transforming museums

In light of the holidays, I thought I'd take a break from blogging about NKG's artists and include a portion of thoughts that I've brainstormed for several upcoming paper proposals that my friend Emily and I are working on - the most recent being for the Transforming Museums conference that is due in less than 3 weeks. Feedback or any kind of constructive commenting is greatly appreciated as I piece this abstract together [that means YOU, the reader, has to comment and comment well]. Happy Holidays!

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How do we transform museums? By putting together unconventional exhibits and display art that goes against the norm of typical museum practices – to have a healthy dose of resonance and wonder, to educate people, to address to the general public questions that are “politically incorrect”, that forces them to think outside the box, to tell the truth when presenting historical exhibits (such as the history of colonization), to extend beyond the visual interpretation and cater to all five senses of our human existence, to question the museum as a space and use it for other (more meaningful) purposes

Who is leading these transformations? Museums in the UK and Europe, and also in Asia. Most definitely NOT in the United States (although some can allude influence given in place such as NYC, Miami and California)... mostly contemporary art museums, though I believe this can also exist in other museums. The V&A in London is a great example of this. The Venice Biennale is an eve better example, though not a museum, was amazing in adhering to all of these transformations.

How do we define transformation? Transformation in museums perpetuates when these age-old institutions stops being “a colossal mirror where man finds himself literally an object of wonder” and visitors begin to experience liminality (which, characterized by ambiguity, openness, and indeterminacy, can also be denoted as a period of transition, during which your ordinary limits to self-understanding, thought and behavior are relaxed) in the changes that are taking place.

Why are these transformations taking place? Because people like ME are sick and tired of seeing the same, boring, "Blockbuster" exhibits in museums worldwide… because art that thinks outside the box does no longer exists as a painting on the wall… because the mission of contemporary art is to act not only as a creative (or not so creative) form of human expression, but a catalyst to ask questions, to seek answers, to respond, to experiment, to instill meaning (or lack thereof) and to create a fluidity of meaning in order to exploit some kind of physical representation that links both the viewer and creator of the artwork together. On the international level, it is also accurate to state that contemporary art takes an even bigger risk not only in unconventional media, but also in subject matter that might be highly offensive to the general public (usually having to do with nudity, politics, religion, homosexuality and horrific events in history of humanity – wars, slavery, famines, genocide)… and because it makes things more interesting, as a breath of fresh air is always needed.

Are there discernible patterns in this change? There better be. It’s all a matter of time and how much money people have to re-create museums, and the response of the audience of course… as well as how many risks museums are willing to take without losing the sponsorship of their patrons.

Lyrical Collagist Rocks DC (and your inner soul?)

Pictured in this Entry: (1) Duplex and Concentric Green, 2007, mixed media on plywood, 21 x 25 in and (2) Duplex I, 2007, mixed media on plywood, 21 x 25 in

Let's take a closer look at Chilean-born, Washington DC based, lyrical mylar collage mastermind Joan Belmar. Pronounced "Joe-on", Belmar might be unfamiliar to some NKG visitors as he does not yet have a page on our official website, but his work is certainly not to be overlooked! He started out with paintings, but in recent years have moved towards the world of abstract collages. Though one might observe that there are echoes of OP Art and minimalist qualities in his general body of work, Belmar's mixed media collages are certainly one-of-a-kind. They are a reflection of the inner workings of his spirit, and does not immitate the work of anyone else: he is his own, unique person.

Pristine strips of solid-colored mylar are delicately placed under the glass of a plywood frame, constructed into circles of all shape and sizes; some slightly more representational than others. There are usually no more than 4 colors/hues represented simultaneously. Some of these compositions can easily be compared to a 3-dimensional approach to the biological system of the human body, found in the science textbooks of today. Due to his use of modern materials, such as plastic, acetate, mylar and glass, an optical illusion is easily created. Viewing these works allows one's sense of curiosity to leap out, to question the purpose of his art and to be able to reach in and physically feel the materials in order to fully grasp the concept of each collage. Undeniably, there is also a deep sense of nostalgia connected to Belmar's collages that purge the viewers to take a deeper look at their own respective lives in light of his art. The somewhat uncomfortable, tingly sensation never dies, and an air of mystery prevails.



Strongly influenced by Anish Kapoor's scuplture at the Hirshhorn, which depicts a bisected egg painted blue, Belmar's work exists in order for us to test our eyes and abilities to perceive the things that take place around us. His constant exploration with circles (specifically with the mandala principle) helps us realize the importance to constantly access deeper into the levels consciousness, that life is not perfect and that we as humans are all in this together. This is why Belmar creates worlds in his art where some things are clear, others translucent and the latter opaque: it makes the journey of life more interesting to discover.

Prior to moving to the United States in 1999, Belmar lived and experienced "multiple lives" in both Spain and his native Chile. His response to the events of his life are blatantly reflected in his artwork, which he describes with adjectives such as "alienation" and "disconnectedness". Through the daring use of his concentric collages, Belmar excels in his goal to not only examine critical social structures, but also to [psychologically] analyze those who struggle within them; including, himself. It is like reading the artists' autobiography in his artwork, making himself completely vulnerable to the masses and allowing us to respond in light of our own life experiences. Isn't this is what the circle of life is about, after all?

Rivaling the likes of Mark Rothko...

Here is an Artist Feature I wrote the other day about one of Nevin Kelly Gallery's most prominent local artists: Sondra Arkin. Her work serves as beautiful, abstract meditation pieces, and she is molto passionate about what she does in life. Take that... Mark Rothko!

Pictured Above: Orange Tide, triptych, 2006, encaustic on dibond, each panel 32 x 32 in.

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For over 25 years, local DC artist Sondra Arkin has transformed whatever space was available to her at that given point in time (spare bedroom, dining room or basement) into a haven for creative expression. Although art-making was always in her blood throughout the course of her life, it wasn't until 2001 that Sondra took a risk and quit her day job in marketing to pursue art full-time. This huge leap of faith resulted in a myriad of awards, features in newspapers such as The Washington Post, participation in both group/solo shows all over the mid-Atlantic region and most recently, working as a project curator on behalf of the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities on the new City Hall Art Collection @t the John A. Wilson Building downtown. Sondra's colorful, abstract, mixed media canvases, which rival those of Mark Rothko, and imaginative box-construction works have been widely received by local and national audiences alike. She is also a frequent exhibitor at our gallery and will be featured in the Third Annual Attainable Art Show, opening November 24th.

What strikes me the most about Sondra Arkin's work is her ability to create art that is both purposeful and powerful. No matter the size, material used or color combinations (only warm or cool colors, a combination of the two, a more monochromatic palate), Sondra's work never ceases to create a lasting impression for all who come into contact with it. It is not abstract for the sake of being non-representational, but abstract to evoke every little emotion that is hiding behind our imperfect, human façade. There is a distinct type of [positive] energy in her work that forces the viewer to pause, observe and think beyond what is physically represented on the canvas. Furthermore, Sondra's free style of painting caters to just about anyone: the hip, young art school student to children learning their colors for the first time, spiritual soul-seekers and even to those in the professional world who value high aesthetics.

In recent years, Sondra Arkin's unique encaustic (otherwise known as "hot wax painting", which uses heated beeswax to which colored pigments are added -- dates back to 100-300 AD) technique has led the artist to break free from the picture plane approach and make paintings that take on a more sculptural feel. Now, her compositions are not only conceptual and vibrant, but also boast a soft, playfulness of colors that echoes a dichotomy of the combination of diverse materials. She also extends her experimentation of focusing simply on individual work with the inclusion of diptypchs, triptypchs and polytptychs, thereby proding the viewers to look at these pieces as a whole and enhance the conversations further.

Those who attended the Color: Field Tests show back in April/May of this year may remember Sondra's involvement to help promote the citywide Color Field Remix -- a movement from the 1960s that emerged after Abstract Expressionism and is widely characterized by abstract canvases painted with large areas of solid colors. Her entire oeuvre, be it a mixed media collage/box of found objects or a spiritual landscape of vibrant layers of warm colors, has the power to communicate a positive message to the masses: that life, as we know it, is comprised of layers, both good and bad. We as humans will experience both highs and lows in this journey called life, but these feelings are necessary as we stretch, evolve and grow.

Ultimately, Sondra hopes that what surfaces out of these layers of influence is something of value and beauty. By encouraging her viewers to take an introspective approach while confronted with her artwork, Sondra desires that a tangible layer will then be added to our respective lives, which will hopefully enrich it all the more.

Larger than Life... and then SOME!

EXHIBITION REVIEW :: Milano (IT)
Julian Schnabel, "Paintings: 1978-2006"
@t Rontanda di Via Besana

"My paintings take up room, they make a stand. People will always react to that. Some people get inspired, others get offended. But, that's good. I like that."

-- J. Schnabel, on Painting

This is no understatement. Julian Schnabel's paintings are massive and take up a lot of room. They are huge, larger-than-life and make us ordinary mortal beings pale in comparison within their presence. His subject matter ranges from portraits of both men and women (friends/colleagues of his over the years) to self-portraits, from his take on Oriental geishas to mixed media collages, recycled art and drip paintings. Born to immigrant parents from the Czech Republic, Schnabel grew up in Brownsville, TX for most of his formative years. At first, he struggled in the art world and worked as a short-order cook until his first solo exhibition in 1975, in New York City. This retrospective of his nearly 30 years of making art led him not only to participate in the Venice Biennale, but also to become a major figure in the Neo-expressionism movement in the mid-1980s.

His portraits are abstract, with elongated figures and much influence alluded to Picasso. His paintings show that he was clearly influenced by Pollock; his "found-objects" collages, by Gaudi. Unconventional religious iconography (a male AND a female Jesus?) are also included in his oeuvre. These works come in all shapes and sizes, which forces one to really ponder on what is going on in all of these works. I personally walked around this exhibit for a good hour, searching every quadrum of my brain to figure out how on earth these canvases were created. It was as if I was seeing Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel for the first time. WOW... did Schnabel use a ladder, or did he simply hang them on the wall and run into them with his paintbrush? Or were they laid flat on the ground and painted on, detail by detail?


It is important to state that sometimes: art is not about how beautiful the final product is, but more about the process it took to get there. You either like it or hate it: the choice is up to you. But, in any case, the closer you look, the more you will come appreciate the technique, skill and the amount of effort it took the artist to create these crazy works of massive quantities and sizes... whether or not you favor the subject matter.

After a thorough analysis of Schnabel’s works as a whole, I decided that my favorite technique was the globs of plaster paint over pieces of broken ceramic plates and saucers, used in his portraits, icons and landscapes, to help achieve tangible texture and taking the influence of Chuck Close to the next level. The wide variety of found and natural objects used by Schnabel, such as nestled together tree branches, as well as the incorporation of classical art materials such as pen & ink, conte' crayon and charcoal -- were more than enough to make my head spin in a state of awe.


The Rontanda di Via Besana is obviously the appropriate venue for such an exhibition. The huge, dome-like, former Renaissance basilica facility is extremely accommodating to the massive size of Schnabel’s works, the cool (and AIR-CONDITIONED) gallery space comfortable for its visitors and lots of natural light coming from the open windows above, along with the dim spotlights shining from above, exudes an essence of spirituality onto each work of art. Indeed a monumental location for a monumental exhibition.

[abstraction] : affiliation with...

EXHIBITION ::: REVIEW
Enrico delle Torre
"Percorsi" opere 97-07
Lorenzelli Arte, Milano (IT)

On the far back end of a typical Milanese courtyard, off the bustling Corso Buenos Aires, lies Lorenzelli Arte, a contemporary art gallery who has its focus on both promoting great international masters as well as the works of artists that have been forgotten by art critics and the media alike. The courtyard outside may be cheery and bright, but once inside, the viewer immediately realizes that ARTE is serious business. The interiors are intensely minimalistic, with white walls, light grey maisonite tiles, lots of space and an ample amount of skylight coming from the open glass atrium above. Three white columns can be found in the room with the atrium, There is even spacing between each painting hung on the wall; the rooms are divided by a pair of steps and a half-wall, thereby providing easy flow throughout the gallery as a whole.

The current exhibition is a 10 years retrospective by Italian contemporary artist Enrico della Torre (1931 - ). At first glance, his work seems to be dull and too restricted. Sure, there were abstract compositions, reminiscent of modern artists such as Mondrian and Ben Nicholson yet there was something about it that lacked the ability to be free. The colors were dull, for the most part. Every line and shape was too symmetrical, too perfect and gave me the impression that the artist wanted to so desperately to color outside the lines, but had a hard time committing such a crime. But why? He obviously lacked the in-your-face kind of creativity and I wanted to race through the exhibition, make some mental notes and leave.

It wasn't until I saw a few works that used diagonal and wavy lines, shapes of all sizes and colors and paintings with borders that I began to understand where della Torre was coming from. He seemed to be working with what is conventional (ie. geometric shapes, primary colors, symmetry) and adding his own twist to it. This isn't exactly what I'd like to call a revolutionary breakthrough, but it was getting somewhere. There were also a few pieces towards the end of the exhibit that I like to describe as, "Trying to be representational, but not really". These were abstract pictures that included shapes that could symbolize ladders, stars and moons - objects that were in the process of morphing into what they ought to be. Interesting!

According to della Torre's artist statement, it seems that with every show, he tries to explore a dimension of ambiguity and uncertainty. He transforms every possible definition into a doubt, every construction into a fragment and in a moment of temporary aggression (at either him or his work) a continuing instability is developed inside oneself; where it can flow and prevail one's well-being on every level. Basically, the art is there to make you think deeper and question why things are the way they are, and how they can be different.

Italian art critic Francesco Tedeschi probably sums up the motive behind della Torre's work the best by concluding his artist with the following: [paraphrase/translation] "This day in age, we are living on an absolute, where della Torre's show, in all its clarity, remains far from every logical abstract of rationality or of spiritual metaphysicality."