Listening to Nell Ruby

Nell Ruby’s sabbatical research talk was more like a story one might read about an American adventure than a lecture. She showed us an impressive map of the places she traveled around the United States. She revisited childhood inspiration as well as sites of artistic wonder, such as the Lighting Field. Her journey was exciting and inspiring to me because of how fearlessly and freely she traveled alone as a woman artist.

The way Ruby equipped her big green art van with solar panels seemed like something I would have dreamed of as a child. It was a charming and impressive way to travel. She mentioned that she was somewhat of a spectacle, as an older lady driving through towns alone in a weird green van, and that people would talk to her because of it. As Ruby spoke about how she stopped for everything beautiful, she showed countless pictures of clouds and sunsets along the road. She said she wanted to encounter nature directly and get away from her usual machines which we are so connected to daily.

The goals of this trip included escaping a static state, jogging new artistic inspiration, and working in different contexts and scales. She also joked about wanting to be a “real artist” who goes outside somewhere to draw nature, wear a beret and be stereotypical. I understand this feeling, like all of the modern art we do is fun but there is something so simply pleasing about depicting the world we see. I connected with this notion that we should do what our gut is telling us to do and figure out why later.

I saw parallels between Ruby’s journey and the Georgia O’Keeffe exhibit I saw at the NCMA. O’Keefe was drawn to depicting her surroundings in huge and abstract softness. Ruby mentioned how rocks are profound, and I was intrigued by three paintings of rocks O’Keeffe had done. They obviously share a profound respect and interest in our natural world. I  also think that the way Ruby found such an interest in the repetitive visual quality of rundown houses and barns by the side of the road is similar to the way O’Keefe was obsessed with the things like skulls, and subverting their usual meaning.

I was surrounded by an audience of other faculty and staff who clearly admired and respected Professor Ruby, and I can easily understand why. The way Ruby discusses art is very accessible. Her journey examined the beauty of our world, something at the core of art however you look at it. She documented the trip with her iPhone camera and spoke about how framing creates meaning, and photography is a practice of looking. It doesn’t take a fancy camera to see like an artist, in Ruby’s view. She mentioned that drawing is just “looking harder.” I am so thankful I could hear her discuss her trip and I hope to maybe take on like it for myself someday.