Quodlibetica originated from the desire to write about art and visual culture in ways not confined by academic conventions or journalistic hype. Part journal, part blog, Quodlibetica fosters critical conversations about visual arts in a forum that is accessible, engaging, and committed to quality writing. Based on the Latin quodlibet, which has entered the English language as (1) a statement proposed for disputation, (2) the actual discussion, and (3) the whimsical combination of familiar elements, Quodlibetica is a space to argue eloquently and whimsically about art, find out what’s happening in the Twin Cities art scene, and engage with writers, artists, and critics, who like to think. Contact us if you want to get involved.
Wilderness
For our inaugural edition, we have gathered a variety of voices centered on one idea: wilderness. Contributions range from an eloquent elegy for the heroic wild of old to a photo essay on a journey into the managed wilderness of the Galapagos; from ‘the wild’ recast as a state of mind to wilderness harnessed for economic advantage. We invite you to join this wild conversation on all that wilderness can mean.
By Collier White
I meet a friend in Denver to stay at his parents’ house for a few days. We’ve both flown a great distance, and on the day we arrive, his grandfather dies, expectedly. As he and I drive away from the tent city of Denver International Airport, imperceptibly gaining altitude as we traverse the [...]
Published 9.23.2009
Two Poems
from: Hide, unpublished manuscript, by Teresa Ballard
I Am Thinking Of My First Deer
A doe, her legs spread open
in the back of my father’s truck,
her body a brown map near blue sky.
My father turns her over and she’s the color of earth.
She is warm and my fingers smell of sage
and blood. I piece her [...]
Published 9.23.2009
A Photographic Journey Through Our National Parks
August 8 – October 4, 2009, The Bell Museum
By Juliet Patterson
Some of the most iconic images Americans have of their native landscape have come by way of photographs. From the early days of photography, photographers have been inspired by land formations and sublime icons of nature, such as vast [...]
Published 9.23.2009
Reflections on paintings by Barbara Kreft and Jil Evans
By Christina Schmid
As night falls, a blue flame emerges from the canvas, dancing in the fading light. Composed almost entirely of small squares that range from pale to deep blue, Nightshades glows in the growing darkness with a ghostly, refracted light, as if Barbara Kreft had somehow [...]
Published 9.23.2009
Jonathon Wells: An Introduction
My trip to the Galapagos Islands in 2006 was exciting for me because I love to explore the earth’s environments, especially those least touched by the hand of humans. I felt privileged to be able to witness and experience the unusual and rich environments of the Galapagos Islands.
The challenges for me, however, [...]
Published 9.23.2009
By Jan Estep
“When I go I leave no trace. The beauty of the country is becoming a part of me.”
—Everett Ruess (1914-1934)
“…an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”
—Federal Wilderness Act, 1964
In the summer of 2001, I visited Davis [...]
Published 9.23.2009
We asked several cinephiles – historians of film, artists, film makers, and other aficionados–to send us their picks for films that engage with the idea of wilderness and the wild. Films criticisms are linked to other related articles throughout the magazine. Use the comments section to add more films that you think should be on [...]
Published 9.23.2009