The Academy Blog

9th Annual Summer Exhibition

Posted on June 18, 2015

sumex2015_graphic_web

Artwork credits:
Lisa Lebofsky (MFA 2006) Lily Koto Olive (MFA 2013) Maggie Rose (MFA 2001)

 

Academy Awards – Best Curating

Posted on June 17, 2015

By Claire Cushman (MFA 2015)
 
The New York art world is a big place. This can be intimidating, but it also gives artists opportunities to play different roles, such as curator. While most artists are singularly focused on their own vision, Cara De Angelis (MFA 2011), Diana Corvelle (MFA 2011), Dina Brodsky (MFA 2006) and Michelle Doll (2006) have carved out the time and energy to identify, organize and contextualize the work of their peers by curating shows. 

While working on curatorial projects (often together), these women and other artists formed a group known as Paint Anyway, which is dedicated to reintroducing talent and sincerity into the New York art world. “Our mission is to create a platform in which great artwork is seen and discussed,” says Michelle Doll. 

Curating requires research, idea development, project management, decisiveness, and even interior decorating skills. Like writing, curating forces artists to consider the wider context their works fit into, and to identify the conversations they’d like to be a part of. Below, these four NYAA alumni answer some questions about their curating experiences.

Kimberly Witham, “Still Life with Orange Glove,” (Digital C-Print), from Wildlife in the Post-Natural Age, curated by Cara De Angelis
Why do you curate?

Cara: I have a desire to connect with more artists and galleries, and to create opportunity for my friends and other emerging artists, specifically women and others who may not be given as much opportunity. A majority of the opportunities I’ve had since being out of school have been through fellow artists, and I genuinely love participating in the community we’ve created and helping to expand it further. It’s my fuel to keep me going.

Diana:  I can thank my lovely Paint Anyway friends for pushing me to curate. I deeply value sincerity and craft, so I want to give a platform to artists whose work is sincere and beautifully crafted. 

Linnea Paskow, “Dissolution”, Magazine Fragments – from “Remnants”
Tell me about the shows you’ve curated?

Michelle: In 2010, the incredibly talented artist and close friend of mine, Lisa Lebofsky, approached me about co-curating a show with her at Fuse Gallery, where she was the gallery director at the time. We decided on the title “Remnants“, choosing artwork that focussed on serenity found in the wake of destruction, gradual disintegration, natural decay and residual experience. The show was an ambitious project that included approximately 50 artists. I learned so much from that experience, especially from Lisa’s extraordinary professionalism in working with artists and various galleries.

For my next curatorial project in 2012, the wonderful gallery owner Island Weiss asked me to co-curate a Valentine’s Day themed show titled “Love is in the Air“, focussing on the celebration of love, passion, and desire. We collaborated with the Cell theatre group, which combined live performance art and painting.

The other two projects, “Behind the Curtain” and “Barely Imagined Beings,” were inspired by my continual collaboration and friendship with the brilliant and ambitious artist, Dina Brodsky.

 
Dina:  My first curatorial experience was actually an accident- a friend of mine in Boston was launching a start-up tech company. He asked me if I had any artist friends who would be willing to exhibit their work at the launch party, where his potential investors might be interested in buying art. I asked for artwork from some of my Academy classmates, borrowed a friend’s car, and drove it to Boston. I didn’t think of that as curating, I was just putting together some paintings that looked good together. But the show looked beautiful, and my friend kept introducing me as a curator. That show later got extended to a gallery I knew in Boston, and I realized that, at least to me, that’s all curating really is- finding work that looks beautiful and meaningful together. Since then, I’ve been curating about two shows a year – working with an expanding set of artists and galleries.
Cara: I curated my first show 3 years ago called “Wildlife in the Post Natural Age” and have done several since. The most recent show was “Hot Dry Men, Cold WetWomen,” a somewhat satirical effort.
Diana: I co-curated my first show of female portrait artists, “Loved and Observed,” with fellow alum Manu Saluja (MFA ’13) at Hersh Fine Art, a gallery affiliated with the Long Island Academy of Art, where we both teach.  Cara and I co-curated “New Romantics” at Mark Miller Gallery, and worked with Tun Myaing (MFA ’06) for a show of NYAA alumni work “Lucid Visions” at Panepinto Galleries, headed by Stefania Panepinto(MFA ’15).  Most recently I curated an exhibition of locket miniatures, “Love It, Locket, Leave It” for Island Weiss Gallery.  Love It/Locket was a really special show for me because every piece was created especially for the exhibition.  It was thrilling to see the miniature scale pieces the artists created; unwrapping each locket as it was delivered felt like Christmas morning.
 
How do you choose works – primarily from a conceptual standpoint, or an aesthetic one, or both?
Cara: I take both concept and beauty into account when choosing works. Another important factor is a given work’s context within the show, and the other pieces in it. Putting a show together with many different artists is sometimes like a puzzle and you have no idea what it will look like at the end. Sometimes works have to be left out if they don’t “fit” in the larger picture.
Installation shot from “Hot Dry Men, Cold Wet Women”
Diana: For me personally, aesthetic comes before concept.  My first concerns are always that the work be beautifully crafted and fit beautifully together. It sounds silly, but oftentimes curating feels like compiling a shopping wish list of things I would love to hang in my own apartment!  In fact, I do own a good number of works from the artists who have participated in shows I curated. 

Installation shot from Love it, Lock it, Leave it


Michelle: I typically begin with a concept for a show that I feel is compelling and relevant. I’m constantly researching artists and collecting images. Over time, certain works reveal relationships and themes that spark ideas for shows. 

Dina: Ideally, both, but for me personally aesthetic tends to trump concept. I start with a loose concept, and then find artists whose work I admire and find aesthetically exciting and try to see if they have any work that fits into the theme of the show. I feel like most of the shows I have curated have been talked into existence organically through conversations with close artist friends, a lot of whom curate as well.  Someone will say “wouldn’t these 3-4 artist’s work fit well together thematically”, or “wouldn’t this be a great idea for a show”. Some of these conversations remain in my mind, and I start looking for other artists whose work would fit with the first few that were discussed.  Usually I work with other curators, and we each bring in our own ideas/artists, until we feel like the show needs to happen, and we start looking for a space.
Installation shot from “Hot Dry Men, Cold Wet Women”
What have you learned through curating shows?
 
Diana: Honestly it has made me a more conscientious artist!  I’ve learned how it feels to be on the other side of putting together a show, so now I try much harder to be on time with submissions, meet guidelines as closely as possible and not let correspondences lapse.  I joke that curating is like herding cats … Except in this case the cats are actually wildly talented, sporadically responsible adults.  
Cara: You can never, ever be too organized. Also, persistence is a virtue. A couple of my shows took over a year of me trying to contact and work with spaces before they found a home. You just have to keep trying. Another thing I’ve learned is to be chill and not freak out when things go wrong, because it’s inevitable that they will.
Dina: I found, learned about, and met a lot of incredibly amazing artists through curating shows. I learned that there is no magic to it, – if you really want a show to happen, you can bring it into existence, but it takes discipline and work. Also, I learned that very few things happen entirely organically. I learned how to approach galleries with ideas for shows, how to do the PR for my shows, and how to pack and handle artwork. The one thing that does seem to occur organically is the artwork- I have been incredibly lucky to work with a group of talented, hard-working artists, and there is never a lack of incredible work to display.

Michelle: The experience of curating has been so valuable.. I’ve become more fearless when connecting with artists, galleries, critics and writers. I’m more comfortable with writing proposals, interviews and essays. The entire experience has pushed me outside of my comfort zone. There’s so much work and collaboration that goes into curating a show… above all, I’ve learned how to be a better professional artist.

How do you pick spaces?
Diana: It depends on the show.  For “Love It, Locket, Leave It”, my first choice was Island Weiss Gallery.  That space feels like a jewel box to me, and it worked out that Island was really open to the idea of a show of lockets.  
Dina: I try to get the core group of artists for the show together first, ask them to send me work that fits a certain theme, and write a curatorial statement. Once I have that I start approaching galleries with a show that is basically ready to go. Eventually, I find a space that is available- once a gallery agrees to host a show, depending on the size of the space, and their exhibition aesthetic, I will ask a few more artists if they are willing to participate.

Michelle: The space is important when deciding on a show, particularly when choosing the amount of artists and sizes of work. Ideally, I prefer working with a gallery who’s supports the curator’s decisions and who will actively promote the show.

Michelle Doll in her stu
What are some of your favorite shows you’ve seen lately?

Cara: An exhibit of Baroque paintings and still lifes from the Hohenbuchau collection that was on display at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich CT. The works were lush, ornate, dripping with color, detail, and velvety backgrounds. It was an almost guilty experience. Also, I was really enamored with the Balthus show at the Met, “Cats and Girls,” a little over a year ago. It was one of the best shows I’d seen in a while. Another show that makes you feel almost guilty – I hope that’s not a pattern forming!
 
Dina: By far my favorite group show this year was “Beautiful Beast”, curated by Peter Drake -every piece in it was exquisite on it’s own, while working together to make a coherent whole. It inspired me, both as an artist and a curator.

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, 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





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.

Paola wearing the collaboration

2015 MFA Thesis Exhibition

Posted on May 19, 2015

mfa__2015_thesis_graphic