Timothy Van Laar (born 1951[1] in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is an American artist, writer, and full time professor.
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Van Laar produces art works in multiple formats including, paintings, drawings and installation pieces some of which have been exhibited throughout North America and Europe.[2] He has received fellowships and grants and other support from multiple organizations including the Pew Charitable Trusts. Some of the most well known works are the postcard paintings[3] Van Laar has been featured in exhibits at major art museums, including The Detroit Institute of Arts.
Van Laar's most recent artworks deal with the nature of representation in painting. A single painting merges multiple historical approaches to how paint is applied, how paintings create meaning, and how paintings define their subject matter.
He is co-author of two books with Leonard Diepeveen: Active Sights: Art as Social Interaction[4] and Art with a Difference: Looking at Difficult and Unfamiliar Art[5]. Other works include reviews and numerous essays.[6]
Currently Van Laar resides in Chicago and Champaign, Illinois. He attended Calvin College for his undergraduate degree and obtained his MFA degree at Wayne State University. Currently he is a Professor of Art in the School of Art and Design at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.[7]