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Writer's picturefrida@artyardbklyn.org

"…the single most important bond is community."

Updated: Sep 19

It is the AYB Year of Literacy, and we jumped into our theme with gusto for our first session of Advanced Studio in person at BWAC for the fall semester. It was splendid to be back together making art in our spacious studio. Oh, the view! My windowphilia becomes effervescent with joy as the sunsets dramatically play out their magic.


View from AYB Studio at BWAC, Red Hook, Brooklyn

ART YARD Artist Jodie Lyn-Kee Chow presented Signs & Symbols in which we looked at Jean-Michel Basquiat's pictogram methods and Jenny Holzer’s anonymous text works in public space, both of whom use text to tell stories and create their own language which is both personal and political.

 

Jodie presents her lesson

Jodie thoughtfully summarizes: “Our in-person class was really fun and inspiring. It was my first time teaching at the AYB studio at BWAC in Red Hook. I was met by the great weather, breathtaking sunset views and participants’ enthusiasm, which made the experience even more memorable! 

 

After introductions and Meridith explaining the season’s theme of literacy, I mentioned how my love for text-based art came to mind.  I decided to reference a couple of famous artists who use text in their work such as: Jean-Michel Basquiat and Jenny Holzer. Both artists stood out for me while reflecting on our times and text. By showing two different approaches to text-based art I found the common thread was their messages about social issues aside from the obvious personal and political. 


Jean-Michele Basquiat, Untitled, 1985, cut and pasted paper and oil stick on paper

Basquiat had more of a hands-on approach to his work by scribing language. A language that was formulated by his personal story growing up in NYC with Caribbean parents and being a patient to a car accident as a child. A car struck him while playing outdoors and his mother gifted him comic books and an anatomy book while he healed. Such images helped to form Basquiat’s artistic language along with  Henry Dreyfus’ “Symbol Sourcebook” and Robert Farris Thompson’s “Flash of the Spirit”.  


Jenny Holzer, Abuse of Power Comes As No Surprise and Moral Injury, North Adams Massachusetts, 2021.

Looking at Jenny Holzer a neo-conceptual artist whose work is primarily text-based and often showcased in public spaces such as billboards, buildings, and architectural structures provided a sharp contrast to Basquiat’s in that there is often no trace in the hand.  Also ephemeral, large-scale, and immersive. Holzer’s work is passionate and political and emerged from diagrams from books of various subjects intrigued by captions which led her to form “Truisms” and to dematerialize the author.

 

Both artists’ use of the written word are profound. They both like great artists do. They steal!

 



I invited the class to conjure up their text-based work while thinking about mantras, manifestos, catch phrases, and pretty much any word, or arrangement of words to their liking.  Inspired by these approaches but to use their visual style of course….  Here is what we came up with:


  Mia Lew, “Only Boring People Get Bored”, Watercolor on paper

I found this work by Mia thoughtful in terms of composition and mystery. the letters somehow become almost abstract and like shapes filling up the page and almost like a camouflage effects.

 

Other colorful rainbow and sunset like text art was created by Elizabeth Morales here below in “Nunca Sufficiente Qui Ni De Alla” which translates to “Never Enough Here Nor There”.


Elizabeth Morales, “Nunca Sufficiente Qui Ni De Alla”, paper cutouts

And my watercolor with hot glue mantra example here somehow is about having nothing but it’s something.

 

Jodie Lyn-Kee-Chow, “I have everything I need”, watercolor and hot glue on paper

I whipped up one for my mom too with a coloring book page, adhesive paper, hot glue and with a message that doesn’t compete too much with the imagery. Mom loves coloring pages & flowers, ok!


Jodie Lyn-Kee-Chow, “Mom, Get Well Soon”, coloring book page, pencil, marker,  adhesive paper, hot glue

The next few images were popular in the critique for the existential conversation that came about while viewing them:


Lila Green, “4 Days of Unopened Email”, marker and pencil on paper 

Lila talked about a True Crime episode that made us all think about a tragic and untimely eerie death scenario in the workplace. Cammy complimented the piece during critique for its memorial aspects.


Brianna Camacho, “What One Man Calls God, Another Man Calls Physics”, two part mixed media collage

Brianna Camacho, “What One Man Calls God, Another Man Calls Physics”, two part mixed media collage

Another existential theme here with church versus the law of physics by Brianna. We loved the thoughtful envelope here and how when opened it revealed more to the story.


Liana St. Bernard, “Be Renewed”, paper collage, markers

Liana’s made me think about life and the drama that comes with it and to of course trust the process. I think Meridith mentioned how the center text is like a record in motion or the cycle of a washing machine for example.

 

This work by Ariel is a commentary about the vicious cycle of being a New Yorker on auto pilot.  I can relate!

 

Ariel Abdullah, “Autopilot”, paper collage on canvas

This colorful work also jumps off the edge of the page and its bubbly-shaped font is very effective and looks like a commentary of a dismal dream to me.


Elizabeth MacNamee, “All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream”, Paper collage, marker

 I have to wonder if Elizabeth and Mich cut from the same magazine. It’s a kaleidoscope of images with text that blends into a dreamscape abstraction and it compliments Mich’s work well. 


Mich Goenawan, "Are Your Dreams As Dead As They Seems", mixed media collage and marker

Somehow I think this work by Jacob sets a very optimistic mood and also compliments Mich’s work well.


Jacob Rath, “I want you to make work that you can be proud of”, watercolor on paper

Jacob Rath, “Enriched Macaroni Product”, watercolor on paper

A generic brand of macaroni is featured in the smaller work here by Jacob. I find it to be catchy and comical. The curvy lines are thoughtful gestures of noodles.

 

Eden-Nicole Moore, “If I love you I have to make you conscious of the things you don’t see”, watercolor on paper

I like how the cursive font flows like a grapevine. The word “conscious” is faint like “ of the things you don’t” and I find that to be smart because you have to look closer at the text. It’s like a play on words. 

 

Ariel (bob) Gardner, “Look Away/Touch”, watercolor and collage on paper

This one by Ariel (bob) uses action-packed verbs. And the artist is also a dancer so Meridith made that connection and how it made total sense. 

 

Lenika Silva, “Corazón de Melon”, watercolor and collage on paper

Leni’s work is inspired by a diagram and since we ate watermelon at the studio it somehow made its way into her work while thinking of her cat. This image incorporates the cat and the watermelon so well. 

 

Adji Kebe, “I can’t be a singular expression of myself”, paper collage

Adji’s work which references song lyrics, received compliments for its colorful patchwork and the facial expressions says it all. Beautiful!


Eden-Nicole Moore, “A Credit to my Race and to the Motion Picture Industry”, pencil on paper 

I love how well-balanced this is. So cleverly put it’s inspired by a filmstrip and the artist is also a P.O.C. and filmmaker so this message is very honest about their experience and inspiration by James Baldwin.


Ty Fletcher, “It duh go r…”, Tape and pencil on paper  

In this work Ty puts together fragments of a phrase in patois, quoting his mother Ty explains: “"It aggo mad mi" (means that the food is good)”.  I find the act of taping the text as a poetic action of piecing together traces of his mother’s Caribbean tongue.

 

Keenan Conley, “…the single most important bond is community”, watercolor on paper

Last but not least… Keenan’s work here is a beautiful homage to bell hooks. It speaks to what tonight has been about for many of us. The community here and what we shared in such a short time is the most important message of all!

 

The work on the stage for critique

Thanks for looking and reading this work with us!"

 

 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!!

 

Please join us on Friday, September 20th from 6-8pm at The Gallery at 180 Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn, for the opening of our exhibition Read Between The Lines.



Wine generously donated by Rocco Spagnardi owner of Locanda Vini e Olii, Camillo, & Bar Camillo.

 

Meridith McNeal, Bar at Locanda, watercolor on paper, in the home of collector Zita de Zagon, Italy.

On view will be watercolor paintings by AYB Artists inspired by my Magical Things paintings with text, as well as an installation of text drawings by Ajani Russell called Passing Thoughts, and one of my Inside Outside Windowphilia pieces (featuring text, of course!).


Ajani Russell, Drawing (two handed), ink on paper

Jenn has completed her painting for the exhibition.


Jennifer Dodson, The Love Letter, 2024, watercolor on paper  


 

Other Art News

 

Dennis reports in from Greece: "Small world! At the Center for Mediterranean Architecture in Crete I saw "Breathlines" a solo exhibition by international Greek artist Antonia Papatzanaki, a NYC based artist who attended Pratt. The exhibition addresses the urgent issue of the environmental crisis, emphasizing the crucial role of plants in our existence, health, and the planet's ecological balance. On view is a series of small-scale oil paintings and light sculptures illuminated from the "Structural" series, an installation titled "Vital Lace" consisting of eight large-scale wall sculptures made of laser-cut stainless steel, plexiglass, and light, and a video showcasing digital works from the "Xylem" series. The tree forms inspired by the trees the artist drew in Central Park!”


Antonia Papatzanaki, "Vital Lace" installation view, photo by Dennis Buonagura
 

Liv painted a portrait of her mother’s cat Minnie as a birthday present for her mother. Liv reports from Connecticut that her mother loves the painting!! Minnie does too!


Liv Collins, Minnie, 2024, watercolor on paper, 12x12”


 

Join AYB Teaching Artist, and exhibition curator Aisha Tandiwe Bell tomorrow Saturday September 14th at 4-6pm for an artist talk at Tiger Strikes Asteroid, 1329 Willoughby Ave. 2A, Bushwick, Brooklyn.



 

Art Opportunities

 

BLICK Pet Portrait Challenge: Submit a work of art featuring your pet for a chance to win a prize pack worth more than $350! All mediums welcome. Your submission must include your first name, last name, email address, city, and state. The submission period is from 9/12/24–9/26/24.

 




 










PS REMEMBER TO SIGN UP for Advanced Studio sessions through our website Sundays at 5pm!

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