenberg’s art and career.
“She’s a great teacher that’s knowledgeable and passionate on this topic,” said Pechon.
Nero is from New Orleans and attended Florida State University where she earned a PhD in Art History.
After graduating, Nero taught at Florida State University and was an administrator at Tulane Medical Center for 14 years.
Upon returning to Louisiana, she began teaching art history at Southeastern in August of 2000.
Nero wants people listening to her lectures to see a different perspective of art.
“I want people to see how artists looked at the world differently, so they can get inspiration for their own work,” said Nero.
Nero hopes to continue contributing to the Fanfare festival for years to come.
On November 24, an opening reception will be held for art and design senior exhibitions. For more information, call the Contemporary Art Gallery at 985-549-5080 or visit the Southeastern website.