Paul Angert '24 - 2023 AP Art and Design Recognition
Saint Ignatius is incredibly proud of Paul and his personal and academic achievements. For those of you who know Paul, he is an outstanding young man, and this is a remarkable accomplishment. We are so lucky to have him at Ignatius and cannot wait to see all he does in college and beyond.
Quote From Paul:
"This work, titled "Unaligned," explores the inner struggle to find individuality and a sense of self through movement, line, and an abstracted human figure. The composition of vertically aligned, descending easel pieces symbolizes the struggles, environments, and seemingly fixed structure society has created for an individual to develop and achieve “success.” As the piece moves from left to right, the figure on the right “un-aligns” or tears away from the vertical structure of the easel pieces. The transition from the easels to the figure represents the internal steps taken to discover oneself and find purpose in life, separate from the constricting aspects of societal pressures.
As I worked towards this piece, exploring concepts of personal growth, individuality, and my own life, I simultaneously experimented with line and creating movement with various mark-making methods. I began arranging and rearranging the linear elements of broken easels, transitioning into cut mat boards for the figure's construction. My decision to render the figure with a mat board was to maintain unity within the piece while simultaneously emphasizing the separation of self from the environment. The variety of materials used and the non-traditional style of mark-making allowed me to push the conceptual boundaries of my portfolio.
As I continue to create art, I aim to find new processes and media that complement my ideas. I strongly encourage other artists not to be afraid to take risks and embrace failure as an integral part of the creative process."
Quote From AP Art Teacher Julianna Burrows:
"Paul inspires me to cultivate an enthusiastic, driven, and supportive classroom environment. My approach with AP Art and Design has always been to cater to my students’ individualized artistic strengths, curiosities, passions, and areas for growth. Yet, while I focus on the students as individuals, I find that it’s essential that we operate as a team to amplify the gifts of each student. Paul is an outstanding teammate. He depends on his classmates as much as he supports them, hearing new perspectives and embracing varied approaches as a necessary step towards growth in himself and the community.
This course is a unique and rewarding experience for students because they can explore their curiosities and creative voices at a pivotal point in their young lives. Because of students' personalized journeys, I try different ideation, process, documentation, and assessment approaches every year. I intentionally meet each student where they are while accepting my advice to look honestly at what has been successful and what would benefit from iteration and revision. Anchoring all of these approaches has been my constant and deliberate inclusion of reflection as a driving force toward action. This is particularly evident in formal critiques, studio visits, written reflection, inquiry sketchbooks, and student curation of their spaces in our annual student art exhibition.
We are blessed to have the ongoing support of our school community. The AP Art and Design students have a team of invested teachers who generously contribute to their artistic formation. Our principal and president annually jury the student art exhibition and often join us for critiques. I feel lucky to be where I am, walking alongside students who will undoubtedly bring about positive change to the world through the art they make. Paul is one of those students. He has made me a better teacher."
