The Academy Blog

Academy Summer Residencies 2016: Leipzig

Posted on August 1, 2016

Our third dispatch from Leipzig comes from Anna Wakitsch MFA 2017.


Even before we arrived in Leipzig, my fate was sealed.  As soon as Laura (the coordinator of the LIA residency) sent photos of the spacious live-work space, I fell in love with the huge, luminous double-paned windows, and I knew I would be spending the bulk of my days during the two months trying to translate them into paint.



The residency is housed in the Spinnerei, a former cotton mill. When we arrived, we toured the space and learned a little bit about its history.  Apparently this type of window with its large glazed area and small shuttered openings was specially designed to keep the heat in and maintain a temperature optimal for cotton processing.  



As Danica and I set up in our shared studio, we gradually realized that our windows were a little different than in the other rooms.  The top two rows of panes were covered with black film that completely blocked out the light.  



Anna-Louise (the director of LIA) explained that a previous artist in residence had worked in the same room, and had done a video performance piece in which she had blacked out all the window panes, and the top two rows were never returned to their original state.  I found it interesting that this particular studio in which I ended up already had a history of artists obsessed with its windows. Here is a link to her piece:



The blacked out panes were intriguing to work with as I sketched and painted, but after a while I longed to liberate the window from its partial blindness.  We managed to get the 5th row cleared with LIA’s ladder, but the top row was too high and remained opaque, like a sleepy eyelid starting to close.   



Finally we were able to borrow a taller ladder and when the top row was clear, the difference was huge— light now bounced off the ceiling and flooded the space.



And so, all summer, I have happily spent my working hours looking at… more than through… the windows. My attention usually lingers in the space between the two sets of panes, caught within the interface between the interior and the exterior.  



As I study the window, I examine the mechanism of my own visual perception, another interface between interior and exterior. 


As I stare into the light, my vision shimmers between contrasts that I struggle to resolve in paint: elements appear simultaneously crisp and soft, light and dark, blue and amber, curved and straight.  



I try to fall back on previous solutions, but inevitably none quite match what I see.  Perhaps the artist’s perpetual task must be to hold each paradox within her being and give it new form. 

Academy Summer Residencies 2016: Russia

Posted on July 29, 2016


Our first dispatch from Russia comes from Allison Hill-Edgar MFA 2017


The icons. The light. The people. The food. The architecture. The history.  I find that every day I have a new obsession. Today it is the sound of the canal and the cool light on the pink and ochre buildings just outside our window; Monday it was the bursting fruit at the farmstand just over the footbridge — actually, it was our greeting to St. Petersburg by the “district alcoholic” whose joie de vivre sent him leaping off the footbridge into the murky canal, fully attired in his clothes, combat boots, ruddy cheeks and infectious smile. His friends, and we, were so happy when he reached the stone steps back to land. He has since reappeared out our window to sing us to sleep at night.


It is difficult to believe we have only been in Russia just over a week. We have seen, done, and tasted so much, it feels as if we have been immersed in this culture much longer.  Our first week was spent in Moscow – a week that I will remember for its intensity and vibrancy. Every day we traversed the city and absorbed as much as we could, visiting as many museums, churches, monuments, metro stations, parks, and abandoned buildingsas our feet could handle. These excursions were peppered with adventure, such as climbing onto a rooftop so we could end our long day with an unimpeded panorama of the Moscow skyline and vertiginous view of Patriarch’s Pond, or following our guide, Nikita, into a restricted area of the Kremlin,so he could catch a Pokémon. At times, it felt like the most dangerous adventure was the check-out line at the “grumpy grocery” on the corner.  We survived and are stronger for it. 


Particular Muscovian highlights for me were visiting the two State Tretyakov Galleries, in which we were able to see Russian art treasures spanning the early 12th century to the present.  In the first gallery, which highlights Russian art before the 20th century, we were able to take in a full array of Russian art history – their gorgeous, elaborate icons, history paintings, portraits, myths and heroes. Although European influence was often evident, I was constantly enthralled by the particular Russian flair for story telling, expression, and personality.


In the New Tretyakov Gallery and surrounding sculpture gardens, we saw a vast range of 20th-century Russian art — the early 20th-century works being my favorite period both aesthetically and conceptually. Each immense room offered a new, mind-blowing experience of color, form, and experimentation. On a personal level, I was particularly fascinated by a room full of early Chagall paintings that I had never seen before. These paintings revealed that the themes, colors, and forms characteristic of his later works were ever-present in his early work, even as he experimented with the prevailing aesthetic and formal approaches of the time. Just when I thought I couldn’t be further inspired, I turned the corner and… Malevich!  It was then that I realized I had only seen a fraction of the museum – ahead of me, the Lenin years… the Stalin years…! I persevered but I clearly need to go back.


Perhaps one of the greatest experiences for me in Moscow was getting to know the family we stayed with while there. Not only did this give us a view into daily family life in Moscow and access to their opinions on Russia and the larger world, but also it gave us the opportunity to meet a truly extraordinary group of people. I was inspired by how warm, open, worldly, informed, and inclusive they were.  Given that they have seven children, there was constant activity and conversation in all corners of their apartment. Everyday new faces appeared around the table or in the little courtyard outside; we met some people who had never left Moscow, and others who were getting their PhDs in mathematics from Yale. There was never a shortage of interesting conversation or food, and there was always a massive pile of dirty dishes and empty bottles.


Towards the end of our week in Moscow, the family invited us to their country house in Tarusa – a 13th-century village that has been the site of many historical events and movements, including being ahome for famous dissidents during the Soviet era.  Out of the city, we were able to relax and get to know the family and their broad group of friends. Much of the day was spent gathered around the dining table, helping chop food for the next meal, talking, eating, and drinking coffee, wine or vodka – or all three in no particular order. At any moment, several other people would stop by to say hello or eat, and often would end up staying the night – flexible sleeping habits, whether on a couch or in a corner, were essential. As one visiting man told me over his hot, delicious pumpkin soup, “large families are magic.” When not gathered around the table, the family took us around town to introduce us to their friends, many of whom are artists. We met a woman who paints vibrant floral scenes and portraits and who is the daughter of two famous artists of the Soviet era (one of her mother’s posters shown below). We met a performance artist and his circle of friends, who shared not only their whiskey, but also hilarious stories of living in Tarusa and rebuilding houses. We visited a foundation that supports a famous mosaic artist and hosts contemporary art exhibits, concerts, and workshops. We took a walk along the river, saw old churches nestled in ravines, and picked flowers and vegetables from small gardens. Indeed, it was magic.





Now here we are in St. Petersburg. The Hermitage awaits us. As I gather my strength to take it on, I am overwhelmed with gratitude to the Academy for giving us this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not only are we seeing incredible art, architecture, landscapes, and treasures, but also we are meeting incredible people and absorbing their world. This experience has provided mea chance to put aside the routines, habits, and responsibilities of daily life in New York, and immerse myself in a period of freedom, inspiration, reflection, and experimentation. In the moments I have between adventures in the city, I am trying to explore new color combinations and paint application techniques through what I’m calling my daily “Rorschach tests” – small, quick self-portraits that I fold on themselves, blot, and rework, layer upon layer. The process of painting, obliteration, reflection, and reanalysis has allowed me to process much of the visual stimuli and inspiration around me. I am encouraged by Chagall – that through exposure and experimentation, one’s themes, colors, and forms will alter and mature, leading to a richer expression of one’s vision. 








Academy Summer Residencies 2016: Beijing

Posted on July 27, 2016


Our first dispatch from Beijing comes from Pedro Perez-Guillon MFA 2017


News from Beijing!


I  have to start by saying that China has only surprised us in a positive way. First of all – the food. We have never eaten better and for so little money. For six dollars, we have been eating until we cannot take any more and our unable to finish clearing our plates. It is a good thing that in China, this is considered a sign of good manners! 

Arriving at the studios!                                                               


It is not just the food is amazingly cheap, but also art materials. This has been particularly great, because we didn’t even bring one brush to Beijing, and I think, up to this point, each one of us has more materials here in Beijing than what we have ever had back at home in our studios.

My Acrylics Setup                                            
My Winsor oils… for two dollars each!!!!    


The price of materials has been a freeing element for all of us, allowing us to work in ways we were never able to work before. Isaac and Amina bought huge canvases that can fit all four of us inside. Tania and I are painting in thick layers of oils, using a lot of paint with no guilt.

Amina´s Huge canvas                                                             

Isaac doing his incredible plein-air pile painting    







Tania´s studio setup (working on Paper)          



The heat and smog do exist, but not nearly as terrible as we imagined. The Beijing air feels much fresher than New York in this time of the year, and the pollution is only a motivating factor, keeping me from going outside and getting sunburnt. Isaac even managed to get a bike and bikes everywhere himself. Me and Tania are thinking of starting to run in the CAFA sports area in the mornings.

Amina preparing the color chords for  her huge painting


The great studio of Isaac with his Freudian couch    
The city is very safe and people are friendly and nice. The only issue is that most of them don’t speak a word of English, the body language is completely different, and so it is almost impossible to get our point across. But, despite all of this, we manage to communicate well enough.

Eating with some friends                                                           


In our studio visit to Peace Beijing artist Qiu Xiofei (amazing)    


Beijing is a very fun city, and has an interesting and active cultural scene, not just in the mainstream art zones, such  as 798, but also in the Hutongs, where new emerging galleries are opening every week. The art life in the Hutongs seems more fresh, young, and honest than what I have seen in other cities. The art scene is contemporary, international, and seems to be very open to welcoming new artists.  We have all become fascinated with it, and are dreaming of coming back here again sometime.

The established artists of 798, like Ai Weiwei or Zhan Wang are also remarkably interesting. In their work, they synthesize a story and clear international contemporary language with an interest in reinterpreting their own Chinese traditional art and culture. I have been studying the art and philosophy of Ancient China, with great fascination, and incorporating their principles in my own practice.

My traditional tool kit.. and some other eccentricities    


Working on this chinese icon over greek icon    


In the studio we have a good set up. I am working on four big tables, and developing two projects.

In the first project, I am using the traditional Chinese painting tools to do a series of suggested landscapes with ink on rice paper and silk. For the second project, I am doing a series of portraits based on the painting of Mao that is hanging on the Tienanmen Square; obsessively repeating the image as an icon, each time deconstructing the figure more and more in search of a personal pictorial language. In this process I am also reinterpreting some of  the principles described by Shitao and others in the ancient Chinese treaty on painting as a way to redirect my on practice.


A couple of versions of my numerous “Mao Portraits”                    

 A journey of deconstruction 

Unexpectedly, this trip has opened new doors into a thinking and image-making that will inform my studio practice and thesis research for the next year. I am very happy about this opportunity, and I have decided to miss my flight home and stay in China… Well, maybe I will come back again later.

Two less serious versions                                                        
Having fun with this one    





























Thanks to Beijing Central Academy of Fine Art and to the New York Academy of Art for this amazing residency! And thanks to my dear travel mates, who are the best and most easy going people ever!


Xie Xie and see you later!

Academy Summer Residencies 2016: Leipzig

Posted on July 12, 2016

Our second dispatch from Leipzig comes from Rebecca Orcutt MFA 2017. 

Neo Rauch painting in Berlin



There has been much to reflect on from the past month while attending the Leipzig International Artist Programme Residency.I have experienced personal victories—this includes resisting the temptation to buy the amazingly priced Nutella (until a couple days ago), and owning a reusable water bottle for the longest period of time in my life without losing it.

All of us have been working hard in our studios, painting and trying new things. Also sometimes painting over those new things. It has been a very good experience for me experimenting with techniques I have hesitated to attempt in the past.

The most significant part of the last month for me has been meeting people, exploring Leipzig, and all the inspiration it has to offer. Since arriving, I have become a fan of the atmosphere. Everything feels very relaxed, and spontaneous. More than once, we have been riding bikes back from some event, and come across an intriguing happening on the side of the road, and decided to take a detour to investigate. These sort of attractions have included flea markets, Ukrainian music concerts (with dancing), art, and even all-you- can-eat sushi.

Every Tuesday since we’ve arrived we have adopted a weekly tradition of the Whisky Bar— a great outdoor bar nestled between trees and a building housing the former BimboTown (a museum of true wonder in the Spinnerei). We often enjoy a whisky paired with whatever the bar tender deems appropriate to accompany our particular whisky (my favorite: smoked whisky with the smoked salmon), eat some garlic potatoes from the grill, play ping pong, or wander BimboTown a bit- last time we even ran into the Bimbo Town creator himself riding around on a tricycle.

People sit on the streets and bridges by the water on Fridays and weekends, with drinks and snacks, right outside of the bars and restaurants- without pressure to go inside. Movies and soccer games are projected outside of buildings on nice days.

I still can’t really figure out exactly what is on the menus except schnitzel, but I’ve often just ordered something without knowing, and either I’m very lucky, or all the food is great here, cause it has all been very good. It also makes me feel like I am taking risks, living on the edge.

University of Leipzig


There is also a lack of small talk here, which takes off a lot of pressure in social situations. I like that I can go out, do my own thing, make minimal eye contact, maybe not speak at all, and it’s not weird. There is no expectation to be overly friendly, so when people talk to you or show interest, you know it is because they genuinely want to. That is really refreshing.

I also have yet to see a single selfie being taken, or people on their phones when we are out. When you go out, people are just there, talking to each other, looking around, experiencing the world directly, without the stress of documenting it.

There have been too many events at the Spinnerei to record. Most recently was the f/stop photo festival which attracted many newcomers, and ended with several dance parties, one of which was conveniently located in a basement several floors below my studio. I fell asleep to the faint beat of techno.

There has been so much great art—an exhibit of Rosa Loy’s work was one of my favorites—as well as ‘Behold the Man,’ an exhibit in one of the many galleries in the Spinnerei, featuring a variety of artists and mediums. We have had the privilege of visiting many amazing artist’s studios, as well as visits and critiques to LIA, including Robin Zöffzig, Sebastian Burger, and Rayk Goetz. We even had the unique experience of being filmed for a German morning talk show, where we ended by doing a collaborative drawing with the host. I can for sure say this was a first for me!

After a conversation with the wonderful coordinator here, Laura, she recommended checking out the work of a Leipzig artist named Matthias Ludwig. I really loved the work, and was just excited to see it online. However, a week later, Laura informed me she had run into the artist and invited him to our studios for an impromptu studio visit.

It was so exciting to have an artist whose work I really admire, standing in our studios talking with us. This is something special about the Spinnerei and Leipzig—there is the possibility to casually meet wonderful artists, and an incredible sense of community that feels both accessible and inclusive, even as visitors like us.

All of these experiences have been significant in my time here. Reverting back to the old days on an improv team, I have adopted the number one rule of improvisation for my time here: “say yes.” If an opportunity arises, I usually say yes. The things I’ve seen that seem unrelated to art are still important, as it all has the possibility to inform and inspire my work.

Recently, we took a trip to Berlin. It was exciting and exhausting— we packed a lot into the few days we were there. We were able to see the amazing Neo Rauch show (which Danica claimed smelled like the Spinnerei), visit some galleries, go to the museum, and check out a bit of the Berlin Biennale. I also got some much needed dancing out of my system, accompanied by what I have found to be the perfect rhythm— a medium-paced, consistent techno beat with no vocals. As great as thetrip was, we concluded before we left that though we liked Berlin and all, were ready to go “home” (this being Leipzig).

The Leipzig Studio 


Upon arriving back at the Leipzig train station, we came across an odd set-up in the middle of the station. There were nets, sand, and a large tent. Looking closer, we realized it was beach soccer. Words did not need to be exchanged as I saw the pure joy in Anastasia and Danica’s eyes. They asked me if they could play— while grumpy after bus rides, I do have a soul, I could not refuse them. I stood on the sidelines like a proud soccer parent watching my fellow colleagues play honorably in weird blow up bubble things. I also laughed at them with the nice guy working it.

As odd of a thing to happen, or even write about, it seemed fitting. It was weird, unexpected, fun, and so characteristic of our Leipzig experience thus far. An undeniable sign from the universe, welcoming us back to our home (for another month.)

Interview with Steve Mumford

Posted on July 8, 2016

“Empire” Steve Mumford

Interview by Claire Cushman MFA 2015
“I tried heroically to be an Abstract Expressionist in the late 80s and early 90s,” says Steve Mumford, when asked how he came to paint scenes of war. “It took me years to shake that and realize I wanted to return to my illustrational roots, to tell stories with my paintings.”
          When Mumford began to take narrative painting seriously, his work centered upon the conflict between man and nature. However, once he began painting war imagery, he never stopped. Between 2003 and 2013, he made numerous trips to war zones and army hospitals in Afghanistan and Iraq, and was even assigned by Harper’s Magazine to observe and record at the Guantanamo prison complex. He created hundreds of drawings on the spot, and gathered source material for large oil paintings, which he would later make at home.  
          In June, Mumford showed his latest paintings, which reflect these travels, at Postmasters Gallery. As a student in Mumford’s Narrative Painting class in 2015, I was very curious about his work and his involvement with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Below, Mumford answers some questions about his work and his time overseas.
What got you first interested in painting subjects of war?
War has always seemed to me to hold a terrible glamour. I remember seeing the Life magazine coverage of the Vietnam War as a child, and being terrified and mesmerized simultaneously. My Mom took me to many anti-war protests in Cambridge in the late 60s. The war was very present for me.
Did you ever consider fighting in a war?
Not really, although I never thought I’d dodge the draft, if called. I’ve also had a herniated disc in my lower back since I was a teenager, which probably would have caused me to fail basic training! But I was pretty focused on art and a studio practice; I don’t really have the type A personality that thrives in the military.
Can you describe a particularly vivid scene from your travels to war zones?
I spent three weeks drawing at the famed Baghdad ER during the violent period of the surge, in early 2007. Wounded and dying Americans and Iraqis came in multiple times a day, every day, by helicopter and Humvee, sometimes accompanied by their buddies, fresh from the scene of carnage. I drew and drew, trying to stay out of the way, but trying to make a drawing that was intelligible; I passed the doctors supplies as they worked. The effort of trying to make visual sense of the chaos going on inches from my paper gave me a certain needed emotional remove, as limbs were amputated, ribs cracked open in order to massage the heart of a dying soldier… it was intense beyond what I can describe.
What sorts of situations did you find yourself in as a painter? Did you ever feel in danger?
Many times, although combat was usually the exception rather than the rule. I’ve been in firefights where I had to try to flatten myself between tiny furrows in farmland. I’ve had RPGs shot at me and IEDs blown up near me. Completely typical stuff for being in those war zones that every reporter will identify with.
How did journalists and soldiers react to having a contemporary war artist around?
I was a favorite among journalists, who are always looking for a story or a new angle. They wound up doing a lot of reporting on me! They often thought it was really cool that I was approaching the story of the wars with this 19th century medium. Soldiers were somewhat less interested, being focused on their missions, unless I drew a portrait, or painted a unit insignia for a wall.
How do you compose your paintings?
A painting usually starts from a memory or an idea that came from an experience. But I’m not good at creating from my head, so I hire models and photograph them, restating a scene. I also use the copious photographs I took in country as reference materials. I’m not a purist about having to do a lot of drawing or working from life, even though the point of my trips to war zones was in fact to draw from life.
The press release for the show states that you follow yet subvert the 19th century model of history painting. Instead of representing momentous historical events, you focus on the personal – moments of silence, pause, private drama, the “other side” of the war. What inspired you to take this approach in your painting?
It would ring false to recreate the great battle compositions of the past, which reflect an entirely different mindset about the meaning of a conflict. To work in the manner of, say, David, would just appear to be heavy-handed, an exercise in irony. The irony in a good history painting should be subtle, not hit the viewer over the head. For example, in my painting Crossed Swords Monument, I wanted to reference the works of Canaletto and Guardi: the nostalgia and poignancy of living among the great ruins of the past. But in this case, the ruins are the massive monument Saddam built to commemorate his pointless decade-long war with Iran. Their neglect reflects the failures of the US occupation to keep order, as Iraqis raided the monument for scrap bronze to sell. Yet I wanted the painting to have a certain lonely beauty, as both Iraqis and US personnel consort quietly beneath the dignity of the huge swords and the heavy sky.
Many of these paintings include large sections of landscape – can you comment on the role of landscape in your paintings?
Landscape was my introduction to painting, my first love. I think landscape is a wonderful vehicle for emotion. Constable comes to mind; Giorgioni’s Tempest!
Who are your greatest artistic influences?
Ribera has probably been my greatest inspiration over the last few years. Most painting from the Baroque, but particularly De la Tour, the Le Nain brothers. Then Gericault and Delacroix – even David! Among more recent artists, I love the work of the figurative artists holding out against Ab Ex, Pop & Conceptualism: Fairfield Porter, Alex Katz, Paul Georges, the Bay Area & Hairy Who artists.
And my contemporary pals, Adam Cvijanovic, Ellen Altfest, Will Cotton, David Humphrey, the great Inka Essenhigh (my wife), Jansson Stegner, Hillary Harkness, Nicole Eisenman, where to stop? There are so many interesting artists working figuratively today… we may finally bring down the odd primacy that modern art has held for so long among NYC institutions.
What advice do you have for young artists?
Every bit of advice sounds like a cliche that everyone’s already heard. The one thing that I try to emphasize is the importance of sticking together with your cohorts: your pals from grad school, your studio mates, and being generous in sharing gallery or curator connections. This will come back for you and help you get your work out there. The nature of a studio practice is solitary but don’t seclude yourself on an island.

Call of the Wild: Art Sounthampton 2016

Posted on July 7, 2016

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The New York Academy of Art is pleased to present “Call of the Wild”, a special exhibition at the 2016 Art Southampton art fair, co-curated by Academy Board Member Brooke Shields and Academy President David Kratz. “Call of the Wild” will be on view from July 7 -11 at the Nova’s Ark Project. The Academy will celebrate with special reception on Friday, July 8, 5–7pm.

“Call of the Wild” presents over thirty paintings, prints and sculptures by alumni from the New York Academy of Art, themed around the animal kingdom and the natural world. As the nation’s premier school for training in contemporary figurative and representational art, the Academy has a long tradition of portraying animals in artworks, and even partners with local animal sanctuaries to offer drawing classes with live animal models at the school. Everything from kangaroos and alligators to monkeys and owls have appeared in Academy classrooms as the subjects of drawing sessions. “Call of the Wild” represents a diverse range of artistic styles and fauna, from highly stylized whale paintings to meditative portraits of cows.

 

Water | Bodies

Posted on June 24, 2016

Perlmutter-2, 2/17/16, 9:35 AM, 8C, 7264x11945 (2275+920), 125%, Repro 2.2 v2, 1/25 s, R87.2, G80.2, B84.2

Reisha Perlmutter, MFA 2015

 

This summer the Academy will present Water|Bodies, an exhibit curated by Eric Fischl and President David Kratz (MFA 2008), at the Southampton Arts Center. The exhibit presents painting, sculpture, photo, and print works on the theme of the human figure in and around water. Notably, artists run the gamut and pieces by newly minted Academy MFAs will hang alongside major works from established artists. Participating artists include Eric Fischl, Ross Bleckner, Isca Greenfield-Sanders, April Gornick, Ralph Gibson, Michael Halsband, Enoc Perez, and David Salle. Generously sponsored by Cadogan Tate, the exhibit runs June 24 – July 31. Please join us for the opening reception on July 2!

Academy Summer Residencies 2016: Leipzig

Posted on June 16, 2016


Leipzig! 

During the summer, Academy students go on fully-funded residencies everywhere from Moscow to Mexico City. Academy students paint in Monet’s garden in France, train with a master stone carver in Carrara, Italy, and teach workshops in the Dominican Republic.

Rebecca Orcutt and Anastasiya Tarasenko, both MFA 2017, painting in Leipzig 



While overseas, Academy students make videos or essays about their experiences. Click here to view a video submitted by Danica Lundy MFA 2017, who is in Leipzig, Germany, with three other Academy artists. 



Tenth Annual Summer Exhibition

Posted on June 15, 2016

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MFA Thesis Exhibiton 2016

Posted on May 17, 2016

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MFA GRADUATES 2016