A Tale of Two Artists: In Conversation With Chris Frantz and James Prosek

We had only an hour to hear from these two interesting artists at a live Facebook event with Fairfield University Downtown Bookstore. With over 500 viewers, the time seemed to go by rather quickly.

Chris Frantz and James Prosek spoke about how their journeys unfolded as a result of certain mentors, peers, individual talent and being in the right place at the right time.

We learned that Chris, cofounder and drummer of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, and James, Environmental Artist, have similar stories in that they both found success at a relatively young age, by following their passions.

Talking Heads opened for the Ramones at CBGB’s in 1975, when Chris was just 24 years old. The band debuted on the cover of the Village Voice several months later and was offered a cover story with Rolling Stone in 1979, which the band refused and later accepted in 1987.

Similarly, James published his first art book with Alfred Knopf at age 22, which impacted the art world and marked the beginning of a prolific career. While Chris’s book is filled with details about his life, gigs and music, James’s book contemplates the connection between language, art and how human beings categorize the natural world. Both stories are a testimony to different creative paths that can unfold by following a calling.

If you weren’t able to listen live, you can catch the recording on the event link below, which is also on the Fairfield University Bookstore Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/FairfieldUBookstore/videos/437359054175346/

James Prosek and Chris Frantz Together in Fairfield University Virtual Bookstore Author Event

The Fairfield University Bookstore located at 1499 Post Road in downtown Fairfield, Conn. invites the public at large to join us on Facebook @ FairfieldUBookstore, Thursday, February 18, at 7 p.m., for a live virtual conversation with Artist/Naturalist, James Prosek, and Chris Frantz, co-founder and drummer of Talking Heads, as they discuss their latest publications.

Prosek and Frantz will sit down with Dr. Gale Bellas-Papageorge, Professor of English at Fairfield University and Craig Kennedy, Fairfield University Bookstore Manager for a lively discussion. This is a free event. Event books, Remain in Love and Art, Artifact, Artifice are available for purchase online at www.fairfieldbookstore.com or for in-store pick up.

There is so much to be said about Prosek’s and Frantz’s important contributions to art and music, both internationally and within American Culture.

Remain In Love scales the Talking Heads’ journey, from the forming of the band at RISD (Rhode island School of Design), to the band’s iconic rise to fame during the 70’s and 80’s Punk/New Wave scene at CBGB’S in NYC and worldwide. Frantz also discusses the formation of the Tom Tom Club and his long time musical collaboration with his talented wife, bassist, Tina Weymouth.

Frantz’s memoir has been praised by Billboard, Rolling Stone, and has made numerous 2020 best music book lists in the US and the United Kingdom.

Art, Artifact, Artifice is a discussion of Prosek’s current exhibit at Art Gallery and his philosophy on art, language and the environment. Prosek, who has been compared to the late naturalist painter James Audubon, is well-known for creating the first comprehensive catalogue on North American Trout, which was published while he was an undergraduate student at Yale University.

Since then, Prosek has held hundreds of exhibits world and nationwide and has published multiple Illustrated books. He is the author of the Ted Talk, “Why We Draw,” and a regular contributor to National Geographic and the New York Times.

His current exhibits are:

“Art, Artifact, Artifice” at Yale University Art Gallery, running through Feb 28, 2021.

“Made in : Celebrating 25 Years of the CT Art Trail” running through February 7, 2021

The Fairfield University Bookstore, located in the heart of downtown Fairfield, is operated by the Follett Higher Education Group and proudly serves Fairfield University, the Fairfield County community and beyond. For more virtual events visit www.fairfieldbookstore.com and www.facebook.com/FairfieldUBookstore and follow on Instagram and Twitter @ FairfieldUBooks.

The Upside to Hybrid and Online Learning

As students, teachers and parents embark on a journey into uncharted territory, there is much concern about how hybrid and online education will impact student learning. The outcome will largely depend on how teachers and parents alike, use resources available to them.

Sure, online learning is a different experience, but it has been proven to have many advantages. One valuable asset of online learning is that discussion forums on platforms such as Quip or Blackboard are more in-depth. Students can take time to read and reflect on their peers’ entries in order to compose and revise a well thought out response. They can also go back and revisit a current or previous thread, enabling them to draw more substantive conclusions on a specific topic.

Students are often more comfortable participating and asking questions online than in a traditional classroom. They also tend to be more honest and open about their thoughts, especially when confronting difficult topics. Education goes far beyond teaching academic and technical skills as it is also designed to educate students to be compassionate and civically engaged citizens. Jesuits call it “ Care for the individual person.”

When it comes to teaching an appreciation of cultures in elementary school or teaching the different manifestations of racial inequality and injustice in the to middle and high school students, online learning can have more of an impact, as it allows for a variety of different formats and modalities. Using visual representation such as pictures and videos of individuals telling their own stories, side-by-side written histories, helps to create a more accurate account and a more engaged connection with other human beings while challenging familiar and preexisting narratives.

Some of the more common visual online resources include:

eBooks, text and digital images, animations Interactive maps, images, and video Interactive journals and blogs Podcasts

James Prosek, artist and author, challenges the limitations of language when he discusses his exhibit, Art, Artifact, Artifice at the Yale University Art Gallery. He says, “We prefer the world as filtered by our minds, where it can be made orderly and intelligible, because then we feel we know it, and knowing brings comfort.”

He goes on to say, “Racism, sexism, religious discrimination, intolerance of myriad kinds emerge from a belief that there is some ideal form or way of being.”

There are certain downsides to online learning, as in any model, such as an inequity in access to technology, which is an important issue and challenge throughout public education. And of course, it is a given that nothing replaces the valuable social interaction that students glean from an in-person classroom experience.

But during a time where the overarching concern and goal is individual and public health and safety, online learning should not be feared or stereotyped as an inferior method of learning. On the contrary, it can be quite exciting and effective if done properly, with the added benefits of fostering self-discipline, time management and self- agency skills. So as the fall semester approaches, don’t be afraid to get right in there and create a multidimensional and interactive experience for all.

Editor’s Note: Gale Papageorge has served on multiple higher education diversity curriculum committees and has designed American Diversity Requirement classes at Fairfield University, where she currently teaches. She’s been noted as a Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Scholar in Harlem, N.Y., and holds a Master’s degree in American and African American Literature and a PhD in Comparative Ethnic American Literature. She is the author of several books including, New Rhetorical Strategies for Reading African American Texts, A Dialogic Approach to Reading and Teaching Ethnic American Texts, and a contributing author to Patriarchy in Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street: Social Issues in Literature.

Aquarion Water Company Acquires Conservation Easement in Easton Over 15 acres of pristine watershed land to be preserved for future generations

Aquarion Water Company announced it has acquired a conservation easement on 15.34 acres of land in Easton adjacent to the company’s Easton Reservoir property. Located on Kachele Street, the property hosts streams that directly feed the reservoir.

By acquiring the easement, Aquarion is better positioned to ensure that these vital sources of water are protected. Additionally, keeping water sources clean helps to reduce the amount of treatment that water needs before being delivered to customers.

“It was critical that Aquarion acquire a conservation easement for the Kachele Street property,” said Donald Morrissey, president of Aquarion Water Company. “Not only is the parcel an important water source, it is also located in an area with significant potential for real estate development. Were the parcel to be developed, we would have lost the opportunity to permanently conserve the land.”

The Kachele land now adds to nearly 20,000 acres of watershed land managed by Aquarion, underscoring the company mission as stewards of the environment.

“We wouldn’t be here today without the neighboring property owners who made it possible to secure this easement,” said Morrissey. “Thanks to the leadership of Kachele Street residents James Prosek, Andrew Kachele, and Shari Jones, this property will remain in its natural state for many years to come.”

Prosek helped to spearhead the years-long effort to preserve the property. A veteran outdoorsman and environmental advocate, Prosek’s efforts were vital to securing the easement.

“I’ve spent most of my life around this property, and the watershed was a very important part of my childhood,” said Prosek. “I’m humbled to have played a role in conserving this vital open space for future generations, and would like to thank my neighbors and Aquarion for their commitment to our environment.”

ABOUT AQUARION WATER COMPANY

Aquarion Water Company is the public water supply company for more than 625,000 people in 52 cities and towns throughout Connecticut, as well as serving customers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. It is the largest investor-owned water utility in New England and among the seven largest in the U.S. Based in Bridgeport, Conn., it has been in the public water supply business since 1857. Across its operations, Aquarion strives to act as a responsible steward of the environment and to assist the communities it serves in promoting sustainable practices. Aquarion Water Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Eversource.

The Ecology of James Prosek

Easton Front Porch

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of James Prosek’s work is that while he is telling his own story, he’s also telling another story: the relationship between living organisms and their natural habitats. James’ passion and enthusiasm for the planet and all of its life forms, is contagious, and his work encourages innovative ways to reconnect with the natural world.

His current exhibit, Art, Artifact, Artifice, running through November at Yale Art Gallery, challenges the socially constructed dichotomy between human beings and nature. According to James, our desire to name, classify and label our surroundings, disconnects us from the mysteries and rhythms of the natural world.

He writes,

“We prefer the world as filtered by our minds, where it can be made orderly and intelligible, because then we feel we know it, and knowing brings comfort. If we live too much through the lens of our predispositions and the tools we have evolved—our languages and concepts—that reflect them, and not in the world itself, we miss out on an essential aspect of human experience: a direct, unmediated, sensual engagement with the natural world.”

He goes on to say,

“Once the complex and chaotic world is made legible through our taxonomies and systems of classification, we attempt to control it. Political regimes have announced and carried out terrifying projects that attempt to force the world to conform to our mental reductions. Racism, sexism, religious discrimination, intolerance of myriad kinds emerge from a belief that there is some ideal form or way of being. But there is no such thing as an ideal form.”

Much like an evolved ecosystem, James’ body of work as an artist and writer is made up of an intricate story, which includes the people and landscape that have influenced his artwork, philosophy and life over the past 44 years. His father, Louis, born in Brazil, came to the United States when he was 12 and moved to Easton with James’ mother, Kristina, in 1974. Louis taught Astronomy, Earth Science and Field Biology at various Trumbull schools, and eventually became the director of the planetarium at Hillcrest School. In the summer, Louis would bring his students on field trips to learn about Marine Biology. James would always join along on the field trips, where he learned to identify local flora and organisms in the woods and streams but also along the coast of Long Island Sound.

From the age of nine, James would go fishing for hours at the Easton Reservoir, which was in close proximity to his house. When he was 15, he met a second mentor. One afternoon, Joe Haines, the local game warden in Easton, spotted James and his friend fishing illegally. James’ friend ran, urging James to follow, but James remained and turned himself in. Although James received a written warning for fishing without a permit, Joe, also an avid fisher, ended up being a life-long mentor to James, teaching him even more about the art of fishing.

James’ fascination with trout, led him on a search to find a comprehensive book on the different species of trout in North America. After some investigation, he discovered that no such book existed, so he decided to write and illustrate his own.

During summers throughout high school, James traveled around the country, in search of different types of trout. He would catch the trout, document where he caught it, take a picture in its full translucence and send it back into the river. Later, he would create a painting from the photograph, which would spark a remembrance of the feeling he experienced when catching the fish. He also contacted fishermen from around the country and asked them to send him pictures and the names of the different trout from their specific regions. James received an overwhelming response.

In 1996, at age 20, while an English major at Yale, James published his first book, Trout: An Illustrated History, published by Alfred A. Knopf. His book includes over 70 watercolor paintings of different species of North American trout. James’ colorful and accurate paintings have been compared to those of American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter, James Audubon.

At the time his book was published, James was studying under Harold Bloom, a well- known literary critic, who taught James about the canonization of literary works, which, once again, brought up the theme that has occupied James’ thoughts since he was 11: how humans have the desire to classify and label.

Since then, he has published 11 more illustrated books on various wildlife with commentary and reflection, a memoir, and a children’s book. He has written several articles for National Geographic, is the author of a Ted Talk and has exhibited his artwork nationwide and worldwide.

James’ work is not simply a nostalgia for the past, but a call to social action, one that emphasizes a link between a healthy ecology and a healthy society:

“The health of our planet depends on an understanding and acceptance that the world is a system, not a place made up of units that fit into neat mental boxes. If we wish to make investigations into disorderly zones, where some of the most interesting things happen, we must find ways to override our strongest urges and inclinations. That is what this book and exhibition in part are meant to urge us to do.”

“The lines we draw between things, the categories into which we place things, the structures we impose on the world to communicate, and the choices we make based on our personal prejudices can shape not only the way we and others think but also the future of ourselves as a species, and the future of nature.”

His observations couldn’t be more timely in light of one of the most salient examples of how nature can and will eclipse human beings’ attempt at controlling their natural surroundings. James exhibit, opening on Feb. 14, was open for less than a month before the gallery had to close due to Covid-19. As James states, “Nature will always trespass across the boundaries that we attempt to set upon it.” The gallery should be opening again sometime this summer, and the exhibit will run through Nov. 28. If we think about his exhibit within the more grand order of the natural world, the exhibit becomes a living example of the message it hopes to convey.

In his current exhibit, James continues to open up new paths of perception by taking the limitations of linguistic coding one step further. The exhibit juxtaposes “Art” from the Yale Art Gallery and Yale Center for British Art along with his own paintings, “Artifacts” from the Peabody Museum, and “Artifice” (language) to show how there have been various ways by humans of evaluating the natural world throughout time, characterized by different objects, meanings and values. The exhibit also brings to the forefront how art has always been a more effective medium at capturing the mystical relationship between human beings and nature, whereas language tends to draw artificial lines between that connection.

With all of his notoriety, award-winning exhibits and world travel, James still lives in Easton by the reservoir, with his wife, Lauren, and son, Cody, a place where he feels at home in the world and a strong connection to the land. His father, Louis, lives three houses away with James’ stepmother, Lynn.

James remains a significant part of local preservation ventures, which in the past, have included collaborations with Trout Brook Valley Preserve, Mill River Heritage Project, Connecticut Audubon Bird Craft Museum and Connecticut Audubon Society. He is also on the board of the Nature Conservancy in Connecticut.

His exhibits have been showcased at many venues around the world, such as Yale University Art Gallery, Peabody Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Hudson River Museum, Cornell University, Nouveau Musee National de Monaco, Asian Society Museum of Hong Kong, and the Royal Academy of Art in London. He has also delivered countless lectures as a visiting scholar.

To see a complete list of James Prosek’s publications, exhibits, lectures and videos, including his inspirational TED Talk, visit his website: https://www.troutsite.com/.

Additional Links:

Art, Artifact, Artifice Art Exhibit. Yale Art Gallery https://artgallery.yale.edu/exhibitions/exhibition/james-prosek-art-artifact-artifice

James Prosek TED Talk https://youtu.be/jb8TngyfxiY

Art, Artifact, Artifice Exhibit. Yale University Art Gallery, Feb. 14 to Nov. 28, 2020 James Prosek, Bird Spectrum. Art, Artifact, Artifice Exhibit. Yale University Art Gallery. From the Peabody Museum of Natural History collection.

James Prosek Mural. The Singing and the Silence of Birds in Contemporary Art. Smithsonian American Museum of Art

Eels: An Exploration, from New Zealand to the Sargasso, of the World’s Most Mysterious Fish. Published 2010 Trout: An Illustrated History. Published 1996