The Academy Blog

Chasing Light – Painting and Teaching Within the Magical Landscape of Altos de Chavon

Posted on September 30, 2014

By Lily Olive (MFA 2015)

I spent this past August immersed in the magical environment of Altos de Chavon as one of the recipients of the New York Academy of Art ­ Altos de Chavon Artist and Teaching Residency, living and breathing what seemed to be some kind of mirage of an idealized ultimate painter’s paradise. I along with three other NYAA alumni: Ivy Hickam (MFA ­ 2013), Ian Factor (MFA ­ 2014) and Alfonso Gosalbez Berenger (MFA ­ 2014), were given the fortunate opportunity to be selected to teach and work at La Escuela de Diseño Altos de Chavón, a design school in La Romana, Dominican Republic this Summer as part of an ongoing dialogue and exchange program NYAA and Altos de Chavon established last year. Chavon is an affiliate of Parson ́s School of Design in New York.

Ian and Ivy went down in June for the first residency round, and Alfonso and I followed in August for the second round. Ian instructed a class on anatomical drawing, Ivy gave a class on introduction to printmaking, Alfonso taught a landscape painting class, and I taught a class on art historical modalities and contemporary art, a brief survey of a variety of historical technical processes and painting exercises, lectures and several conceptual drawing exercises.

We all overlapped our time there by one week in the beginning of August. Ian and Ivy, along with the wonderful teachers and staff of Altos, helped welcome Alfonso and I to the school and showed us the lay of the land. It was very special to be able to spend that time together with each other painting outside, printmaking with Ivy and the students, taste­ testing delicious Dominican foods liketostones (fried green plantains!), and working on my Spanish language survival skills.

One night, we even ate fried parrot fish at Bayahibe, a beautiful nearby local beach, inside a gift shop surrounded by dresses, wind chimes, painted shells, and palm tee paintings, as torrential rain surprised us and had interrupted our dominos game and dinner on folding tables in the sand..the scramble to retreat inside away from the sheets of gusty rain, grabbing plates of steaming hot fish and cold Presidente beers wrapped in soggy napkins as we ending up moving our dinner from beach to open air gift shop was an experience I will not forget anytime soon.


I kept telling the other residents and teachers at the school that the stunning natural beauty was so overwhelmingly gorgeous, it was borderline saccharine. Certainly a nearly impossible feat to try to capture moments of fading suffused sunsets, jeweled sunbeams dancing and diving across frothy turquoise crests, mangos and coconuts weighing down above, hanging heavy amongst the medieval style architecture.

Bright yellow plums dotted the pathways, butterflies darted in and out of huge yellow, radiant magenta, pink and white tropical blossoms, and light flickered in and out of swaying palm trees.  Geckos and iguanas roamed in and out of our housing, and stray kittens mewed at us for scraps. “Cheese” the cat, a beautiful
mottled gray and white gregarious feline with emerald eyes befriended me quickly, and he spent days following me around, jumping into my lap and demanding attention and treats.



It was paradise realized as far as I was concerned. Perhaps we had landed in an episode of Lost or were living like Tom Hanks character in Castaway I mused, as I scrambled up trees to grab mangos and coconuts, victoriously smashing them open. Life existed everywhere I looked, cacti sprouting out of red rocks, orangey red flowers from the Flamboyant trees lining the roads, pathways, swimming pool, and lighting up the environment with their fiery chroma.
A brief background on Altos. Recreated as a 16 community, perched upon a cliff above the Chavon River. Construction of the village began in 1976 and the village was inaugurated in 1982 with the concert by NYC’s one and only Frank Sinatra at the amphitheater. The village was designed by Dominican architect Jose Antonio Caro, and created by Italian master designer and cinematographer Roberto Coppa.The village, in addition to being home to the Altos de Chavon School of Design, also house shops, boutiques, fine art galleries, restaurants and an archaeological museum atop the picturesque cliffs.  The residency consisted of having art studios in a great thatched hut to work out of, and one week of leading and teaching a painting workshop; mine was called History of Painting Techniques and Contemporary Art.

The schools administration and staff were beyond welcoming, Carmen Lorente, the schools academic director, helped us realize and make possible the lessons and ideas we had for our classes and material lists. It was fantastic!
We had lunches together almost daily, and debriefed each other on how our students were progressing, what ideas we had planned for our class lessons, and often lobbying for trips to the beach to plein air.

As a teacher, the experience of having such hardworking and dedicated students was extremely rewarding, and it was a pleasure to push them and see the results. A week is unfortunately not nearly enough time to impart as much knowledge as one would like, but it is long enough to experience very intense immersions into a variety of techniques and experiences together as a class. I gave lectures, painting demos, assisted during lessons, and encouraged the students to keep pushing through the lessons, which were very challenging for them, but they stood up to the demands and dove into their work, with impressive results. It was not uncommon to spend quite a bit of time after class, sometimes hours, assisting the students in continuing to work through their paintings and assignments for that days class. I was touched with how much genuine dedication and love they had for their crafts.


After the classed ended, I spent the rest of my trip outside, plein air painting from life. The time escaped quickly, and I spent entire days working frantically to try to put down color and light and capture as much of the environment as I could.

The landscape, the students, the staff and the entire experience was beautiful and rewarding. We are all so grateful to have been given these opportunities, and I am looking for ways to go back and visit my new Dominican friends as soon as possible.

Mucho Gracias!
Lily

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Ivy Hickam (MFA ­ 2013), Ian Factor (MFA ­ 2014) and Alfonso Gosalbez Berenger (MFA ­ 2014) and Lily Olive (MFA 2013) spent their summer on an Academy sponsored teaching residency in Dominican Republic.

ELIZABETH GLAESSNER’S QUIET CONFIDENCE

Posted on September 27, 2014

Have you had the chance to see the “2014 Fellows Show” at the Academy?  If not, RUN don’t walk to Wilkinson Gallery, 111 Franklin Street, before it closes on Sunday, September 29th.  At the show you will be drawn to Elizabeth Glaessner’s (MFA 2013, Fellow 2014) work. Her post-apocalyptic paintings slowly reveal intricate allegories suspended in time.  Her chromatically vivid, psychologically dense, personal narratives take the viewer on a journey through the artist’s interior life.  Both intensely strategic and wildly intuitive, each detail of her work has a jewel-like quality that is the result of the artist’s extreme focus.  And yet, when taken as a whole, the improvisational nature of the work links every component into a rapturous symphony of exotic symbols and voluptuous color.


For Elizabeth, the Fellows Show came at the right time – fresh on heels of her debut solo exhibition at PPOW Gallery in August, a show that started a trajectory that we’re excited to follow.  For the last installment of the Fellow Interview Series, we caught up with Elizabeth Glaessner whose quiet confidence shines through in her work and presence.  

Q: What are the major themes you pursue in your work?
A: Ritual, absurdity, meaning, invented mythology, shifting landscape, horror

Q: Where did you grow up? 

A: I grew up in Houston, Texas and my mom taught classes to kids at the Glassell school of art so seeing and making art was a big part of my childhood. We spent a lot of time at the Menil and the MFAH and I joined the teen council at the Contemporary Art Museum in Houston when I was in high school. There, I had the opportunity to visit artists’ studios whom I still greatly admire (especially Trenton Doyle Hancock). I also spent a lot of time outdoors – digging in the bayous, fishing in Galveston, hiking in West Texas and the Rockies. The vast, open (often toxic) landscape definitely still appears in my work.

Q: What inspires you?
A: Things I see everyday – often the most banal objects seem to have the most potential to be transformed into something totally ecstatic.

Q: Tell us about your practice, do you start with a picture, idea or story in mind? 

A: I start with a feeling or a mood and then I try to conjure imagery for that and channel that feeling the entire time I’m making the piece. I first learned this from taking Inka Essenhigh’s monotype master class and it completely resonated with me and inspired me to adjust my own way of working. Everyone should take her painting from imagination class!

Q: If you could retake any class at the academy what would it be and why?
A: All of the master classes I took – Julie Heffernan, Natalie Frank, Inka Essenhigh – those were all incredibly influential and encouraging for me. Also, Wade’s animal class (but with a mask to eliminate the smell), Jacobsmeyer’s comp and design, Catherine Howe’s alchemical painting, Margaret Bowland, Monica Cook, any class where Kurt Kauper lectures.


Q: What materials do you like to use and how do you know when your work is finished 

A: I use inks and water dispersed pigments mixed with different binders in order to create a saturated world, sometimes allowing the medium to dictate the narrative. I really started using the materials I use now during my residency in Leipzig during the summer between my 1st and 2nd year.  I know it’s finished when I don’t want to go back to the studio the next day and destroy it.

Q: During your post-graduate year, what did you learn most about yourself and practice?
A: I learned to trust my instincts more and the importance of community and conversation.

Q: What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
A: Be idealistic and read the news.

Q: What 3 quirky things can we find in your studio?
A: My stuffed chipmunk, Chester, plaster chicken feet and a studio mate.

Q: Do you paint to music or paint in silence?
A: both, today I was listening to Nancy Sinatra and La Luz but I switch it up often.

Q: If you weren’t an artist what would you be?
A: A little more bitter.  


Q: Pick a piece and tell me about it
A: “Those that Prefer to Stay in Trees” This 4 by 6 foot work on panel depicts a creature half born out of a tree bearing mutations which are indicative of what we might call a toxic environment, however in this world these mutations are celebrated and the toxic landscape becomes a place where new creatures and mutants thrive. This particular creature is enamored with the Lady of Ephesus (the Ionian fertility goddess) adapting her accessory breasts and presenting herself as a source of nourishment and birth. She has a commanding presence and watches outward with an ominous eye.


Q: Finally, what’s next? Any immediate plans to share?
A: I’ll be working in my studio in Greenpoint, continuing to work with all the incredible people at P.P.O.W. and teaching once a week at Montclair University. I also look forward being a part of another critical and inspiring community!

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To see more work from Elizabeth Glassner please visit her website.  Currently, her work is featured in the “2014 Fellows” exhibition, a three-person show that also features 2014 Fellows Nicolas V. Sanchez and Yunsung Jang.

Annually, the Academy awards Post-graduate fellowships to three exemplary graduating students chosen through a highly competitive selection process. During their Fellowship year, the Fellows receive studio accommodations, a stipend, exhibition opportunities and teaching assistantships to expand the depth and breadth of their artistic practice. The “2014 Fellows” show represents the culmination of their Fellowship year and entree into the art world as professional artists.

Yunsung Jang’s Universal Spirit

Posted on September 18, 2014

Portraits by Yunsung Jang (MFA 2013, Fellow 2014) reflect both vulnerability and strength simultaneously.  His  process is a painterly excavation that is extremely physical and personally revealing.  Jang’s application of paint is similar to the way one would plaster a wall.  Trowels, knifes and brushes slather paint onto the faces of his subjects.  Once dry, he is as likely to carve back into a cheek as gently glaze over an eye or a wisp of hair.  Ultimately the paint has a mesmerizing ability to transmit the dynamic terrain of the human landscape.
For the second installment of our Fellows Interview Series, we had the opportunity to sit down with Yun Jang, whose ‘Mother #1’ portrait is currently on view at the National Portrait Gallery in London and was recently given the 2014 Visitor’s Choice Award.  The people have spoken and since we love to give the people what they want, here’s more on this artist-on-the-rise and the inspiration behind his work. 
‘Mother # 1’, 2013, oil on canvas
Q: What an honor and accomplishment Yun! Can you tell me what winning the National Portrait Gallery’s Visitor Choice award means to you? 
A: There are so many great paintings in the show.   Just the idea that over 2,000 people saw and voted for my work is the best gift ever. It means so much to me. I feel so supported and very blessed.  

Q: What were you trying to convey in your painting? 
A: My painting is bigger than my relationship with my mom. ‘Mother #1’ is about the universal relationship and love between mother and child. I wanted my feelings to transfer to the viewers to be able to connect them with their own childhood memories and love for their parents (if that’s even possible).


Q: What are the major themes you pursue in your work?
A: I am interested in how a picture can replicate a living being, interpreting the subject’s internal and external qualities in communion with my own.

Q: What and who inspires you? 

A: Humanism, nature and anyone who dedicated to humanity.

Detail, ‘Aki,’ 2014, oil on canvas

Q: Can you tell us about where you grew up and its impact on your work?
A: I grew up in a suburb area in Seoul, Korea. It is a very densely populated area and I see lots of faces and emotions that I’m interested in.


Q: Do you start a painting with a picture, an idea, or story in mind? How do you know when it’s finished?
A: I do think of an idea or picture in my mind but I don’t want to think about it too clearly so I can make a room to something else to develop.  I think the most difficult stage is conclusion. Ernest Hemingway wrote 47 endings to A Farewell to Arms. I don’t always know when I’m finished.


Q: Tell me about your rituals?
A: I always try to eat an apple before I start to work so I wont get hungry and have to stop in the middle of something. I set up working and put headphones on with some classical music or Disney music and start to work. I always clean up and put everything back in its place.
Q: What three things can we find in your studio?
A: Pencils, sketchbooks and candies.


Q: How has the Academy shaped your practice? 

A: I spend more time thinking about the concept.


Q: If you could retake any class at the Academy what would it be and why?
A: I should have taken a monotype class. It looks fun to me!

Q: During your post-graduate year, what did you learn most about yourself and practice?
A: I learned how to prepare for the real world. I got to stretch my body before jumping into the ocean.

Self-Portrait, 2014, oil on wooden box
Q: Would you pick a piece from the Fellows Show and tell me about it?
A: Jun, He is my friend, teacher and my mentor. His life was very interesting. He is so dedicated to art and spirit. He has struggled with emotional and physiological issues but religion and art is his escape. I want to depict that human struggle.

‘Jun,’ 2014, oil on canvas

Q: Can you finish this sentence: The reason why I’m an artist is…?

A: The reason why I’m an artist is I like to create new things.


Q: If you weren’t an artist what would you be?

A: I’d like to be a musician.

Q: Finally, what’s next?
A: Getting a studio and starting to work!


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Currently, Yunsung Jung’s work is featured in the “2014 Fellows” exhibition on view at the Academy’s Wilkinson Gallery through September 28th.  This three-person show also features the work of 2014 Fellows Elizabeth Glaessner and Nicolas V. Sanchez.
Annually, the Academy awards Post-graduate fellowships to three exemplary graduating students chosen through a highly competitive selection process. During their Fellowship year, the Fellows receive studio accommodations, a stipend, exhibition opportunities and teaching assistantships to expand the depth and breadth of their artistic practice. The “2014 Fellows” show represents the culmination of their Fellowship year and entree into the art world as professional artists. 

To see more work from Yunsung Jang please visit his website.  Stay tuned the last installment of the Fellows interview series featuring Elizabeth Glaessner

2014 New York Academy of Art Fellows

Posted on September 3, 2014

fellows2014

Featuring work by painters Elizabeth Glaessner, Yunsung Jang and Nicolas V. Sanchez, this exhibition marks the beginning of each artist’s promising career and the culmination of their year-long fellowships. Each year, the Academy selects three outstanding graduates of its MFA program as Chubb Fellows. The fellowship, sponsored by Chubb, is the highest honor the Academy bestows, and is given to the three graduates who exemplify the Academy’s mission of valorizing technical skill in the service of creating vital contemporary art.

For inquiries please contact Elizabeth Hobson: 212.842.5966 / exhibitions@nyaa.edu

 

An Unforgotten Past: The Work of Nicolas V. Sanchez

Posted on September 2, 2014

Nicholas V. Sanchez (MFA 2013, Fellow 2014) is driven by a prolific compulsion to bear witness to everything he holds dear. In paintings that depict blind horses, decaying walls and scabrous surfaces, Sanchez suggests a world that is not only falling apart but one that is also slipping through his fingers.  By painting memories that could easily fade into oblivion, Sanchez creates an illusion, first for himself and then for the viewer, of their continuity which satisfies his quest to preserve his family’s heritage.

In Nicolas’ newest body of work created specifically for the “2014 Fellows” exhibition opening at the Academy on September 3rd from 6-8pm, Nicolas reveals some of his most intimate paintings yet.  On the eve of the show’s opening, we caught up with him to discuss his Fellowship year, learn about his inspirations and what’s next for this artist-on-the-rise. 
 
Q: What are the major themes you pursue in your work and can you tell me about your work from the “2014 Fellows” show?
A: Family, heritage, tradition, preservation, identity, space, and preservation are themes I tend to explore in my work.  For the 2014 Fellows show, my work continues to center around the idea of inheritance through family, specifically through my family’s history. Linking different worlds by means of family photos, rural animals, and painting methods, a new identity is simultaneously created and lost through the preservation of traditions, myths, and legacies of past generations. 


 
Q: Would you tell us about your childhood and its influence on your work? 
A: I was born and raised in Michigan where I had equal access to urban neighborhoods and the dirt roads and open farmland. It’s that quaint Midwest kind of area. I first started seeing influences of home in my work during my time in New York. I would say my bi cultural experience growing up is what influences my work the most. I would also say my connection to nature influences my work as well. As a child I went outside and ventured into the woods beyond our backyard collecting bugs and teaching myself about nature. I always had an affinity for animals and nature. I recall those times when finding links and overlaps to my past and inherited legacies.
 
Q: How did you start painting? Do you start with a picture, an idea, or a story in mind?  
A: I have been drawing all my life. Since I could hold a pencil. I started painting in undergrad. I can’t say I start in any one way. Sometimes the work starts with an image in mind, other times its a feeling, or a technical execution that motivates me. Sometimes I’ll see something and think, ‘oh…yea, that should be painted like this…’ So sometimes it starts with clarity and other times it starts with moments of curiosity and I have to paint or draw something to find out why I was so attracted to it. A sense of elasticity in my studio practice is important to me. When simultaneously working on a large oil painting and a small ink drawing, each medium is revisited with fresh eyes, hands, and mind. Contrary to the non-erasable and ‘restrictive’ idea about drawing in ink, my colored ballpoint pen drawings offer a sense of freedom. My first mark is also my last mark. There’s no taking it back, so why worry about it? I just keep drawing. It pushed me to become more disciplined and develop a sense of agility.
 
Q: How has the Academy shaped your practice? 
A: I came to the Academy to develop my technical skills and it has done that. Because the Academy has given me a stronger foundation, I feel less restrictive and encouraged to try new things. I’ve acquired skills that allow me to express my ideas and explore unknown territory.
Q: If you could retake any class at the academy what would it be?
A: Wade’s drawing class 
 
Q: What did you learn most about yourself and practice during your post graduate year?
A: I learned more about what drawing and painting mean to me. 
 
Q: Can you share any rituals you may have in the studio?
A: The only thing I do consistently in the studio is clean up before I leave. I need a clean and somewhat organized space so I can focus when I return. I love being able to arrive at my studio and within minutes begin working. 
  
Q: What was the best advice given to you as an artist? 
A: A wise artist named Guno Park (MFA 2011) told me to “Just draw!”
 
Q: If you weren’t an artist what would you be? 
A: I also like teaching dance (pop-n-lock, isolation, footwork, and body waves) so maybe that’s what I would be doing.
Q: Pick a piece and would you tell us about it?
A: Heir, 2014 (oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in). This is Ethan. He is the youngest first cousin in my family. He battles me every time I come home. He keeps my dancing skills on point. 
 
 
 
Q: Finally, what’s next? 
A: Immediately after the opening reception for the “2014 Fellows” show, I am assisting international artist Liu Bolin on a project in Chelsea. Then, my work will be featured in a two- person show in November.  I will also be working on a few projects with Accesso Galleria in Italy. Besides that, I will be painting and drawing every day, living and working in the city. 
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Currently, Nicolas V. Sanchez’s work is featured in the “2014 Fellows” exhibition on view at the Academy’s Wilkinson Gallery through September 28th.  This three-person show also features the work of 2014 Fellows Elizabeth Glaessner and Yunsung Jang.
Annually, the Academy awards Post-graduate fellowships to three exemplary graduating students chosen through a highly competitive selection process. During their Fellowship year, the Fellows receive studio accommodations, a stipend, exhibition opportunities and teaching assistantships to expand the depth and breadth of their artistic practice. The “2014 Fellows” show represents the culmination of their Fellowship year and the beginning of their promising careers beyond the Academy. 

To see more work from Nicolas V. Sanchez please visit his website.  Stay tuned for more interviews from Elizabeth Glaessner and Yunsung Jang during the exhibition’s three week run.

One of the Best Paintings I Have Ever Seen

Posted on August 28, 2014

By Amanda Pulham (MFA 2014)

I know that I speak for everyone on the Moscow residency when I say that our time here has been, and continues to be, spectacular. Apart from the every day luxuries of our imperial style Stalin-era skyscraper apartment and access to a beautiful and historically significant painting studio, one of my favorite things about Russia has been visiting the museums. We have visited nine museums: The Tretyakov Museum, The Tretyakov’s Modern Art Museum, the Master and Margarita Museum, The Moscow Museum of Modern art (MMOMA), The Baron Steiglitz Academy and Museum, The Academy of Art’s Museum, The Hermitage, the Russian Museum, and the Pushkin Museum.

The Tretyakov Museum has become a very familiar place to us during our Monday copying days. The museum is closed to the public on that day and we are allowed six hours to paint, draw, and wander around the museum. They have a great collection of Repins, and also some remarkable Vasily Vereschagins, one of which James is copying.

Fortunately, our translator Sonia arranged for us to have a private (English) tour of the Tretyakov’s Modern Art Museum, where we learned about artists like Goncharova, Pavel Filonov, Alexander Yakovlev, and of course, Kandinsky.

The Master and Margarita Museum was a special treat for me, because last semester (coincidentally before I knew I was going to Moscow,) I read Mikhail Bulgakov’s masterpiece, The Master and Margarita; a book that caused a lot of controversy at the time of it’s release in 1940, but is now completely embraced and championed by the people of Moscow. The museum is located in the actual apartment where the main characters in the book lived. Outside of the museum, our translator lets me know when we pass other locations referred to in the book, and I am very excited to see them. 

We visited the Moscow Museum of Modern art as part of the biennale tour. The biennale lead us to several galleries and finally the MMOMA to see works of contemporary art by young artists. Most of the work was either instillations (video and other) or photography. Unfortunately very few paintings were included in the shows (if I remember correctly there were two small, non-representational paintings).

In St. Petersburg, we met a student who attends The Baron Steiglitz Academy. He brought us into the school and showed us around. The Baron Steiglitz Academy and Museum is one of the most extraordinary places I have ever had the privilege of touring. The site of this famous academy is one of the former homes of Baron Steiglitz, a nineteenth century philanthropist. Any description I can give will fail to do the building justice (think NYAA meets Versailles.) Students are surrounded by so much visual language provided by the building itself that in some rooms, large movable walls cover up the ornate wooden carvings, or other decorative features adorning the walls. We all agreed that The New York Academy of Art should begin a relationship with The Baron Steiglitz Academy. 

The Academy of Arts Museum had a few rooms of thesis paintings by their more noteworthy alumni, as well as several rooms displaying architectural prototypes used to plan the design and construction of famous buildings in St. Petersburg. Nikita, the same student who showed us around the Baron Steiglitz Academy, convinced the Academy of Arts Museum to allow us access to their school building, which was “closed for the summer, but also the fire.” The building was massive and abandoned. We were never given the details explaining the circumstance of the fire, but it was very obvious that this school had somewhat recently suffered a devastating fire, and was now scarred from it.

Then, of course, there was the Hermitage. The Hermitage is home to one of the greatest collections of art in the world. We spent two full days in the Hermitage and saw works by Rembrandt, Degas, Cezanne, Bonnard, Brueghel, Rubens, Titian, Pontormo, El Greco, Velazquez, Gentileschi, Goya, Ribera, Gerome, Bouguereau, Michelangelo, and many others. I am eternally grateful to the New York Academy of Art for giving me the opportunity to visit this museum.


We visited the Russian Museum on our last day in St. Petersburg and saw a remarkable collection including works by Filonov, Kramskoy, and, of course, Repin. The Russian Museum has an unrivaled collection of Repin paintings, including Zaporozhye Cossack’s Writing a Mocking Letter to the Turkish Sultan, one of the best paintings I have ever seen.

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Amanda Pulham (MFA 2014) is joined by Gabriel Zea (MFA 2015), Sarah Issakharian (MFA 2015), and James Raczkowski (MFA 2015) in Moscow.  These four students are spending their summer taking in the sights and creating work on an Academy-sponsored Artist in Residence Program.  Throughout the summer, their adventures will be documented on the Academy’s blog. Stay tuned for more.

When Plan Change You Go With Them

Posted on August 26, 2014

By IvY HickAM (MFA 2013)


When plans change you go with them.  Instead of teaching my planned for week long monotype course I would be teaching a three day intensive workshop.  Last minute, Carmen worked her magic and I ended up teaching the most wonderful group of students.  I was lucky enough to have a few current students of the design school, going into their second year, and a handful of alumni who lived locally and wanted to be at Altos learning art again. I had painters, drawers, and installation artists.  I had the most engaged and engaging students a non-Spanish speaking nervous teacher could ask for. I had assisted teachers all through the past year in various community collages around New York but it was my first class to teach all on my own.



I had to restructure my class the night before, but with the level of artists I had in my class I was able to teach them just as much information in the intense short time we had together. Painting, scraping, drawing with sticks and q-tips–a whirl of monochromatic prints, watercolor, Japanese paper handprints and experiments in viscosity.  My students ventured outside to paint from life, using the beauty of their surroundings. They used themselves and each other, still life, found images, and their imagination.  I drilled image after image by Degas (an avid maker of monotypes and a favorite of mine) into their heads. I spoke about the importance of contrast, wiping out the lights, and about negative vs. positive. I showed them current working artists as well, showing them how varied monotypes can be.  They showed me, that even with a language barrier, I can show a class what I know and in return they will show me their voices as artists.  The students worked very hard and the amount of prints they made revealed their excitement for the process, leaving time to joke, listen to music and experiment with accidental prints of course.


The smile on everyone’s face as they lifted the paper from their plate, the moths diving into the water baths where the paper was soaking outside, the tables covered with an increasing number of prints–then suddenly the students hugging me and running to catch a bus, it was Friday and the workshop was already at an end.  I left feeling the students were as excited about the monotype process as I am…success! Everyone had helped everyone else, sharing paper and translating and critiquing each other’s work.  By the end they were helping each other print on their own and they didn’t need me anymore. They were self-sufficient printmakers. A far cry from the first morning when at the very beginning of my lesson on how the monotype evolved throughout history, I was interrupted repeatedly in the middle of trying to say the inventor’s name, Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, by the local cat Cheese’s loud meowing.


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Ivy Hickam (MFA ­ 2013), Ian Factor (MFA ­ 2014) and Alfonso Gosalbez Berenger (MFA ­ 2014) and Lily Koto Olive (MFA 2013) spent their summer on an Academy sponsored teaching residency in Dominican Republic. 

Seduced by Paint

Posted on August 18, 2014

By Matthew Comeau (MFA 2015)
 
Arriving at a new place, with nothing but time; the first thing one does is seek out its most vital parts to assess which pieces of this new world can be absorbed and brought back to the soul. At the start of my stay here, I was in a funk. As much as I was ecstatic about my surroundings, ready and willing to work, I couldn’t get myself out of the sketchbook, as with everyone; it seemed to take a bit of time before we really sank into our practice.

As time and momentum built up, some very exciting things began to happen in the studio. My work has found itself in wild flux as well. I had been having some trouble escaping the confines of my sketchbook, but ended up stumbling upon the gutted remains of an industrial elevator being fixed within the Spinnerei. I took them back to my studio, and spent 3 weeks reorganizing and piecing back together the parts into freestanding and wall sculptures, incorporating bike parts, broken casts, antique cabinets, light fixtures, telephones, street signs, tubing, and even fly tape; still covered in flies. The project eventually turned into a (still ongoing) 12-foot installation, now in the main hall of our shared space, and while I don’t think I can bring much of it home; I found the temporality of the project broke down some psychological barriers in my art-making. Now into the second half of our stay, I’ve snapped back into two-dimensional work, experimenting with oil on canvas for the first time in a number of years. Oddly, I haven’t made a single drawing outside of my sketchbook in all of my time here. It must’ve rejuvenated something in me though, because I’ve become completely seduced by paint. While I don’t think I could ever bring myself to abandon my large drawings; I can’t wait see what kind of language will pull itself out, back in the Academy studios. 

 
Esteban’s new painting is easily one of my favorites.  It depicts an outlandishly colorful and impasto driven kind of “80’s party” aesthetic with a twist.   The figures seem to be inspired by an image of some Spinnerei workers from its days under the GDR, as a Cotton Mill. It became a full-fledged dive into painterly buildup, chunks of saturation climbing off the canvas’ surface, colors swimming in and out of one another in the faces of the figures. Having shared a studio for nearly two months now, I’ve steadily observed a conscience abandonment of the finesse of his hand, for the sake of a kind of absurd theatricality.
Hannah has chosen to use our travels as a conduit to push her work in an alternative direction. It seems she’s embracing a new process as well; one that pulls away for the cultural weight and pointed deliberation of her Holocaust images. Instead she’s chosen to derive references from her personal history, with a comparatively organic addition-and-removal of content, pushing towards narrative that is more intimate in subject and visceral in content; while allowing the viewer’s projections to complete her stories. Her new paintings seem to carry a sentimentality that was evident in her previous work, but is instead geared towards the intimacies and precious moments of her own life.
Camila has been exploring figures of authority, versus those of alienation and victimhood as its bi-product and polarity; and how relationships between representation and gestural abstraction can serve to support her conversations. She has been playing with the extent to which extensive rendering is necessary to convey a narrative; as well as how that kind of restraint, for the sake of leaving the open gesture, can leave space for the viewer’s imagination. On top of that, she seems to have stumbled into a kind of re-contextualized use of abstraction, as a potential narrative tool when placed appropriately in relation to the representational parts of her images. I’m excited to see how its use begins to evolve.

On the 13th of July, We had our exhibition at a castle called the Schloss in a small town just outside of Leipzig, known as Machern. The portion of the castle designated for the show was covered in bright pink and blue pastel interiors, chandeliers and Victorian style trim and furniture. The space was sliced into varying, sometimes oddly shaped rooms, emulating a strangely elegant ‘Alice in Wonderland’ feel. After a solid day of installation, all of our work (in its seemingly disjointed variety relative to one another) ended up as a great fit for the space. At the opening itself, we were shocked by how above and beyond the castle’s employment had gone to entertain its guests. There was champagne being brought around throughout the opening, a live classical pianist, a separate reception room, in which our fantastic coordinator, Kristina, gave a speech welcoming the guests, introducing us and our work. On top of a surprisingly high turnout, given its location outside of Leipzig, the exhibition was even written about in two newspapers! 

Thus far, the experience has been a wild one, with each of our practice’s driven in some unexpected directions. While it is exhilarating to observe one another in such significant transition; one cannot help their own excitement for what is to come next year.

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Matthew Comeau (MFA 2015) is joined by Hannah Stahl (MFA 2015), Camila Rocha (MFA 2015), and Esteban Ocampo (MFA 2015) in Leipzig, Germany for a two-month Residency.  The students will share their adventures in Germany throughout the summer on the Academy’s blog.  Stay tuned!

Free From Self Doubt

Posted on August 11, 2014

By Sarah Schlesinger (MFA 2015)

MERHABA FROM ISTANBUL 
To prepare properly for this residency, I spent hours asking google questions like “What’s the weather like in Istanbul?” and “Where is Istanbul?” to “Can women wear shorts?*”  The wealth of information that experienced tourist bloggers gave made me nervous and overwhelmed. I hope this blog post reaches all timid Turkish travelers and eases their worry.

ISTANBUL IS AMAZING
After landing in Istanbul, all of my concerns melted away instantly. To answer my first question, the weather is perfect. It is hot, sunny, and breezy during the day and turns cool in the evening. Even during the hot parts of the day, a breeze coming off of the Bosphorus cools the city down.  The Bosphorus is a glorious waterway that connects the Black Sea and Sea of Marmara.  It divides Europe from Asia. It is full of leisure, commercial, and commuter boats. Russian cargo ships can be seen speeding past fishing boats and day trippers, all dwarfed by the massive cruise ships that dock in Istanbul for the day.

Mimar Sinan University, where our studios are located, is under the constant slapping of waves made from the passing boats. Having such a gorgeous view of the Bosphorus just outside the building creates a calming and inspiring setting to create work. The school and our lodging are located on the European side of Istanbul. Erinn and I are staying in a girls dormitory located by the Bosphorus Bridge about a 15 minute bus ride from school. Getting around has been incredibly easy. They have functional, efficient, and inexpensive public transportation, as well as an abundance of taxis.

FREE FROM SELF DOUBT 
While most people do not speak English, and my attempts at speaking Turkish have left me with blank stares, everyone I have met has been incredibly friendly and helpful. As a foreigner I do not feel out of place at all, as I have often felt in other places I have traveled.  Through jet lag, supply shopping, cultural mysteries, and limited open studio hours, we have managed to get ourselves situated and have all delved into our various projects. The limited building hours are allowing us to explore the city and experience the Turkish culture to a greater extent than if we were working around the clock. I have found the change of scenery freeing especially from the usual set of creative self-doubt. I have enjoyed making decisions with less hesitance, knowing that I have the whole month to have failures and fix them before anyone in North America finds out about them. Sharing studio space with the others has been motivating and inspiring, and I can already tell I will miss being here.

PROOF OF GENEROSITY
We have all set up and begun to work in our nooks, not unlike the pigeon and her babies who have found a home in the stairwell. Also found in every nook and cranny of the city are kittens. The treatment of stray animals are further proof of the generosity and hospitality of Turkish people  


The Saturday after arriving, the four of us had the delight of seeing Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque in the old city. To our surprise, visiting these popular monuments did not feel touristy. Between the two buildings lies a gardened park, filled with picnickers and napping Turks. To my dismay, there was a real lack of knick-knacks and postcards being sold (there is a post card shortage in this entire city – finding some is my unending quest).



PRINCES ISLANDS
We then had the pleasure of traveling with Gökhan, a fellow New York Academy student who is from Istanbul, to one of the Princes Islands. Gökhan painted a beautiful water scene while the rest of us swam in said water scene. The islands are automobile free, and the only way to get around is by bike or horse drawn carriage, the horses having a special desire to run over Erinn.
All in all, the city is beautiful, the people are lovely, and I might never leave. And if I do, I’m taking a kitten.

*Yes, they can and do. This is a stupid question.

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Erinn Heilman (MFA 2015), Nick Lepard (MFA 2015), Sarah Schlesinger (MFA 2015) and Jacob Hayes (MFA 2014) are currently spending their summer on an Academy sponsored residency in Istanbul.  To learn more about their experiences and progress check back in on the Academy’s blog for new entries each week.

The Occasional Dance Party

Posted on July 31, 2014

By James Raczkowski (MFA 2015)

Having just arrived back from Moscow from a short but incredibly memorable trip to Saint Petersburg I am full of spirit and inspiration.  Both Moscow and St. Petersburg are vibrant and alive. The streets are full and never empty. The sun shines for 20 hours a day and the locals savor every moment of that warmth. This innate energy coupled with an immense amount of artistic culture imbedded into Russian society breads creativity and verve.

The people we met here were generous and kind. We had tea and cognac with friends’ grandparents, taken out to dinner by strangers and have been guided  through Saint Petersburg to visit secret landmarks well off the beaten path by a stranger and now new friend Nikita.

Altogether this residency has been magical  and memorable. Each day was filled with history, art, and friends. This  very foreign land with different culture, customs, language, and even alphabet is at the same time oddly familiar .  This familiarity is created by a common human spirit, love for one’s country and an eager willingness to share.

  

AN AVERAGE DAY IN MOSCOW

At four in the morning just as sun was creeping over the horizon many locals were just closing their eyes. We too have adopted this interesting and sometimes confusing sleep pattern. Our afternoons were filled with sight seeing, going to cafés, museums and our sun drenched evenings were spent at the studio working late through one breathtaking sunset and equally beautiful sunrise after another.

I spent most of my mornings running through Moscow taking a new route each time to discover something unique and inspiring along the way.

In the afternoon our friends and guides Sonia and Nikolay lead us with authority through the city. Sometimes we took the subway or taxi, however we always end up waking and walking from one monument to another.


The subway was always such a treat as each station is unique and grand and often equipped with wifi.  All the stations are designed by a different artists or architect which created an elaborate underground museum.


The taxis were also different, mostly because there are no taxis. Your ride through out the city is determined by anyone who decides to pull over on a whim. We have ridden in everything’s from BMW’s to green fur covered soviet sedans reeking of gasoline. This always unique experience was the norm and it costs $8 dollars or 300 rubles to go anywhere in the city, even down the street.

After a day of walking and visual overload we found ourselves inside our beautiful light filled studio equipped with same cast sculptures you could find at the Academy with an incredible view of downtown Moscow.

The studio was always buzzing with music conversation, painting, and the occasional dance party. Creating work inside such a beautiful space and working next to other talented artists has been nothing but a pleasure and growing experience. 

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James Raczkowski (MFA 2015) was joined by Sarah Issakharian (MFA 2015), Gabriel Zea (MFA 2015) and Amanda Pulham (MFA 2014) in Moscow.  These four students spent the summer taking in the sights and creating work on an Academy-sponsored Artist in Residence Program.  Throughout the summer, their adventures will be documented on the Academy’s blog. Stay tuned for more.