Featured on this episode of AHA! evocative ceramic artist Rhett Russo, Professor, and Author Todd Snyder and the poetry of hip hop, and lastly Julia Alsarraf performing two of her original works.
Rhett Russo
Rhett Russo is a designer, RPI educator, and artist. He creates evocative ceramics, mixing the medium with architecture. Russo puts his own spin on the traditional ceramic process by collaborating with computers. Computers and art are not seen as a likely pair in mainstream society; however, Russo proves that the two can wed. His ceramic masterpieces are formed from both physical labor and digital construction. Russo has worked primarily in Holland at the European Ceramic Works Center, the premier place for experiencing different perspectives on ceramic art. By mixing digital technology with traditional art, Russo provides the public with new perspectives of what art can be and how it can bring variation to our lives.
View more RPI architecture, featuring Russo
Todd Snyder
Todd Snyder is a Siena College English professor in Loudonville, New York, and an author. Snyder teaches his students that hip hop is an essential part of literacy, and when you open your ears and eyes to it, it can transform the way you view the world. Snyder describes hip hop as poetry, a poetry that has not been given the attention or recognition it rightly deserves. Snyder was born in a small coal-mining town in West Virginia and growing up he experienced very little outside of his hometown. As he started listening to hip hop, he quickly realized that the genre was a way to explore the world outside of West Virginia, that it had the power to be a window into another culture and into the world of literacy. Hip hop as a poetry and art form has greatly influenced our society over the years. Making its way onto radio, tv, movies, and into the hearts of many.
Website | Siena Bio | Twitter | Instagram
Julia Alsarraf
Julia Alsarraf, a singer and songwriter, performs her original works at the AHA! studio. Alsarraf performs “Back at Sea” and “The Traveler”. Utilizing her magical chords, both vocal and instrumental.
