May Mentor Meeting with Mira!

It is difficult to believe that this semester is quickly drawing to a close, and that I will be entering my third residency!

I recently had my final mentor meeting with Mira Schor. Rather than meeting at her apartment/studio as we have done in the past we met at the MoMA. It was a terrific opportunity to not only see some amazing art but also to get to hear Mira's thoughts, opinions and insights into particular pieces of art as well as on the Museum itself.

We began the day by viewing the Lygia Clark show titled The Abandonment of Art. It was an expansive show covering the entirety of Brazilian artist Clark's career, beginning with her abstract and angular drawings and paintings and ending with her supposed departure from art in favor of art objects as therapeutic objects. While the entire show was fascinating there were a few pieces that made me stop.
The first were her sculptures entailed Bichos (creatures). These metal sculptures of varying sizes connected with hinges, allowing the participant to bend the mettle to create different shapes. I like the idea of the viewer changing the piece as away of interacting with the art in a simple way.

The second piece to strike me was a simple monochromatic piece of paint on wood. There were four pieces of wood which came together to create a rectangle (the usual shape of a canvas). However the way they came together created lines which were reminiscent of interior space. Reminding me of how as a child you first learn how to draw the corner of a room in perspective. It was incredibly simple and incredibly beautiful, it was one of her only monochromatic pieces in the show.

There were also several interactive pieces, including one in which a rock is placed in the center of a plastic bag partially inflated with air. The plastic bag was then held between two hands and squeezed by the participant which allowed the rock to go up and down, it created a very relaxing effect. Several videos also played, detailing the uses for some of her interactive, therapeutic objects including a gigantic rubber band, which people were seemingly trapped inside. As well as glasses made for two containing mirrors. It was an exhilarating and unique show.

We continued into one of the painting galleries which houses Starry Night and Mademoiselle de Avignon to name just two. We discussed the space of the gallery and how some of the smaller more intimate paintings were lost to the large and crowded walls of the gallery. I first saw Starry Night at the Yale Gallery in New Haven, in an intimate space where it was the only pairing. I was able to view it almost one on one for a very long while, an experience that has remained with me. To see the Starry Night here in the crowded gallery was a much different experience.

The next work to stop me was Summation 1947 by Arshile Gorky I became inthralled with the delicate well thought out lines, the sparing thoughtful use of color and the hits of anatomy along with the formless. All of which are relatable to my current work.

We continued through the work of the surrealists and took a break for lunch. This provided both a time for a critique of my recent work as well as general discussion of art and more.
** I will add the critique info in the next post with images***

After lunch we parted ways and I continued on to the Sigmund Polke show. I was blow away by the show. Each of the ten galleries filled with paintings, drawings and videos. I was intrigued by his Untitled (Color Experiment [Farbprole]) containing resin, silver, felt, varnish and paint on canvas, these relate to the experiments in my own studio concerning mylar, paint, ink and various non traditional art materials. Surprisingly one piece I was mesmerized by was a small installation, containing a TV showing a video of a TV with a sledge hammer through it, a bright light pushing along with rock music. I stood for a very long time staring at this piece. It grabbed a hold of me, I was mesmerized by the pulsating music and light. I was also as always immediately attracted to the smaller simpler pieces on lined paper with just pencil, pen and ink.

Ploke's work involved a great deal of experimentation including uses of radio active Uranium, paint on felt blankets, images distorted by scanners as well as the use of cartoon imagery which relate to my work. It was, as Mira pointed out a very important show for me to see, and will inspire further experimentation in my work.

To end the day I stopped by the Gauguin show. Mira had mentioned a sculpture towards the back of the gallery which was particularly extraordinary. I knew at once which she had been speaking of. Entitled Tahitian Girl the sculpture as made of wood. It was a female figure with a disproportionally large head. The kind of piece you look at in wonder, the kind you feel in your gut. The head was adeptly and smoothly carved while the body was more roughly carved adding an interesting dichotomy. Perhaps the most beautiful detail was a small dark hole on the statues left shoulder. A deformity of the wood I presume, it was surrounded by darker patch of wood, a thin crack running through it, it almost appeared to be an injury to the figure. It was truly beautiful.

I also had an strange experience with work by Lynda Benglis. As I entered the room containing four of her cast oozing sculptures on the floor. I was exited and to see these works but looked up to find a boy squatting over one apparently pretending to poo while his mother and mothers friend took pictures. I found this an odd behavior for a gallery, but an iterating interaction with her work.

Another piece by Lynda Benglis, which relates directly to my current work 

All together it was an exiting and eventful day filled with new ideas and amazing art work and wonderful insights.

*I will be posting images of my new work with in the next day or so.*