This week ART YARD Advanced Studio on zoom Teaching Artist Quentin Williamston presented the first of a two-part session titled The Many Faces We Wear/The Idea Of The Face inspired by Italo Calvino’s 1972 novel Invisible Cities and a series of prints by Peruvian artist and architect Karina Puentes inspired by the book.
Quentin opened the discussion with a short video about the opera by Christopher Cerrone based on Italo Calvino's classic novel that depicts a meeting between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan in which the explorer recounts fantastical stories about the cities he's seen on his travels. This opened up to a lively discussion of the ideas explored in the book. Quentin then showed Karina Puente’s series of related prints.
“Anastasia has concentric canals and much in it streets that captures our senses and feeds our desires.” Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
Quentin sums up the evening: “We viewed some of Karina Puente’s works and used them inspiration. I asked participating artists to meet in breakout sessions to consider how we could represent our loved ones in a drawing created in the image of their own metropolis. Back as a group we collectively thought of different ways to identify people and how this could contribute to that loved ones city scape. Following the discussion, we reviewed the steps for creating our new and own versions of Karina Puente’s pieces using the ideas of our loved ones. We used the materials of our choice to create this piece.
Following the independent work time, everyone gathered together for critique. At critique the work was displayed, compared/contrasted and everyone shared warm and thoughtful compliments. Students produced work that pushed the overall bounds of the lesson and made each other reflect deeply on each loved one. Each student had a distinctive perspective on their created cities and of all were spectacularly done.”
Karla explains her cut paper recycled photo album page, 1940’s construction drawings, deco patterns piece in more detail: "Based on many memories with my son and daughter! They have almost completely opposite personalities but share a sense of organization. Downtown Salina has many Art Deco buildings. The five-block-long “Main Street” is currently experiencing a burst of re-development - much construction going on! It will remain a hub for meaningful cultural experiences for future generations. One of four laser cut deco gate structures is featured in my work."
Pat worked in pen, marker, watercolor, notebook paper, watercolor paper, glue stick.
This week in ART YARD Advanced Studio in person we took a field trip to The Wall Gallery, 41 Seabring Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. We were invited by Gallery Director and artist Scott Pfaffman to visit and I am sure glad we did!
The gallery is located on a rather industrial street that feels like old Red Hook to me. There is a sliding painted door leading to a small parking lot and the gallery entrance. With daylight savings time in effect the glowing well-lit gallery shown like a beacon, the art beckoning to us as we approached the door.
Scott has a lot of professional gallery experience -- designing, building, organizing, curating and presenting. In fact, he has built many a gallery for us in our partnership schools! As we settled into the space we enjoyed a lively and circuitous discussion, sprinkled with laughter and personal anecdotes about the art world, making, showing and writing about art. Which lead to Scott inviting Vera to write a review of the exhibition (keep your eyes peeled for that in a forthcoming recap!).
On view is the work of German artist Martin Colden. Bold, calligraphic abstractions on paper and recycled billboard materials. Ed pointed out that the low eye level employed in the installation served to engage the viewer in an unexpected and really compelling way.
As we were drawing from the exhibition Scott enthusiastically shared that drawing from the work helped him to better understand Colden’s work.
Scott complimented us saying we are "such resources of art and wisdom and love, WOW! Thanks for the best studio visit I have ever had." I foresee more collaborations in the future!
More Art News
ART YARD Artists showing right now in NYC:
Aisha Tandiwe Bell’s solo exhibition Trap is on view at Arcade Project, 56 Bogart Street, Bushwick, Brooklyn, Thursday-Sunday from 12-6pm through November 20th. Aisha will be there on Saturdays and Sundays 3-6pm.
Ed Rath’s solo exhibition Guys opened last night at Noho M55 Gallery, 548 West 28th Street, suite #634, Chelsea, Manhattan. The exhibition is open through November 26th. I am excited that Advanced Studio will meet there next Tuesday to really look at the show!
Maraya Lopez has a new video Green Trigger included in Osmosis at Art Cake Brooklyn, 214 40th Street, Sunset Park, Brooklyn through this Sunday November 13th. Maraya shares: “The exhibition highlights the artwork and labor of security guards who work at some of NYC's most acclaimed museums. I have worked at The Metropolitan Museum of Art as a security guard for over ten years while paying off my student loan debt.”
Further a field:
Aisha Tandiwe Bell has a gorgeous public piece in The Fairmont Art Wall, 33 Littleton Avenue Newark NJ. In addition to Aisha’s work the art wall features the works of Manuel Acevedo, Xenobia Bailey, Willie Cole, Kevin Darmanie, Ya La'Ford, Jerry Gant. Gladys Graur. Musa Hixson. Antonio Melero, Otto Neals, Mike Rader, Kevin Blyth Sampson, and Lisa C Soto.
I have a piece I created in Advanced Studio included in Teeny Tiny BOLD at Roundtree Gallery in Platteville, Wisconsin and work included in Small Matters at 437CO Gallery at Colorado Mesa University.
ART YARD Artist Delphine Levenson who has been experimenting with abstraction, shares her latest paintings. These acrylic paintings seem to really hit the vibe for our Planet Earth theme!
Delphine Levenson, Untitled Paintings, 2022, acrylic on canvas
Finally, I wanted to share this gorgeous hand sewn textile piece by ART YARD supporter, animal rescuer and quilter Kris Bevilacqua.
Kris Bevilacqua, Heaven and Earth, panel details: Frog and Hedgehog.
If you are in town, please check out some of these exhibitions! No matter where you are, I hope you are seeing and making some great art!
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