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 I Santuari dei Comagni Fedeli #2 is a work by David Giese, a professor at University of Idaho who teaches painting and mixed media. Courtesy Photo
In addition to teaching art students for 31 years at the University of Idaho, David Giese is a renowned
postmodern artist.
The door to Giese’s office hints at this, adorned with stone cherubs frozen in eternal divinity. On the other side of the door, Giese can be heard discussing texture with a student. In the airy loft next to his office canvases stretch the length of the room in a haphazard fashion. The room is bright from tall sky windows. The floor is splattered with paint, which solidifies the personality of the studio.
Once in his office, it is apparent that Giese has been at UI for some time. The office is strewn with a variety of papers, pamphlets and art.
“I am exposed to students in a critical formation period when they are beginning to think independently,” Giese said. “What I do is not about teaching techniques. It isa about creating atmosphere through self-discovery — making links for yourself rather than someone telling you those links.”
Giese found his artistic link in 1986 with an exhibition at the Boise Art Museum called, “The Rise and Fall of Taste,” which featured mixed media pieces. Giese created a fictitious story of an excavated Italian villa as the basis of his art. A company called Smith Kramer helped him travel to the United States to promote his work and he is now featured in museums across the country. Giese visited New York City and garnered attention from a major gallery called OK Harris in 1990. In 2010, Giese will come full circle with his 10th one-man exhibition in OK Harris.
“I think of myself as a collagist,” said Giese.
He does not produce sketches for his pieces but creates a design on a computer and casts all concrete items. At this point, he prints images onto a special paper that transfers to concrete and stains the concrete to give it the look of an ancient Italian fresco. The final touch is applied in concrete columns, ribbon and Italian decor that outline each of his pieces in unique ways.
“I get my concrete from a company in Kansas that makes it especially for me, and I am in the process of getting it patented,” said Giese.
Giese has established a client base that demands his current work, and he will continue to produce Italian pieces. He teaches all levels of painting and upper-level mixed media
courses at UI.
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