Do you have your tickets for AYB Art Words Benefit?
Seriously folks, this is deeply meaningful creative work accessible to all! We offer free, top-quality art opportunities to underrepresented and often marginalized people of all ages. While we are Brooklyn-based, our reach is international through our weekly zoom sessions.
This is what happened this week at AYB…
Karla Prickett zooming in from Kansas City lead a session titled “Keeping it Simple: The Language of the Icon” for this week’s AYB Advanced Studio on Zoom.
Karla summarizes: “My Zoom presentation was inspired by the phrase "visual literacy" - the exchange of information and understanding that occurs between image and viewer. What we each (artist and viewer) encounter is based on the vocabulary we individually bring to the exchange. Symbols have been incorporated in visual language for centuries. The lesson provided an exploration of the use and interpretation of the word icon from contemporary informational and technological applications to the visual language of historic and contemporary artworks.
Symbolic works included Byzantine icons and their influence on today's allegorical "flip-the-script" works of Mark Doox, Kahinde Wiley, and Amy Sherald.
The Pop Art movement provided works of simplified everyday objects targeting Pop Culture and American consumerism - Andy Warhol, Burton Morris, Claes Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggen.
It was so interesting seeing how everyone referenced artworks from the lesson to approach their personal expressions/experiences of the word "happiness."
My own (Karla) piece is still in process. My studio work is predominantly in what term symbolic expressionism in the medium of collage. I often work with elements from pre-1950, pre-computer, illustrations of mechanical or architectural drawings...an inspiration from childhood explorations in my grandfather's architecture studio! Composed using 1916 illustrations from a book about how to use concrete. My self-portrait echoes the frame-like compositional organization of historic icons and inspiration from Doox and Basquiat. Elements such as windows, stairs and bench are symbolic of looking inside and outside, inviting open dialogue, and stepping up to challenges. Illustration elements form the interpretation of myself as artist - scissors included!
Every time Meridith's work of her beloved cat Rik looking onto a drawing on the back of a letter written by her nephew appeared on our screens, I had to laugh because of the reflected image being imagined from Rik's perspective!!! What a great symbolic reference to a relationship of joy and love! The painting of the back of Rik's head is amazing and the depth created using the mirrored image is so effective both from viewpoint and facial expression!!!
Jacob's composition drew comparisons to the contemporary icons of Wilde and Sherald. His joy of a long-awaited favorite flavor bagel experience is expressed in a great watercolor of the bagel shop employee enshrined in front of a delicately detailed bagel halo!
Lila's logo drawing is a powerful expression symbolic of the support, strength, and encouragement experienced in establishing an organization to assist women victims of domestic violence. Holding hands, the iconic figures interpret support for each other. Movement and depth are created by the use of negative space and layering the figure upon the icon representing support for breast cancer. The rose-colored icon becomes another personified icon within the composition.
Lila adds: "A Joyful Walk Together," by Lila Green captures the essence of community, strength, and support in the face of domestic violence. Three classic walk icons, their hands touching, symbolize the shared journey of survivors. A vibrant purple ribbon, placed behind the central figure, represents Domestic Violence Awareness and stands as a stark reminder of the pervasive issue affecting one in three women. The painting is a poignant reflection of Green's personal experience with domestic violence and the joy she found in the company of fellow survivors and supportive allies during awareness walks. It serves as a testament to the hope that can emerge from traumatic experiences and the power of collective resilience.”
Several compliments were directed to Adji's expressive drawing of hands in the process of forming a ceramic wheel-thrown pot. Turning motion is created with circular lines. And, the continuation of that movement is seen in the creative placement of text in her visual declaration that "happiness" is creating art!
Vera's colored pencil drawing becomes the iconic representation of how she experiences "happiness" in drinking her favorite hot tea from a BIG cup! The centered image becomes the catalyst for expressing both enjoyment from sipping a great cup of tea to "Dreaming Big" in life's pursuits! Her work-in-progress might include a dwarfed table to further stress the symbolic scale of the cup.
Vera expounds: Drinking tea is one of many things that make me happy. With that comes the joy of choosing and collecting mugs that add to the enjoyment. The larger the much the better. This is a drawing of one of the largest mugs I own. To highlight the size, I decided to draw it sitting on top of a small table. To pull in the theme of dreaming, I added some dreamlike elements (e.g., floating string and tag, an incomplete message on the tag and a blob of tea escaping the mug).
I especially like the color and movement in Travis' expressive work featuring the cup as symbol, centered within an abstracted portrait. The use of fluid black line and textures draw the viewer into the composition. Adji, Vera and Travis all featured vessels symbolically in their works.
Ed's expression of the iconic "Marlboro Man" is rendered with such effective simplistic line. The macho expression is perfectly captured as subject is employed in the delight of "lighting up" in the mimicked cupped-hand fashion, keeping match lit long enough to draw the first puff! The simple inverted red chevron symbolizes the mountains and references many western films, movies and marketing strategies.”
Advanced Studio in person at BWAC with a jaunt over to Hot Wood Arts studio down the hall, dug into part-two of our woodworking session this week with Teaching Artist Rainy Lehrman.
Rainy recaps: "New tools and new challenges were introduced this week as students returned to shaping their linden wood. Rasp, files and abrasives were utilized, while many continued on with the spokeshave as they refined and defined their individual wall hooks. Using rasps to smooth tear-out, we then sanded out the rasp marks with 80 grit sandpaper and quickly progressed to 150 grit and then 220 at which point we had the surface smooth enough to take a finish.
Clamping the work became a real issue as the work became more subtractive and more difficult to secure to the pillars. Eventually we began to find ways to position the work with jigs, our own bodies and existing cracks and crevices within the building. This was when the work took on a character of its own and became familiar, as if an extension of the maker. Many of us marveled at the unique path, the wood directed us to take, and how it revealed itself through the entire process.
We took a quick trip next-door to visit my studio and wood shop, where we also applied our linseed and coconut oil finish. It was at this point that students finally saw the true beauty of the wood. Rippling across the surface, iridescent tiger stripes, and birdseyes flashed and flamed. Light bounced off one plane intersecting another and another, as if the wood was highlighting its own form. Spaulting, once a background noise pushed to the surface like inky marbling across the golden grain.
One by one we anchored our hooks to the wall with keyhole hangers. As they cantilevered out in a long line, the individual pieces became cohesive as if one body, creating a reflection of the collaborative nature of the AYB community."
Woodworking Vocabulary:
Spokeshave: a hand tool used to shape and smooth woods in woodworking jobs such as making cart wheel spokes, chair legs, paddles, bows, and arrow.
Rasp: a coarse form of file used for coarsely shaping wood or other material.
Tear-out: when wood fibers are pulled or torn out instead of being cut cleanly, resulting in rough edges.
Jig: A device that holds a piece of work and guides the tools operating it in order to provide repeatability, accuracy, and interchangeability in the manufacturing of products.
Tiger stripes: A ribbon-looking grain pattern in wood and is usually running across the grain.
Birdseye: a unique grain pattern that is only found in certain types of wood. Bird's eye grain received its name due to its small circular swirls that resemble the eye of a bird.
Flame(d): a distinctive pattern characterized by wavy or curly figuring in the wood grain, often resembling flames.
Spaulting: a process that occurs when fungi or bacteria colonize wood, causing discoloration and distinctive patterns.
Wednesday Advanced Studio took a field trip to see the Broadway Musical Water for Elephants at the Imperial Theater. For some of us it was a first time experience on Broadway, for all of us it was a magical evening. I particularly loved hearing the enthusiasm from each person’s point of view -- Abby entranced by the costumes and sets, Abriel (bob) brimming with enthusiasm for the skill of the players, Ty astounded by the acrobatics, Christine recounting that the musical surpassed her recollection of the book.
AYB Artist Lila Green penned a review that encapsulates the show perfectly!
Water for Elephants is a roller coaster of emotions and jaw-dropping acrobatics. It's like traveling back in time to the Great Depression circus, but with a modern twist!
The show dives deep into the underlying themes of childhood trauma, domestic violence, animal cruelty, and ageism. Each character carries the weight of their past, and their experiences are brought to life with raw emotion and powerful storytelling. The portrayal of animal cruelty is particularly poignant, highlighting the ethical dilemmas of the circus industry.
The small stage is transformed into a world of wonder, with acrobatic feats that defy gravity and stunning visual effects. The cast is exceptional, showcasing a wide range of talents from singing and acting to puppeteering. The animal puppeteers are particularly impressive, bringing the circus animals to life with incredible realism. Overall, Water for Elephants is a captivating and thought-provoking experience. It is a testament to the power of theater to entertain, educate, and inspire.
Special thanks to AYB Managing Director Dennis Buonagura for securing the tickets and to Noel McKenzie from Brooklyn.org for sharing the opportunity with AYB.
Other Art News
Last Friday evening about a dozen AYB artists joined the fun to celebrate Joopi’s LP release at Berry Park. The record sounded great through the venue’s sound system and the short spoken program insured that all present heard the enthusiasm and dedication Jules, Liv, and their band-mates put into the recording.
Some night of, dimly lit images.
Congratulations to Liv and Jules on the excellent press for a recent concert! Read the Joopi article in Connecticut XYZ through this link!
Exhibitions to see
Ajani recommends The Way I See It: Selections from the KAWS Collection on view at The Drawing Center, 35 Wooster Street, Soho, NYC through Jan. 19, 2025. The exhibition features more than 350 artworks chosen by KAWS from his vast personal collection of over 3,000 works on paper by some 500 artists. Fittingly for the AYB Year of Literacy many of the works on view include text.
I (Meridith) really enjoyed the Flags: A Group Show on view at Paula Cooper, 521 W 21st Street through Oct. 26, 2024. The installation hovering in the center of the space is wonderful, and the works surrounding are expertly installed. Featuring some well-loved artists – Jacob Lawrence, Diane Arbus, David Hammonds, Ming Smith and Jaune Quick-to-See Smith – the work is varied, and powerful!
Not to be missed is Maira Kalman Still Life with Remorse, an exhibition dove tailing with her new book of the same title, on view at Mary Ryan Gallery 515 West 26th Street in Chelsea through Nov. 30, 2025. There is a lot of lush pink in this exhibition exploring the solace and/or pain found in objects left behind by those who have passed, Kalman hopes that the viewer experiences varied, mixed emotions all at once, from poignance to nostalgia. She writes, “Vast skies full of remorse. Oceans of remorse. But enough. There should be merriment. And good cheer. Good tidings. Well wishing.”
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