The Academy Blog

Inside The Studio With Aleah Chapin (MFA 2012, Fellow 2013)

By Maria Teicher, MFA 2013

Even though Aleah and I are in the same age bracket, going to the same school and she is someone I would consider a friend or confidant, I was nervous to interview her. Risking sounding strange, I admit that I’m a big fan. Her work has always exuded this pure sincerity and it is something I am continually striving for myself. Only one year ahead of me at the New York Academy of Art, I look up to her, her work ethic and ability to stay who she is (while continuing to discover who she’s becoming) in an ever-changing art world.

I photographed Aleah in her studio about a month before she graduated this May. She had just been accepted as one of the four finalists in the 2012 BP Portrait Awards. An exciting time for her for sure and the entire school was also buzzing with joy. We met up early in the morning and began talking about her recent success. Albeit filled with excitement, she was calm and rather serene, simply happy to have been a finalist and gotten that far. I can exclaim now, that just a few months ago, Aleah has been named the winner of this year’s BP Portrait award. With it comes the prestigious first prize of £25,000 and a commission worth £4,000. This is an incredible achievement for anyone and certainly for someone only 26 years of age, graduating from getting her masters just a month before. In case you haven’t heard, Aleah is also staying aboard at NYAA, as she has been awarded one of three fellowships. We’re pretty excited that we get to keep her for another year and I am certainly thrilled to be able to watch her work and learn from her for another two semesters.

With all the great accomplishments surrounding Aleah this summer, she found some time to answer a few of my questions about her life, her work and what’s been happening.

Aleah grew up on an island north of Seattle about as far west on this continent as possible. She had to make a quick adjustment to NY, moving in just four days prior to starting her first semester, but feels like she’s really discovering a new city now, two years later. ” I’ve spent the majority of the last two years at my studio at NYAA, so now that I’m graduated, its like adjusting to a whole new city, one that I have only seen bits and pieces of.” She’s recently settled into a studio in the Bushwick area of Brooklyn in a building that is full of artists, many figurative. “It feels good to burrow myself into a new part of this city, but I am really looking forward to coming back to the Academy in the fall for the Fellowship!”

Maria: “What does your artistic background look like?”
Aleah: “My artistic background is quite varied. I’ve been extremely lucky to have parents who are very supportive (and artists themselves). Throughout high school, I would go one evening a week to the studio of a local artist named Pete Jordan. By 18, I knew I didn’t want to stop painting. I attending Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA and received a degree in painting and video. This school was fantastic in opening up my eyes to where I could take art and what I could do with it. Throughout college, I took several one week painting workshops at Gage Academy. I also did a study abroad at the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland. In my year between college and NYAA, I attended an intensive 2 month drawing program in Paris at a small and wonderful school called Studio Escalier. “


M: “Why have you chosen to pursue becoming a fine artist?”
A: “Besides a few rocky years in high school, I have known I wanted to be an artist. I remember drawing a tree when I was about 4 years old, and thinking “this feels good”. So, maybe thats how it all started? Or going to my mom’s studio early in the morning and watching her paint when I was so young I can barely remember. “

When I asked Aleah what drew her to the academy she tells me that the moment she saw the website, “It felt like home. I had to go.” “It was like if someone said ‘dream of your ideal school’ and voila, here it is. I couldn’t quite believe there was an MFA program that was focused on painting, drawing and sculpting the human body,” she says. Now, about three years later, one of Aleah’s paintings is on the first page of the academy’s site. One can only imagine that her work is now inspiring others to feel the same way and send their applications in.


M: “How would you describe your first year at the academy? Your 2nd year?
What’s the most valuable thing your learned?”
A: “My time at NYAA was the most exhausting, invigorating and inspiring two years of my life. I didn’t know I could work this hard, or paint this many hours a day, this many days a week. The first year is heavy with assignments, which I suppose could have been frustrating, but honestly, each one, no matter how simple, I felt that I could put my own artistic vision to and get something out of. It was a challenge, but a very rewarding one. I came into my first day of school thinking I knew exactly the kind of work I wanted to do. It was sometime in the first few weeks that I realized I had to let go of my “plan” if I wanted to grow and become a better artist. It wasn’t until the spring when I felt like I was perhaps finding something. The summer between first and second year, after a lot of confusion, I realized that what I was finding was myself – confidence and acceptance in the kind of person I am and of work I want to make.”

Aleah accredits the community at NYAA as being one of the most vital aspects of her two years studying. She considers them something beyond peers and more like family. “I think they are just as important in my education and development of my work as the teachers have been.” I have to agree with her there. The academy is a place where you really learn from everyone, most importantly those around you. Having open studios within the school during the semesters allows you to keep a consistent flow of energy around you at all times. From personal experience I can tell you that breaks from painting, drawing and sculpting include walking around your peer’s studios, discussing projects, pieces, the art world at large and grabbing coffee with those available. It’s an inspiring place to be at all times, as you’re growing and learning every minute you spend there. I can personally credit Aleah to encouraging me to take attend a dissection class at the end of my first semester. It was one of the highlights of my NYAA career thus far, and if I hadn’t felt like I was part of this little family, I never would’ve asked her advice about it.


M: “What are you planning for your year as a fellow?”
A: “I am really excited about this coming year as a Fellow. I don’t know exactly what the work will look like, but something that I learned over the past two years is to trust that the most honest work comes from being okay with not having a plan and being led by personal inspiration and intuition. What I do know is that it will be an extension of my thesis, the Aunties Project. I think that an artist’s best works comes from being honest with who they are, making work about what they know, which can only come from the life that you have lived.”


M: “Name some of your favorite painters.”
A: “Some of my favorite artists are Jenny Saville, Ron Mueck, Lucian Freud, Rembrandt, Velasquez. “

She goes a bit further to tell me some of the experiences she’s had with those that inspire her.

“I remember walking into the National Gallery in London when I was 16 and seeing a hyper real sculpture of a women laying on her back, her belly sagging slightly beneath the weight of her newborn child. This was Ron Mueck, and that show has stuck with me for the last 10 years.
In my first drawing class at Cornish College of the Arts, my teacher showed us a book of incredible figure paintings. They were simple; unidealized figures lounging on beds, their pale flesh painted in big, gooey, confident brush strokes. Of course I completely forgot the name of this artist and spent the next 6 months running into every book store I saw and frantically browsing the art section. Finally I found the book: Lucian Freud. Of course, I haven’t forgotten his name since then. “


M: “Is there anything you keep in your studio for luck or inspiration?”
A: “For the 4 years I studied with Pete Jordan in high school, I had a piece of cardboard which I would put all my paints on. This increasingly got smothered in paint and became something I had to always have in my studio. I think I still have this bit of cardboard somewhere. And then there is my apron. It was my moms before it became mine 10 years ago, and was covered in paint then. I have finally retired it (but not thrown it away!) because it has become so stiff with layers of paint that I’ve been told that much heavy metal on my body could be dangerous…but I am very attached to it. “


M: “Where does your drive to create come from?”
A: “My inspiration comes from different places. One is just that I love paint. I am a bit obsessed with it. And risking sounding cheesy, I believe it has magic. It can be extremely frustrating at times, mushing around in all the wrong ways, but when its working, the whole world disappears, and its just me and the canvas. Oil paint’s ability to not only re-present flesh, but become flesh, is one of the reasons I love to paint people. But I think I also paint people to better understand them. “

Going to Aleah’s studio for the first time, it was evident immediately that she just loved paint. It was most certainly everywhere, including layers on her computer. When I first walked in to take a few photos, she made the joke that her laptop was actually her thesis work and the rest was really nothing. Although I have never actually seen the cardboard piece she keeps or her mother’s old apron, previously mentioned, I can imagine they look similar and it gives some wonderful “behind-the-scenes” about how often Aleah paints and how much she simply loves the material she uses. Her dedication to painting shows within the walls of her studio, beyond the finished pieces that most only get to see on white gallery walls.


M: “How important is your studio space to your creative practice?”
A: “The most important part of my studio practice is dedication, and perhaps a good cup of coffee. Going into the studio every day, even if I don’t feel the slightest bit of inspiration, is extremely important. Treating it like a job but not in the negative sense. When it’s your job, you give it a certain amount of priority in your life, it gains that extra importance and becomes routine. For me, this routine gives me the freedom to feel inspired and excited. And when I’m not at “work” I’m able to relax. This last part is harder, and something I’m trying to work on. But I have found that having a schedule of some kind gives me the permission to enjoy life a bit which is vital for creating work. “


M: “Do you work on several projects at a time or just one? How long does a piece take you to complete?”
A: “I generally work on a few paintings at a time. I never used to do this, but since my painting days have become longer, I have found that having a few projects going on at once helps a lot. My paintings vary in size quite a lot, and so does the time working on them. The smallest take about a week, the largest one, 6ft x 10 ft, I’ve been working on since January. But most are about 2-6 weeks. “


M: “Any advice for artists thinking about grad school?”
A: “My advice for artists looking into grad school is find a place that feels like home. One that you can take risks in, push yourself in directions you never knew existed. But also be ready for it. Be in a place in your own work where you are confidant, where you don’t just want to hide away for two years, but want to get out into the art world and show it what you have to offer. Its a combination of these two things; freedom to experiment, but also the confidence to show your work. “

As Aleah’s future is shaping up to be a beautiful one, she tells me bit more about her current state. It has taken her a while to finally feel like she was making work that was honest. This is clearly important to her and her practice. “I had to let go of thinking I had to make work that was ‘important’, ‘smart’ or ‘clever’.” It’s a motto she goes by and continues to strive for.

“I finally began to examine, and really accept, my own life and world. The subjects in my current series are women that I have known since birth. Titled The Aunties Project, this work examines my personal history through the people who have shaped it. On our bodies is left a map of our journey through life. The process of painting these women allowed me a glimpse of that journey and brought me into the present moment of our shared history. What has also happened since I began this project a year ago, is a transition from personal to more universal. I’m finding myself wanting to paint images that are not only representations of specific people, but explore something larger. I don’t know exactly what this is yet, but the evolution of discovery that painting leads me through is really exciting. “

The BP Portrait award is still so fresh in our minds. Being such a wonderful accomplishment it is something we’re all so proud of Aleah for winning. She tells me she’s know about it for years but never felt like she had anything strong enough to submit until the last year. “I was just crossing my fingers to get into the show, so what happened – getting in and winning – is absolutely the best thing ever. Honestly, its still sinking in. Recently, a lot of good things have come my way. I feel incredibly lucky to be graduating with such support and my only hope is that I can live up to it all. “

We know she will.


To read more about Aleah’s BP Portrait award win check out this article:www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18506435

To see more of Aleah’s incredible work go to her website here: www.aleahchapin.com
  
Blog post originally posted in Maria’s Blog Artist as Art…Ego as Exhibition

Learning to Dig in Leipzig

Over five weeks ago I arrived in Leipzig, Germany to begin what would be a two month painting residency at the Baumwollspinnerei, (once Europe’s largest cotton mill now artist hub. Think of Bushwick but much nicer.) It is one of the largest cities in former East Germany, and is the home of the famous New Leipzig School, (Neue Leipziger Schule) the name given to several generations of artists coming from the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst (HGB) including Werner Tubke, Bernhard Heisig, Arno Rink, Neo Rauch, David Schnell and Tilo Baumgartner among others. It has played important political roles over the years; some of the most influential protests that finally brought down the Berlin Wall in 1989 took place in Leipzig. Even now, in a reunified Germany, the echoes of the past are still very present. 

Despite the heaviness that accompanies its long history, Leipzig is weightless. The city and the people inhabiting it are full of life and excitement; there is always a gallery opening, a festival, a BBQ or just a party going on. In Leipzig nightlife goes on till 6 or even 9 am, the city could easily steal the title of ‘the city that never sleeps’ from New York.  It’s said that Leipzig is like New York in the 80’s, people here are excited and active participants in the art scene, and there are a lot of opportunities for creative projects to emerge here. I’m part of a one-year long residency project called the One Sided Story. Over the course of the next year, a large number of alumni from the New York Academy of Art will work alongside artists from the Croatian Art Association (HDLU) and artist from Poland, France and Germany.

 

Over five weeks ago I worried and wondered what it would be like to leave New York and make work in a different city, in a different studio for such a long period, no longer a student but a fully-fledged artist. Would my work survive when it was so suddenly surrounded by many of my biggest artistic influences? Would I fail to find my voice when I arrived? Was the decision to show new work created in Leipzig for my first solo show a bad idea? Would my definition of Work, a creative life that is one both in and out of the studio, survive when truly put to the test? My very first week here, I found a video, an interview, with Germany’s own Anselm Kiefer. The interview was done during an exhibition at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark, and Kiefer discusses Work and process. He goes on to say that “art is a fluid, it is a river, and it is never finished.”

 I watched this video again and again over the past five weeks, and I came to finally understand what it is like to make work in the studio without laziness, to push beyond a half completed thought and some painting tricks to find something that is earned through work and failure. Painting is an attitude before an action. The best paintings are complex instead of complicated, and appear easy when they were hardest.  As a student, maybe we glimpse this understanding.

As an artist one of the most sought after things is to create work that has clarity, for the viewer but more importantly, for you. In the studio we constantly look for a fresh perspective or new angle to access our own thoughts and images. Each day of work, good or bad, adds an additional layer over our eyes that can be impossible to see through at times. Ultimately we search for a way to be immersed in the work but to also see it clearly with distance.

A lot of artists travel to find that distance, but they never tell you about the distance they bring back with them. No one in art school ever said that your work is what you carry with you, whether it’s on the subway in New York or a bicycle in Leipzig or a plane flight between the two. We know so little about what we carry, and finding out depends on how hard you are willing to dig.

I learned how to dig in Leipzig. 

 

Jonathan Beer (MFA 2012, Fellow 2013) is a New York-based artist and writer. He began to write critically in 2010 while attending the New York Academy of Art for his MFA in Painting. His paintings have been exhibited at Flowers Gallery, Boltax Gallery and Sotheby’s in New York. Jon is also a contributing writer for The Brooklyn Rail and for Art Observed.  To hear more about what Jonathan Beer has to say, visit Art-Rated the blog he co-writes with Lily Koto Olive (MFA 2013).

NYAA Leipzig International Artist Residency (LIA) 2012: Farewell Leipzig

On June 1, Four Academy students arrived in Liepzig, Germany to start an 8-week Artist in Residence Program.  Brian Dang (MFA 2013), Robert Fundis (MFA 2013), Elizabeth Glaessner (MFA 2013) and Noelle Timmons (MFA 2013) will share their experiences here throughout the summer.
 
By Brian Dang (MFA 2013) – Originally posted in God in the Gallery
When people ask me next semester how my time has been in Germany, I don’t think there’ll be words and time enough to explain how much I experienced this summer. I am still reflecting how my time there has influenced my work but in the meantime I know it has greatly influenced my life. 
I’ve made friends at the famous Spinnerei including artists who have permanent studios there to other international artists that hail from Belgium, Italy, Denmark, Holland, Australia, Poland, Croatia, France, and Mauritius (French Island off Madagascar).  Its good to know you have friends from other parts of the world if I ever visit their homeland and need a place to stay. I am going to miss Leipzig altogether, truly a great energy for artists to live and do their practice. Germany is a beautiful country I just wish I had experience more of it although I had visited many sites such as Documenta (13) at Kassel, Dresden, Berlin, and even to Nuremberg with Edgar Jerins to see the Albrecht Durer show.
Our little Leipzig family from NYAA had greatly bond and welcome all the challenges of living aboard. I think we are better for it relationally and I am glad to share this experience with them. Our show was a huge success I only wish I had taken more pictures of our opening night. Nearly 100 guests artists and collector alike came by to see what we had done.
 
side profile of a red van oainted over with a lot of different patterns
Back of our Belgium artist friend Samuel with Edgar Jerins to Nuremberg to see the largest collection of Albrecht Durer’s work assemble at Germanisches National Museum: “The Early Durer”.
 
 
a student asleep in the back of a van, their head covered in pillows
 Picture of me in the back of Samuel van to Nuremberg.
 
 
Peter with David Schnell in front of his music score or topographical landscape painting
       Our Denmark artist friend Peter with David Schnell in front of his           
music score or topographical landscape painting.
 


 
 photo of Brian Dang, Robert Fundis, Elizabeth Glaessner, and Noelle Timmons
The gang at David Schnell critique.
 
 
photo of Elizabeth Glaessner with David Schnell critique.
Elizabeth Glaessner with David Schnell critique.
 


painting German Farming Deutschland. 130"x63". Oil on canvas
My finished painting German Farming Deutschland. 130″x63″. Oil on canvas.


 
money paintings on 3 €5 euro bills from scenes of Peter Greenway's The  Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. 3 by 5 Oil on Money
           My money paintings on 3 €5 euro bills from scenes of a movie I watched at LIA. 
         Peter Greenway’s The  Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. 3″x5″ Oil/Money.
 


a large studio space with a baby carriage in it


several artists sitting together in a studio


an artist performs as a dj in front of his paintings
 Samuel was our opening reception personal DJ 
standing in front of his painting installation.

NYAA/Shanghai Univ./CAFA 2012 China Residency: Mutual Interest

On May 31, Four Academy students arrived in China to start an 11-week Artist in Residence Program in Shanghai and later Beijing.  Cory Dixon (MFA 2013), Megan Ewert (MFA 2013), Kristy Gordon (MFA 2013), and Nicolas Sanchez (MFA 2013) will share their experiences here throughout the summer.
 

fine arts college shanghai university exterior

Our frequent travels, hard work in the studio, and up close experiences in China led us to fulfill one of the goals of our residency. The 99 Degree Art Center of the widely acclaimed art district M50, served as the space for our exhibition. The 99 Art Center has spaces in Taiwan and in 2008 another branch was established in M50 which is closely linked with Shanghai University. For more information on 99DAC, click on the link at the bottom of this post to go to their homepage.
students posing with a large plastic wrapped bundle of cardboard

We were grateful and honored for the opportunity to show along side extremely talented artists from the Academy including faculty and alumni. The line up consisted of current students of NYAA; Nicolas Sanchez, Megan Ewert, Cory Dixon, Kristy Gordon, Academy alumni and artists; Cao Yi, Wang Yi, Chong Wong, and Academy faculty; Harvey Citron, John Jacobsmeyer, and Laura Frazure. 

photo of work by Harvey Citron
work by Harvey Citron

photo of miniature work by Kristy Gordon
work by Kristy Gordon

work by Nico Sanchez depicting pigs
work by Nico Sanchez
portrait work by Megan Ewert
work by Megan Ewert

Everyone showcased their work and individual focuses, but the entire show was brought together by utilizing the figure as a main source of reference. The work displayed an extensive range in scale from pocket sized sketchbook drawings to large ambitious paintings and installations. Different preferences in media included oil on canvas, drawings on paper, woodcut, 3D replicas, pastels, video, and photography. Just as diverse as the work was the installation process to secure our work in the large and striking space. 

several small drawings hung together by John Jacobsmeyer
work by John Jacobsmeyer

 

We all worked very hard to help each other install our work, but there was one person who out-shined us all. A carpenter that works for Wang Yi’s father came and was bestowed upon the tedious task of installing all of Jacobsmeyer’s prints. While everyone helped everyone else, this lone gunman was appointed to use accurate lasers and rulers to help display the worthy art. The end result was a well-crafted and meticulously measured installment of Jacobsmeyer’s work. We were all very impressed. Perfection. We were done and ready to go home to mentally prepare for the big opening. 

wall mounted sketch flipbook by Nico Sanchez
sketchbook by Nico Sanchez
Continuing this idea of small profiles in ballpoint, I started a new book of drawings filled with noted people we encountered during our residency. One person I included in my book was Yi’s father who also graciously provided us with his photography service photographing our work for the catalog. Yi’s entire family came to the exhibition where they all had fun seeing Yi’s father as part of the exhibition. Yi’s father had the idea to commission me to create another book featuring drawings of his family members that I will be starting immediately.  
So many invitations were extended for the show and we were eager to have people come, enjoy the work, and dip into a little Q&A with us. We welcomed a variety of attendees to the show. Guests in attendance included travelers from other countries seeking out great art viewing experiences, a group of wide eyed high school students from California who study with a famous artist and are in Shanghai to enrich their studies, students from Shanghai University whom we befriended, local art lovers who frequent M50 District, curator/writer Rachel Marsden, professors from CAFA, and many curious first time exhibition goers, friends, and family members. The gallery director, Ma Lin graced us with her presence and a photo blitz. One onlooker from Paris took a special interest to Cory and his work and purchased the painting he was exhibiting! His painting will be shipped to a collector in Paris in the weeks to come. We are all very proud and excited for him.
 

dark painting work by Cory Dixon
work by Cory Dixon
Our visitors had lots of questions about us and about our work that we were excited to answer while others found it entertaining to take pictures with us or in front of our work. Conversation about international travel, art, and exchanging ideas about other cultures ensued over refreshments and snacks. I met a trio of travelers that made a lap around the work, stopped by work. After a few hesitant glances as they matched my face with the figure in the painting, I approached them and told them that I was the artist. They asked me a few basic questions and we learned that we were actually all from same town of East Lansing, Michigan! They were actually the second group of people I ran into while in China from my hometown! Having ‘small world’ moments are not overrated. 
As the opening came to a close, we were all very pleased with the turnout and feedback. It flew by so quickly as we were all occupied in conversation and picture taking, but it was no doubt an awesome experience.

Shortly after the opening Wang Yi did a quick online search and found a number of websites featuring an article about our exhibition. NYAA is online on 24 different websites in China!

http://news.zynews.com/2012-07/01/content_2623484.htm
(ZYNEWS)
http://www.ccdy.cn/xinwen/wenhua/xinwen/201207/t20120702_323356.htm
(CCDY)
http://news.cqnews.net/html/2012-07/01/content_17040655.htm
(CQNEWS)
http://news.gxnews.com.cn/staticpages/20120701/newgx4ff00ea4-5564998.shtml
(GXNEWS)
http://www.sh.xinhuanet.com/2012-07/02/c_131689652.htm
(XinHuaNET)
http://www.sh.xinhuanet.com/2012-07/02/c_131689652_3.htm
(XinHuaNET)
http://news.timedg.com/2012-07/01/content_10888172.htm
(TimeEDG)
http://www.cnarts.net/cweb/news/read.asp?id=226869&kind=%D5%B9%C0%C0
(CNarts)
http://www.dzwww.com/rollnews/news/201207/t20120701_7655284.htm
  (DZNEWS)
http://www.zjcnt.com/news/2012/07/02/188821.htm
(ZJCNT)
http://news.xinmin.cn/rollnews/2012/07/01/15350881.html
(XinMing)
http://www.qhnews.com/newscenter/system/2012/07/02/010814356.shtml
  (QHNEWS)
http://news.hexun.com/2012-07-01/143059385.html
(HeXun)
http://www.chnmuseum.cn/Default.aspx?TabId=138&InfoID=82857&frtid=124&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
(ChnMuseum)
http://www.zjwh.gov.cn/dtxx/2012-07-02/128411.htm
(ZJWH)
http://www.indaa.com.cn/sh2011/wh/201207/t20120701_1075763.html
  (INDAA)
http://culture.people.com.cn/n/2012/0701/c172318-18418787.html(People)http://www.zggxsh.com/bencandy.php?fid=4&id=2285
(ZGGXSH)
http://www.cc-art.hk/News_Showindex.asp?id=6685
(CC-ART)
http://roll.sohu.com/20120701/n346994930.shtml
(SOHU)
http://news.163.com/12/0701/16/85BF8FD900014JB6.html
(163)
http://news.china.com.cn/rollnews/2012-07/01/content_14930029.htm
(CHINA)
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/hqgj/jryw/2012-07-01/content_6324212.html
  (ChinaDaily)
http://www.artlinkart.com/cn/exhibition/overview/de2cyBso
(ArtLinkArt)
http://news.sina.com.cn/o/2012-07-01/163224692686.shtml
(SINA)
Just five days later, it was time to face the music and so the grueling undertaking of de-installing the show began. The hard work, though, came when we had to wrap everything up in preparation of shipping it all of it to Beijing! Armed with an abundant amount of tape and collected scraps of used cardboard, we were fearless in the face of uncertainty as the packaging commenced. No words-just see photos…
Special thanks and acknowledgments to:
-99 Degree Art Center and the staff including Huang Yiqian
-the director of 99DAC, Ma Lin
-Shanghai University
-Wang Yi and Cao Yi for curating, translating, and organizing the event
-Yi’s father for his photography service
-Rachel Marsden for the great review
-Peter Drake

Most currently, we have picked up and moved to Beijing and working hard in our new studio on CAFA’s campus. We have only been here two weeks and have already done and seen a lot! 

Stay tuned for our next posting as we reveal more about this incredible residency.

students standing together in a large gallery space

 

A Studio Visit With Artist Shannon Kenny.

Originally posted by Maria Teicher, MFA 2013

What an artist can create on paper, canvas, or with clay, is quite magical.  A mere thought can be turned into a tangible masterpiece with the ability to awe, inspire and connect strangers. To get a glimpse into an artist’s process and be able to share in their creation is like getting the opportunity to see into who they are.  It doesn’t take away the magic of a finished piece but does add the essence of a real human being into something quite extraordinary.

Conducting artist interviews is something I’ve always desired to do.  I’ve been consistently fascinated with the ideas and spaces (both inside the artist’s head and where they work) that help in the creation process of painters, draftsmen, sculptors and the like. A month ago, I decided to stop wanting to interview the incredible artists I know and go ahead and do it. I sent messages to those I know at the New York Academy of Art and the response has been wonderful.

And so we have my first artist interview. Shannon Kenny, an MFA 2013 candidate at the New York Academy of Art has just completed her first year at the Academy. She’s spending her summer painting away at a studio just a block or so away from NYAA and interning with a local photographer. She’s dedicated to absorbing as much creative information as she can, and it shows. When I asked Shannon if she had any favorite quotes or mottos she goes by, she gave me the beautiful words of her grandmother. “Without self-discipline, you will accomplish nothing in life.†– Alison Williams. Spend five minutes with this artist and it is clear that she stays true to the words she lives by.

a large palette covered with various paint colors 
empty paint tubesseveral empty paint tube in a pile
Shannon originally comes from Trinidad and Tobago, where she lived up until moving to Tampa, Florida for her undergraduate studies. She currently lives in Manhattan where she also has her summer studio. It’s a clean, cool, bright space shared with other artists, just off of Canal street. She grabbed this studio from a fellow classmate who is in Germany for the summer. She calls it a “steal of a deal” and we all would.

Maria- “What does your artistic background look like?”
Shannon- “I’ve been an artist all of my life, but never got serious about it until my last few years in high school. I would spend my lunch break in the art room with a few others and our art teacher. We would eat lunch together and just talk, which makes me look like the biggest nerd, but I am totally fine with that. In addition, I would rather spend my weekends painting than going out with friends. Then, I studied art therapy in undergrad, which to be honest, was a compromise for my parents’ sake. They wanted me to have an education that I could support myself on, and I wanted to study art. So art therapy allowed me to get the “real degree†that they hoped for, while still allowing me to take tons of art classes. Truthfully with a few more courses, I could have double majored, but I didn’t want to pay the extra money, especially since I knew I was going to do my MFA.”

M- “What drew you to the New York Academy of Art?”
S- “Coming to the Academy was a situation where all signs pointed in that direction. I felt that I needed more technical skill, especially in the realm of figurative artwork. In undergrad, they always tried to push me conceptually, but I felt that I still didn’t have the technical skills that I needed to successfully communicate my ideas. When I was researching schools, I saw that Steven Assael, an artist that I had admired and taken several workshops with, taught at the Academy. After that, I discovered the work of Alyssa Monks, to then notice that she also went to the Academy. After being accepted into the program, I went on a travel course to New York with my undergraduate school, and we visited Steven Assael, Alyssa Monks, and Jane Hamill’s studios, all people associated with the Academy. I just felt that the artists who I admired believed in the same ideas as I, which is what the Academy bases its program upon: traditional skills, contemporary discourse. Upon visiting the school and receiving a tour from Peter Drake, I fell in love with the Academy. The rest is history: all roads led to New York.”

a portrait by Shannon Kenny
a large bucket in a studioa large collection of brushes in a container
When it came to adjusting to New York, Shannon explains that it took about six months to really feel settled.  The subway travel, sidewalk traffic and more specifically the noise was difficult to get used to. Her first year at the academy is described with a similar manner, with one word: intense. “They don’t call it boot camp for no reason. But truly, the first year basically re-taught me how to see. You think you know how to see all your life, to soon be told, there’s much more in front of you, you just have to know what you’re looking for.”  She tells me she’s “learned more about art, or anything for that matter, in this past year,” and I don’t think she’s alone in those thoughts. I’ve been lucky to have spent my first year at graduate school alongside Shannon and I can tell you that her growth is apparent every way you turn. She tells me she’s learned her artistic weaknesses and shortcomings this year and more importantly how to overcome them. ” I am still working on doing so, and will be for a long time, but at least I am aware of them.”

Being that the first year at the New York Academy of Art is so intense with classes, I asked Shannon a bit about her personal experience, now being able to reflect back on year one.

M- “How were you able to bring your own ideas into an assignment-heavy first two semesters?”

S- “It was hard, and to be honest, not much of that happened in the first semester. But the second semester was more directed towards your own work and ideas, especially Composition and Design II, which allowed the students to create a body of work. This was so refreshing after the first semester, but hard at the same time. It’s easier to create when you have restrictions, but when you are given complete freedom to do what you want, it can be a little scary and intimidating.”

M- “What class did you learn the most from?”
S- “Painting 1: the simple act of painting from life, which I had never really done in depth before, was extremely helpful. In fact, the Academy was where I painted my first nude model. My undergraduate university had a small art program, so the most we had was one figure drawing class.”

Being a few months out of our first year, it’s really inspiring to see Shannon working as hard as she is without anyone asking her to create something. When I walk into her studio, I notice a few things right away. The first are two large self-portraits, both in progress but looking incredible. The other thing I am drawn to is the metro card paintings she has been working on. There’s a large grouping of them tacked to the wall. They are incredibly well done and I immediately have a favorite. Shannon tells me she comes in nearly every day and to get herself motivated, begins and often finishes an entire painting on her former passes for public transportation. Knowing that mass transit was something she had difficultly with in her first few months in New York, I find the pieces just a little more exciting. There’s something really beautiful and calm in her little portraits, a feeling that I see replacing the anxiety that may have come earlier with those little scraps of plastic.


two paintings on a gallery wall
3 paintings side by side on a studioseveral small multicolored portraits on a white wall

M- “How important is your studio space to your creative practice?”
S- “My studio space is my little bubble that I can step into and leave everything else at the door; I don’t even need windows. It is very important for me to exclude anything that is not relevant to my studio practice; this allows me to get into ‘the zone.’ “
M- “Do you listen to the radio or music while creating? If so, what are your favorites?”
S-” It’s all about Pandora for me. I don’t know what I would do without it. I’ve never been good at remembering artist’s names or songs, so Pandora is the perfect solution for that. In addition, it allows me to change the music depending on what mood I am in at the time: dubstep, dancehall, techno, mellow vibes, they all play a part in my studio practice. In fact, I can even remember exactly what songs I listened to when I was working on certain paintings.”

M- “Is there anything you keep in your studio for luck or inspiration?”
S- “Music and headphones!

M- “Do you work on several projects at a time or just one?”
S- “I used to concentrate solely on one piece, but now I try to work on at least two at a time. This allows you to be less attached to each piece, and helps you to be more observant and objective about your work.”

M- “How long does a piece take you to complete?”
S- “It varies, anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks, depending on the size.”

M-“Do you have a favorite color?”
S- “In terms of oil paint, my favorite color is Flesh Ochre because it has so much range, especially when painting flesh, hence the name.”

a set black headphone on top of a tablet devicethe interior of a cluttered stuio space

a black and white photo of fire escapes outside a studio window

a black and white photo of a studio spacea black and white photo of several flood lights bundled together

a lit wall containing several small colorful pieces of arta large multicolor portrait of an angry woman

a side profile portrait of a woman with curly hair

a black and white photo of a skull on a window sill

Shannon lists some of her favorite painters in two different categories. The first being a little bit “old school”. She says Dali and Ensore both had incredible imaginations and used that as a platform for their work. Her contemporary favorites are all figurative artists: Alyssa Monks, Jenny Saville, Jérôme Lagarrigue, Sangsik Hong, and Lucien Freud. When asked where her personal drive to create comes from, she tells me, “When I am creating, I get this feeling of satisfaction; it’s as simple as that.”

M-“Why have you chosen to pursue becoming a fine artist?
S- “Throughout my life, art has always been something I have come back to. When I was younger, I went through phases of it, but it has always brought me joy and satisfaction. Since being at the Academy, I’ve come to see it as a spiritual practice. I know that sounds a bit strange, but it calms me; it allows me to zone out any worries or distractions, and I feel good while doing it and especially after it. Even if I am feeling under the weather, I totally forget about it once I get into the zone of painting. I would say that it can be compared to meditating or going to church.”

M-” Explain a bit about your work: past present future or all. Any thesis ideas brewing?”
S- “I’ve always visualized my ideas in respect to the human figure; never have I been able to think otherwise. I used to see that as a weakness, until I realized: if this is how I think, then I need to embrace it, not run from it. My work has always had the common thread of struggle, in particular the inner struggle one has with him/herself. I have an idea for my thesis, but I want to explore it a little more before I am willing to talk about it.”

It looks like you’ll have to come by the New York Academy of Art to see the future of Shannon Kenny’s work. I can tell you that by diving a bit deeper into who she is as an artist and how her studio practice has been going, I cannot wait to see what she will be bringing to the table come September through next May. She is a dedicated and thoughtful artist who is working her way through this larger creative world. As Shannon and I finished our conversation, she shared with me her growing drive to reach beyond her comfort zone. She’s entering as many shows as she can and working as much as it is possible. Her work was recently in a show called “Art Student Exhibition in NY 2012” at the ISE Cultural Foundation Gallery in soho.

photo of Artist Shannon Kenny wearing headphonesphoto of Artist Shannon Kenny wearing headphones

When I asked this incredible artist if she had any advice for those considering graduate school her reply was one of mature thought and pride in the decisions she’s made this last year. “Truthfully, you can take advice from as many people as you want, but only you will know if grad school is the right thing for you. With that said, if you want to be a figurative artist, the Academy is your perfect match.”

It looks as though Shannon has taken what was once an intimidating struggle to be comfortable and turned it into a true learning experience. To go from taking months to adjust to the busy life of being a New Yorker to pushing herself in brand new ways, Shannon is setting herself up for new goals that are much bigger and brighter than she might have ever known when first arriving at the New York Academy of Art. It’s inspirational, to say the least.

To see more of Shannon’s work follow the link here: http://shannonkennyart.com/
photo of Artist Shannon Kenny

NYAA Leipzig International Artist Residency (LIA) 2012: Final Week

On June 1, Four Academy students arrived in Liepzig, Germany to start an 8-week Artist in Residence Program.  Brian Dang (MFA 2013), Robert Fundis (MFA 2013), Elizabeth Glaessner (MFA 2013) and Noelle Timmons (MFA 2013) will share their experiences here throughout the summer.

It’s the final week of our residency in Leipzig and its going to be really hard to leave. Our summer show opens this Friday and I think that I share everyone’s sentiments here of excitement, eagerness and satisfaction.
Last week we had critiques with David Schnell, who I found to be extremely intelligent, thoughtful and intuitive. He spent a good portion of his afternoon with us discussing our works and answering our many questions about his experiences an artist in Germany. A few days before we had the chance to see some of his prints in Vlado and Maria’s print studio. They work with select artists to create prints, mostly etchings, in their space in the Spinnerei. It’s really an incredible initiative that has resulted in an extremely impressive number of collaborations with artists such as Neo Rauch, Matthias Weischer, Christian Ruckhaberle and many more. They also work with many young artists and have put on several shows with their prints.
Per Alex Barton’s request, we finally visited the legendary antique store. It was definitely worth the visit and I will go back before I leave. I bought two stuffed rodents and a bird which I have incorporated into a piece that I will exhibit in the final show.  On Sunday I went with Kristina to visit the diploma show in Halle. It was a beautiful town and the campus was pretty incredible. The school is known for their design program but there were also many impressive sculptures and paintings displayed.
Today I had the chance to visit the studio of Rosa Loy, an artist whose work I have admired for a while now and who happens to have a studio above us. She was incredibly gracious and I left feeling completely inspired and thankful to have established a connection with such an interesting, intelligent, thoughtful and talented person.  I have experienced so many things in Leipzig that I never would have dreamed of experiencing and the many wonderful people that I have had the chance to talk with have made my time here completely transformative.
This experience has made a huge impact on my work so far and I am now one of the many people who come to Leipzig and return knowing that I will be back.
Now, back to painting!!
photo of instructors Maria and Vlado doing studio visits
Maria and Vlado doing studio visits 

photo of David Schnell studio visit with Elizabeth Glaessner
David Schnell studio visit with Elizabeth Glaessner

photo of  David Schnell studio visit with Robert Fundis
David Schnell studio visit with Robert Fundis

exterior of a large building called the Halle
Halle

magenta and yellow lit hanging sculptures
Halle

a headless white sculpture
Halle

photo of Potluck supper with other Spinnerei artists
Potluck supper with other Spinnerei artists

NYAA/Shanghai Univ./CAFA 2012 China Residency: Shanghai in Rear View

On May 31 Four Academy students arrived in China to start an 11-week Artist in Residence Program in Shanghai and later Beijing.  Cory Dixon (MFA 2013), Megan Ewert (MFA 2013), Kristy Gordon (MFA 2013), and Nicolas Sanchez (MFA 2013) will share their experiences here throughout the summer.
July 23, 2012 – By Nic Sanchez (MFA 2013)
Arriving in Shanghai, we hit the ground running and kept the momentum going. With cultural excursions, creating a new body of work, and preparing for an exhibition, our residency has been going at an exhilarating pace. We have experienced a lot and have been very productive. Now, with Shanghai and a little over half the residency behind us, we wanted to wrap up our first leg of the residency and fill everyone in on some of what our time in Shanghai was all about…

Nicolas Sanchez and Kristy Gordon posing in front of a fouintain
Nic & Kristy
Expected to learn a great deal about the foreign culture we are visiting, we also learned a little more about each other and ourselves.  A great part of the residency has been creating bonds. With our trusted translator, Academy alumni, and friend Wang Yi, we were ready to get our hands dirty. 
Professor of sculpture and drawing at the Academy, Harvey Citron joined us here a week into the program and quickly meshed with the group. Much like Gandalf leading the fellowship of hobbits, he spent a great deal of his time with us in and outside of the studio.
three students pose while lighting themselves from various angles at night
More team bonding and resourcefulness occurred during complete power outages at the school, late night studio sessions, early morning bike rides, and trying new foods without a translator!

 
a photo of dumplings and beverages in beijing
When we weren’t in the studio working, we were out in a tour bus visiting outlying towns and in the surrounding countryside. Traditional farming villages, the awesome Yellow Mountain, Venice-like ancient water towns, the great West Lake, and Buddhist temples were just some of our destinations filled with beauty and history. When given the opportunity to stop and stare in wonder, we attempted to capture what we could in our sketchbooks.
students pose together on a bus
Another enriching part of the residency has been getting to know the people of Shanghai and the students of our host school, Shanghai University. We kept an open studio policy and met interesting new people and made new friends. 
 students ride small bicycles down a large empty roadway
As very obvious foreigners walking the scenic campus, we seemed to be people of interest and very often the studio was filled with Chinese students from different backgrounds of studies and occasional professors coming in to ask us questions about our work, our school, and Facebook and QQ information. Of course we fired right back with questions of our own creating multiple lanes of cultural exchange.
photo of Nic working in his studio
Nic working in his studio
 
Establishing and working in our studio space, traveling to unbelievable sights, making new friends, and carving what we could of our presence in Shanghai was a remarkable experience. 
photo of Megan working in her studio
Megan working in her studio
There is a lot to be digested and will surely come out somewhere through a brush or stick of charcoal as we continue to move forward. Leaving Shanghai was sad, but we definitely left on a high note as we reached the first of our many goals – our exhibition at the 99 Art Center in the renowned M50 district! 
 
Watch for our next post about the exhibition…

NYAA Leipzig International Artist Residency (LIA) 2012: Influences in my work

On June 1 Four Academy students arrived in Liepzig, Germany to start an 8-week Artist in Residence Program.  Brian Dang (MFA 2013), Robert Fundis (MFA 2013), Elizabeth Glaessner (MFA 2013), and Noelle Timmons (MFA 2013) will share their experiences here throughout the summer. 

Time had gone by so quickly; I still can’t believe it has been a month so far at Leipzig. It makes me sad to count the days left of trip here in this crazy art town. I can’t describe how wonderful it is to be surround by the many artists that work here and make Leipzig their home.  
photo of Brian with Neo Rauch (and his baby) in the Studio
Brian with Neo Rauch (and his baby) in the Studio
The energy is positive and uplifting a great sense of an artistic community exists here that I can not compare to anywhere else I have been before. You see the same familiar faces at local drive bars and it is a great feeling to be greeted by many recognized figures in Germany—Neo Rauch, Dave Schnell, Steven Black, Christiane Baumgartner, etc. The culture has influenced my work here directly and indirectly. The biker town of Leipzig and green thumb of the city has woven into my work, incorporating nature with man-made objects. 
photo of Liz and Noelle in Dresden
Liz and Noelle in Dresden
 
My consciousness is more awakened at how little I know about the world.  Seeing the rich cultural history of Germany from traveling to places like Dresden where the town has been rebuilt from WWII bombing and Berlin’s GDR era and reunification of the city.   
photo of Brian at the Berlin Wall
Brian at the Berlin Wall
I am so privileged to work with accomplish LIA artists from other countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland) and stay engaged in art dialogue. 

NYAA Leipzig International Artist Residency (LIA) 2012: Falling in Love and Tearing Away

On June 1 Four Academy students arrived in Liepzig, Germany to start an 8-week Artist in Residence Program.  Brian Dang (MFA 2013), Robert Fundis (MFA 2013), Elizabeth Glaessner (MFA 2013), and Noelle Timmons (MFA 2013) will share their experiences here throughout the summer. 

It’s week six in our residency here in Leipzig, and the multitude of planned events and scheduled critiques will keep flowing through the end of the month. 

photo of Noelle Timmons & Neo Rauch
Noelle Timmons & Neo Rauch

In June, Rosa Loy and Neo Rauch visited us in our studios, and we not only received thoughtful and thorough words from both artists, but also a promise for a return visit, in order to give us feedback on a larger breadth of work, and in preparation for our final show at the end of the month. 

photo of Edgar Jerins visiting Spinnerei
Edgar Jerins visiting Spinnerei

We also had the arrival of Edgar Jerins just a few weeks ago, and during his first weekend here we took a day trip to Berlin. Anna toured us around the city, and we got just a taste of the amazing capital. My favorites were the Kaethe Kollwitz Museum and the Holocaust Memorial: both were incredibly heavy, touching, and inspiring.  Looking ahead, we will soon get our studios visited by David Schnell, and just tomorrow we will tour the etching studio here at the Spinnerei. 

photo of Noelle's Studio at Spinnerei
Noelle’s Studio at Spinnerei

  

With all the art-related-goodness we are experiencing, I’ve been incredibly motivated, and am getting a true absurdness for my own art practice. As our time is slipping away, I keep thinking, “thank you Leipzig, you have so much to offer…”  We are constantly hearing whispers from other residents, people around the city, all agreeing, to something of the sort, “You will fall in love with it. You will come back to Leipzig.” We can all feel the draw of the city, and sense the unique drive of art, and of alternative and underground movements, that do not exist in other cities, at least in not such a potent way. 

And so, we have three weeks left, to keep painting, keep inspired, keep falling in love with our little art city. And three weeks to tear ourselves away from it…

 

photo of Noelle, Elizabeth, Robert, Brian
(L-R) Noelle, Elizabeth, Robert, Brian

NYAA/Shanghai Univ./CAFA 2012 China Residency: Impressions

On May 31 Four Academy students arrived in China to start an 11-week Artist in Residence Program in Shanghai and later Beijing.  Cory Dixon (MFA 2013), Megan Ewert (MFA 2013), Kristy Gordon (MFA 2013), and Nicolas Sanchez (MFA 2013) will share their experiences here throughout the summer.

July 4, 2012 – By Kristy Gordon (MFA 2013)
Yellow Mountain, china
Yellow Mountain
It is said that to be a good painter one must see Yellow Mountain. After visiting I recognized it from almost any Chinese painting I have ever seen involving a mountain range.  The hike was a long rugged way up to the top.  We were able to take a cable car up most of the way and then just walk along some beautiful stairs to get to the top.  When I think about the artists that used to go on pilgrimages up Yellow Mountain, before the benefit of modern technology, it must have been a true challenging spiritual pilgrimage.  Having grown up in the Rocky Mountains of Canada I have seen a lot of mountains, but none have matched the beauty of this particular landscape–lush, gorgeous greenery mixed with striking jagged escarpments.  It is almost so picturesque that it’s hard to believe they exist.  They seem to always be encased in mist and even though it was actually pouring rain the day we went up, that didn’t seem to stop anyone.  Everyone on the mountain was prepared with yellow rain ponchos, which we joked is why it is called Yellow Mountain.
a jagged recess in Yellow Mountain
Yellow Mountain
exterior of the Ancestor House
Ancestor House

 We also got to visit a nearby traditional village where we saw an ancestor house, which was built to honor their ancestors and use as a meeting place.  We even had the opportunity to go inside some traditional Chinese houses, many filled with intricate wood carvings. 
Woodcarving detail
Woodcarving detail
 
Ancestor House woodcarvings
Ancestor House “woodcarvings”

Ancestor House, Heavenly Well
Ancestor House “Heavenly Well”
They all had a “Heavenly well,†an open air portion in the middle of the home that is open to the sky with a rocky indent in the floor directly underneath, symbolic of the connection between heaven and earth.  It was amazing to think that people actually still lived in these gorgeous homes, and I was surprised to see a mix between more contemporary fashion and products within older, traditional dwellings. 
 
green lit Impression on West Lake at night
Impression on West Lake
We ended the trip with one of the most amazing experiences of my life.  I was a bit tired by the time we arrived at “Impression on West Lake,†which was a performance directed by Zhang Yi Mou, the same guy who directed the opening to the Beijing Olympics.  I hadn’t seen that so I had no idea what I was in for.  
greenish blue lit Impression on West Lake at night
Impression on West Lake
It was amazing! Focusing on theatrical lighting illuminating the lake in the darkness, the stage appeared to be invisible; the actors appearing to walk on water. Light was put into motion by black clad performers, schools of fish and flocks of birds created by synchronized choreography. 
The show was a new interpretation of a well-known tale of forbidden love: a girl disguising herself as a boy in order to go to the university and living with a man who discovers she’s a woman and they fall in love.  Since he is poor and she’s from a wealthier family, her father arranges a different marriage. Bereft, the young lover kills himself.  Upon hearing of his death, the girl jumps into his grave and two white butterflies fly out.  
a backlit fog on the Impression on West Lake
Impression on West Lake
I have gained so much inspiration from this residency already.  It is always hard to say how an experience in another country will influence my work, and sometimes the impact is indirectly related to the new setting.  Almost every aspect of this trip so far has involved mist and smoke of some form and worked its way into the content of my paintings.  In just three days we travel from Shanghai to Beijing and I am excited to see how this new setting will influence all of our work.