Tag Archives: ART

Jun 18 2012
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ARTIST OF THE WEEK, THOMAS SPOERNDLE

ARTIST OF THE WEEK: THOMAS SPOERNDLE

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Thomas Spoerndle is a painter and 2010 MFA graduate from Hunter College.

Primary colors – red, yellow and blue – aren’t called primary colors for no reason. To artists, they unlock the code to the rest of rainbow; and that’s pretty darn special. Thomas Spoerndle embraces the basic RYB color combo (along with white and black) and fragmentizes their potential in puzzle like patterns. Using acrylic paint for it’s sheer-like qualities, his works have a delicate lucidity and depth that tends to change with the light. Using windows, fences and flags as inspiration, Spoerndle’s paintings are at once optical, graphic and substantial.

CHECK BACK LATER THIS WEEK FOR AN INSIDE LOOK INTO THOMAS SPOERNDLE’S NEW YORK CITY STUDIO!

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Jun 12 2012
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ADRIAN NEGENBORN, ARTIST OF THE WEEK

ARTIST OF THE WEEK : ADRIAN NEGENBORN

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Adrian Negenborn is a painter and 2010 MFA graduate from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

Whether isolating thick swipes of paint or mingling fluid lines with chancy splices, Adrian Negenborn strives to find the significance in gesture and mark making. “My process is characterized by excavation,” says Negenborn. “Oscillating from visceral to analytic, spontaneous to meditated, I respond to the initial flurry of marks laid on the canvas. I am always trying to make something from nothing, to dig something out of the mass of gestures.”

Interested in transparency and contrast, Negenborn’s paintings can also give the illusion of exuding light or being lit from behind. His method of layering various colors or shades of colors allow his works to possess a distinctive push-pull effect. In more than one work, I almost thought that a brush stroke was floating in front of the painting itself – which of course it’s not.

Primarily using acrylic paint on canvas and/or paper, Negenborn’s works are at once abstract, energetic and spontaneous. “I never fully know when a painting is done until it feels right; it reaches an in between state somewhere amidst harmony and disharmony. Eventually, a glance at an experience coming into being reveals itself out of the mass of gestures.”

Beautifully put, Negenborn. We’re excited to see what ‘reveals’ itself next!

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Jun 06 2012
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ARTIST INTERVIEW, Ayşen Orhon

Q & A WITH ARTIST AYŞEN ORHON

GN8PROJECT: So Ayşen, tell me a bit about your background.

AYŞEN: I studied fine arts for 4 years in Istanbul, which is where I am originally from. I moved to New England about 12 years ago, and have been occupying a great studio in an old button factory in Portsmouth, NH since 2006.

GN8P: Would you say that your move to the States was artistically driven?

AYŞEN: No it was not, unless you consider life an artistic endeavor overall.

GN8P: Do you think living and working in NH has helped shape or manipulate your artwork at all?

AYŞEN: Certainly. The moment you are born you are in a relationship with your surroundings. How you respond to what receive from your surroundings makes you who you are. And I think this also applies to your work as well.

GN8P: You said that you’ve been working in a studio located in an old button factory since 2006 – what is it about this building that keeps you happy working there?

AYŞEN: The Button Factory has a very industrial and urban feel which I can relate to. My process requires me to work alone, but I enjoy the feeling of continuous activity going on in the other art studios around me.

GN8P: Would you say you have any studio habits or quirks that help you get pumped up to make artwork (ie. music, rituals, etc.)?

AYŞEN: I cannot function without tea. PG Tips is a must have. I put the kettle on as the first thing, then I decide whether to use my clear glass or white porcelain mug, depending on the mood of the day.

GN8P: On your blog there is a video of you shuffling back and forth to tango or perhaps salsa (?) music – what made you perform this skit?

AYŞEN: It was a hot Summer day in my studio, and a playlist of my favorite tunes were shuffling in the background, when Plena For My Grundle by Garage a Trois started to play I got up and started to move back and forth with each chorus. We could say it was the composition of the song that prompted those moves.

GN8P: I’ve never heard of Garage a Trois but I’m totally going to download some tunes – really fun music! Now, moving on to your work: What would you say are your favorite mediums or materials you use the most? Why do you gravitate towards these materials?

AYŞEN: The piece or the series defines its own medium really. Though in general I like inconspicuous materials that keep the focus on visual expression rather than the material itself.

GN8P: I noticed that you tend to work with relatively muted/toned-down palette with the exception of a few bold pops of color. What interests you in this combination?

AYŞEN: Tonal dynamics. Contrast allows me to express a lot, without saying much.

GN8P: Are your most recent paintings painted on wood, canvas or aluminum?

AYŞEN: The Subtraction Series are painted on wood panels. I like how wood tolerates me.

GN8P: Which two artists would you say inspire you the most in your artistic vision and aesthetic?

AYŞEN: I am deeply moved by Francis Bacon and John Coltrane.

GN8P: What is your biggest challenge right now as an artist?

AYŞEN: We live in a time where information circulates faster then ever. The amount of verbal and audio-visual intake we receive in a day is overwhelming, which I love. Rather than isolating myself, I prefer to be fully connected. However, to be able to create something unique, one needs to hear what one’s inner voice is saying despite all this noise.

GN8P: Any goals you are trying to achieve in the near future?

AYŞEN: I do not have big goals. I like to live one day at a time. Today’s goal is to have a productive day and hopefully the outcome would be worthy.

TO VIEW MORE OF AYŞEN ORHON’S WORK CLICK HERE OR VISIT THE ARTIST’S WEBSITE

All Photographs Taken by Ayşen Orhon Unless Otherwise Noted.

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Jun 04 2012
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ARTIST OF THE WEEK, Ayşen Orhon

ARTIST OF THE WEEK : AYŞEN ORHON

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Ayşen Orhon is an artist living and working in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Subtraction is a huge motivator for Ayşen Orhon; Because as her work effectively shows, less is sometimes (always) more. Amidst what is usually a stark palette of white, Orhon reveals little pops of unpredictable color. A knotted tangerine string in a white paper bag, a strip of neon pink tape on the side of a painting, a loop of silver tinfoil around a ring of twisted fabric. Simplistic and minimal, Orhon ironically shows us that you can gain something from what is otherwise a reductive approach.

STAY TUNED FOR A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH THE ARTIST THIS WEEK!

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Mar 26 2012
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ARTIST OF THE WEEK, CYLE METZGER

ARTIST OF THE WEEK: CYLE METZGER

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Cyle Metzger is an artist and a 2010 grad from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

For me, Cyle Metzger’s work somehow simulates Alice in Wonderland in a minimalistic dimension. With every work you’re given the sense of being too tall, too small, permitted and yet restrained from entering his otherwise impossible spaces. Using simple geometric shapes and muted color palettes, Metzger is able to imply a generic interior without actually making one. “The reoccurring theme of simplicity is intentional and speaks to my interest in exploring how much a composition can be stripped down before it moves from subtle to meaningless” says Metzger.

In some of the works, the artist uses opaque panes of glass (commonly used for shower doors and bathroom windows) to obstruct the view of his sculpture’s interiors (Images #11 & #12). This is to ultimately make you “feel like a voyeur and question whether [you're] allowed to be looking into them or not.” Like Alice, I think I’ll allow my curiosity to get the best of me and peek into as many of Metzger’s little realms as possible.

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Mar 06 2012
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NYC ART CALENDAR

NYC ART CALENDAR – MARCH 2012

CLICK ON THE CALENDAR BELOW FOR DAY-TO-DAY DETAILS & LISTINGS

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Mar 01 2012
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ART EVENT, ARTIST OF THE WEEK, ZAQ LANDESBERG

THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF ZAQISTAN

This past Friday Giulietta and I attended the opening ceremony of The Consulate General of Zaqistan located at 655 3rd Avenue between 41st and 42nd street – just blocks away from The United Nations. The space was generously donated by the arts organization Chashma and will be open daily from 11am-7pm through March 3rd. On Friday, March 2nd there will be a closing party that will include a special lecture by Zaqistan founder and artist Zaq Landsberg. The lecture will highlight past expeditions to Zaqistan and the recent accomplishments of the Zaqistan Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina earlier this month.

Your first two questions most likely are: What is Zaqistan? and Where is it?

It all began in the summer of 2005 when Landsberg purchased 2 acres of land west of Salt Lake City, Utah (middle of nowhere desert) off EBAY for $610 dollars. His only thought at the time was to own a piece of land in the American west before it was all gone, however that desolate plot turned out to be the start of much more.

Just a month later, Landsberg and his friend, Jake Davidson, set out on the first expedition to what would later become Zaqistan. Zaq triumphantly marked his ownership with a red flag that bore an emblem of his name on the top Zaqistan’s highest peak, Mt. Insurmountable. In November of the same year, Landsberg recruited 25 people to take an Oath of Citizenship and sign a Declaration of Succession making the Republic of Zaqistan a sovereign nation.

Zaq, fellow artists and friends have since taken annual expeditions to Zaqistan to create and document site specific art works which include: three Robotic Sentinels (aka the guardians of Zaqistan) 2006, a Victory Arch 2009, a Customs Booth/Immigration Station 2010 (all shown below) as well as other separate art installations by Zaqistani visitors and/or citizens.

Landsberg explained to me that artwork documentation is key because as expected, in a years time the works are completely demolished or swallowed up by the desert’s harsh environment (Zaquistan’s first shelter, a Geodesic Dome built by Landsberg in 2007, was just recently discovered 3/4 of a mile away from the site half buried under a pile of sand).

The Consulate General of Zaqistan features artworks, photos (like the one directly above taken by photographer Arion Doerr), videos from past expeditions as well as found artifacts and soil samples. It also gives detailed information about the founding and rich history of this awesome micronation. Zaqistan merchandise/souvenirs are for sale and you also have the ability to apply for a passport. We Did!

Past Zaqistan expeditioners from left to right: Sofía Gallisá Muriente, Jeff Sisson, Zaq Landsberg, Jon Huron, Ingrid Burrington, Arion Doerr, and (front) Scott Riehs

The Consulate General was put together by the Zaqistan State Department which consists of:
Zaq Landsberg, artist, 2007 BFA graduate from New York University | Sofía Gallisá Muriente, filmmaker, 2008 BFA graduate from New York University | Ingrid Burrington, artist, 2009 BFA graduate from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)

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Jan 31 2012
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NYC ART CALENDAR

NYC ART CALENDAR – FEBRUARY 2012

CLICK ON THE CALENDAR BELOW FOR DAY-TO-DAY DETAILS & LISTINGS

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Jan 30 2012
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ARTIST OF THE WEEK, JESSICA SANDERS

ARTIST OF THE WEEK: JESSICA SANDERS

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Jessica Sanders is an artist and 2010 MFA graduate from Ohio State University.

Jessica Sanders reveals the nature of her mediums through the manipulation of touch and the progression of time. Her works incorporate a wide variety of materials such as drywall, insulation, paper, canvas, sugar and most commonly, wax. Sanders likens these materials to human skin which has a delicate, luminous physicality and can be stretched and transformed over time.

A a few of her works that directly explore the conditions of existence and or physical contact are:

Adit, 2010 – Initially appearing like a molten hole in the wall, Adit is actually a plaster cast of the interior of Sander’s mouth. This cast was then installed in the wall, filled with powder, and worn down over time by the touch of visitors (Image #8).

Slabs, 2010 – Two rectangular slices of wax are propped against the wall until weight and gravity eventually lead the slices to bend and cave in. The pieces break in two and rest on the ground (Image #13).

Untitled Wax Light Bulb, 2010 – A lightbulb is coated in wax and turned on. The heat from the bulb leads the layers of wax to melt and peel off of the bulb (Images #14 & 15).

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Jan 16 2012
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ARTIST INTERVIEW, NICHOLAS MOENICH

Q & A WITH ARTIST NICHOLAS MOENICH

GN8PROJECT : So Nicholas, what inspires you most as an artist?

NICHOLAS MOENICH : Inspiration comes from many places, thoughts and feelings. Some things are namable like friends, family, my cats, science, music, etc. and other inspiration is just more intrinsic, like its just there. Inspiration is hard to pinpoint because I think that just being alive and perceptive of the world around us is quite inspiring. Within that I mean both the beautiful and disturbing, the peaceful and the conflicted. I think all art is made to try to get at some sort of truth.

GN8PROJECT : How do you create your compositions? For instance, do you have a certain process or is it more spontaneous?

NICHOLAS MOENICH : My compositions are a kind of controlled improvisation. I make a lot of drawings with a particular shape and color scheme in mind. Eventually I just go for the painting and try to treat it just like a big drawing. It’s like playing music –  you practice so much that it becomes natural.

GN8PROJECT : The paintings featured on your website are pretty large-scale, the smallest one being 68×48 inches. How long does it generally take you to complete a canvas of that size?

NICHOLAS MOENICH : The length of time it takes to make a painting is not that interesting to me.  It is so relative, I spend much more time preparing the canvas (gessoing and sanding) then I do “painting,” but i think that is all part of the work. I don’t want my paintings to be about “oh look how much work the artist did or didn’t do.”  I’m not interested in work that is labored or that is dashed off for no reason.  I’m interested in specificity and that can come in many ways.  With all that being said, I do make my paintings in one take as a way to limit myself, and if it doesn’t work I scrap it.  I have also played around with giving myself time-limits and other games, like one hour to make a painting.

GN8PROJECT : Would you say that you have a favorite artist?

NICHOLAS MOENICH : I’m not going to pick one. Of course, I really like the late, figurative work of Philip Guston. I’m most interested in the terms of the actual painting- setting up conditions and limitations for himself and then just going for it. I am interested in how his paintings are more like big drawings. The De Kooning show that was recently at the MOMA was incredibly inspiring. He has this total reckless inhibition on the canvas and complete exploration of oil paint. I really like painting, but I am interested in a variety of art. I look for art that is specific in making an experience that the viewer can’t argue with; like the artwork is talking and saying “I am right here, right now, deal with it.”  I am fascinated by Donald Judd.  I recently went to Marfa, and I think it’s going to have a huge impact on my next body of work.

GN8PROJECT : Any particular reason why you have chosen painting and drawing as your two main mediums?

NICHOLAS MOENICH : Painting’s and drawing’s directness and simple form of expression and thought (body-tool-paint-mark) speak to the human condition at its essence. The absurdity of humanity and the burden of consciousness are all wrapped up in the ridiculous notion that pigment on a surface does something.

GN8PROJECT : Which painting on your website do you feel represents you best as an artist?

NICHOLAS MOENICH : Perhaps, Hey Lover.  It’s the largest painting from that body of work. I like working large because it forces this intrinsic indeterminacy in the process because of its physical size. But the main reason that I work this scale is the viewing experience that I am trying to create. I wanted this body of work to be like some sort of odd family of creatures that impose on the viewer, and that has to do with scale.

Nicholas Moenich, Hey Lover, 2011, Oil on canvas 108 x 80"

GN8PROJECT : What music do you listen to when you work?

NICHOLAS MOENICH : When I made this recent body of work, I think I was mainly listening to High on Fire and Bruce Springsteen.  I really like the “wall of sound” aspect and anthem-like quality that they both have.  It’s a call to action.

GN8PROJECT : Any advice for someone who’s about to graduate from art school?

NICHOLAS MOENICH : I just graduated and I’m trying to figure things out, but I don’t think school is the end-all, be-all.  Even though I went through a lot of school, I think obviously I have learned more about art by going to museums and galleries, talking with my friends, working a lot of art-related jobs and of course just making a lot of paintings. I think most artists learned by doing things, not by sitting in a class room.

SEE MORE OF NICHOLAS MOENICH’S WORK HERE OR VISIT WWW.NICHOLASMOENICH.COM

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