Timothy Van Laar
Encyclopedia
Timothy Van Laar is an American
artist
, writer
, and full time professor
.
.
Van Laar's most recent artworks deal with the nature of representation in painting. A single painting merges multiple historical approaches to how paint is applied, how paintings create meaning, and how paintings define their subject matter.
and Champaign, Illinois
. He attended Calvin College
for his undergraduate degree and obtained his MFA degree at Wayne State University
. Currently he is a Professor of Art in the School of Art and Design at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, and full time professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
.
Art career
Van Laar produces art works in multiple formats including, paintings, drawings and installation pieces some of which have been exhibited throughout North America and Europe. He has received fellowships and grants and other support from multiple organizations including the Pew Charitable Trusts. Some of the most well known works are the postcard paintings Van Laar has been featured in exhibits at major art museums, including The Detroit Institute of ArtsDetroit Institute of Arts
The Detroit Institute of Arts is a renowned art museum in the city of Detroit. In 2003, the DIA ranked as the second largest municipally owned museum in the United States, with an art collection valued at more than one billion dollars...
.
Van Laar's most recent artworks deal with the nature of representation in painting. A single painting merges multiple historical approaches to how paint is applied, how paintings create meaning, and how paintings define their subject matter.
Writing
He is co-author of two books with Leonard Diepeveen: Active Sights: Art as Social Interaction and Art with a Difference: Looking at Difficult and Unfamiliar Art. Other works include reviews and numerous essays.Education and Professional Positions
Currently Van Laar resides in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Champaign, Illinois
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
. He attended Calvin College
Calvin College
Calvin College is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1876, Calvin College is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reformed tradition of Protestantism...
for his undergraduate degree and obtained his MFA degree at Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
. Currently he is a Professor of Art in the School of Art and Design at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
.