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Leipzig Works in Progress

Posted on June 16, 2015

Works in Progress by Valerie Gilbert (MFA 2016) at the Baumwoll-Spinnerei in Leipzig

oil, 35 x 23

oil, 39 x 23

oil, 39 x 31

Carrara Residency, Part 1

Posted on June 10, 2015

A Few Days with Marco Palli (MFA 2016) in Carrara

Today was my first day . . . where should I start? This is pile from which I select the piece of marble to carve my sculpture

I worked so hard today that as soon as I laid down I fell asleep. I wanted to share this photo of my work wardrobe: gloves, hearing protection, goggles, respirator, my favorite cap, and an apron of the best Art Academy in the world!

Today is “Domenica” (Sunday) and “il laboratorio” (workshop) is closed, but I wanted to share a picture of the work space. I am so glad to be here, surrounded by people who have done (and do it well) what I am just starting to do: sculptures!

Since the hostel is just next to the beach, I only need to walk downstairs to see this view! But if I had a choice, I would bike 1.4 miles back to il laboratorio (workshop) to work on my sculpture. Sadly, it is closed right now, so I have no choice . . . I have to enjoy the spiaggia (beach)!

Here at Carrara there is an Italian expression, “Chi ben comincia è alla metà dell’opera” – the one who starts well, has the work half-way done. I can only smile and wonder, when am I going to be halfway done!?

Everyday, we eat lunch together. This big family works hard and celebrates every meal with joy. My rusty Italian has gotten better and I feel so comfortable. I am lucky . . . I really don’t know how I got here, but it will be hard to leave.

On the left is Steve Shaheen, my mentor, and on the right is Maestro Massimo. This morning I saw these two men work in a way that I have only seen happen in Ballet. Like in Lar Lubovitch’s choreography, these two men just knew the steps so well that the sounds of the tools were like the buzz of working bees. While Mr. Shaheen was assisting Maestro Massimo, he was not only paying careful attention to his action, but was also always one step ahead. Whereas having the next logical tool readily available in his hands to pass it on to the Maestro or to take action himself and complete a task. Seeing them work reminded me of my father. He would say, “If you see me work and you are not able to predict my movements, you have not learned.” I am just so happy to be here . . . I feel like I am at the right place, at the right time, with the right people. Thanks so much to all who made this experience happen.

Academy Awards – Most Experimental Media – Sarah Elise Hall (MFA 2009)

Posted on June 10, 2015

by Claire Cushman (MFA 2015)

Ruptured Slab: hydrocal, spray paint transfer,
dry pigment, calcite geode (2015)

I first met Sarah Elise Hall (MFA 2009) two and a half years ago, in Toronto, where we are both from. I was painting out of a shared studio space, and Sarah happened to stop by to visit the space’s owner. When she mentioned that she had gone to the Academy, I excitedly told her I was applying for the following year.

Soon after, Sarah and I met for coffee. She told me all about her Academy experience, and helped me select images for my application. A few months later, when I was accepted to the school, she was very encouraging. Thankfully we’ve stayed in touch, and Sarah has been a kind and helpful mentor throughout my entire Academy experience.

This fall, when I was beginning to delve into abstraction, Sarah recommended I get a little crazy with my materials and media. “Use the most insane tools you can think of,” she told me. “Like, get a broom, put your canvas on the floor, and see what it’s like to paint with a broom. And really mess around with medium – pour a whole can of shellac over your oil paint. There are all these rules about ‘fat over lean,’ but see what happens if you completely disregard them.”

Unsurprisingly, this spring, Sarah was nominated for “Most Experimental Media.”

Sometimes, when something in a work of art isn’t working, all you really need to do is switch up your tools or medium to fix the problem. For example, brush size can make all the difference. Hall, who went through NYAA for sculpture, pushes materials to their limits. She’s been exploring themes of mortality and decay for about ten years now and is currently working with geodes and dry pigments to further this investigation. Her work was recently on display at Los Ojos in Brooklyn. Below, she answers some questions about her materials.

System 2 (Grey Aggregate with Carbon Stack).
Plywood, enamel floor paint,
dry pigment, acrylic paint skins, hydrocal.

What are you doing with geodes and dry pigment? How do these materials relate to your investigation of mortality and decay?

As my work has evolved, the expression of this idea (mortality and decay) has become progressively more abstract. The geodes and the cast dry pigment fit into a larger category of work called Cavities – ruptures in paintings, walls and sculptures. Cavities are about what’s inside or underneath a facade, surface or skin, and make me think of the body, urban decay such as sinkholes and dilapidated infrastructure, and hollowed-out spaces in nature such as caves and other geological formations. In my work, sometimes these ruptures are natural forms such as geodes, and sometimes they are hand made with cast forms that I sink into walls or paintings. Casting dry pigment is another way of creating an area of decay in a given form. Working with dry pigment and hydrocal is also a way for me to investigate new ways of painting.

System 1 (Ultramarine R7)
plywood, enamel floor paint, dry pigment,
spray paint transfer, hydrocal (2015)

You majored in sculpture at NYAA, and now are working more with installation- What caused this shift? What information that you learned at the Academy have you held onto/let go of?

I don’t really see it as that much of a departure. I’ve studied both painting and sculpture, and what I’m doing now is a continued investigation of both, although I now consider the architecture I’m working within as well. My parameters have more to do with my ideas (memento mori) than with a specific form, and so this has allowed me to shift between medical imagery, the body, disease, contaminated landscapes, fossils, and decay within a form in a cohesive way. What I learned at NYAA was invaluable and in many ways is the backbone of my practice. I think the information and skill I acquired at the school will continue to resurface in my work in the future

Studio shot (untitled) – materials: plywood, enamel floor paint,
dry pigment, acrylic paint skins, hydrocal (2015)

in different ways.

You tend to shift around a lot in terms of media – how does this process of changing gears happen for you? How long will you stay in one medium/process before moving on?

I really like working with different materials as a way of expressing different ideas – materials have inherent meaning, and I like either pairing or juxtaposing materials with my overall concept. Materials are as much part of my visual language as my form sense, so I don’t really move on and leave something else behind. It’s more like expanding my language where at times I circle back and pick something up again if it serves a purpose. I like to have a lot of things in my tool box, so I usually end up working with multiple media at the same time.

What music do you listen to while you work?

That’s all over the place and not always music … Miles Davis, Dosh, New Order, Nine Inch Nails, NPR, Rachel Maddow… and sometimes nothing. Silence can be a good thing, especially in this city.

Detail of Grey Aggregate (2015)

Check out Hyperallergic‘s review of Sarah’s show at Los Ojos.

Leipzig Residency, Part 1

Posted on June 5, 2015

Artist Residency at the Leipzig International Art Program

By Marcelo Daldoce (MFA 2016)

Artists Adam Lupton (MFA 2016), Valerie Gilbert (MFA 2016), Marcelo Daldoce (MFA 2016), and Charlotte Segall (MFA 2016) arriving for the summer 2016 Leipzig Residency

Adam Lupton, Valerie Gilbert, Charlotte Segal, and Marcello Daldoce will spend two months at the Leipzig International Art Program, housed in the former Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei. While the Spinnerei is now an incredible cultural space for artists, musicians, and performers, it has a rich history through the 19th and 20th century with humble beginnings as a cotton spinning mill.

Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei

In June 1884, the Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei was founded, and it became the largest cotton mill in Europe. The Spinnerei was a modern place from the beginning. A training school, fire brigade, kindergarten, park, and gymnasium were all opened, with music bands and dance groups a part of factory’s life. The site became a city inside a city.

Studios on the left and Art Supply Store on the right, how convenient?

The non-profit art space HALLE 14, the largest production hall on the Spinnerei site.

Cotton production continued throughout the first years after the Berlin Wall fell and Germany was reunified. Because of rising competitive markets, production of thread came to an end in 1993, causing the business to be liquidated and workers fired.

Leipzig International Art Program, as illustrated by Marcelo Daldoce (MFA 2016)

In July 2001, the site was bought by its current owners, and a completely new phase of the Spinnerei began. The empty rooms were used for alternative projects: a summer academy was opened; the first few artists set up studios; architecture firms, workshops, and exhibition rooms gradually moved in.

Neo Rauch’s Gallery Eigen-Art

It was mostly artists who acted as the pioneers of revitalization, and as a result the Spinnerei now boasts over 100 studios. The first artists to set up included some well known international names, such as Neo Rauch who still works here. In addition to artists, musicians, dancers, craftspeople, architects, traders, printers and designers were and still are attracted by this cultural factory.

Among the 100 artist studios, here is ours!

In 2005, six Leipzig galleries opened new exhibitions in the Spinnerei, with a spectacular open weekend that received well over 10,000 visitors. Today the Spinnerei is home to 14 galleries and exhibition spaces.

Adam Lupton inside the studio – two months to fill up all these walls with paintings!

In 2007, The Guardian Newspaper described the Spinnerei as “the hottest place on Earth.” Now, due to its ever-expanding popularity, collectors from across the world come in private jets and helicopters to this cultural center that was once a humble cotton mill.

“Academy Awards” – Best Writing, featuring Jacob Hicks and Angela Gram

Posted on June 5, 2015

Jacob Hicks and Angela Gram of QuantumArtReview

By Claire Cushman (MFA 2015)

The alumni Academy Award for “Best Writing,” was given to Angela Gram and Jacob Hicks (both MFA 2012), founders of “QuantumArtReview.” While some artists, (perhaps the majority) struggle with words, some possess both verbal and visual abilities. Writing helps artists clarify their own ideas and can be a powerful tool for the exchange of ideas between artists. Jacob and Angela created Quantum as a platform for such an exchange.

Below, they answer some questions about the blog:

What is Quantum, and how did you get it started?

Angela: We founded QuantumArtReview last year as an online art review magazine. The idea began as a conversation within our mutual group of friends, many of whom are artists and also curators. We wanted a platform to share opinions, have discussions, and highlight the work of emerging artists. We immediately realized that the blog had potential to become an incredibly powerful resource for ourselves and others.

Crepuscular Things, oil on canvas, 46″ x 60″, 2014, by Angela Gram

How did you choose the name “Quantum”?

Angela: The Quantum in our title not only represents the minutia of journalistic investigation, it also stands for this ineffable space where artists are probing into the Sublime, (quantum mechanics being where the laws of physics essentially break down). We’ve interviewed artists whose work is concerned with the depth of cosmic vastness (Ekaterina Smirnova), and the layers of embryonic anatomy (Bryan Christie) among others.

Tell me about the intersection of art and science you’re examining at Quantum?

Angela: Art and science are essentially kindred disciplines. They are both vital methods of measuring the human experience. The former is a more intuitive, introspective form of investigation, while the latter uses formal empirical analysis. Inquiry fuels the development of both fields and a paramount example of such simultaneous flourishing is perhaps the Italian Renaissance. A classical polymath such as Da Vinci uses multiple scientific investigations to directly inform his visual work and inventions.

Christ Becomes a Spider, oil on panel, 2015, by Jacob Hicks

Contemporary artists in this dialogue seem to delve into the unknown. Some are interested in tenuous existential questions manifesting from the “threatening” speed of advancing technology. This seems to be a consistent trend in the zeitgeist.

How has writing and interviewing artists changed your artistic practice?

Jacob: The more I learn about the processes of those I admire, the more I add to my own tool set. I think a good way to drive my practice forward is to swim in the great work, ideas, and techniques of those whom I admire.

Where do you get most of your writing done?

Jacob: I am most efficient working on my computer in a quiet and well-lit room. It’s important to be online while I write, so I can research as I go. However, sometimes the old-fashioned pen and paper is more conducive to thought. In which case I’ll go to a coffee shop.

The Gaits, 2006, 10’x12′, Colored plaster, rope, steel, by Michael O’Keefe

Who’s the most interesting artist you’ve interviewed?
Jacob: I had a great time interviewing Michael O’Keefe because I had known and admired his work as an undergraduate student in Texas. Critical writing for QAR is a great excuse to meet artists and explore their work and processes.

To read more, check out Venison Magazine’s interview with Angela about her work and QunatumArtReview.

“The Academy Awards” Part 1 – Michael Kagan

Posted on June 1, 2015

By Claire Cushman, MFA 2015

Michael Kagan’s Paintings

On Saturday, May 30th, the new York Academy of Art held the “Academy Awards” ceremony, as part of the second annual Academy Alumni Reunion. These awards celebrate successful Academy Alumni in a number of categories, from “Most Likely to Break the Internet” to “Best Writing.” For the next few weeks, I’ll be featuring nominees.

One Day This Will All Be Yours

First up, we have Michael Kagan, MFA 2005 and Fellow 2006, who was nominated for “Best Showing.”

Artists often think of the white walls of the gallery as the only place to show work. For our Best Showing award, the Academy community chose Academy alum who have had success showing work in uncommon venues. Kagan’s case is uncommon indeed – his work is being shown on designer clothing. Kagan’s wife, fashion designer Paola Hernandez, used Kagan’s painting “One Day This Will All Be Yours,” in her Spring-Summer 2015 Collection, titled “Initiation.”

Below, Kagan answers some questions about his collaboration with Hernandez:

How did Paola come across your work?

The first time Paola saw my work in person was when she came over to my studio on our second date. Now, we are married and we are studio neighbors, so we constantly inspire each other with our work.

Tell us about your collaboration with Paola.

When Paola was designing her Spring-Summer 2015 collection, I was working on my solo show. She was inspired by my painting “One Day This Will All Be Yours,” one of the main paintings in my show. At the beginning she was only using the same color palette for her collection, but then decided it would be even stronger to create a print based on my painting.

Can you talk about the title of the painting, and how your work fit Paola’s vision?

Paola’s inspiration for her Spring-Summer 2015 collection, titled “Initiation,” was based on the idea that as you open a door, you discover a new world. Since my painting depicted the cockpit of a space shuttle, she thought it provided the perfect representation of her concept – the space shuttle is literally used to travel to other worlds.

How has your work evolved since NYAA?

NYAA gave me the base to understand technique with which to achieve my ideas. Since I graduated I have been working on my voice as an artist, finding subject matter that inspires me, and the ideas I want to represent.

What are you working on now?

I’m currently working on my second NYC solo show. It opens in February 2016 at Joshua Liner gallery.