A love of historical artifacts has led to a career filled with discovery for Elizabeth Carlson, assistant professor of art and art history. Carlson, who said she chose to major in art history with dreams of becoming a museum curator, said all that changed after being asked to teach a class while interning at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. “I could not believe the energy I got from the students and how happy I was after I taught. It was so rewarding.” These days she’s right at home in the classroom, relishing its improvisational aspect and the back and forth between students and herself.
Her most recent project is writing a book, City of Mirrors: Reflection and Visual Construction in 19th Century Paris. When the technique for making mirrors changed in the mid-19th century (and became much safer) it opened the door for the manufacture of architectural mirrors that were installed in cafés, department stores, and on the exterior of stores and buildings throughout Paris.
Carlson’s research examines the cultural connection created when people began to see things differently. “It’s an interesting project because it is something that is so common. People saw mirrors all the time; certainly you could see your face but not your whole body. The ubiquitous presence of the mirror shaped and constructed vision, early capitalism, and subjectivity within modernity.”
While not an artist, Carlson said teaching is her creative outlet. She said she particularly enjoys preparing for her lectures. Because she’s an art historian, her lectures are delivered through the use of images where she connects historical artifacts from the past to the present. “I will show a Cubist painting and a woman wearing a Cubist-inspired dress next to it. I love finding those little connections.” And what’s the most rewarding part of her job? “Getting an e-mail or a card from a student that went to an art museum and says ‘I can’t believe how much I learned from your class!’”
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