Sky Pape's Posts - Artists Unite
2024-03-29T00:08:52Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3345835157?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=m15bpiy6vcru&xn_auth=no
Don Voisine at McKenzie Fine Art
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2011-05-20:2048539:BlogPost:23355
2011-05-20T23:51:20.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
<p><a href="http://skypape.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/dv10189f.jpg"><img alt="Don Voisine Pan" class="size-full wp-image-685 align-center" height="216" src="http://skypape.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/dv10189f.jpg" title="Don Voisine" width="400"></img></a> On a mini gallery crawl in Chelsea, topping my list was <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.mckenziefineart.com" target="_blank" title="McKenzie Fine Art NYC"><strong>McKenzie Fine Art, Inc</strong>.</a></span>, where I stopped by to see <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://donvoisine.com/" target="_blank" title="Don Voisine Artist">Don…</a></strong></span></p>
<p><a href="http://skypape.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/dv10189f.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-685 align-center" title="Don Voisine" src="http://skypape.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/dv10189f.jpg" alt="Don Voisine Pan" width="400" height="216"/></a>On a mini gallery crawl in Chelsea, topping my list was <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a title="McKenzie Fine Art NYC" href="http://www.mckenziefineart.com" target="_blank"><strong>McKenzie Fine Art, Inc</strong>.</a></span>, where I stopped by to see <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a title="Don Voisine Artist" href="http://donvoisine.com/" target="_blank">Don Voisine</a></strong></span>’s show just before the opening. I was disappointed to not be able to take in all the energy of the opening, but there was a great advantage of having the gallery to myself – the calm before the storm. It was electrifying!<br/> <br/>
Voisine is a notable player in an increasingly visible contingent of artists painting in an abstract, hard-edged geometric style. Neo-geo, minimalism, I’m not sure what the current tag is for this work, but the jargon and semantics hold little interest for me, especially when the work itself is so compelling. I believe the loosely connected group of artists, if one would call it that (more like a Facebook friends' mutual admiration society?), might be clustered around a vision of ‘reductive abstraction’ or something like that. I suppose labels are effective marketing tools, but that's not the point of what’s going on here.<br/>
<br/>
<a href="http://skypape.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/dv10181f.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-686 align-center" title="Don Voisine" src="http://skypape.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/dv10181f.jpg" alt="Don Voisine" width="400" height="377"/></a><br/>
The <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a title="Joanne Mattera Artist" href="http://www.joannemattera.com/" target="_blank">artist</a></strong></span> and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a title="Joanne Mattera Art Blog" href="http://joannemattera.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blogger Joanne Mattera</a></strong></span> is among the ranks of these painters, and has found a way to use Facebook for good instead of evil. Recently, she asked her Facebook friends who worked in geometric abstraction to send her images of their work featuring rhomboid shapes. Mattera then curated a wildly varied and potent <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a title="Joanne Mattera Rhomboid Rhumba" href="http://joannemattera.blogspot.com/2011/05/rhomboid-rumba.html" target="_blank">on-line exhibition</a></strong></span> of these works. A piece by Voisine is included, and the grouping is a great overview that demonstrates the startling variety of approaches and visions within this relatively cohesive bunch of contemporary artists. Introducing the show, “<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a title="Rhomboid Rhumba" href="http://joannemattera.blogspot.com/2011/05/rhomboid-rumba.html" target="_blank">Rhomboid Rhumba</a></strong></span>,” Mattera writes, “The works in this scroll-down reflect a variety of ideas: tectonic shift, Archimedian displacement, spiritual thinking, a textile sensibility, references to the body, constructivist principles, optical challenge, formal push/pull, and the pure pleasure of geometric abstraction. Materiality, another of my interests, is very much in evidence here as well.” <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a title="Minus Space" href="http://www.minusspace.com/" target="_blank">Minus Space</a></strong></span> is another place to visit to extensively explore work in this vein. (Voisine can be found here too, along with some others worth knowing about like <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a title="Karen Schifano" href="http://www.karenschifano.com/" target="_blank">Karen Schifano</a></strong></span> and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a title="Douglas Witmer" href="http://douglaswitmer.com/" target="_blank">Douglas Witmer</a></strong></span>.)<br/>
<a href="http://skypape.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/dv10196f.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-687 align-center" title="Don Voisine" src="http://skypape.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/dv10196f.jpg" alt="Don Voisine" width="318" height="400"/></a><br/>
Voisine’s bold blacks and crisp compositions have enough of the artist’s hand visible, paired with enough sensuality to engage the viewer immediately. The work is hard-edged but with a dry wit instead of being just dry. It says HEY to get your attention, but the conversation immediately gets deeper. The paintings slyly change as you move in front of them, rewarding the patient eye over and over with their idiosyncratic symmetries, subtleties and shifting planes and voids. Voisine’s self-imposed limitations result in a flourishing body of work that feels anything but restrictive and repetitive. These are paintings made to stand up to a lifetime of looking.<br/>
<br/>
I recently saw Voisine’s work at the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a title="American Academy of Arts & Letters" href="http://www.artsandletters.org/" target="_blank">American Academy of Arts & Letters Invitational exhibition</a></strong></span>, and had hoped to have a chance to write about it then. Happily, I heard he received a coveted Arts & Letters Purchase Prize, so the work can still be seen at the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a title="Ceremonial Arts & Letters" href="http://www.artsandletters.org/exhibitions2_ceremonial_2011.php" target="_blank">gallery on Audubon Terrace</a></strong></span> until June 12th, as well as at McKenzie until June 11th, and I will definitely be making another trip to revisit this show before it closes. Here’s congratulating Don Voisine for doing terrific work and garnering well-deserved recognition for it.<br/>
<a href="http://skypape.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/dv10199f.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-688 align-center" title="Don Voisine" src="http://skypape.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/dv10199f.jpg" alt="Don Voisine" width="400" height="213"/></a></p>
<p>I sometimes make note, at least a mental note, when gallery owners or staff are either exceptionally talented or awful in their dealings with the public, collectors, press, and/or artists. In this case I would like to recognize gallery owner Valerie McKenzie for her friendly and knowledgeable interaction. Her enthusiasm and astute conversation about the work she is representing are superbly refreshing. She sets the bar a little higher for others in the field.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Images from top to bottom, all © Don Voisine, Courtesy McKenzie Fine Art, Inc.</p>
<p>"Pan, 2011 Oil on wood 13 x 24 inches</p>
<p>"Off Register," 2011 Oil on wood 16 x 17 inches,</p>
<p>"N," 2011 Oil on wood 20 x 16 inches</p>
<p>"Otto", 2011 Oil on wood 32 x 60 inches</p>
<p>[This article is reposted from <a href="http://www.skypape.com" target="_blank">Sky Pape</a>'s blog "<a href="http://www.skypape.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Drawn Together</a>"]</p>
I Welcome Your Eyes & Opinions
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2011-04-19:2048539:BlogPost:21855
2011-04-19T12:36:22.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3348204164?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3348204164?profile=original" style="padding: 5px;" width="190"></img></a> Hello fellow artists & art lovers. I've just posted some recently photographed drawings on this page, <a href="http://skypape.com/new2010-11.htm" target="_blank">http://skypape.com/new2010-11.htm</a> and invite you to visit and enjoy. Your feedback is always welcome. Hoping everyone's creative endeavors are thriving! Wishing you a happy spring, with kind regards,…
<a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3348204164?profile=original"><img class="align-left" style="padding: 5px;" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3348204164?profile=original" width="190"/></a>Hello fellow artists & art lovers. I've just posted some recently photographed drawings on this page, <a href="http://skypape.com/new2010-11.htm" target="_blank">http://skypape.com/new2010-11.htm</a> and invite you to visit and enjoy. Your feedback is always welcome. Hoping everyone's creative endeavors are thriving! Wishing you a happy spring, with kind regards, Sky.
Art doesn't offend me, but censorship sure does!
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2010-12-02:2048539:BlogPost:17470
2010-12-02T19:30:00.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
<img alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3348204093?profile=original" style="float: left;"></img> <br></br>
<br></br>
As an individual who values artistic creation and freedom of speech, I would like the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian Institution to know that I am deeply distressed and saddened over the cowardly decision to censor the exhibition "Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture" by removing the video by the late artist David Wojnarowicz titled "A Fire in My Belly," thereby displaying an unnecessary capitulation to political pressure from various…
<img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3348204093?profile=original" alt="" style="float: left;"/><br/>
<br/>
As an individual who values artistic creation and freedom of speech, I would like the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian Institution to know that I am deeply distressed and saddened over the cowardly decision to censor the exhibition "Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture" by removing the video by the late artist David Wojnarowicz titled "A Fire in My Belly," thereby displaying an unnecessary capitulation to political pressure from various conservative and right-wing factions.<br/>
<br/>
As Blake Gopnik notes in his excellent article on the subject, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>"<a title="Blake Gopnik Washington Post" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/30/AR2010113006911.html" target="_blank">National Portrait Gallery Bows to Censors, Withdraws Wojnarowicz Video on Gay Love</a>,"</strong></span> published November 30th in the Washington Post, if museums were to remove every piece of art that upset some person or group, our museums would be pretty empty. Can you imagine this kind of censorship applied to our libraries? Because that's the kind of logic being used, and if we don't speak out against this, book censorship is not far down the line.<br/>
<br/>
This is not a small, isolated, unimportant incident. Many people will remember the late <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a title="Jesse Helms obit" href="http://skypape.wordpress.com/2008/07/04/jesse-helms-done-at-last/" target="_blank">Senator Jesse Helms</a></span></strong>, and how he was able to escalate conservative outrage over Andres Serrano's "Piss Christ" in order to effectively eviscerate the NEA.<br/>
<br/>
Wojnarowicz, a highly regarded American artist who died of AIDS in 1992, sadly cannot add his own voice to our outcry of disgust about this act of censorship. I've signed lots of petitions but never started one before now. This seemed like a good time to start. Please <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a title="no to museum censorship" href="http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/no-to-museum-censorship/" target="_blank">take action against museum censorship</a></strong></span> today, and pass this along:<br/>
<br/>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a title="no to museum censorship" href="http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/no-to-museum-censorship/" target="_blank">http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/no-to-museum-censorship/</a></strong></span><br/>
<br/>
For another good read on how we got to this point, check out <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a title="John Boehner A Curator" href="http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/11/us_representative_john_boehner.html" target="_blank">New York Magazine's article "U.S. Representative John Boehner Is Now a Curator"</a></span></strong>.<br/>
<br/>
This is not an issue of quality. Who the heck knows why museums show half of what they do? Like why does the winner of Bravo’s (un)reality show “Work of Art” get a solo show in the Brooklyn Museum of Art? The public is not collectively qualified to be in charge of making curatorial decisions. I support the National Portrait Gallery’s decision to mount this exhibition, and would like to see the curators continue to have the freedom to do their jobs, while the public reserves the freedom to decide whether to go see the show or not.<br/>
<br/>
Whether or not you or I think a work like Serrano’s "Piss Christ" was any work of startling genius or not isn't really the point, the point being that Jesse Helms was able to use it, regardless of the quality or even the artistic intent, to end NEA grants to individual visual artists – a moratorium still in effect today. This means other deserving artists (and I’d like to think I can include myself), are no longer eligible to apply for those NEA dollars. And that’s not Serrano’s fault. It’s Helms' fault and his supporters fault (from their standpoint, a victory), but also all the fault of all lazy-ass artists, dems, and freedom of expression lovers who were too complacent and apathetic to stand up against Helms and his thugs. And don't think I didn't take notice that there's a selective focus on giving visual artists the shaft then and this time too. NEA grants for individual writers & composers still exist. Somehow, the right-wing nut-jobs don’t realize that the pen (or typewriter or computer or musical instrument) can be equally "subversive" or "offensive" - or shall we say "powerful?" Oh yeah...all you have to do is look at a few Tea Partier signs to know they don't read anyhow. Reading is for illeetists like our un-American, Kenyan President. But maybe he's not reading either, since it sure seems he's not reading the writing on the wall that a bunch of us are feeling pretty concerned about the whereabouts of his spine. But I digress...<br/>
<br/>
Beyond the issues of censorship and freedom of expression, it is hard to ignore the anti-gay rhetoric being brought into the argument by those who have lobbied for the removal of the Wojnarowicz video. This, and not the 11 seconds of the video, is the kind of hate speech of which our society should be wary.<br/>
<br/>
So I’m up on my soapbox today, and I’m staying here! To heck with the bible-thumping wingnuts. If they want "art," they can have all the Thomas Kinkade they want. (And I'm NOT giving you a link for that. You can just go Google him if you must.)<br/><br/>[originally posted on "Drawn Together" <a href="http://skypape.wordpress.com">http://skypape.wordpress.com</a>]<br/>
<br />
p.s. Another mighty fine link for those who care about this issue: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a title="Tyler Green on Wojnarowicz and the National Portrait Gallery" href="http://blogs.artinfo.com/modernartnotes/2010/12/give-david-wojnarowicz-his-voice-back/">Tyler Green on artinfo.com</a></strong></span>
Not So Fan-tastic
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2010-07-18:2048539:BlogPost:16678
2010-07-18T21:42:14.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
Things handmade and handwritten have a special appeal to me -- perhaps it's something about the humanness of their imperfection and scale. Who doesn't like to find a real letter in the mailbox amidst the stack of bills and solicitations? Postmarked from France, I turned the envelope over in my hands and opened it with curiosity.<br></br>
<br></br>
Written on stationery imprinted with two pretty leaves in the upper left and a return address of "Suzanne Lopez, 1 rue du 11 Novembre, 64340 Boucau France,"…
Things handmade and handwritten have a special appeal to me -- perhaps it's something about the humanness of their imperfection and scale. Who doesn't like to find a real letter in the mailbox amidst the stack of bills and solicitations? Postmarked from France, I turned the envelope over in my hands and opened it with curiosity.<br/>
<br/>
Written on stationery imprinted with two pretty leaves in the upper left and a return address of "Suzanne Lopez, 1 rue du 11 Novembre, 64340 Boucau France," it was dated June 28, 2010, and read as follows:<br/><br/>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">Dear Ms. Sky Pape, <br/>
I am 16 years old and Art is my passion. I'm writing to you to express my admiration and my enthusiasm for your artistic way and for your works, your creations - I find them wonderful.<br/><br/>
I would be very happy to have your autograph on the small card I'm sending you, for my 'imaginary Museum'...<br/><br/>
Thank you very much.<br/><br/>
Sincerely,<br/>
Suzanne<br/></div>
<br />
<br/>
<img class="alignnone" title="Suzanne Lopez Fan Letter" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/suzanne-lopez-letter.jpg" alt="" width="410" height="551"/><br/>
<br/>
Sweet, right? For about a second, I was flattered. It was just that part about putting my "autograph" on the small card, a blank, white index card, that had all my alarms going off in a deafening cacophonous din. I am not saying I don't have fans, only that I happen to know personally or virtually almost every kind soul who has collected or ever admired my work. Clearly, this was a case for some detective work (i.e., Google), if there ever was one.<br/>
<br/>
In a matter of seconds, I found my answer in an article by <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a title="Sarah Hall on Suzanne Lopez" href="http://www.salisburypost.com/Lifestyle/062708-Sarah-Hall-column" target="_blank">Sarah Hall from the <em>Salisbury Post</em></a></strong></span>, dated June 27, 2008. Ms. Hall, a composer, had received the same letter, essentially verbatim, from Suzanne Lopez - with the notable exception that back in 2008, Suzy was claiming to be 17, and "music is my passion." According to Ms. Hall, she heard from people from across the US and Europe who had received the same letter.<br/>
<br/>
Having been a victim of identity theft in the past (a nightmare to be sure!), I had no intention of sending my easily scannable signature to anyone. Still, though this reeked of being a scam, it seemed like a very expensive one, having someone write letters by hand and pay for postage? For what ends? <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a title="Credit Card Prank" href="http://www.zug.com/pranks/credit/index2.html" target="_blank">What does a signature even mean anymore</a></strong></span>? Maybe this "imaginary museum" was just the pet project of some oddball who thought they needed to pass themselves off as a teenage girl in order to get the desired response.<br/>
<br/>
It's hard for me to imagine what this person would want with my signature. It's not as if my work is anything that could be easily forged and then have my signature appended to it for authenticity. (Though BEWARE, some work is indeed much easier to rip off -- case in point: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a title="Lori McNee Foils Copycat Artist" href="http://www.finearttips.com/2010/07/how-i-stopped-a-copycat-artist-on-facebook/" target="_blank">Lori McNee and the copycat artist</a></strong></span>.)<br/>
<br/>
Continued here: <a href="http://skypape.wordpress.com/2010/07/18/no-so-fan-tastic/">Drawn Together</a><br/>
Rainbows Don't Wait
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2010-04-28:2048539:BlogPost:13877
2010-04-28T00:00:00.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
The past few months have been pretty much non-stop with work and all sorts of excitement, but I'm happy to at long last have a moment to stop here and say hello, and happy spring!<br></br>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="308" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/villa.jpg" title="Bellagio Center Villa" width="410"></img></p>
The day after my solo show at <a href="http://www.junekellygallery.com" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>June Kelly Gallery</strong></span></a> ended, I was on a plane to Italy for a month-long residency fellowship at the…
The past few months have been pretty much non-stop with work and all sorts of excitement, but I'm happy to at long last have a moment to stop here and say hello, and happy spring!<br/>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="Bellagio Center Villa" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/villa.jpg" alt="" height="308" width="410"/></p>
The day after my solo show at <a href="http://www.junekellygallery.com" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>June Kelly Gallery</strong></span></a> ended, I was on a plane to Italy for a month-long residency fellowship at the <a href="http://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/bellagio-center" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center</strong></span></a> on Lago di Como in northern Italy (above). It was an incredibly productive time for me, an honor, and an extraordinary experience in every way.<br/>
<br/>
In addition to the site's natural beauty and fascinating history, the Bellagio Center is exceptionally distinctive because of its vision and understanding of the ultimate progressive value of interdisciplinary and international discourse to all positive human endeavors:<br/>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;"><font size="2">"Through conferences and residencies, the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center brings together people of diverse expertise and backgrounds in a thought-provoking and collaborative environment to promote innovation and impact on a wide range of global issues. <br/><br/> We have seen the powerful results of investing in and unleashing human capacity. The Bellagio experience fosters a robust exchange of ideas between scientists and artists, theorists and practitioners, those who make policy and those who are affected by it.<br/><br/> Located in northern Italy, the Center infuses unorthodox, radical thinking into searches for solutions to critical social, political, health, environmental and economic challenges.<br/><br/>
It encourages all to debate on globally relevant issues and push the boundaries of collective knowledge to translate theory into action."</font><br/></div>
<br/>
<br/>
It would take a lot more than a blog post for me to describe the profound impact of sustained interaction with an intimate, international coterie of scholars, scientists, and creative thinkers -- all brilliant and genial. Instead, I will just share a very simple story.<br/>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="alignnone" title="rainbow in hand" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/rainbowtips.jpg" alt="" height="273" width="410"/></p>
My Italian studio, I soon noticed, came with a personal rainbow. Not that I'm all mystical, but as I held this rainbow in my hand, it seemed to impart not only the wonderful energy and beauty of that place, but also the creative good karma generated by all the artists who had previously inhabited that space. It was much like the welcome I felt when I opened the supply cupboard to see their names written there, some extra supplies they'd left behind, and even a chocolate -- all three practices that I was delighted to continue as tradition. [For the curious, here is a sampling of <a href="http://skypape.com/bellagio2010.htm" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>some of the drawings I did during my residency</strong></span></a>.]<br/>
<br/>
Being able to work and participate in the community at the Bellagio Center was a long-held dream of mine, and one that I was not sure would ever be realized. But one of the many things I took away from that transformational experience was the justification -- even the <em>imperative</em> -- of dreaming as big as possible, and not giving up on the pursuit of those dreams.<br/>
<br/>
Upon arriving home, and I will admit that the reintroduction to reality has been a challenge (like a bad case of the bends!), I have had opportunities to attend inspiring celebrations honoring two women who have exemplified through their lives and actions exactly what I mean.<br/>
<br/>
Over the weekend, <a href="http://www.justfood.org/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Just Food</strong></span></a> held an event in honor of <a href="http://http://activistcash.com/biography.cfm/b/680-joan-gussow" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Joan Dye Gussow</strong></span></a>, the unstoppable -- even <em>subversive</em>, if you will -- matriarch, pioneer, teacher, leader, activist and icon of the organic food movement. [Also see: <a href="http://joansgarden.org/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>http://joansgarden.org/</strong></span></a>] And yesterday, I attended the memorial celebration for <a href="http://christojeanneclaude.net/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Jeanne-Claude</strong></span></a>, who passed away last November. From each of these spectacularly intelligent, luminous and energetic women, I learned that in the pursuit of big dreams, passion, precision, and perseverance count. Rules and "No", not so much.<br/>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="rainbow in hand" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/rainbowrings.jpg" alt="" height="273" width="410"/></p>
Many times an hour, both waking and sleeping, I keep returning to my time at Bellagio. I often think about that rainbow in my hand; how happy and fortunate and connected it made me feel. Jeanne-Claude was quoted about the temporality of life and art, and the fact that such temporality imparts a sense of urgency. As she put it, "For instance, if someone were to say, 'Oh, look on the right, there is a rainbow,' one would never answer, 'I will look at it tomorrow.'"<br/>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="rainbow in hand" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/rainbowpalm.jpg" alt="" height="273" width="410"/></p>
Whatever may or may not have been done before, a full life begins with dreams that will not be denied, disparaged or deferred.<br/><br/>[For more, please visit <a href="http://skypape.wordpress.com">http://skypape.wordpress.com</a> and <a href="http://skypape.wordpress.com">http://www.skypape.com</a>]<br/>
"Life and art are full body experiences."
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-10-13:2048539:BlogPost:11111
2009-10-13T13:14:38.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
"Life and art are full body experiences." Just finished reading this fantastic <a href="http://www.brooklynrail.org/2008/09/art/jerry-saltz-in-conversation-with-irving-sandler" target="_blank">interview in the Brooklyn Rail</a> of art critic Jerry Saltz in conversation with Irving Sandler.
"Life and art are full body experiences." Just finished reading this fantastic <a href="http://www.brooklynrail.org/2008/09/art/jerry-saltz-in-conversation-with-irving-sandler" target="_blank">interview in the Brooklyn Rail</a> of art critic Jerry Saltz in conversation with Irving Sandler.
Don't Bring Me Down
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-10-12:2048539:BlogPost:11091
2009-10-12T18:39:29.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
It was around this time of year, and I was walking on a gentle mountain trail with my absolute favorite person. Yes, I'll admit I have favorites. Happily, it's a long list, and if you're here reading this, you're on it.<br />
<br />
It's wonderful how walking activates the mind as if the legs were cog cranks specifically designed to directly engage those tired cranial gears. Being fall, I was less intent on noticing the birds, and started talking about ideas that were surfacing, wondering what would take…
It was around this time of year, and I was walking on a gentle mountain trail with my absolute favorite person. Yes, I'll admit I have favorites. Happily, it's a long list, and if you're here reading this, you're on it.<br />
<br />
It's wonderful how walking activates the mind as if the legs were cog cranks specifically designed to directly engage those tired cranial gears. Being fall, I was less intent on noticing the birds, and started talking about ideas that were surfacing, wondering what would take shape. "So, what's it going to be?" seemed to be the question confronting me. The "what" referring to creative output. Out of my ramblings on the mountain came a perception of what I want the core of my work to be at its very best -- what I want it to do for me, and ideally, for you.<br />
<br />
The challenge, it seemed, was, and is, to create something positive, regardless of the specifics of what it might actually look like or by what means it might ultimately be made. If it could impart some joy, perfect, or a sense of possibility and wonder, even better. I'd settle for a twinge of some ineffable connection.<br />
<br />
My inner cynic is always ready to make an uninvited appearance, but I don't find the snark's offerings compelling or absorbing. Don't bring me down. Do I want or need to see more interpretations and fantasies of violence, abuse, and humiliation visited by humans upon everyone and everything? Is it shocking? No. Titillating? Eh. Obvious? Yes. On the other hand, the optimist and idealist risk seeming naive, their contributions cloying, sentimental, new agey, utopian, obscure, self-important, simplistic, and again, obvious. Personally, I decided to see what I could do while keeping my drawings non-objective, staying away from being literally descriptive, keeping my personal baggage in storage. By eschewing the obvious, maybe I'd find a way to get a little closer to the ideal of making something instrinsically positive.<br />
<br />
CONTINUED at <a href="http://skypape.wordpress.com/2009/10/10/dont-bring-me-down/"">Drawn Together, Sky Pape's drawing and fine art blog</a>.
NYC Union Square Studio for rent starting Sept 2009
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-09-01:2048539:BlogPost:10611
2009-09-01T22:16:11.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
Great location and space to create! Union Square East. Private space is split in two. Quiet photographer uses one half. <b>$650</b>/month; 400 sq. ft each side - approx 300 sf usable space on each side.<br />
Available ASAP. <b>Call Jean, 212-260-3232</b>
Great location and space to create! Union Square East. Private space is split in two. Quiet photographer uses one half. <b>$650</b>/month; 400 sq. ft each side - approx 300 sf usable space on each side.<br />
Available ASAP. <b>Call Jean, 212-260-3232</b>
quit fondling your ego
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-08-22:2048539:BlogPost:10531
2009-08-22T01:53:52.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
Dear <a href="http://www.oneroom.org/sculptors/hesse.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Eva</span></a>,<br />
<br />
You seem the same as always, and being you, hate every minute of it. Don’t! Learn to say “Fuck You” to the world once in a while. You have every right to. Just stop thinking, worrying, looking over your shoulder, wondering, doubting, fearing, hurting, hoping for some easy way out, struggling, gasping, confusing, itching, scratching, mumbling, bumbling, grumbling,…
Dear <a href="http://www.oneroom.org/sculptors/hesse.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Eva</span></a>,<br />
<br />
You seem the same as always, and being you, hate every minute of it. Don’t! Learn to say “Fuck You” to the world once in a while. You have every right to. Just stop thinking, worrying, looking over your shoulder, wondering, doubting, fearing, hurting, hoping for some easy way out, struggling, gasping, confusing, itching, scratching, mumbling, bumbling, grumbling, humbling, stumbling, rumbling, rambling, gambling, tumbling, scumbling, scrambling, hitching, hatching, bitching, moaning, groaning, honing, boning, horse-shitting, hair-splitting, nit-picking, piss-trickling, nose sticking, ass-gouging, eyeball-poking, finger-pointing, alleyway-sneaking, long waiting, small stepping, evil-eyeing, back-scratching, searching, perching, besmirching, grinding grinding grinding away at yourself. Stop it and just DO!<br />
<br />
From your description, and from what I know of your previous work and your ability, the work you are doing sounds very good. 'Drawing -- clean-clear but crazy like machines, larger, bolder, real <em>nonsense</em>.' That sounds wonderful -- real nonsense. Do more. More nonsensical, more crazy, more machines, more breasts, penises, cunts, whatever -- make them abound with nonsense. Try and tickle something inside you, your 'weird humor.' You belong in the most secret part of you. Don’t worry about cool, make your own uncool. Make your own, your own world. If you fear, make it work for you -- draw and paint your fear and anxiety. And stop worrying about big, deep things such as 'to decide on a purpose and way of life, a consistent approach to even some impossible end or even an imagined end.' You must practice being stupid, dumb, unthinking, empty. Then you will be able to DO! [The DO's are drawn and decorated and very large.] I have much confidence in <em>you</em> and even though you are tormenting yourself, the work you do is very good. Try to do some BAD work. The worst you can think of and see what happens but mainly relax and let everything go to hell. You are not responsible for the world -- you are only responsible for your work, so do it. And don’t think that your work has to conform to any idea or flavor. It can be anything you want it to be. But if life would be easier for you if you stopped working then stop. Don’t punish yourself. However, I think that it is so deeply engrained in you that it would be easier to DO.<br />
<br />
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JJOGFpjmtig&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JJOGFpjmtig&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
<br />
<br />
[Letter from <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/09/arts/design/09lewitt.html?pagewanted=1" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Sol Lewitt</span></a> to <a href="http://www.evahesse.com/index.php" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Eva Hesse</span></a>, April 14, 1965.] ...CONTINUED on <i><a href="http://skypape.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/quit-fondling-your-ego/" target="_blank">Drawn Together - Sky Pape's Drawing and Fine Art Blog</a></i>
Job Opportunity
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-08-20:2048539:BlogPost:10451
2009-08-20T16:30:00.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
Hello there,<br />
I'd like to share the following message I received from E.J. McAdams - a call for a part-time Executive Director of a creative non-profit organization. Click here for <a href="http://www.skypape.com/EDjobdescription.doc" target="_blank">job description</a>. (Word document)<br />
<br />
Dear Friends and Colleagues,<br />
<br />
I serve on the Board of the interdisciplinary Laboratory of Art Nature and Dance (iLAND). We are searching for our first employee, a part-time Executive Director. It is a great…
Hello there,<br />
I'd like to share the following message I received from E.J. McAdams - a call for a part-time Executive Director of a creative non-profit organization. Click here for <a href="http://www.skypape.com/EDjobdescription.doc" target="_blank">job description</a>. (Word document)<br />
<br />
Dear Friends and Colleagues,<br />
<br />
I serve on the Board of the interdisciplinary Laboratory of Art Nature and Dance (iLAND). We are searching for our first employee, a part-time Executive Director. It is a great opportunity for a tested arts administrator and fundraiser who wants to break into the executive/leadership level, or a senior executive who needs to work part-time because of family or other reasons and still wants to have a big impact in the environmental and arts sectors. Thanks for passing this on to friends and colleagues.<br />
<br />
Best,<br />
<br />
E.J.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://ilandart.org" target="_blank">www.ilandart.org</a>
Health care reform & those of us who remember the '80s
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-08-18:2048539:BlogPost:10431
2009-08-18T20:40:59.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
<img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="286" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/dw-hujar-02210.jpg" title="Photo of Peter Hujar by David Wojnarowicz" width="410"></img><br />
<br />
This morning I was thinking about health care reform, and the vociferous opposition to it in the form of people, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/17/man-carrying-semi-automat_n_261279.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">many armed</span></a>, showing up to disrupt town hall meetings on the subject. I thought about those who would say it's not wise for an artist to publicly express an opinion about this issue, because he or she could risk…
<img class="aligncenter" title="Photo of Peter Hujar by David Wojnarowicz" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/dw-hujar-02210.jpg" alt="" width="410" height="286"/><br />
<br />
This morning I was thinking about health care reform, and the vociferous opposition to it in the form of people, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/17/man-carrying-semi-automat_n_261279.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">many armed</span></a>, showing up to disrupt town hall meetings on the subject. I thought about those who would say it's not wise for an artist to publicly express an opinion about this issue, because he or she could risk alienating collectors or others who may bear some power over them. Then I went back to thinking about those fearful, raging people who are so afraid that providing health care for the over 50 million uninsured people in this country is somehow going to infringe upon their own freedoms, especially their right to carry weapons. Who are these people who hate so much? Oh yeah. They're the same people who hate gays and and anyone of color (especially in the Oval Office). They are the same people who want to wrest the right of reproductive choice from women, and who are suspicious of artists and anybody who doesn't fit into their mold.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.americansforthearts.org/news/afta_news/default.asp#item38" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Americans for the Arts</span></a> has joined with 20 national arts organizations to issue a statement calling on Congress for health care reform, and "to fully recognize the rights of individual artists and arts groups in the health care reform debate." I want to exercise those rights.<br />
<br />
So, when I got dressed this morning, I pulled from deep in my drawer a T-shirt I got after going on the AIDS walk many years ago. It was imprinted with words and an image by the late artist <a href="http://www.ppowgallery.com/selected_work.php?artist=14" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">David Wojnarowicz</span></a>, who was one of the legions of talented people the art community lost too early because people tolerated a screwed up system for too long. I pulled on my T-shirt and got on the crowded subway for the long ride downtown. On my back, his words seared:<br />
<blockquote>If I had a dollar to spend for healthcare I'd rather spend it on a baby or innocent person with some defect or illness not of their own responsibility; not some person with AIDS..." says the healthcare official on national television and this is in the middle of an hour long video of people dying on camera because they can't afford the limited drugs available that might extend their lives and I can't even remember what his official looked like because I reached in through the T.V. screen and ripped his face in half and I was diagnosed with AIDS recently and this was after the last few years of losing count of the friends and neighbors who have been dying slow and vicious and unnecessary deaths because fags and dykes and junkies are expendable in this country "If you want to stop AIDS shoot the queers" says the governor of texas on the radio and his press secretary later claims that the governor was only joking and didn't know the microphone was turned on and besides they didn't think it would hurt his chances for re-election anyways and I wake up every morning in this killing machine called america and I'm carrying this rage like a blood filled egg and there's a thin line between the inside and the outside a thin line between thought and action and that line is simply made up of blood and muscle and bone and I'm waking up more and more from daydreams of tipping amazonian blowdarts in "infected blood" and spitting them at the exposed necklines of certain politicians or government healthcare officials or those thinly disguised walking swastika's that wear religious garments over their murerous intentions or those rabid strangers parading against AIDS clinics in the nightly news suburbs there's a thin line a very thin line between the inside and the outside and I've been looking all my life at the signs surrounding us in the media or on peoples lips; the religious types outside st. patricks cathedral shouting to men and women in the gay parade: "You won't be here next year--you'll get AIDS and die ha ha" and the areas of the u.s.a. where it is possible to murder a man and when brought to trial one only has to say that the victim was a queer and that he tried to touch you and the courts will set you free and the difficulties that a bunch of republican senators have in albany with supporting an anti-violence bill that includes 'sexual orientation' as a category of crime victims there's a thin line a very thin line and as each t-cell disappears from my body it's replaced by ten pounds of pressure ten pounds of rage and I focus that rage into non-violent resistance but that focus is starting to slip my hands are beginning to move independent of self-restraint and the egg is starting to crack america seems to understand and accept murder as a self defense against those who would murder other people and its been murder on a daily basis for eight count them eight [nine, ten...] long years and we're expected to quietly and politely make house in this windstorm of murder but I say there's certain politicians that had better increase their security forces and there's religious leaders and heathcare officials that had better get bigger dogs and higher fences and more complex security alarms for their homes and queer-bashers better start doing their work from inside howitzer tanks because the thin line between the inside and the outside is beginning to erode and at the moment I'm a thirty seven foot tall one thousand one hundred and seventy-two pound man inside this six foot frame and all I can feel is the pressure all I can feel is the pressure and the need for release.</blockquote>
<img class="aligncenter" title="David Wojnarowicz" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/dw-02213.jpg" alt="" width="410" height="401"/><br />
<br />
I took more than a moment to remember all those who were gone like Wojnarowicz and Keith Haring, and countless others who were willing to <span style="color:#ff00ff;"><a href="http://www.actupny.org/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Act Up</span></a></span> to save lives. It's not just about AIDS now, nor was it then, really. Think about it.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow I will have to resurrect another ancient T-shirt, one emblazoned with an image by the late <a href="http://www.haring.com/about_haring/bio/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Keith Haring</span></a>, and bearing the ever-so-relevant words: <strong>IGNORANCE=FEAR, SILENCE=DEATH</strong>.<br />
<br />
<img class="aligncenter" title="keith haring " src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/kh-ignorancefear.jpg" alt="" width="410" height="230"/><br />
<br />
[originally published on <a href="http://www.skypape.com">Sky Pape</a>'s blog, <a href="http://www.skypape.wordpress.com">"Drawn Together: Sky Pape's Drawing and Fine Art Blog"</a>]<br />
<br />
[Text from my T-shirt: copyright Estate of David Wojnarowicz. <a href="http://www.actupny.org/diva/synWoj.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Audio of David Wojnarowicz reading</span></a> at <a href="http://drawingcenter.org/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><em>The Drawing Center</em></span></a> in 1992, shortly before his death.]<br />
<br />
[images from top: David Wojnarowicz, "Untitled (Peter Hujar), 1989, silver print, 30-1/2" x 24-1/2"); David Wojnarowicz, "Untitled (Face in Dirt", 1990, silver print, 28-1/2" x 28-1/2", both copyright Estate of David Wojnarowicz and courtesy of <a href="http://www.ppowgallery.com/selected_work.php?artist=14&image=1" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">PPOW Gallery</span></a>. Keith Haring, "Ignorance=Fear", 1989, poster, 24" x 43-1/4", copyright the Estate of Keith Haring, courtesy of <a href="http://www.ppowgallery.com/selected_work.php?artist=14&image=1" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">The Keith Haring Foundation</span></a>.]
Ain't nothin' like the real thing, baby
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-08-13:2048539:BlogPost:10391
2009-08-13T18:30:00.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
My thoughts have returned to the superiority of first-hand over virtual experience. By this, I mean looking at original artwork as opposed to viewing it on a computer monitor, taking off your iPod and going to hear live music, attending a dance performance, a play, a poetry or book reading, and yes, even just kicking yourself outside to move your legs, smell the flowers, and hear the birds sing.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="272" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/usbhead72.jpg" title="too plugged in" width="410"></img><br />
<br />
The in-person experience and meaning of a large-scale work of art cannot be conveyed by…
My thoughts have returned to the superiority of first-hand over virtual experience. By this, I mean looking at original artwork as opposed to viewing it on a computer monitor, taking off your iPod and going to hear live music, attending a dance performance, a play, a poetry or book reading, and yes, even just kicking yourself outside to move your legs, smell the flowers, and hear the birds sing.<br />
<br />
<img class="aligncenter" title="too plugged in" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/usbhead72.jpg" alt="" width="410" height="272"/><br />
<br />
The in-person experience and meaning of a large-scale work of art cannot be conveyed by a jpeg any more than looking at a picture of a gourmet meal can compare to savoring it oneself. Any more than typing XOXO is like kissing and hugging someone you love. This is the problem. Seeing or reading something on-line is not an acceptable substitute for real experience, yet the more we get sucked into it, the harder becomes to pull away, unplug, and venture out into the physical world, where engaging with people and art and nature can be challenging and even messy, and slightly <em>risky</em> because you can't just click and instantly transport yourself somewhere else.<br />
<br />
I recognize the irony in writing about disconnecting oneself from the computer and other electronic devices, and then posting it on my blog. Well, life is full of little ironies, including the one about how computers were going to save us all scads of time and make us all so much more productive (except for those Facebook and Twitter junkies who get themselves fired).<br />
<br />
When psychiatric diagnosis-like terms such as "<a href="http://ucc.sln.suny.edu/course/intro/lim0p1.htm" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Information Anxiety</span></a>" (coined by <a href="http://www.wurman.com/rsw/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Richard Saul Wurman</span></a> who created the <a href="http://www.ted.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">TED conferences</span></a>) and "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_deficit_disorder" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Nature Deficit Disorder</span></a>" start showing up, it's time to acknowledge there's a problem. "We must keep in mind that information or <a href="http://ucc.sln.suny.edu/course/intro/lim0p4.htm" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">raw data is not knowledge</span></a>. Individuals achieve knowledge by using their own experience, distinguishing the important from the irrelevant and making critical value judgments."<br />
<br />
[Note: <em>Extra reading - You also might enjoy <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/opinion/02kristof.html?_r=1" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Nicholas Kristof's NDD-related article "How to Lick a Slug"</span></a> if you missed it, and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/technology/10morning.html?scp=1&sq=laptop%20breakfast&st=cse" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Brad Stone's NY Times article, "Breakfast Can Wait. The Day's First Stop Is Online.</span></a>"</em>]<br />
<br />
Today, people spend less time looking at a work of art itself than they do looking through the viewfinder of their digital cameras so they can snap a picture to post online to show others what they've seen - <em>when they haven't even really looked at it!</em> This <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/03/arts/design/03abroad.html?_r=1&hp" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">NY Times article</span></a> by Michael Kimmelman hit it dead on:<br />
<blockquote>"Cameras replaced sketching by the last century; convenience trumped engagement, the viewfinder afforded emotional distance and many people no longer felt the same urgency to look. It became possible to imagine that because a reproduction of an image was safely squirreled away in a camera or cell phone, or because it was eternally available on the Web, dawdling before an original was a waste of time, especially with so much ground to cover..."
"...The art historian T. J. Clark...has lately written a book about devoting several months of his time to looking intently at two paintings by Poussin. Slow looking, like slow cooking, may yet become the new radical chic."<br />
<br />
"Until then we grapple with our impatience and cultural cornucopia. Recently, I bought a couple of sketchbooks to draw with my 10-year-old in St. Peter’s and elsewhere around Rome, just for the fun of it, not because we’re any good, but to help us look more slowly and carefully at what we found. Crowds occasionally gathered around us as if we were doing something totally strange and novel, as opposed to something normal, which sketching used to be. I almost hesitate to mention our sketching. It seems pretentious and old-fogeyish in a cultural moment when we can too easily feel uncomfortable and almost ashamed just to look hard."</blockquote>
I could go on, but I realize this post has just exceeded 600 words, and I don't want to strain anyone's techno-abbreviated attention span. More importantly, it's time to begin my weekly 24-hour, technology-free, official Day Off, so I want to get away from the computer as much as I want you to do so too.<br />
<br />
So that's it until next time, but 'til then, let's all do something to get out there and remind ourselves there <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svAs-6MiqxE" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">ain't nothin' like the real thing, baby</span></a>.<br />
<br />
This article reposted from <a href="http://www.skypape.wordpress.com">"Drawn Together" - Sky Pape's drawing and fine art blog</a>. Please visit it for more!
Reminder: Gallery Crawl Tomorrow 3/27
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-03-26:2048539:BlogPost:6571
2009-03-26T16:30:09.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
Here's the plan for tomorrow's gallery crawl 3/27: <strong>Meet at 11:15 am at <a href="http://drawingcenter.org/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Drawing Center</span></a></strong> (35 Wooster St). From there, we'll go see Bruce Pearson's work at <a href="http://feldmangallery.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ronald Feldman Gallery</span></a> (31 Mercer St), then on to …<a href="http://www.location1.org/" target="_blank"></a>
Here's the plan for tomorrow's gallery crawl 3/27: <strong>Meet at 11:15 am at <a href="http://drawingcenter.org/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Drawing Center</span></a></strong> (35 Wooster St). From there, we'll go see Bruce Pearson's work at <a href="http://feldmangallery.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ronald Feldman Gallery</span></a> (31 Mercer St), then on to <a href="http://www.location1.org/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Location One</span></a> (26 Greene St) for Laurie Anderson installations, <a href="http://thepaintingcenter.org" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Painting Center</span></a> (52 Greene St), and lastly <a href="http://www.roedergallery.com/index.htm" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Margarete Roeder Gallery</span></a> (545 Broadway) to see works by John Cage and Tom Marioni. Maybe something else thrown in between for kicks...it depends.<br />
<br />
Join us for all or part of the crawl. Call me at 917-992-4001 if you're trying to find where we are mid-way. All are welcome!
Save the Date: Gallery Crawl March 27
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-03-17:2048539:BlogPost:6371
2009-03-17T22:55:20.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
Now that SoHo has again become "off the beaten path" unless you're looking for designer fashions, furniture, food, or bathroom fixtures, I've decided to visit some of the ol' 'hood's die-hard art holdouts for March's gallery tour.<br />
<br />
We'll head to <a href="http://drawingcenter.org/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">The Drawing Center</span></a>, <a href="http://feldmangallery.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Ronald Feldman Gallery</span></a>,…
Now that SoHo has again become "off the beaten path" unless you're looking for designer fashions, furniture, food, or bathroom fixtures, I've decided to visit some of the ol' 'hood's die-hard art holdouts for March's gallery tour.<br />
<br />
We'll head to <a href="http://drawingcenter.org/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">The Drawing Center</span></a>, <a href="http://feldmangallery.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Ronald Feldman Gallery</span></a>, <a href="http://www.location1.org/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Location One</span></a>, and more.<br />
<br />
Details about meeting time and place will be posted at <a href="http://www.skypape.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Drawn Together</a> in advance. The agenda's loose, and all are welcome to crawl along with us for all or part of the rounds.
Review: American Academy of Arts & Letters Invitational
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-03-16:2048539:BlogPost:6331
2009-03-16T03:30:00.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
Traversing the vast expanse of…
Traversing the vast expanse of <a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.artsandletters.org/web_terrace.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.artsandletters.org/about_building.php&usg=__XQB1ZMVywxNVN0o5MsNRjAtEIhQ=&h=177&w=520&sz=43&hl=en&start=33&um=1&tbnid=feJ-xlNceHgpAM:&tbnh=45&tbnw=131&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522audubon%2Bterrace%2522%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26start%3D18%26um%3D1" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Audubon Terrace</span></a> always brings on a sense of exhilaration. There just aren't that many wide open public spaces surrounded by imposing Beaux Arts architecture to be found these days. So, last Tuesday night, passing the statue of <a href="http://www.museumplanet.com/tour.php/nyc/at/32" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">El Cid</span></a> on a rearing stallion, I took a deep breath of brisk air and soaked up the scene as I made my way to the <a href="http://www.artsandletters.org/index.php" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">American Academy of Arts and Letters</span></a> for the opening of their <a href="http://www.artsandletters.org/exhibitions2_invitational_2009.php" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">annual invitational exhibition</span></a>.<br />
<br />
<img class="aligncenter" title="Audubon Terrace circa 1950" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/aaal_terrace.jpg" alt="" width="430" height="146"/>The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/03/11/nyregion/20090313AUDUBON_12.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Academy's premises have just undergone an enormous expansion</span></a>, and the new exhibition space is impressive. There's a lot of work in this show (116 paintings, photographs, multi-media works, sculptures, installations, and works on paper by 30 artists), up until April 5th, so I'm just going to point out a few highlights:<br />
<br />
<img class="aligncenter" title="Stephen Antonakos installation view at Arts & Letters" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/aaal_antonakos.jpg" alt="" width="430" height="233"/><br />
<br />
A trio of neon pieces by <a href="http://www.stephenantonakos.com/default.htm" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stephen Antonakos</span></a> infused the east gallery of the new space with their jewel-like glow. This mature artist not only knows how confident, modern, & minimal can still be engaging, warm & welcoming in terms of art, he <em><a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/blogging-media/blogging-elle-decor-light-fantastic-043029" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">lives</span></a></em> it!<br />
<br />
<img class="alignleft" title="Ann Gale Self Portrait" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/aaal-ann-gale.jpg" alt="" width="314" height="400"/>In the south gallery, three portraits (one of herself) by <a href="http://www.hackettfreedman.com/templates/artist.jsp?id=GAL" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ann Gale</span></a> assert a subtle, yet undeniably strong presence. The canvases coalesce animism of paint and the energy of the living human. These paintings evince a kindred connection to Lucien Freud, but perhaps more importantly to both Cezanne and even Giacometti in the attention paid to locating a mark or bit of paint in a very particular physical space, with the paint simultaneously describing and deconstructing. When much portraiture relies on photography and digital resources, becoming flat and lifeless, these portraits hum and buzz and bristle with the intensity of living and looking -- the experience of the eyes, interpreted by the mind behind them, without any intervention. The portraits' subjects are rendered alive and real, and the recognition of these daubs of paint coming together to convey an individual with such psychological power is to wonder at how our own cells happen to hang together to create the assumed reality of self.<br />
<br />
Artists ultimately selected to participate in this exhibition have first been invited by one of Academy's members to submit work, so it's a generally high bar of peer recognition. In this year's show, there are a number of big-name artists such as <a href="http://www.aprilgornik.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">April Gornik</span></a>, <a href="http://www.luhringaugustine.com/index.php?mode=artists&object_id=66" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Gregory Crewdson</span></a>, <a href="http://www.jamescohan.com/artists/roxy-paine/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Roxy Paine</span></a>, and <a href="http://www.lewallencontemporary.com/searchresults.php?start=1&artistId=4488" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Beverly McIver</span></a>. To these eyes, the biggest surprise and stand-out of the exhibition came by way of paintings bearing titles like "To Crack a Smile," and "Vaudeville Hook" by David Nelson, an artist with whom I was not familiar. Nelson's non-objective canvases are both technically and aesthetically seductive in a manner as modest, genuine and self-effacing artist as the artist himself. I've rarely met anyone who seemed so truly touched and surprised to receive well-earned compliments and congratulations. Unfortunately, my camera was out of juice, and I couldn't find any other images of his work on-line to show you, so you'll have to take my word for it or go see for yourself!<br />
<br />
[images above: Audubon Terrace looking east, c. 1950, courtesy American Academy of Arts & Letters; Installation view of work by Stephen Antonakos, "Departure" 1993-2007, 61 x 51 x 5"; "Arrival" 2008, 88 x 46 x 5", and "Respite" 2000-2001, all pieces white paint on versacel, neon, copyright and courtesy of Stephen Antonakos; Ann Gale, "Self Portrait with Blue Stripes", 14 x 11", oil on masonite, courtesy of Hckett-Freedman Gallery, San Francisco, copyright Ann Gale.]<br />
<br />
[review via <a href="http://skypape.wordpress.com">Drawn Together</a>]
Gallery Crawl Feb 13 - Recap
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-02-28:2048539:BlogPost:6171
2009-02-28T20:59:46.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
Our February 13th gallery crawl began at <a href="http://howardgreenberg.com/flash.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Howard Greenberg Gallery</span></a> on 57th Street, in the magnificent <a href="http://www.nyc-architecture.com/UES/UES107.htm" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Fuller Building</span></a>, itself a fine example of Art Deco architecture. We passed beneath the limestone frieze by sculptor…
Our February 13th gallery crawl began at <a href="http://howardgreenberg.com/flash.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Howard Greenberg Gallery</span></a> on 57th Street, in the magnificent <a href="http://www.nyc-architecture.com/UES/UES107.htm" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Fuller Building</span></a>, itself a fine example of Art Deco architecture. We passed beneath the limestone frieze by sculptor <a href="http://www.thecityreview.com/nadelm.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Elie Nadelman</span></a>, and headed up to the gallery to see an assortment of photographs from India. There are three separate exhibitions on view, <em>Betsy Karel: Bombay Jadoo</em>, <em>Sacred Sight,</em> and <em>Mary Ellen Mark: Indian Circus,</em> all united by the theme of India . (On view until March 14th.)<br />
<br />
<img class="aligncenter" title="Mary Ellen Mark" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/0209-mary-ellen-mark.jpg" alt="" width="430" height="427"/><br />
<br />
Off in a side area is a very small selection of photos of Indian circus performers by <a href="http://http://www.maryellenmark.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mary Ellen Mark</span></a>. You could easily make the mistake of bypassing the unobtrusive portal to this strange and impassioned world. Mark's camera seems to disappear, and the viewer steps right into her place, experiencing with a direct jolt the intensity of connection with her subjects.<br />
<br />
<a href="//www.desiclub.com/community/culture/culture_article.cfm?id=346" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Betsy Karel</span></a>'s "Bombay Jadoo" and the assortment of photographs in the main gallery by 'Anonymous' to not-so-anonymous artists like Margaret Bourke-White and Henri Cartier-Bresson fully rounds out this large range of images that effectively transports one to India old and new, conveying little of the misery, and much of the <em>jadoo</em> (A Hindu term for magic or wonder-working).<img class="aligncenter" title="Marc Riboud" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/0209-Marc-Riboud.jpg" alt="" width="430" height="275"/><br />
<br />
From there, we saw <a href="http://www.ameringer-yohe.com/?ex=27" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Judy Pfaff</span></a>'s show <em>Paper,</em> at <a href="http://www.ameringer-yohe.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ameringer Yohe Fine Art</span></a>. [Exhibition closed Feb 21.] An affinity between sculpture and drawing is often remarked upon, and that was clearly evident here. These pieces exist somewhere in the realm between the two disciplines, leaning closer to relief sculpture and assemblage or collage, but none of those are fitting labels. They are works on/of paper, but you can find just about anything else amidst the layered and cut paper, including found images, ink, wire, artificial flowers, coffee filters, plant stems, fishing floats, and umbrella parts. The colors range from earthy to day-glo, and as wild and chaotic as these pieces may be, one doesn't lose confidence in Pfaff's ability to orchestrate the entire composition. It's easy to envision how these pieces would evolve organically in the studio with the artist deliberating over each decision to build the complete whole, which deceptively looks as if it burst forth into being all at once.<br />
<br />
<img class="aligncenter" title="Judy Pfaff at Ameringer Yohe Fine Art" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/0209-pfaff17991.jpg" alt="" width="430" height="430"/><br />
<br />
Pfaff's dynamic works encompass the complex experience of the natural world around us. Within each piece one can find beauty and decay, messiness and fine detail, chaos and order, fear and delight -- all the stuff of life. Pfaff comes across as a fearless, mature artist who obviously loves her creative process -- one of discovery and adventure. Viewing this work, you feel you get to take that exciting ride along with her.<br />
<br />
Next was Kori Newkirk's show at <a href="http://elproyecto.com/html/main.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Project</span></a> [up until March 20th]. There was something very affecting about being in The Project's space. Rounding the corner from the large, open main room, one turns to the left and enters the more intimate gallery spaces. There are less than a handful of pieces in this show--three drawings in the small front room, and then a lit, sculptural piece in the darkened back space. The sensitive, seductive lines of Newkirk's drawn self-portraits are done using bleach on pigmented paper, a sort of reductive process that appears paradoxically both ghostly and very physical. For such a spare show, Newkirk's work fills the space with a silent forcefulness that has remained strong and persistent in memory.<br />
<br />
<img class="aligncenter" title="Kori Newkird at The Project Gallery" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/0209-newkirk.jpg" alt="" width="430" height="560"/><br />
<br />
At the front of the gallery, there is a display of literature on some of the other gallery artists. I picked up a catalogue on <a href="http://artscenecal.com/ArtistsFiles/MehretuJ/MehretuJFile/MehretuJPics/MehretuJ4.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Julie Mehretu</span></a>, and although Meheretu's accomplished drawings/paintings are much more tightly worked than Pfaff's, there seemed to be a visual connection, a language in common between these artists of different generations.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.zonecontemporary.com/aaa/?catediv=exhi&subnum=1current" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Jack Sal</span></a> at <a href="http://www.zonecontemporary.com/aaa/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Zone Contemporary Art</span></a>, [closed Feb 28th]. This show presented a varied cross-section from small, naturally weathered lead plates that look allude to landscapes and natural phenomena, to minimal works on canvas of gesso, ink, and silk surgical tape.<br />
<br />
<img class="aligncenter" title="Jack Sal at Zone Contemporary Art" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/0209-jacksal.jpg" alt="" width="448" height="129"/><br />
<br />
As noted in the gallery's press release, Sal is an under-recognized artist in the United States, in spite of his long, accomplished career, including a series of site-specific installations in Europe, collaborative projects with William Wegman and Sol Lewitt, and inclusion in public collections such as MoMA. In the front of the gallery, one was able to get a nice sense of this artist's journey by spending some time with a wonderfully installed wall of dozens of widely varied smaller pieces, hung salon-style.<br />
<br />
We ended up at <a href="http://www.moma.org/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">MoMA</span></a> to see <a href="http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/exhibitions.php?id=9695" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Rebus</em></span></a> (closed Feb 23), curated by artist <a href="http://vikmuniz.net" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Vik Muniz</span></a>, and while there, also stopped in to see the show of work by <a href="http://moma.org/exhibitions/exhibitions.php?id=3994" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Marlene Dumas</span></a>, both of which have been widely reviewed. A "rebus" is a combination of visual images and symbols that piece together to add up to another meaning. As a kids' brainteaser, you might see a letter, then a plus sign, then an image that would add up to an unrelated word or phrase.<br />
<br />
<img class="aligncenter" title="Vik Muniz Rebus at MoMA" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/0209-muniz.jpg" alt="" width="430" height="135"/><br />
<br />
Muniz was the 9th artist in MoMA's <em>Artist's Choice</em> series to don the curator's hat and hand-pick this show from the museum's vast collection. The pieces included are not just culled from the art collections, but also include many design items, such as a piece of bubble wrap, that may leave viewers scratching their heads. But scratching your head is indeed part of Muniz's intention, as this show is one big brainteaser. You are intended to follow through it as chronologically installed, and make a connection between each piece you see and the one situated before and after it. This makes for some fun, especially if you're visiting with friends. Who can guess the connection first?<br />
<br />
I feared Muniz's concept would turn out to be a bit of a one-liner, leading one to dash away as quickly as one could figure out the connection, rather than stopping to really consider the pieces in the show. "Oh, it's yellow, and the glass piece that looks like an egg-yolk is yellow, and next to that is a timer, like you'd use to time your egg, and next..." But besides providing an easy in for looking at the work, it also provides a context to think about the ways art connects to our world, the ways it evolves from our world, the ways things are connected, and ultimately to the basic concept that making connections between things is a key to understanding. The show's first piece is the tremendous 1987 homage to <a href="http://www.rubegoldberg.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Rube Goldberg</span></a> in film by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U82eWptFxSs" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Peter Fischli and David Weiss called <em>The Way Things Go</em></span></a>, and it's hard to go wrong with a start like that!<br />
<br />
[...article continued at <a href="http://skypape.wordpress.com/2009/02/28/gallery-crawl-feb-13-recap/" target="_blank">Drawn Together</a>]<br />
<br />
[Images above: <em>Contortionist with Sweety the Puppy, Great Raj Kamal Circus, Upleta, India</em>, copyright Mary Ellen Mark , 19" x 19", 1989, Platinum print, printed later, courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery; <em>Benares, India 1956</em>, copyright Marc Riboud, gelatin silver print, 40 x 30cm, printed later, courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery; <em>Konya,</em> 2008, copyright Judy Pfaff, Layered/cut paper, Joss paper, found images, ink, wire, artificial flowers, wire, Crown Kozo paper, umbrella parts, framed: 94 1/2 x 94 1/2 inches, courtesy Ameringer Yohe Fine Art; Detail of drawing, copyright Kori Newkirk, bleach on paper, courtesy The Project Gallery; <em>White/Wash III</em>, 2008, copyright Jack Sal, courtesy Zone Contemporary Art; <em>Yellow</em> from the series <em>Line, Form, Color,</em> 1951, copyright Ellsworth Kelly, colored paper, 7-1/2 x 8", The Museum of Modern Art; <em>Yolk</em>, 1999, copyright Kiki Smith, Multiple of glass, overall: 3/4 x 1-1/2 x 1-1/2", The Museum of Modern Art; <em>Timer Model No. 152</em>, 1960, copyright Rodolfo Bonette, ABS polymer, 2-3/8" x 4-1/2", The Museum of Modern Art; Installation view of portraits by Marlene Dumas at the Museum of Modern Art.]
Review: ADAA The Art Show at Park Ave Armory, Feb 19-23
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-02-21:2048539:BlogPost:6092
2009-02-21T19:00:00.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
On Thursday, I had a couple of hours to dash through The Art Show of ADAA member galleries at the Park Avenue Armory. Given the amount of work on view, you do have to keep up a fast pace to see it all in that amount of time.<br />
<br />
The overall mood of the dealers was perceptibly and understandably somber, and the show had far less exciting work to offer than usual. Some galleries had a big sticker next to a piece stating "ADAA Dealer's Choice." At first, I didn't know what this meant, but apparently…
On Thursday, I had a couple of hours to dash through The Art Show of ADAA member galleries at the Park Avenue Armory. Given the amount of work on view, you do have to keep up a fast pace to see it all in that amount of time.<br />
<br />
The overall mood of the dealers was perceptibly and understandably somber, and the show had far less exciting work to offer than usual. Some galleries had a big sticker next to a piece stating "ADAA Dealer's Choice." At first, I didn't know what this meant, but apparently it was code for "This piece is $10,000 or less! Get your bargains here!" They might as well have had a sign "Buy one, get one 1/2 price!" It was depressing, and if you were the artist who created the "Dealer's Choice" piece, I bet you'd cringe to see that big, ugly sticker next to your work.<br />
<br />
I missed encountering the wild and unknown tangential work of major artists, often sequestered in private collections forever, which had become the main thing I always looked forward to seeing. Nonetheless, there were still plenty of things that stood out, and as always, I wish I had more time to peruse!<br />
<br />
Here's a list and some pictures of highlights:<br />
<br />
<img class="aligncenter" title="Ron Nagle at Rena Bransten Gallery" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/adaa09-nagle.jpg" alt="" width="430" height="379"/>Ron Nagle at <a href="http://www.renabranstengallery.com" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Rena Bransten Gallery</span></a>. Nagle's two diminutive sculptures on view were some of the most surprising and original work to catch my eye. A catalog from a recent show of his made me crave to see even more. The work has something of the comic sadness of Guston. Nagle's idiosyncratic use of form and color make these engaging abstract sculptures both entirely human and entirely his own. [Above, "Scrunchabunch," copyright Ron Nagle, courtesy of Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco.] Also at Rena Bransten, a beautiful wire piece by <a href="http://www.ruthasawa.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ruth Asawa</span></a>. A rare treat to view work by this superb artist.<br />
<br />
<img class="aligncenter" title="Isamu Noguchi at Martha Parrish & James Reinish" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/adaa09-noguchi.jpg" alt="" width="430" height="657"/><br />
<br />
Above: An untitled slate sculpture from 1945 by Isamu Noguchi (for $1.2 million) at <a href="http://www.artnet.com/gallery/839/martha-parrish--james-reinish-inc.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Martha Parrish & James Reinish</span></a>. This booth also had a couple of outstanding Milton Avery landscapes, pure and simple.<br />
<br />
<img class="aligncenter" title="Julian Opie at Barbara Krakow" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/adaa09-opie" alt="" width="430" height="573"/><br />
<br />
One could watch the subtle movements of <a href="http://www.barbarakrakowgallery.com/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/349" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Julian Opie'</span></a>s digital piece <em>Maria Theresa with Red Shawl</em>, 2008, above, at <a href="http://www.barbarakrakowgallery.com/bkg/index.php" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Barbara Krakow</span></a>, for hours. It was interesting to overhear discussions about the problems the technology of this work presents in terms of preservation and conservation. It's a concern for the artist, collectors, and museums alike. There were some other powerhouse works in this booth, notably <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Tara Donovan</span>'s untitled (glass drawing) and a very dynamic series of wood block prints of spirals by grand dame Louise Bourgeois.<br />
<br />
[continued at <a href="http://skypape.wordpress.com/2009/02/21/adaa-the-art-show-at-park-ave-armory-nyc/">Drawn Together</a>]
Ouch! It feels like I stepped on the 3rd rail
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-02-19:2048539:BlogPost:6011
2009-02-19T02:58:04.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
Do you use public transit to go see art or do anything in NYC? If you live here or come here often, find out how proposed <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/c9uxyo" target="_blank">service cuts and fare hikes</a></span> are going to affect you and respond.
Do you use public transit to go see art or do anything in NYC? If you live here or come here often, find out how proposed <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/c9uxyo" target="_blank">service cuts and fare hikes</a></span> are going to affect you and respond.
Way off track!
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-02-18:2048539:BlogPost:5991
2009-02-18T17:50:09.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
<img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="300" src="http://skypape.com/site%20images/NHT/pape-1-073004.jpg" title="Sky Pape - Take the A Train" width="400"></img><br />
<br />
Can you picture this? <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/nyregion/18about.html?ref=nyregion" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Arrested for taking photos of the NYC subway</span></a>, even though it's <em>legal</em>. Don't these guys have anything better to do? The camera-wielding perp knew his rights and it didn't seem to matter. Still, you might want to know <em>your</em> rights:<br />
<blockquote><font face="arial" size="2">“I said, ‘According to the…</font></blockquote>
<img class="aligncenter" title="Sky Pape - Take the A Train" src="http://skypape.com/site%20images/NHT/pape-1-073004.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="300"/><br />
<br />
Can you picture this? <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/nyregion/18about.html?ref=nyregion" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Arrested for taking photos of the NYC subway</span></a>, even though it's <em>legal</em>. Don't these guys have anything better to do? The camera-wielding perp knew his rights and it didn't seem to matter. Still, you might want to know <em>your</em> rights:<br />
<blockquote><font face="arial" size="2">“I said, ‘According to the rules of conduct, we are allowed to take pictures,’ ” Mr. Taylor said. “I showed him the rules — they’re bookmarked on my BlackBerry.”</font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font face="arial" size="2">Rule 1050.9 (c) of the state code says, “Photography, filming or video recording in any facility or conveyance is permitted except that ancillary equipment such as lights, reflectors or tripods may not be used.”</font></blockquote>
I guess the cops don't need to keep up on the laws that much. Maybe policing is more of an intuitive art than I've realized, and has less to do with enforcing actual laws. <a href="http://www.nppa.org/news_and_events/news/2005/05/subway.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">More info on the photography ban</span></a> (or lack thereof).<br />
<br />
[continued on <a href="http://skypape.wordpress.com/2009/02/18/can-you-picture-this/">Drawn Together</a>]
Reminder: Gallery Crawl 2/13
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-02-11:2048539:BlogPost:5931
2009-02-11T16:41:28.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
February's gallery crawl is this Friday. <a href="http://skypape.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/gallery-crawl-reminder-this-friday-feb-13/">Details posted here</a>.
February's gallery crawl is this Friday. <a href="http://skypape.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/gallery-crawl-reminder-this-friday-feb-13/">Details posted here</a>.
What do casinos, golf courses, and museums have in common?
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-02-07:2048539:BlogPost:5851
2009-02-07T15:20:08.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
Well, according to the Senate, they should all be banned from receiving any funds from the the economic recovery bill. Casino = museum? This is ridiculous.<br />
<br />
<strong>Breaking News</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.artsusa.org/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Americans for the Arts</span></a> reports that yesterday the U.S. Senate, during their consideration of the economic recovery bill, approved an egregious amendment offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) that stated “None of…
Well, according to the Senate, they should all be banned from receiving any funds from the the economic recovery bill. Casino = museum? This is ridiculous.<br />
<br />
<strong>Breaking News</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.artsusa.org/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Americans for the Arts</span></a> reports that yesterday the U.S. Senate, during their consideration of the economic recovery bill, approved an egregious amendment offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) that stated “None of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, swimming pool, stadium, community park, museum, theater, art center, and highway beautification project.”<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, the amendment passed by a wide vote margin of 73-24, and surprisingly included support from many high profile Senators including Chuck Schumer of New York -- who just received my opinion about that!<br />
<br />
Please take a minute if you can to send a pre-prepared and easily customizable <a href="http://capwiz.com/artsusa/issues/alert/?alertid=12612041" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">letter to your senator</span></a>. This form will let you know how your senators voted on the matter, so if nothing else, at least keep yourself informed!
Alert: Please take 2 minutes to support the arts!
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-02-06:2048539:BlogPost:5831
2009-02-06T20:43:42.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
<a href="http://artsusa.org" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Americans for the Arts</span></a> is calling for a coordinated public relations response to educate the public and put pressure on Congress to support the arts. Please <a href="http://capwiz.com/artsusa/utr/1/JOAOJTMOYT/EKHSJTMPAZ/2884867971"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">take two minutes to send a short letter to the editor of your local media outlet</span>.</a> They've provided the talking…
<a href="http://artsusa.org" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Americans for the Arts</span></a> is calling for a coordinated public relations response to educate the public and put pressure on Congress to support the arts. Please <a href="http://capwiz.com/artsusa/utr/1/JOAOJTMOYT/EKHSJTMPAZ/2884867971"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">take two minutes to send a short letter to the editor of your local media outlet</span>.</a> They've provided the talking points and just ask you to customize it to your community.<br />
<br />
As Americans for the Arts has previously reported, the House bill includes a $50 million provision for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), which will act as a lifeline for many nonprofit arts organizations, and by extension, for artists as well. There is solid research to demonstrate the stimulus gains that can be provided by this funding. However, here are some examples of the negative press on the matter from publications across the country:<br />
<ul>
<li><em>"True to form, Congress has loaded the [bill] with hundreds of billions in wasteful spending. The bill includes $650 million for digital TV coupons, $140 million to study the atmosphere and $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts. None of these proposals would create jobs or boost our economy. They're just old-fashioned waste"</em> - Op-ed in the <em>Indianapolis Star</em></li>
<li><em>"The National Endowment for the Arts would get $50 million for new exhibits to deem America racist and sexist."</em> - Op-ed in the <em>Norwich Bulletin</em></li>
<li><em>"The National Endowment for the Arts, for example, is in line for $50 million, increasing its total budget by a third. The unemployed can fill their days attending abstract-film festivals and sitar concerts."</em> - <em>National Review</em> Editorial</li>
<li><em>"I just think putting people to work is more important than putting more art on the wall of some New York City gallery frequented by the elite art community." [U.S. Rep Jack] Kingston said. "Call me a sucker for the working man."</em> - <em>Congressional Quarterly</em> report</li>
</ul>
Congress will spend the next few days completing their work on this legislation, so now is the time for arts advocates to write to their local media outlets today and fight back against threats to the funding and anti-art amendments. If you take action <strong>today</strong>, this pro-arts message will show up in news reports by early next week, when Congress is expected to be making final decisions on the legislation.
Review: Notes from the playing field
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-02-02:2048539:BlogPost:5791
2009-02-02T17:39:53.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
I confess: I know less than nothing about sports. In fact, my closest connection to any football field came last Thursday at Marlborough Gallery in Chelsea, where I went to see <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://marlboroughgallery.com/artists/dickson/artwork.html" target="_blank">Jane Dickson's show <em>Night Driving</em></a></span>, an exhibition of about twenty recent oil paintings on astroturf. Yes, that's right. Astroturf. Think pointillism meets the playing field.…
I confess: I know less than nothing about sports. In fact, my closest connection to any football field came last Thursday at Marlborough Gallery in Chelsea, where I went to see <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://marlboroughgallery.com/artists/dickson/artwork.html" target="_blank">Jane Dickson's show <em>Night Driving</em></a></span>, an exhibition of about twenty recent oil paintings on astroturf. Yes, that's right. Astroturf. Think pointillism meets the playing field. It's difficult to capture in reproduction, but the effect is quietly mesmerizing, even hypnotic.<br />
<br />
Dickson is no stranger to the exploration of unusual painting grounds, having already used sandpaper and carpet surfaces for her paintings. The astroturf bears a certain relationship to velvet paintings, imbuing an eerie luminosity to the works, but these lack any overt sentimentality or kitschiness.<br />
<br />
<img class="aligncenter" title="Jane Dickson at Marlborough Gallery 2-2009" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/Dickson-bluetunnel2.jpg" alt="" width="434" height="350"/><br />
<br />
Dickson provides views of cars on highways, bridges, garages, and sights so familiar they might seem bland. However, as the artist states, she is "...drawn to represent the uncanny, defined by Freud as, 'the familiar grown strange,' aiming to pull the unnoticed, the unquestioned, into the foreground, aiming to provide a space within my work for reflection on where we now find ourselves and what that tells us about who we are." These stated intentions are extremely well-realized through her new paintings. Slightly three-dimensional and definitely tactile, these works, not just for their scale, demand to be seen in person.<br />
<br />
From afar the paintings appear to be realistic, but with each step closer, shapes dissolve into a shimmering surface of color. Depth perception disappears, and indeed the familiar grows wonderfully strange.<br />
<br />
This show is up until February 14th at <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.marlboroughgallery.com" target="_self">Marlborough Gallery</a></span> in Chelsea, 525 W 25th St., New York, NY.<br />
<br />
(FYI, Jane Dickson is also the artist responsible for the mosaic of New Year's Eve Revelers, permanently installed in the NYC subway tunnel between Port Authority and Times Square.)<br />
<br />
[image above: <em>Blue Tunnel 2</em>, 2006-2008, Oil on astroturf, 29 x 36 in., 73.7 x 91.4 cm. Copyright Jane Dickson, courtesy Marlborough Gallery, New York.]<br />
<br />
For more reviews, visit <a href="http://www.skypape.wordpress.com">Sky Pape's blog Drawn Together</a>
Gallery Crawl January 10th - recap
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2009-01-17:2048539:BlogPost:5581
2009-01-17T18:30:00.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
<p>Sure enough, people were lined up down the block on January 10th, waiting for <a href="http://www.metropicturesgallery.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Metro Pictures</span></a> to open their doors. If I were <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/bill_cunningham/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Bill Cunningham of <em>The New York Times</em></span></a>, I would have had lots of material for a…</p>
<p>Sure enough, people were lined up down the block on January 10th, waiting for <a href="http://www.metropicturesgallery.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Metro Pictures</span></a> to open their doors. If I were <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/bill_cunningham/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Bill Cunningham of <em>The New York Times</em></span></a>, I would have had lots of material for a feature on stylish glasses and fabulous winter hats. Just <em>marvelous!</em> There was an idea floated out that there was a small fortune to be made if one were prepared to back up the offer of "Cocoa! Get your hot cocoa here!" But at that moment, the crowd began to flood into the gallery for <a href="http://newsgrist.typepad.com/visualaids/" target="_blank"><em>Postcards from the Edge</em>, the benefit for <span style="text-decoration:underline;">Visual AIDS</span></a>. Obviously, at the preview party the night before, many savvy collectors had pinpointed the pieces they had every intention of buying. In a nonstop blur of activity, things flew off the walls. My little drawing was purchased before I even located it myself. This annual benefit not only presents work of surprisingly high quality, but it tends to be managed extremely well thanks to smart staff and va-va-voom volunteers. The atmosphere is like a big party, and there really does seem to be something for everyone. My hope is that Visual AIDS raked in scads of dough, and I'll look forward to the recurrence of this event next year.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter" title="John Wesley Question of Women" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/questionofwomen.jpg" alt="" width="397" height="340"/>Our next stop was just down 24th St at <a href="http://www.fredericksfreisergallery.com/exhibitions/current/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Fredericks and Freiser</span></a>, for <a href="http://www.fredericksfreisergallery.com/artists/wesley/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">John Wesley</span></a>'s show <em>A Question of Women</em> (through Feb 7). My biggest exposure to <span style="text-decoration:underline;"><a href="http://www.chinati.org/visit/collection/johnwesley.php" target="_blank">Wesley</a>'s</span> work in person was at the <a href="http://www.chinati.org" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Chinati Foundation in Marfa</span></a>, and perhaps then my mind was just too caught up with the overwhelming presences of <a href="http://www.chinati.org/visit/collection/donaldjudd.php" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Donald Judd</span></a> and <a href="http://www.chinati.org/visit/collection/danflavin.php" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Dan Flavin</span></a> to be able to fully appreciate him. This well-curated show was my Wesley moment of enlightenment. It brings together a number of canvases from private collections that have not shown in New York before and some from the artist's studio that have never before been exhibited. Their collective impact is disarming, disturbing, and delightfully captivating. Painted between 1992 and 2004, these paintings should be considered in context from an artist who, born in 1928, has been perfecting this style for over 50 years. As cool and controlled as they may be, given the tightly drawn lines, the flat application of paint and the specificity of palette, they are startlingly dramatic. Naughty and erotic in a slightly <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Boop" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Betty Boop</span></a> kind of way, the abstract elements of the canvases -- the colors, the quirky shapes (those eyelashes!), the negative spaces -- hold powerful sway in the overall experience of the paintings. It is tempting to think that the simplicity of art employing a comic-book style makes it easy for digital images on the web to adequately stand in for the in-person experience. That notion is particularly false with Wesley's paintings and although I've included links, I would strongly urge you to go see the show before viewing all the images on the gallery's website. With 65 solo shows under his belt, this may be one of Wesley's best yet, and that's saying something.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter" title="Bhakti Baxter at BravinLee" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/bhakti-baxter.jpg" alt="" width="437" height="223"/>The next stop was <a href="http://www.bravinlee.com/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">BravinLee Programs</span></a> on 26th Street, where John Lee treated us to a fascinating walk-through of <a href="http://www.bravinlee.com/artists/baxter/Baxter_Press_Release.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Bhakti Baxter's</span></a> exhibition <em>After Certain Amounts of Breath</em>. In order to enter the main room of the gallery, you must detour around the remaining fragments of sheetrock and metal studs that once comprised a dividing wall. There's a short, vicariously cathartic <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVkgzuLK5rg" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Youtube video of the artist</span></a> creating (or should I say deconstructing?) it. The wall, and all the pieces in this show, relate to themes of temporality, mortality, and the pure energy of matter as it relates to existence. The featured work in the main gallery is a sequential series of large drawings on mylar depicting the gradual dissolution of the skeletal remains of a human couple, and their transformation or return to a kind of cosmic energy. The back gallery continues the idea, but on a more conceptual level. It has the makings of an intimate, yet spare, living room, in which one can sit and reflect a while. The decor of the room is subtle, yet purposeful: an <span style="text-decoration:underline;">Eames</span> rocker invites the visitor with a possible reference to <a href="http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/eames/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Charles and Ray Eames'</span></a> film <span style="text-decoration:underline;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powers_of_Ten">"The Powers of Ten"</a></span>, a film that looks at similarities of macro- and microcosmic views (Baxter offers another way to rock as well: there's a cassette deck playing, for those of you who remember what cassettes are); wall murals channel <a href="http://www.albersfoundation.org/Albers.php?inc=Galleries&i=J_1" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Albers' extensive series "Homage to the Square"</span></a>, and ideas of harmonious proportions; there's even a drawing of an agave plant to bring to mind the wonders of the <a href="http://pass.maths.org.uk/issue3/fibonacci/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Fibonacci</span></a> sequence (a plus for this Fibonacci fan). The references may be a bit obscure, but the ambition to coalesce themes of love, life, death, decay, harmony, scientific phenomena, art history, and even some gentle humor, is heartening, particularly in that cynicism is nowhere to be found here.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter" title="Emna Zghal Tree Threads" src="http://www.skypape.com/blogstuff/zghal_tree_threads08-25-37.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="259"/>Beating me to it, the <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/arts/events/art/2009/01/19/090119goar_GOAT_art?currentPage=4" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">New Yorker</span></a> just highlighted <a href="http://www.nathirat.net/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Emna Zghal</span></a>'s exhibition at <a href="http://myartprospects.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">M.Y. Art Prospects</span></a>. Emna's work may have been under your radar, but not long ago, she won a coveted purchase award from the <a href="http://artsandletters.org/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">American Academy of Arts and Letters</span></a>. This was her first solo show here of oils on canvas (as opposed to works on paper), and in the dead of winter, it gives you hope that Spring will indeed return. Without sticking to earthen tones or expected shapes, the bold colors and non-representational marks, lines, and gestures of these poetic canvases convey a love of nature: The rustling of leaves, the flow of water, the movement of a creature not quite seen, but sensed. They feel like fresh air and the outdoors without being sentimental or sweet. They express an energetic and layered space in a way that would have been impossible without Pollock, but which in no way seems derivative of him. This selection of works, finely done but never fussy, feels as refined and carefully edited as a sonnet.</p>
<br />
CONTINUE READING THIS POST HERE: <a href="http://skypape.wordpress.com/2009/01/17/gallery-crawl-january-10th-chelsea/">http://www.skypape.wordpress.com</a><br />
<br />
<p>[images starting at top: John Wesley, <em>Question of Women</em>, 1993, Acrylic on canvas: 42 x 49 inches; Bhakti Baxter, left to right: <em>After certain amounts of breath</em> 2008 india ink and dirt on mylar 59.25 x42 inches; <em>Residual bodies</em> 2008 india ink and dirt on mylar 61x42 inches; <em>A dispersed way of being</em> 2008 india ink enamel and dirt on mylar 61 x 42 inches; Emna Zghal <em>Tree Threads</em>, 2008, oil on canvas, 25 x 37 inches]</p>
Reading the Fine Print
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2008-10-08:2048539:BlogPost:3741
2008-10-08T20:27:25.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
After visiting a few galleries in Chelsea not long ago, I found myself questioning my feelings about the relevance of written explanations that accompany shows and the impact, pro or con, such additional reading materials can have upon my experience and assessment of the work.<br />
<br />
It's hard for me to keep up with two blogs, so <a href="http://skypape.wordpress.com/2008/10/02/reading-the-fine-print/">I posted my review</a> over on my other site. You can read the full post there, and if you have any…
After visiting a few galleries in Chelsea not long ago, I found myself questioning my feelings about the relevance of written explanations that accompany shows and the impact, pro or con, such additional reading materials can have upon my experience and assessment of the work.<br />
<br />
It's hard for me to keep up with two blogs, so <a href="http://skypape.wordpress.com/2008/10/02/reading-the-fine-print/">I posted my review</a> over on my other site. You can read the full post there, and if you have any thoughts on the subject, please do share them.
Macbeth travels from Poland to Brooklyn
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2008-06-11:2048539:BlogPost:2402
2008-06-11T15:30:00.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
St. Ann's Warehouse is producing an all-out and quite astounding, graphic version of Mabceth, which opens next week. Oh, and did I mention that it's in Polish? The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/theater/11macbeth.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all">NY Times has a full article on it today</a>. Too big to fit into St. Ann’s theater in Dumbo, it will be staged on a specially constructed, two-story stage in the roofless, 19th-century Tobacco Warehouse across the…
St. Ann's Warehouse is producing an all-out and quite astounding, graphic version of Mabceth, which opens next week. Oh, and did I mention that it's in Polish? The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/theater/11macbeth.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all">NY Times has a full article on it today</a>. Too big to fit into St. Ann’s theater in Dumbo, it will be staged on a specially constructed, two-story stage in the roofless, 19th-century Tobacco Warehouse across the street from St. Ann’s in Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park. (photo of stage construction below). The <a href="http://www.tmuny.org/index.html">Trust for Mutual Understanding</a>, an organization near and dear to Artists Unite's heart, is a generous sponsor of this groundbreaking work of theatre. Check it out if you can!<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3348204192?profile=original" alt="" width="650" height="434"/></p>
<br />
“TR Warszawa Macbeth” runs from June 17 to 29 at the Tobacco Warehouse, Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park, in Dumbo, on the Brooklyn waterfront; tickets and info: (718) 254-8779 or <a href="http://www.stannswarehouse.org">stannswarehouse.org.</a>
Who owns the truth?
tag:artistsunite.ning.com,2008-05-27:2048539:BlogPost:2081
2008-05-27T11:21:51.000Z
Sky Pape
https://artistsunite.ning.com/profile/SkyPape
<a href="http://measureformeasure.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/22/the-ear-of-the-beholder/index.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all">Roseanne Cash delivers a deep and eloquent article in the NY times</a>, pondering the distinction between fact and truth, how they relate to meaning, and how truth and meaning can be found through the creative process.<br />
"But in the space where truth and fact diverge, a larger question arises: if the facts don’t lead us to meaning, what does?…
<a href="http://measureformeasure.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/22/the-ear-of-the-beholder/index.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all">Roseanne Cash delivers a deep and eloquent article in the NY times</a>, pondering the distinction between fact and truth, how they relate to meaning, and how truth and meaning can be found through the creative process.<br />
"But in the space where truth and fact diverge, a larger question arises: if the facts don’t lead us to meaning, what does? Perhaps a willingness to live with questions, not answers, and the confidence to ascribe meaning where we find it, with our own instincts as guide."