IUK professor creates drawings while isolated on sabbatical

Spencer Durham, Kokomo Tribune, Ind.
·3 min read

Oct. 23—A sabbatical is a time to get away. For rest, for leisure and most importantly, for not working.

Indiana University Kokomo Professor Michael Koerner took that to the extreme when he took sabbatical in the fall of 2022.

Koerner got away from it all, driving 2,300 miles across the country to Port Angeles, Washington, before boarding a ferry for Vancouver Island, off the coast of the city of the same name.

There, the IUK professor would spend six weeks in isolation, observing the natural terrain of the island and creating 13 drawings.

The pencil-on-Bristol-board drawings address recent and ongoing issues.

A drawing of toilet paper is a nod to the COVID-19 pandemic. An ax touches on the deforestation Koerner observed during his time on Vancouver Island.

The IUK professor, who teaches in the New Media, Art and Technology Department, didn't set out to create a series addressing current events.

"All I knew is I wanted to draw things falling from the sky," Koerner said.

It was only after five or six drawings that Koerner found a narrative, a cohesiveness among the batch.

The collection titled "Rise & Fall" is meant to make the viewer stop and think.

Koerner stressed the series isn't meant to tell anyone what to think, rather chew on issues they might have never considered. For example, Koerner lives in a cedar home, but drew about the impact of deforestation.

It's made him think about how people can use natural resources sustainably.

"Often as a species, we're less inclined to learn about an issue, have empathy toward an issue, unless we experience it on our doorstep," Koerner said.

Those drawings, along with a few other pieces, are on display through Nov. 9 at the IUK Art Gallery.

Koerner's time on Vancouver Island was spent in a cottage studio, owned by a professional surfer. Natural light, hardwood floors and being close to the wilderness were must haves for the professor.

"I really wanted the immersion," Koerner said. "It was important for me to be on my own."

Koerner said he enjoyed his time out west, the beautiful skies devoid of light pollution and the ability to get away from the everyday responsibilities people have. It lets creativity flow.

"When you're able to do that, it's like turning on a faucet," Koerner said.

Vancouver Island is bear country. Koerner said it's scarier to hear a bear and not know where it is — other than nearby — than it is to just see one.

Perhaps the most striking piece in Koerner's exhibit is an 18-foot painting on mahogany marine board, titled "Slack-jawed Consumption."

Koerner created the piece over two years. It features more than a dozen animals, all of which have been threatened or endangered due to human actions.

Koerner purposefully uses the piece to play with one's perception.

From afar, one can see a polar bear, panda and snow leopard, but take a few steps closer and a Madeiran large white butterfly, a Hine's emerald dragonfly and a Panamanian golden frog comes into focus, too.

"As you get closer, the more you find," Koerner said.

The sabbatical trip was a needed one for the IUK professor who said it's given him new perspective.

"Sometimes removing yourself from all the noise of life allows you to see clarity," Koerner said. "I think it grounded me. I'm probably better for it."

Spencer Durham can be reached at 765-454-8598, by email at spencer.durham@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter at @Durham_KT.