Yan Urrizalqui, layout editor

Ian Babineau, our new adjunct professor in the Art Department, who previously worked at the Walker Art Center for six years within the visual design department, just started a few weeks ago and is already making a difference. A trip to the Minneapolis Central Library and to the Midway Contemporary Library are just the first trips that are starting off the semester. 

In each trip, students were asked to photograph pictures that caught their attention to later discuss them and ask themselves the reason why they were attracted to them, making them reflect on their choices and think about what they are drawn to as artists. At the Midway, students were also able to engage with the artist books and exhibition catalogs from their archive. These publications often included monographs (single-artist catalogs), informative books on design, and publications covering group shows. These trips are giving the students the chance to explore, be exposed to new ways to grow their sensibilities, get to know each other, share interests, develop community, understand how they look at design and create more meaningful work. 

It all started when he was in a class at Schoolhaus/A4 where Dan Ibarra, one of our art teachers at Augsburg, was teaching him. One of his classmates back then pointed out an image archive to him and this sparked a whole different part of his brain. He describes it as a revelatory experience that brought him closer to his classmates and fostered a creative closer relationship. Later, one of his coworkers at the Walker Art Center introduced him to the Midway Library.

In this technologically advanced world, where most students find inspiration on their phones, Ian Babineau emphasizes the importance of leaving the technology behind and immersing oneself in the physical world to gain knowledge. He states that in the social media world, it is hard to get in tune with your inner voice of truth and passion. The constant stimulation and input from the screens alter our brains. By looking at physical copies, we feel the object, and our brain processes the information in a deeper, more sensory way that allows us to develop a more unique approach to the artwork. 

He believes as designers it is crucial to have an understanding of the sensibilities and develop a research process. He also thinks that community is important; something as small as meeting a classmate, like he did, who you can share work with, helps people push each other to become better and share the process. He believes these are the keys in design and art: sensibility and research process, developing community and garnering the technical skills. 

Our professor encourages us to visit the libraries in the cities and discover the amazing archives hidden in the libraries. As he says, “Your unique interests and passions are going to shape your career goals and how you learn art and design and only you are going to find that answer; you cannot find it anywhere else.”