Say Yes with Abstract Artist and CofC alum Brian Rutenberg

Speaking of ... College of Charleston

In this episode we talk to Brian Rutenberg, College of Charleston alumnus and one of the great American painters of the past 30 years.
"My entire experience here at the College of Charleston can be summarized in a single word. The word is yes. For the entire four years I was here 1983 to 1987. I never heard the word no, not even once. The answer to my every question was yes. And that made all the difference."
On this episode of Speaking Of…College of Charleston podcast, we talk to Brian Rutenberg ’87, College of Charleston alumnus and one of the great American painters of the past 30 years. CofC is a home away from home for Rutenberg who is one of 5 family members that attended the College, including his son and daughter who are currently enrolled in the Honors College. He has stayed actively engaged with the College over the years and generously donated his painting “Sandspur” (2017, 62x80 in., oil on linen), which will be hung in the recently renovated Simons Center for the Arts. Rutenberg grew up in Myrtle Beach, SC and lives and works in New York City.
“Myrtle Beach, as you all know, is a resort town full of spastic neon blinking lights and arcades and amusement parks, surrounded by some of the most ravishing landscapes on the East Coast. And I paid attention,” says Rutenberg. “So, what I saw was miraculous, I saw two landscapes, one artificial and one natural, colliding head on at 200 miles an hour right in front of my eyes, and colliding so violently, that they seem to fuse into a third thing. And that elusive third thing has been the subject matter of my work for four decades. It’s a pulsating energy. It’s a visual propulsion that I couldn't articulate, but even as a kid back then knew that I had to do something with it, so that's what sort of set the tone for me to become a visual artist.”
Rutenberg is nothing if not generous with his time and sharing lessons he’s learned with the next generation of art students. “I feel like if I can do anything, to be of service to younger artists, or less experienced artists, then I feel like it makes me a better painter. (…) Working as an artist can be isolating so the reason I make the videos is to remind artists around the world that they are not alone. (…) By doing this, I hope to bring people into my studio, and not just show them technical stuff, which can be as boring as Novocain in a dental chair, I try to show them what an artist’s life is like. I talk a little philosophy, a little personal anecdote, and then I mix some technical and art historical references in as well.”
Resources from this Episode:
Rutenberg’s first painting class at the College was William Halsey’s last before retiring. He credits Halsey as one of his major influences.
https://vimeo.com/280620313
To learn more about Rutenberg’s time at the College and his artistic process:
https://today.cofc.edu/2016/01/20/southern-landscape-painter-rutenberg/
A Father figure to Rutenberg, professor and artist, Michael Tyzack
MFA at SVA
A few of Rutenberg’s favorite quotes:
“If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.” – Albert Einstein
“Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It’s self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can’t try to do things. You simply must do things.”— Ray Bradbury
“The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude. ”― Friedrich Nietzsche