In December of 2016, I was interviewed by Michael Shaw, an LA-based artist, for his podcast, The Conversation. You can hear the interview here. At the time, we talked about my pedagogical approach to teaching art history, giving tours to different audiences—small and large, young and old—and what I love (and hate) about living in Brooklyn and working mostly on the Upper East Side. I just re-listened as a means of reflecting upon how my work has changed over the past six years. The answer is: a lot.
In 2016, nearly all of my teaching was object-based, and I placed so much importance on standing in front of original works of art. I have traditionally cared a lot about the so-called aura of the thing that the artist touched. But when the pandemic began, it became impossible to be in the same room as these objects. I shifted to looking at—and teaching people about—art through a computer screen. My job had always kept me actively moving around the city; suddenly, I was stuck behind a computer, like everyone else.
Though I initially dreaded teaching on Zoom, I have come to really appreciate the experiences that it makes possible. People can join my classes from all over the country (and abroad), everyone is comfortable, and I don’t have to worry about what shoes I’m wearing. But perhaps most interestingly, my teaching has become more about the ideas behind the art and the identities of the artists, and a little less about the objects themselves. It’s harder to talk about brush strokes when everyone is looking at a smooth screen, and it’s easier to tell long biographical stories when everyone is comfortable and not shifting their weight from one leg to another. And because I’m not limited by the choices of a curator—instead I have all of Google’s images (and my own) at my disposal— I can bring in anything that helps me to tell my story. In short, remote teaching allows me to have more control over the narrative. And this has helped me to really expand as an educator.
Now, two and a half years into the pandemic, my practice is hybridic. I teach zoom classes a few days a week, but I’ve returned to meeting groups in person on the other days. When I teach in person, I relish the energy of the city and the commute, little side conversations I have with students, and the random encounters that make New York special. And when I am Zooming at home, I appreciate the fact that I don’t have to lug a heavy big bag around Manhattan.