Klaber, as we liked to call him, was my favorite, most influential art teacher my sophomore year of high school. He was a young, bald, and buff former repo-man turned high school commercial design educator. So of course when I thought of having to interview a professional, I immediately thought of Mr. Klaber.
One of the funniest memories I have of Mr. Klaber was when he came into class on a Monday morning with a rather large sunburn on the top of his bald head in the shape of a perfect circle. Little did we know he was doing yard work all weekend while wearing a visor- he remembered the visor, but forgot the sunscreen. It took weeks for his head to be back to normal, but her never wore a visor again. Matt Klaber received his Bachelor’s of Art Education at Miami University and took Master’s classes in Educational Technology at Grand Canyon University and Boise State University. I had explained to Mr. Klaber that we were learning about aesthetics this quarter and how to incorporate them into the classroom and how we can write about and learn from our own aesthetic experiences. I asked him how he would define aesthetic experience? He said, “I would define an aesthetic experience as an experience (usually that involves senses) that leaves an indelible mark on one's life or even moment in time.” He went on to say, “The concept of aesthetics (basic nutshell: appreciating art and defining what beauty is) in my work is ever present; all art is extremely subjective and each person defines beauty and appreciates art in different ways and tastes. My job is to TRY and meld all those different types so each person can find their own beauty and appreciate art in their own way.” I was really intrigued by how he used the word ‘TRY’ because every experience that we have is different. Coming into this quarter, I had no idea what an aesthetic experience was, let alone if I had had one. It takes a lot of exploration and layers for students to think about aesthetic experiences in the ways that we have in Content III.
With all of the aesthetic success that we have encountered this quarter, I was dying to know just how it had all happened, and asked Mr. Klaber: How do we teach aesthetics? To which he said, ”I don't think it's anything you can really teach since everyone thinks of art and beauty in different terms. But is is something you can share and appreciate through sharing and common experiences. Just the simple task of putting creamer into coffee can be turned into an aesthetic experience if you just watch the creamer interact with the coffee in a whirl of color and clouds...some people might not think that's an aesthetic experience but it something you can share.” WOW. Who would have thought that something that little could be considered and aesthetic experience? I think that our aesthetic success in the classroom can be contributed to the fact that we share everything, and can visualize what others see as beautiful and meaningful. Klaber said that he’s had a lot of aesthetic experiences in the classroom, “ Especially, when a student is really into their work and does work that really knocks the wind out of me with detail, craftsmanship, or execution.”
The final question that I asked Mr. Klaber was: What is the role of aesthetic experiences in today’s culture? Being the Commercial Design Educator that he is, Klaber replied, “The role of an aesthetic experience in today's culture is often found in mass marketing appeal since everything is fast-paced, information-based, and digested at such a quick speed. It's often hard to capture someone's attention with something that takes their breath away but it happens. I find myself sometimes utterly blown away by commercials that are just beautifully done and extremely captivating.” [T.Rowe Price: Ocean: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihwXcBokl134] By answering this question, he had supplied me with an idea of his own personal aesthetics. If you watch the YouTube video, you can really see what Klaber views as beautiful and why he enjoys teaching his class so much, because it is all about using technology to convey a message to a larger audience.
It was really great to catch up with Mr. Klaber in this interview. It is even greater knowing that the Dafler tradition still lives on with my little sister, Allyson, a senior, taking my place in Klaber’s class as “Lauren’s Sister.” Klaber is truly an inspirational teacher, and my reason for going into art education; his passion for teaching and art appreciation foster the growth of aesthetic experiences in his classroom.
