Art professor introduces new book
By Ford Rasmussen
The Utah State University department head of art & design introduced her new book today at 3:30 p.m. in the library.
“It’s really exciting to talk about my work,” said the department head Laura Gelfand. “I feel like I don’t get to a lot.”
Gelfand began by asking the audience “how many of you are dog people?”
As she addressed her audience they watched a slideshow of images of Medieval paintings that displayed across a screen. Each picture focused on a dog of some kind.
“Our relationship with dogs isn’t that different from the dogs in Medieval times,” Gelfand said.
Gelfand said that she published this book not only because it’s something she’s interested in, but because there isn’t anything else available like it. The book provides source material for scholars and dog lovers to gain a more complete understanding of canine/human relations of the Medieval and Early Modern periods.
As she finished her presentation, Gelfand showed a picture of her dog, or as she called it her “muse.”
Mark McLellan, the vice president for research at Utah State University, concluded the faculty author exhibition. He thanked the speakers and picked out one gem from the presentation.
“I think we all have to have our own muse,” McLellan said.
Gelfand's book "Our Dogs, Our Selves: Dogs in Medieval and Early Modern Art, Literature, and Society" is available at the campus library.
