Ashley Takacs | Reading more interesting artwork

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this year's Penn Reading Project is certainly the shortest work to date.

Rather than reading (or, in most cases, not) a book, as entering freshman have done for the past 10 years, the class of 2013 will be asked to "read" The Gross Clinic - a painting by Philadelphia artist Thomas Eakins. The announcement arrived with much student criticism. Director of the Penn Reading Project, Daniel Fox, welcomes debate. Though, overall, he has been surprised by the "old-fashioned, conservative attitude that students have had towards education."

As the DP's resident arty and lover of all that is whimsical, I feel it is my duty to defend the PRP's decision and shake Penn students out of their conservative haze. I believe reading a painting will be a challenge, but ultimately, a rewarding experience for the new freshman class. And I would enthusiastically support the PRP - if I actually liked the painting.

Julie Schneider, head of the Undergraduate Fine Art Department, welcomed the idea wholeheartedly. In an e-mail she explains, "We come to know things many ways, not just by reading . the experience of an art work is just such a way to know." I love the idea of visual media replacing text - look no further than the Internet, television and movies to see that it is the way of the future. And I appreciate that the committee has chosen to emphasize Philadelphia's ties to the art world. While the idea of using artwork for the PRP is avant-garde, the painting itself is, sadly, not. The Gross Clinic is stuck in the past. It's dark, it's old and, frankly, I think it's rather boring.

The piece was chosen for its interdisciplinary ties. "There is a history angle, a medical angle and the wonderful issue of Philadelphia raising the money to help keep the painting here," says Fox. When asked if any other paintings were in the running to be used as texts, Fox said that The Gross Clinic "felt so right that we didn't talk about other things." I wish they had, though.

Many past PRP books have talked about history, science and civic engagement. This year's theme is arts in the city - it is not art, science and medicine in the city. For the first time, we had the opportunity to discuss art. And I, for one, wish that they looked into pieces that are more contemporary. Philadelphia's art scene, after all, did not end with Thomas Eakins. It continues to thrive today. The monthly fanfare of First Friday, the new addition of the Perelman building to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Penn's own Institute of Contemporary Art are all proof of that. All of these are wonderful, albeit underused resources for students.

For the past several years, the PRP has been moving away from classical literary works in favor of works that illuminate contemporary issues in fun and thought-provoking ways. The Omnivore's Dilemma, and Free Culture are certainly not part of the literary canon. Rather, they are interesting, but ultimately light reading that will engage students who are not necessarily experts in those areas. The Gross Clinic, on the other hand, with its classic realism and dark aesthetic, is more akin to War and Peace than Your Inner Fish.

When Free Culture author Lawrence Lessig came to Penn to speak for the PRP, he made the texts come to life. Considering that Thomas Eakins is no longer living, I doubt his interactive Powerpoint will be very stimulating. If the PRP wants to get students really interested and motivated to learn more, using a piece done by a living artist, and getting that artist to come discuss that work, could do wonders. Similarly, this could be used as a chance to get more students into the doors of the ICA.

Like the selection committee for the PRP, I want students to learn to love art and observe it critically early in their Penn careers. I want the painting to inspire them to take that art-history course, visit the PMA, or take up figure drawing. Subjecting students to The Gross Clinic, however, is certainly not the way to achieve this.

Ashley Takacs is a College junior from Buffalo, N.Y. She is the Graphics Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. Ash Wednesday appears on Wednesdays. Her email address is takacs@dailypennsylvanian.com.

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