Looking at art in person is such a joy! These days we see so much through a screen, back lit, colors not quite right, devoid of surface texture and scale a thing of mystery. This week AYB Advanced Studio artists saw many exhibitions and we loved every minute of it. Our itineraries were planned to deepen our dialogue about our theme of literacy. A special bonus to looking at art together are the connections we make when sharing the experience.
On Saturday we met at PS 1/ MoMA in Long Island City. Joining a cadre of long-standing AYB Artists was our newest participating artist, NYU grad-student Hermella Kassaye. When she sent a text announcing her momentary arrival, I let her know she would find us in the museum lobby describing myself as wearing a bright pink coat and having purple hair. Then I looked up from my phone to see two other folks fitting that description! Ha.
AYB Artist Lenika Silva had tipped us off that Mother by Sohrab Hura moved her to tears. Our high expectations were met, particularly in the gallery featuring a salon style installation of paintings and hand written text, with a center plinth of painted cardboard boxes. Sort of a Maira Kalman of India.
Works by Sohrab Hura. Photos by Meridith McNeal.
We were thrilled to meet the artist of The Sumptuous Discovery of Gotham a GoGo by DonChristian Jones. This welcoming vintage-feel installation is conceived of as a space for queer and trans people of color to skill-share, create, and cultivate joy. We will be back!
Installation photos The Sumptuous Discovery of Gotham a GoGo
On the first floor we were drawn to the hand-made paper assemblages on view in Offerings for Escalante by Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien.
The work that really resonated with all of us was Ceremonies Out of the Air: Ralph Lemon a dancer and choreographer as well as visual artist, Lemon wowed us with his installations, drawings and video.
AYB Artist Abriel (bob) Gardner, who is also a cross-art-form artist, writes: “All of the shows were incredible but I was particularly moved by Ralph Lemons exhibition. Lemon is a choreographer, writer visual artist and director. As a dancer myself I felt how movement influenced his works. His exhibit was diverse and deep. An impressive range of artistic process and creation. In retrospect, the exhibition was a blurring of video, dance, paintings, colors and sculptures. They all came together to create a winding pathway into Lemons world. The paintings were a stream of consciousness, depictions of life on all ends micro to macro to literal to abstract and back to literal again. The video works were haunting yet eerily familiar and the sculptures were looming and heavy but still had sense of play to them. I very much enjoyed this exhibition and the emotions it was able to provoke out of me. I’m still unpacking it all and might even have to go back for a second round.”
AYB Artist Adji Kebe adds: “The current exhibits at PS 1 MoMA are an amalgamation of our current world and the dream world of an artist. In Ceremonies Out of the Air, Ralph Lemons showcases over 60 works of art displayed in multiple rooms. To see each installation, one has to move through a maze of open doors. The works range from photography, drawing, to sculptures, and videos. One of the most striking pieces is a series of pen ink drawings, photographs, and a spaceship. In a dark room lit by a projector, viewers are introduced to a geriatric astronaut named Walter. Walter seems stuck between the real world, and the world of his imagination. There seems to be an attempt to travel to this world via spaceship, yet he’s stuck. There’s a video of him tossing and turning in his spacecraft, desolate. In all the photographs our astronaut is alone. He’s either surrounded by engulfing greenery of the forest nearby, or alone on the space craft. There’s a tension, as well as, a longing for a world that doesn’t quite exist, or perhaps one he can’t access. His spacecraft is non-functional. At some point it becomes abandoned, and viewers have to content with the wreckage. There’s a loneliness to Walter. Perhaps it’s a nod to the inherent loneliness of being a human. We alone exist in our bodies and minds. Perhaps it's a nod to the loneliness of being an artist—always trying to communicate what is in one’s mind for others to decode, analyze, and understand.”
On Wednesday we went gallery hopping and we enjoyed that sort of experience which resonates with our understanding of what it means to be an artist and deepens our understanding of our connections to others!
We started at Gagosian Gallery on Madison Avenue to see the work of Cy Twombly. AYB Teaching Artist Iviva Olenick writes: “Our gallery visit to see Cy Twombly's masterful paintings-as-poems shifted my preferences in art viewing and even making. I would not normally on my own go see abstract painting, but this work broke all preconceived ideas, extending painting beyond its boundaries to encompass poetry, math and textiles. In one room, larger-than-life, mostly grey palettes revealed strokes of red, blue, orange amidst a wide range of neutral tones. These works resembled classroom chalkboards with mathematical formulas or indecipherable messages scratched into the surface. In the next gallery, the textured layering of paint on irregularly shaped canvases looked like felt panels. In the final room, smaller works on paper and canvas read as poems and journal entries, with legible and illegible texts scrawled under or on drawings. What a delightful way to spend the afternoon. And if that's not enough, the opulent building was accommodating and welcoming. I think we could have spent a whole day there.”
Cy Twombly at Gagosian. Photos Meridith McNeal
We went on to see Stephanie Shih at Alexander Berggruen Gallery. We love Shih’s ceramic pieces depicting household objects, packaging boxes, and books almost all covered in text! Plus we got an extra treat when Assata asked Associate Director Kirsten Cave about the painting in the office and she invited us back for a little private tour!
In Chelsea we visited Barkley L. Hendricks: Space Is The Place at Jack Shainman Gallery. As I am sure Hendricks would have approved of, we were animated and buzzing with conversation as we enjoyed the work. While you might be thinking – wait, I thought he painted portraits! And yes, but perfect for our Literacy exploration most of the works (drawings and paintings) included hand written text.
We finished the day on a whim looking at some heavy hitting ceramics at ACA Gallery. Adji and Assata both really responded to works by Jun Kaneko and Toshiko Takaezu. Just like reading a good book, both artists had us looking around for more about their studio practices (check the links!).
"When we are loving we openly and honestly express care, affection, responsibility, respect, commitment, and trust." ~ bell hooks
With AYB Artist Neah Gray Advanced Studio on zoom delved into esteemed author bell hooks All About Love: New Visions (William Morrow, New York, 1999) creating our own cover images for the book.
Neah recaps the session: “I presented the book All About Love by bell hooks. Honoring Valentine’s Day & Black History Month, this book was a great way to end the weekend and remember the different forms of love around us. What I enjoy most about this book is bell hooks’ perspective on defining love, acting in love and embodying love. I presented excerpts about love within friendship, self-love, romantic love, and what is and isn’t love. My favorite part of the class was seeing everyone’s interpretations of love and a reimagined book cover from their perspective. It warmed my heart to see others grab their copy of All About Love and use it as reference during the class.
Assata’s drawing of “love in the eyes” was one of my favorite pieces of the night. Our eyes are the windows to our souls, and our souls are what makes us interconnected, woven by roots of love. Emotion, love and vulnerability in our eyes fills the gap when words fall short.
Rachel’s piece of her partner doing their hair, pieces capture a specific loving intimate moment, one that we all related to. Looking at Rachel’s work, I immediately understood her selfless interpretation of love. We know Black hair is important and beautiful, and takes patience, time and love to maintain. Her work brought me peace, as we all desire a love that unburdens us and helps to take the weight of the world off our shoulders.
Travis’ watercolor painting of beautiful hands with long, adorned, red nails and roses in a prayer like form, remind me of our great grandmothers and abuelas who kept rosaries, alters, candles and praying hands as a form of worship, faith, protection, spirituality, and love.
The glamorous manicure reminded me (Meridith) of Ajani’s gorgeous nails! So on Tuesday at BWAC I showed Ajani an image of Travis’ painting, and we recreated the pose in front of a floral collage!
My favorite quote from All About Love was bell hook’s brave definition of love: “The will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth.” She expands by emphasizing that love is an action, not just a feeling, and that it requires care, respect, knowledge, and responsibility. This interpretation of love is also selfless. It is unbalanced to only think of our emotions and well being, while not implementing deep consideration, care and nurturance to the ones we love and their wellbeing. Vera B.’s professional level book cover embodies this well.
Both Richie and Rashida’s works in progress capture very big ideas. Rashida’s baby with the world as a head, and Richie’s blossoming plant with roots and aura visible go for the universal level on which we need to embrace love.
Rashida Green, All About Love and Richard Lee Chong, All About Love (both in progress)
I love Adji’s butterfly, Lila’s bold yellow piece reminds me of the book cover for “Things Fall Apart”.
Adji Kebe, All About Love and Lila Green, All About Love
Vee channeled their inner Basquiat for this lesson.
I like to believe Mich’s piece shows us what happens deep down in our cells when we fall in love.
Meridith's beautiful watercolor painting of a door knob with a heart key is inspired by hooks assertion (chapter 1) “Love in the key which opens the door to freedom.” Meridith’s piece makes me wonder, “What’s on the other side of love?” “What if we gave love a chance?” It’s vulnerable and scary not knowing what’s on the other side, but it’s the endless possibilities of joy, peace and love that makes us keep the door open to love.
On Tuesday at Advanced Studio in person at our studio at BWAC AYB Artist Ajani Russell introduced us to Codex Seraphinas – an illustrated encyclopedia of an imaginary world, created by Italian artist, architect and industrial designer Luigi Serafini between 1976 and 1978.
Ajani recaps: “This week students were asked to think about their own personal utopia or their ideal world. Inspired by Luigi Serafini’s Codex Serafinianus- an encyclopedia of an unknown world written in a made up language. Students were asked what type of places they would want to live, what foods they would eat, what it would look and feel like, clothes they would wear, social interactions, etc. etc.
AYB Advanced Studio at work in our studio at BWAC
This lesson is a response to what feels like an inundation of depictions of mankind’s perfect world ending in disastrous results. I wanted an opportunity for us to imagine a positive future. Many of the pieces took on a surreal quality, utilizing many colors. Pink was a very popular color among the utopic sceneries.
In keeping with the notion of a utopian place, some participating artists referenced landscape, architecture and/or maps.
Rain depicted landing on an alien planet using soft lines and an analogous color scheme. (Tree painting) painted a tree in swirling colors, the river defined by its directional brushstrokes. Both took on a very dreamy quality.
Richie used text to describe what he doesn’t want to see in his utopia. His delicate use of negative space added a lightness to the image. The messaging was very passionate.
Adji’s piece was compared to Georgia O’Keeffe due to its symbolism and the juxtaposition of morbid objects and flowers.
Dakota’s piece was reminiscent of the places we envisioned while reading Ítalo Calvino Invisible Cities who was a fan of Luigi Serafini."
From AYB Art Matters at PS 17 Dennis reports: “Moving forward with Teaching Artist Evelyn Beliveau's lesson on dragons, all participating grades at PS 17 worked with Leo Embat (filling in for Evelyn this week) on various levels of dragon drawings!
Evelyn's excellent PowerPoint presentation allowed Leo to teach students about various dragons found in literature and art. He discussed dragons in art from Iran, China, and Japan (amongst others); explained the dragons of mythology (and what mythology means); and covered the names of dragons in various languages (Hydra, Dacon, Long, and Ryu. Leo helped students to understand foreground, middle ground, and background as art terms - and poses/positions.
Leo offered students the opportunity to draw from their imagination, from a small sculpture of a dragon who lives in the art room, or follow his lead of step by step instruction and demonstration on the smart board. From both my front of house observation and back of house observation (I move around a lot!), I am glad to report that every student was entranced and created a pencil drawing within the 45 minute lesson. Leo is great at seating assignments so those that arrive in 'teams' need to be separated in order to not become distracted. Sometimes this needs to be reinforced as the younger students (1st graders) like to make their own decisions as to where to sit - it seems that Leo has the seating plan imprinted in his brain! If a student moves while his back is to the smart board, he notices and corrects it within seconds. This proved successful and they all produced nice work. Thanks also to Scarlett and Clementine who sat with the students and kept them involved.
Leo's instructions included simple shapes for the younger students and more complex drawing demonstrations for the older ones - all included the addition of scales and teeth, much to their delight.
These drawings will be enhanced and become watercolor paintings commencing with next week's lesson.”
“Our afterschool group was small this week - possibly the frigid temperatures in Jersey City and the possibility of snow had students go home right after regular classes. Teaching Artist Marina Soliman, with the assistance of Leo, Clementine, and Scarlett, worked with students on a still life. Objects were found around the art room and Leo discussed light and shadow. Marina critiqued everyone's work at the end of the session and will continue on in upcoming weeks. Our 3D drawings will be put on hold for a bit - until we have full classes and everyone's concentration.
Clementine educated the group about 'vanitas' once she saw that Justin selected an animal skull to be included in the still life set up. We all gave her a bit of a "what?" look but Clementine explained that vanitas is a style of art that uses still life imagery to symbolize the fleeting nature of life. The term comes from the Bible, and the genre was popular in Western art in the 1500s. We learned that skulls, extinguished candles, BOOKS, wine, dying flowers, hourglasses, and musical instruments depict the vanitas style - which reminds art views of their own mortality and to illustrate the vanity of worldly desires. Great discussion and THANKS, Clementine!
While we were in classes and in afterschool, Teaching Artist/Muralist Gia Gutierrez finalized drafts for the library mural and had paints and other supplies delivered to a library storage area in order to begin next week. The final decision for the mural is a tree of knowledge. PS 17 is another one of our schools where we have excellent cooperation and participation from teachers, administrative staff, and in this case the custodial team. Thanks to all.”
"Happiness Is A Warm Puppy".
Cynophile (see vocabulary list below) and AYB Managing Director Dennis Buonagura writes: “Even back in the 1960's, public schools hosted Scholastic Book Days. If you were lucky and someone gave you a quarter, you could buy a book - TO KEEP. The events were held in the school's library, as they still are today (except now the books cost way more than a quarter!). I remember that my grandmother gave me A DOLLAR once and I bought "Follow My Leader" (about a seeing eye dog) and "Happiness Is A Warm Puppy" by Charles Schulz (and probably spent the rest of the money on gum!). I still have those books - somewhere in our storage bin, in the bowels of our apartment building. I read them dozens of times. When I grew up and finally got a dog of my own, I would think of Schulz' cover drawing of Lucy giving Snoop a big hug.
For PS 6 (one of our partnership schools in Jersey City), Teaching Artist Gem Mercado developed a terrific lesson based on the works of Charles Schulz and how his drawings and messages offered inspiration to many children (and adults) who read his comics. His book certainly inspired me to hug dogs - lots of dogs!
Earlier in the week, I sent the classroom teachers at PS 6 a bunch of short videos about Schulz' life, his drawings, the characters who became the Peanuts gang, why he used the nickname of Sparky in his early works, and a lot about his own anxieties and lack of confidence which were portrayed through Charlie Brown. Thanks to the teachers at PS 6, each student arrived on the first day of class knowing about Schulz and were ready to make art.
Gem, assisted by Clementine and Scarlett, showed students a PowerPoint presentation which focused on character creation, the parts of a comic strip, how and where to draw lines to represent motion, action, sadness, excitement, and many other expressive characteristics of the Peanuts kids. Think of an image of Charlie Brown saying "Arrrrgggh" or of the sometimes mean Lucy saying "You blockhead, Charlie Brown" and you'll understand what students learned.
They were asked to create a set of characters - and explain their personalities - and set a scene of action (with a humorous twist). As always, they jumped right in. There was: Pizza Man, and a fluffy dog named Chocolate, and an outer space alien, some teachers (including Scarlett!), a personified donut, and a happy cup of Starbucks coffee. One student even explained that her strip will be about an overflowing toilet. Good grief!
During the end of class critiques, some students displayed their drafts for all to see, and explained the scenario; others expressed some challenges ("I wasn't sure how to draw a sneaker ....") which they all seem to have overcome - thanks to encouragement and guidance from Gem, Clementine, and Scarlett.
Other Art News
AYB Artist Sigrid Dolan, currently enrolled at Hampshire College, sends an update on the painting she is working on for class. Sigrid and I are fans of good old fashioned “snail mail” and the earlier image was enclosed in a recent missive.
Mini-print of still life by Sigrid Dolan (in progress), and painting (farther along)
AYB Art Therapist Jenn Dodson also shares a painting in progress.
Jennifer Dodson, Double Self- Portrait Painting in progress (l & ll)
AYB Artist TJ Edgar currently enrolled at Spelman College used a kids set of watercolors (as Elizabeth Morales did last week!) for her miniature floral painting.
I (Meridith) am thrilled to have work included in The 3rd Annual Lazarus Excellence in Watercolor Award Exhibition through March 21, 2025 at The Artists Gallery (TAG) in Los Angeles, CA. I was grateful for all the practice I have had recording audio with Vee for AYB videos while recording my one minute explanation of my work for the audio tour!
What We Are Reading
Sleepless: Unleashing the Subversive Power of the Night Self by Annabel Abbs-Streets explores how women have historically harnessed the night to fuel creativity and insight. The books which starts as memoir and fascinatingly explores related topics, also highlights several visual artists who found inspiration during nocturnal hours including Lee Krasner, Joan Mitchell, the most extreme of these sleepless artists Louise Bourgeois. As an artmaking night bird this book spoke to me!
Book cover and works by Lee Krasner, Joan Mitchell and Louise Bourgeois.
I asked AYB Intern Clementine Finn, who piped up with several good vocabulary words in both Advanced Studio and school classes, to start a running AYB vocabulary list. So far we have:
Hubris
noun
Excessive pride or self-confidence.
(Discussed in Tuesday's Advanced Studio class on Utopia)
Elysium
noun
An eternal paradise in ancient Greek mythology originally only for heroes and others granted immortality by the gods and later also for the blessed dead and those who lived a righteous life
(Used by Richie in his piece for Tuesday's Advanced Studio class on Utopia)
Sinuous
adjective
Having many curves and turns
(Used by Evelyn in her February 4th Advanced Studio Class)
Draconic
adjective
Characteristic of or resembling a dragon
(Discussed in Wednesday's PS-17 classes during the introduction of Cultural Representations of Dragons unit)
Topical
adjective
(Of a subject) of immediate relevance, interest, or importance owing to its relation to current events.
Relating or applied directly to a part of the body.
(Referenced in a conversation on Wednesday’s field trip when discussing the lighting choices of the Empire State Building)
Cynophile
noun
A person who loves dogs.
(Used to describe Dennis, as per his recap of today’s session at PS 6)
💗❤️💙💜💛🩵🧡💚
pictographic phrase
With the greatest respect for your kind attentions and esteem, I remain, Dear Reader, Yours most affectionately,
(Used to sign off a letter)
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