Despite the confusions of meeting in the city or not this past Thursday, I am so very glad we did because it was quite exciting. We visited two artist studios, all a few blocks from each other in the Greenpoint area, which was nice.
Booklyn!
Established in 1999, Booklyn is a collaborative between various artists where the primary focus is to publish and distribute editions of artist books and collaboratives. At times, Booklyn develops what they like to call 'Artist Banks' where they recieve an artist's work on paper that he/she independantly printed and then the studio is incharge of making a portfolio out of said works and selling them... Almost like an artist patron.
Booklyn makes most of its clientel by going to libraries, museums and galleries and there selling these collections of artists work. It is wonderful groups such as Booklyn are creating forms of archive to save works of contemporary, talented artists in a way that could historically preserve it for the future. For example artist 'zines' are slightly flimsy and would, alone, not stand the test of time, but Booklyn binds editions of a collection of an artist's 'zines' and thus, preserves them. These preserved collections of an artist's paper work can be sold to a library and held there to archive for art historical and research purposes.
The person who runs Booklyn was also very fun and upbeat. It was wonderful to hear her sense of humor and joking nature as she explained very fascinating things on how the shop works and presented lots of great artist work. I very much enjoyed myself and thought there should be more liberal and comical people in some tightly knit groups of artist such as herself.
There we saw many interesting works. As the woman spoke about Booklyn's functions, I couldn't help my eye wander and seek through the covers of various artists editions Booklyn had printed in the past and were neatly placed on the center table. Distractingly. Very distractingly. Once we could explore Booklyn's history of clients through the editions they had printed. I could not step away from that table. There were so many varieties of style, thematics, book binding, etc. It was simply marvelous! There were well known publications such as Evil Twin, Bonegût, Stretopia, etc. I took pictures of the most that captured my attention...
The texture on this woodcut is beautifully done. I had to take a picture of the mark makings the artist used to create depth and recession.
The inks used for this silkscreen really took me aback. The Purple was in a silver hue and it was just very well done. Also, the hidden incoropration of text to the landscape interested me. I just wish I remembered the artist...
Not a work of art, but I found this very funny. Due to my innept nature in translating jokes from one language to another and actually making them sound funny, I will refrain from explaining. It's usually phrased "No Fume" instead of "No se fuma".
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Kerry Downey Studio:
At first the work didn't strike me significantly, I will admit; although I was fascinated with the innovative fucntion of materials she used. It was later on, once she spoke, that I understood what it was about and that I really enjoyed. It all made so much sense and thus, I could provide a greater admiration.
Downey's work is fueled by peculiar curiosities she finds, some that most people wouldn't even believe to explore. Her mind was so innovative with her approach to and selection of subject matter. One of her obsessions is a magazine that sells pretty unnecesarry trinkets for cheap and targets older people. I had seen this so many times on my grandfather's table-top so a natural inclination towards her interest in this fascinated me.
The subject is much more complex that pointing how ridiculous and useless this magazine can be at times. Downey had worked for a while with senior citizens in various places in the US. She has seen, first account, the instability, regression and suffering that comes with old age. The usage of a handlebar attached to a shower wall by suction cups is a repeated element in her work.
With age the ability to shower becomes more and more difficult; with age one becomes more prone to slipping on the shower and getting hurt very, very badly and that is what this object, sold by this cheap magazine is supposed to be for; to help give 'support' to the elderly. But, what support can suction cups actually provide? Nothing. This is a recurring theme in Kerry Downey's work, the false illusion of support provided by this very peculiar object. The symbolism can be expanded with so much depth yet I believe it may not be the way I would like to direct this post. Interpret it as you will.
I greatly enjoyed asking questions to Kerry in her studio. I was so fascinated by her exploration involved with the elderly, as I found myself taking care of a grandmother with alzymers over the Summer. I just felt a little strange and too talkative because I was the only one asking...
P.S.: Also, to make things more exciting, latelly I've been staying after class and hitting up Gallery openings in Chelsea. This week I was just chillin' with Chuck Close, no big deal.
-Bettina.
It's always funny to me how students tend to be surprised that there are liberal, funny, weird people involved in art. All that tells me is that you must be getting some weird mixed signals inside the academy. For my part, I don't know what the point of being an artist is if you can't embrace your own weirdness. To me, Booklyn is a great example of that, both in terms of the kinds of objects they make, and the artists they work with.
ReplyDeleteMy Spanish is pretty bad, but wouldn't that sign mean "It doesn't smoke," or something to that effect? Most of the signs I saw in my travels in Mexico said NO FUMAR, which I suppose isn't exactly correct either.
I'm glad you got so much out of Kerry's work. A lot of times art gets reduced to either accepting or negating something ("I like this" or "I don't like this"), and her work, as you mentioned, represents a much more complex and interesting relationship to its source material. That's part of what makes her such a good artist.
And I'm sorry you felt awkward being the only one talking. The overall shyness of the class is something that needs to be addressed, but I'm still not sure what the solution is. Any thoughts or suggestions?
So great that you are seizing the opportunity to go to openings on Thursday nights. Did you happen to talk to Chuck at all? I've met him a handful of times; he is a really sweet guy and is always excited to meet and talk to young artists.
It is surprising. I don't know, I've had to deal with very unpleasant people at Purchase, ones that take themselves too seriously and seek to make other artists feel bad. I won't go into detail but that's one of the reasons why I switched to Printmaking when I started in the Painting program at Purchase.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the phrasing was just very strange with that sign, usually it's 'No Fumar'. I always feel so bad when I can't make a good translation.
I have no idea how to fix that, I guess most people are very reserved in the class. Maybe remind us how these opportunities don't come too often and that having knowledge from someone that already went through various hardships and/or stages with their art work would be very helpful; especially coming from a source that isn't a professor on Purchase campus.
It's been very fun to go to these openings, I try to get people from class to come but they'e all too tired and I understand. There I've discovered some artists I hadn't seen before, some I found very engaging.
Sally Mann's photography felt pretty moving. Eric Zener and Lee Price took hyper-realism pretty intensely yet the compositions aren't as boring as some 'I paint what I see and only what I see' hyper-realist artists do. Also David Kassan, that added more feeling to his portraiture, which actually depicts it came from a life source and not some shitty picture.
Also saw the work of Armando Marino, it was very folklore orientated and well executioned in the use of the paint as a material yet depicting something that isn't abstract.
The only complaints I have are:
1. Minors who want 'free booze, man' should go away.
I had an experience with some kid saying "Yo is the party still going?"
The only response I could give was "Well yes, the paintings are still up and I highly recommend them." :"No, I meant is there still alcohol."
...I just gave him a scornful look.
Sadly I did not get to speak to Chuck, I was dying to but there were so many intimidating people around him and I just got kind of shy and walked towards the rest of the Gallery. Wish I had spoken to him though, he seemed so open to talk to everyone.