https://www.russellmhamilton.com/
russellmalcolmhamilton@gmail.com
Interdisciplinary, Sculpture / Installation, Drawing/Painting, and Engaged & Public Arts/Social Practice
In-person, Online, Hybrid mentor (in-person and online)

BIO 

I have spent much of my life traveling the world, and living in countries for months and years at a time, which gave me the experiences of being a visitor, a resident, and the ‘other’, always seeking to understand who I was and how I was seen by the people of these countries as much as I was allowed; Brazil, Portugal, Cape Verde Islands, Angola, Mozambique, and the U.A.E are some of the places I lived. As a result of these life shaping experiences, my work has always explored issues of identity, and that of human interaction and the social structures we create, both naturally developed and covertly imposed. Our social structures are hierarchical, and divide us into groups, based on socio-economic principles, such as income, religion, gender, language, nationality, ethnicity, and the fallacy of race.

My recent work has been focused on human migration and the impact that migration has on the immigrant, as well as, the residents and the perceived ideas about ownership and privilege. The impact this has had on both native peoples and those that arrived, as communities and social structures were forever altered by the arrival of immigrants; both those arriving by their own free will and those that were brought against their will. In the end, we are all connected to the history of migration.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY & MENTORSHIP

My teaching philosophy is different based on the course I am teaching, With foundation level courses the focus tends to be about providing the fundamental principles and elements of visual communication to students through a series of creative projects that allow them to use their own ideas and aesthetics within a set of specific project parameters.

In working with Thesis and MFA students my initial focus is about understanding the student and where they are in their ideation, aesthetics, intentions and overall direction, and then understanding where they see themselves in these areas. It may be that there is a need for discussions on fundamental issues and approaches, but this is a process, which develops into different approaches and ways of providing support, different ways to encourage , inspire, advise, question, and challenge them, with the goal of assisting / “guiding” them so that they may discover themselves, their ideas, concerns, and potential in their work, and in a way that feels good and authentic.

I truly enjoy this process which not only benefits the MFA candidate, but is equally beneficial to the mentor. So, in this way, it is something that is uniquely found in this kind of creative academic arena.