American Youth: Images of the Obama Generation

Been so busy working, decided I needed some inspiration, so I went to the Fovea Gallery in Beacon Friday afternoon. An impressive group of photographers from every genre—portrait to documentary—was assembled to take part in pictorializing the lives of today's 18-24 year olds. I was drawn in by this powerful cover image from the book by Erika Larsen and wasn't disappointed when I got there.

The images were mounted very simply on thin board with brief captions. Young debutantes at the Plaza Hotel in New York in their virgin white gowns. A lusty lesbian couple embracing legs and hearts entwined. The boots of a never-to-return Iraqi soldier sitting inside the front hall. A series of portraits posed with their messages to god—Can you hear me? What the F#@k were you thinking!? A Palestinian-American woman sips the sunlight through a forest of trees in an Ohio park. Go-go boot-clad Seattle Seahawk Sea Gal cheerleaders in their tanned muscles and exploding bustier tops.

Also going on right now is a Windows on Main Street show. A couple dozen storefronts have been turned into gallery space. A perfect 1-mile stroll winds you up at a mural exhibit public art display on the side of an old factory building. So, spend an afternoon in Beacon! Find the Fovea Gallery at 143 Main Street/www.foveaeditions.org.

Swimming Fish in Bilbao

Frank Gehry (nee Goldberg) blasted into international stardom with his design for the Guggenheim in Bilbao. The curved titanium shapes were inspired by memories of fish swimming in his grandmother’s bathtub at Passover. I’d heard that the building was more of an attraction than the art inside, but that was not the case when I visited. The best was a powerful collection of work by Cai Guo-Qiang. A room full of broken statues of workers and exploited Chinese during the of Mao Tse Tung's Reconstruction smacks you in the face. I’ll never forget the look on the mother’s face as she reaches for her baby that’s being taken from her by a soldier. Another piece called The Age of Disbelieving consisted of several wooden sculptures hanging at different heights. Each sculpture depicts a different religion, Christ at the top on his cross, Buddha, angels and other characters I didn’t recognize; all shot through with hundreds of arrows. Check out his work on the Guggenheim site.

Couldn't resist taking a shot of Jeff Koons' pansy-covered puppy.

Is Photography Dead?

To quote Twain, ‘reports of death have been exaggerated.’ Despite the recession’s forced pull back of aspiring and edgy photography, I saw a few jewels and some cool new techniques at this year’s aipad (Association of International Photography Art Dealers). In order to see as much as possible in one visit, I skipped any booth showing vintage work I’ve already seen. (I confess, however, to gazing fondly at Bruce Davidson’s images from Central Park.)

The most inspiring work in my eyes was from Julie Blackmon (Catherine Edelman), Carrie Mae Weems (Charles Guice) and Holly Andres (Robert Mann). Blackmon’s images star family members in intriguing and somewhat disturbing moments of everyday life. A small boy watches a young shirtless girl through the picture window of a suburban ranch house. She shoots multiple images and combines them in spectacular color and clarity. Weems’ images are sometimes playful and sometimes in-your-face disturbing views of cultural and sexual identity. A series of powerful portraits match nursery rhymes to subjects with closed eyes or bodies facing away from the camera. All of them are posed in the exact same scene—looking into a round dresser mirror at the bed opposite. Holly Andres’ images were inspired to be covers for Nancy Drew novels. You don’t need to know that to appreciate their intriguing and lonely girl subjects. A girl bends over to right a bottle of milk spilling down the front stairs on a misty night; a girl sits in a beautiful aqua dress amid dozens of paper doll-like cut outs from magazines.

Photographers using different techniques that drew my attention included Jim Campbell (Bryce Wolkowitz), Abelardo Morell (Bonni Benrubi) and Louviere & Vanessa (A Gallery for Fine Photography). Campbell sets up a still camera alongside a video camera. Using LED technology he is able to insert shadowy images of people moving through a still scene. I suspect this is a hint of what’s to come. Morell’s images are gorgeous. He creates pinhole images by blacking all the windows in a room, pricking a small hole and then exposing the scene for many hours. The image from outside is projected on the wall of the room upside down. Louviere & Vanessa process is almost as exciting as their imagery. They coat aluminum with black gesso and overlay gold or silver leaf squares. The images have a spectacular rich metallic duotone look. An oversized image of a German Sheperd leaping through the air was truly inspiring.

I was thrilled to see the work of local photographer Carolyn Marks Blackwood at Alan Klotz’ booth. She works in abstracts and changes in light that evoke wonder and tranquility. It’s not immediately apparent that these images are close up details of ice chunks and water ripples on the Hudson River.

Take the time to visit some of these galleries. There is a lot of good work to get your creative juices flowing!

All images shown here are property of artist and shown to inspire you to see more of their work.

Great Book Starring Chelsea Gallery Owner

Sometimes spending a lazy day with a good book is the best medicine. Just read what my mom would call a good beach read—not too challenging intellectually, but a real page turner—The Genius by Jesse Kellerman. The premise of the book is that a young Chelsea Gallery owner discovers the abandoned work of an artist who’s created a single piece of art out of thousands of 8-1/2 x 11 size pages. On the back of each small page is the number of the page that should line up with each edge. Imagine a mind that can recall all those pieces so precisely. Grab a copy and let me know what you think.

Hard Times in Chelsea

Last week I went with a couple of friends to scope out the gallery scene in Chelsea. It was uncharacteristically quiet. We didn’t think much about that until one gallery owner told us that six of nine galleries in his building had been forced to close. He was hunkering down for a tough year. I have to admit, I felt personally discouraged. After spending the last few months preparing my Truths, Lies, Legends images for an exhibition, I realize that now may not be the right time. Gallery owners can’t afford to take risks on emerging artists. In fact, several of the photo galleries were showing reliable classic work by Steiglitz and Weston.

Holland Cotter wrote an interesting piece in last Sunday’s New York Times about how hard economic times affect the art world. While art may not be selling during recessionary periods, they are often times of heightened creativity and change. Artists tend to flock together, cooperate, collaborate, create. When New York City faced bankruptcy in the 70s, artists took up residency in nearly derelict buildings in Soho showing their work in ground floor apartments and performing on rooftops. This cheered me. Perhaps the next few years will bring new ideas, new thinking and new opportunities for artists. I'm ready. Are you?

Obama Inspires Me

Yesterday I was proud to be an American. The world was watching and we didn’t disappoint. We showed that we can stand together despite our differences, graciously. His words glittered in the crisp January air and inspired millions including me. Never thought I’d quote Beyonce, but perhaps she expressed the exuberance of the younger generation best when she said, “He makes me want to be smarter; to be more involved.” Words to me that predict our dark days will pass, that our great nation is on the rise again. Good luck Mr. President.

Animals Are Not What They Seem

Colossal. Bewitching. Stunningly beautiful. Disturbing. These are just a few words to begin to describe Walton Ford’s work. I went to high school with his wife and hadn’t seen her for 25 years when she surprised me at my first exhibit opening at the Starr Library in Rhinebeck. So, when he had an opening, she called to invite me. Where? The Brooklyn Museum of Art!!! The show was held before I’d started this blog. When he was the feature interview in the October issue of Art in America, it reminded me to share his work with you. His stuff is incredible and inspiring and thought-provoking.

Ford’s watercolors all feature a closeup view of one main animal in the foreground painted in a breathtaking realistic, almost Audobon style. Low on the canvas, he paints a horizon that identifies a place. The rest of the background is white which makes the animals leap off the surface. You could walk through a show of his work and just see that (almost), or you can take a closer look.

Ford is an intense man and the scenes reflect the deep thought he gives to his subjects. For example, he painted a gorilla holding Carl Akeley’s skull and titled it Sanctuary. Akeley was a taxidermist and one of the first to shoot gorillas for display in the Museum of Natural History. Later in his life, he became a gorilla advocate and frowned upon hunting them, even for study. When he died, he requested that his body be buried in the site where he’d spent so much time with the gorillas. Years later, fellow researchers came upon the site and discovered that Akeley’s bones had been exhumed. In his depiction, Ford shows a large silver-backed gorilla that Akeley had shot holding Akeley’s skull.

Nila is a 12 foot by 19 foot piece comprised of 22 panels (presumably because you can’t buy a single piece of canvas that size). A stunning study of an elephant surrounded by North American birds. I’ve forgotten the story behind it, but notice the pair making love on the end of the elephant’s penis.

My friend Paula, my sister Margaret, Ryley and I went to see the show together. I remember passing by one painting, Chingado (Spanish for fucked), where a bull is screwing a jaguar. It’s an up-close and personal view. No mistaking the action. I was afraid Ryley, then eight years old, would ask for explanation. He studied it, as he’d studied all the others, and moved on.

Walton Ford is represented by Paul Kasmin.

Cyber Friend

My life has been so crazy recently, I haven't had time till now to share a wonderful experience I had over the summer. As most of you already know, I've dedicated 2008 to trying to figure out how the internet can help me as an artist. One of the first things I did was sign up on an artists' community site called artscuttlebutt which is sponsored by art calendar magazine. For several months, I actively participated by looking at other people's work, starting conversations, and I even organized a photography group. It was a great way to get this internet thing going.

Sometime in July I got a note from Donna Iona Drozda—a fellow artist on the butt—about one of my photographs. We got to talking and sharing work and really hit it off. I added a link to her blog on mine and vice versa. When I saw her profile, I realized she lives in Virginia Beach. As luck would have it, we were headed there on vacation. I suggested we meet up.

Donna greeted us with a warm hug at the front door of our hotel feeling like an old friend, not a new one. She took us to the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia where she is a teacher and active participant. What a great place. My first thought was, we've got to figure out how to follow their model. They have a first-class exhibit space, offer a broad range of classes for kids and adults, have a stage and theater, and own an original Gilhooley! The exhibit we saw—Transformed—featured contemporary artwork that pushes the limits of art. One installation was a grouping of toilet paper rolls that had intricate branch carvings cut out of them (all in one knife stroke!) and then placed to look as if they were growing out of the rolls. The piece was meant to be a commentary on the overuse of trees and paper.


Donna's own work is beautiful—like her spirit—and colorful. Inspired by things in every day life, she interprets them in ways that make you stop and think. Her work can be appreciated by the most ardent art fan as well as a two-year old in a stroller. This piece is called Morning Song. Notice the moons along the edge of the boat. Check out all of Donna's work on her web site, and stop by her blog to read more about what she does.

Secret Source of Inspiration

Michael Nelson recently opened a charming gallery space in Saugerties, NY. Continually challenging me to stretch my mind, he’s full of thoughtful philosophies and energy. It’s worth a trip to his gallery just to meet him and bounce ideas around. In fact, that’s just what his photographers’ group pH7 does. One of 30 groups like it, pH7 was developed through Advertising Photographers of America. They get together every two weeks to share work, brainstorm ways to resolve professional challenges, and, of course, kvetch about stuff like work-for-hire contracts.

In 1968, Michael’s brother came home from Viet Nam with a camera. Michael was enrolled at a computer school at the time, but was so taken with his brother’s Canon FD, he transferred to Rochester Institute of Technology to study photography. Funny enough, his brother switched from his interest in photography to computer science!

Beginning May 10th at the Michael Nelson Gallery and Studio, photographers Gregor Halenda, Henrik Olund, Linn Edwards, Michael Leroy, Karineh Gurjian, David Heinlein and Michael Nelson, are having a show titled: pH7: Seven Photographers’ Perspectives.

Downtown Saugerties is full of other reasons to visit. The quaint main street is lined with red brick buildings and bustling with activity even on a cold winter Saturday. The low rental rates for many of the second and third floor spaces have attracted all kinds of creative types—it’s developing into a kind of artist’s haven. So, spend a spring afternoon getting inspired at the pH7 show (tell Michael I sent you), poking into Saugerties’ fun shops and grab a bite at one of its many good restaurants.

Where: Michael Nelson Gallery & Studio, 115 Partition Street, Saugerties, NY, phone 845 246 7101

When: Opening, Saturday, May 10, 5-8 p.m. Regular gallery hours: Friday through Sunday 12 – 5 p.m.

Web sites: www.michaeldalenelson.com & http://michaelnelsonphotographer.blogspot.com

Art Can Blow Your Mind

The Whitney Biennial pushes the envelope of what we think of as art. My sister Margaret heard it was controversial and wanted to find out why. Ryley and I went along. An installation on the first floor titled something like, “Thoreola,” set the tone. An abandoned office space, filled with upended glue jars, glued Styrofoam pebbles, oversized notes with numbered instructions, we tried to understand its meaning. I took a photo of this and one other before a guard told me photography was prohibited. (Why? I have no idea.)

James Welling took blue mesh and somehow crimped and shaped it to create highlights and shadows. By mounting the mesh against a black backdrop, the mesh took on very senusal shapes that looked like beautiful body portraits. A small room housed dripping white (concrete?) sculptures pocked with broken bottles, screws and other debris. One looked like the head of Davey Jones from The Pirates of the Caribbean. Reading the card, we learned that artist Charles Long was inspired by the droppings of great blue herons along the Los Angeles River! Ryley who is 10, decided we should vote on which floor had the craziest art.

Unfortunately, there was no guide to the art/artists in the show and I can’t find all of them on the Whitney’s site, so I can’t include all artist names and titles. One installation was an enormous, two-story laboratory sort of construction. Fish tanks full of yellow Gatorade pumped and bubbled, seemingly food for the paper white flowers grown from bulbs. Instead of dirt, the bulbs sat on yellow golf balls. One woman asked Ryley if he could make sense of it for her.

A good many of the entries were video or film. A documentary by Spike Lee addressed the hurricane/levy management policies in New Orleans. Close-up interviews of people, some officials, some residents, were interspersed with footage of hurricane Katrina, Betsy and others walloping the city. A truck sat in the middle of a raging, out-of-control street river, its windshield wipers still beating. After five minutes or so Ryley motioned me down to ask, “Mom, why is this art?”

We thoroughly enjoyed Olaf Breuning’s film of himself, his love of orange and other thoughts; his orange hair, orange shirt melting into the orange earth with his orange dog alongside. His sense of humor was infectious.

Another film we liked began with a closeup shot of a man talking to a woman whom you never see. She describes a dream she had that she’d like to make into a film. After she verbally explains it, we go from the stark room of their talk to a more produced (albeit simply) scene. She’s an empress/filmmaker with thick black-rimmed glasses who makes her subjects watch her films. Midway through a flick, the movie stops and when she goes behind the scenes to investigate she sees that the movie camera is actually made of plates and other kitchenware. Film covers the floor and the hamster running the machine has quit work. A Russian woman in a lab coat also wearing heavy black-rimmed glasses and long red-lacquered nails enters to reloop the film and replace the hamster. The hamster won’t stay in the cup and she has to keep popping him back in.



A video installation we liked was a room with six or seven screens of different sizes showing clips of comedian David Alan Grier talking. The focus of your attention changes as the audio levels modulate. …women don’t have orgasms because they’re afraid of farting…

Perhaps my favorite piece in the exhibit, Cheese, is an installation created to house a film. You enter a wooden structure that resembles a rambling ramshackle barn. Inside there are six or seven screens hidden in different corners and tunnels playing parts of the same movie. The story features several women with very long hair—like six feet long. The women dressed in 18th century dresses milk their hair by running water over it and into a funnel and then mix it with goat’s milk to make blocks of cheese. (This may or may not be the plot, but it’s what I thought to be the plot.) Barnyard animals also run loose quacking and neighing. Entering the structure gives you the sense of being in a theater.

The show really got my energy flowing. If you’re in need of a boost, I highly recommend a visit. I marvel at what goes through an artist’s mind. Inspiration can come from anything, anywhere, any time. We decided the fourth floor had the wildest art.

Cowboys in Georgia?

My husband’s family is from Georgia and we visited with them a couple of weekends ago. While we were there, we went to the Booth Western Art Museum, known locally as the Cowboy Museum. My initial reaction was, ‘cowboys in Georgia? huh?’ But there it stands in downtown Cartersville, affiliated with the Smithsonian, too. The dynamic angles of the building and its outdoor sculptures inspired me. In this time of reduced funds to the arts, I feel it’s important to give back when I can (plus you never know, something else could come of it). After returning home, I offered free use of my photos in return for photo credit. They were delighted and are going to use this photo in their press kit.

Creative Inspiration: Martin Puryear at the MOMA

Sunday, I toured sculptor Martin Puryear’s life retrospective at the MOMA. What a find. Though he lives in nearby High Falls and served in the same Peace Corps program in Sierra Leone as my husband, we have never crossed paths.

Since this was a life retrospective, works using a broad variety of media and time were on display. Ladder for Booker T. Washington was breathtaking in its 60-foot or so unsteady climb to a heavenward horizon point and very beautifully lit. AdAstra is the name of the piece pictured that looks kind of like a trebuget base with a 100-foot or so branch.








I was only able to photograph the pieces on display in the lobby areas, so that’s all I can share. Take a few minutes to experience the full MOMA exhibition. My favorite, Lever #1, has a rounded base made of think strips of red cedar, cypress, poplar and ash, with a very tall, beaver tail-looking neck. Nadine’s favorite was Some Lines for Jim Beckwourth, seven multi-colored strips of twisted rawhide with little tufts of fur(?) popping up. Beckwourth apparently influenced Puryear greatly. He was born a slave in 1798, son of a white man and a black slave, who had quite a colorful life—was head of the Crow nation at one time. A truly amazing piece, Alien Huddle, is 3 round wooden orbs intertwined in a family-like composition. The precision of each slat is so perfect, each orb comes together without a gap. Ryley liked Dowager, a piece of tar-covered mesh that looked remarkably like a white shark’s dorsal fin.

My only disappointment in the show was the number of pieces that remain untitled— dinosaur with the ball on the string is one of these—since his titles are so intriguing.