CJB's Art Notes: March 2012

To begin, it's time for my final open studios at GlogauAIR!

OPEN STUDIOS: Artists in Residence

Friday, 30 March, 7pm-Midnight

Saturday, 31 March, 3-9pm

Kuno Ebert / Diamantis Sotiropoulos / Samantha Donnelly / Caetlynn Booth / Leo Babsky /

Virginia Echeverría / Grace Kim / Yi Kyung Cho / Patricia March / Stefaan van Hyfte

At the end of March, my time as an artist in residence at GlogauAIR is complete, so this is the last chance to visit me at this space. I will be relocating to another working space, and will have more details about my new studio soon.

Two recent paintings will also be in a group show later this month in Paris. If you're in the area, here's the information:

In-Between: Figuration and Abstraction

Curated by Katie Hornstein at Nouvel Organon, Paris

Opening reception: March 24

The following paintings will be featured at open studios in addition to several other works:

After AE, Flight, 2012, oil on linen, 12" x 16"

I made this painting working fairly strictly from Elsheimer's painting Flight into Egypt, 1609.

This is part of a wall installation I'm planning for open studios, inspired by thinking about stylized representations of the Milky Way. I'm exploring alternative display for this work to create a viewing environment that mirrors the unpredictable nature of dedicated research in the visual arts: investigation, discovery, and then the process of making sense out of it.

This is a small ink and watercolor--I've made several variations on this theme, and might explore making some similar compositions in oil.

Interior Painting, oil on panel, 8" x 16"

The latest books I've been reading are making quite an impact. My interest in Ovid's Metamorphoses stems from its use by Elsheimer, but also as the "painter's bible" of the 17th century, its influence on literature, and its existence as an amazing work of poetry. I'm reading Golding's translation from 1567 (a reference used by Shakespeare), and am really enjoying the unusual experience of reading mythological stories of transformation through the rhythm and format of "fourteeners" in Old English. Each line has a musical component; 4 beats, 3 beats. I think because of this, the mental image of the characters emerges more slowly, but with striking clarity. I read the poetry before bed, but while taking the U-Bahn to my studio across town, I've been reading James Howard Kunstler's The Geography of Nowhere. This text combined with my experience of living in Berlin where urban planning is guided by a whole different set of values emphasizing civic life, has lead to some startling realizations about the U.S. and it's poor decision-making in urban-planning and how those with power conceive of public space and rigidly define it for the rest of us through the ownership and development of land. An important work that highlights the pitfalls and politics of the man-made landscape in America.

Recently I have been in contact with a post-doctoral art historian who is working on a project focusing on the influence of astronomy on art through looking at the Italian painter Cigoli and Elsheimer--they were contemporaries. I hope our dialog continues as we work on our respective projects. I hadn't been aware of Cigoli, but immediately thought comparing the pictorial choices of both artists' versions of "Jacob's Dream" was very interesting:

Cigoli on the left, Elsheimer on the right. Cigoli makes more of a spatial distinction between the foreground with the sleeping figure and the background where the dream of ascension is depicted, while Elsheimer places the ladder as a bridge that spans and connects the space of the sleeping figure and the divine space of the heavens.

Thinking about art and art history is a rewarding endeavor, and to learn more about some of the major works of antiquity, I've been watching/listening to, some of the art history conversations available at the free Kahn Academy. Some are better than others, and most only speak to world famous works of art, but it can be a good resource.

We also recently found the gem that is the Alte Nationalgalerie and it's amazing collection with an astonishing collection of works of German Romanticism:

This entire wall of paintings features subjects with dramatic backlighting (all early to mid 1800s) by the architect, Berlin city planner, and artist Karl Friedrich Schinkel. I've never seen a curatorial move like this before.

Here is one of the featured works--backlit cathedral in all its architectural glory.

And then the stunning room dedicated to about 15 canvases by Caspar David Friedrich! I've only included a few here, so to see more, visit my Flickr set for this visit: LINK

Caspar David Friedrich, Deep in the Forest by Moonlight, 1823-30

Caspar David Friedrich, Two Men by the Sea, 1817

Caspar David Friedrich, Abbey Among the Oaks, 1809-10

These are other paintings housed at the Alte Nationalgalerie that I enjoyed:

Edouard Manet, In the Conservatory, 1879

Giorgio de Chirico, Serenade, 1910

Walter Leistikow, Lake Grunewald, 1895

Detail

By Adolf Menzel. This the rigorously drafted under-drawing for an unfinished painting.

The following are more pictures from the past few weeks:

The spoils from jelly-making with Joe! Delicious vegan brownies and fresh bread baked by Joe, and a few jars of Blood-orange Marma-jam from our team effort. Half are spiced with clove and cinnamon, the other half have lavender. Not the last time we'll be doing this!!!!

Junfernheide U-bahn station wall

The sword in the stone in Kreuzberg

A wall of pictures of the little gumball machines found around town

Detail

From our kitchen window. What I think may be the last snow of the season on the left.

Some of the delicious food brought by guests to our brunch party. We made French toast and bacon!

Building spirit

Tyson outside our local Deutsche Bank branch

The following are images from our recent visit to the Neue Nationalgalerie to see the Gerhard Richter Retrospective, in honor of his 80th B-day last month (he's an Aquarius). To see more images, visit my Flickr set: LINK

Richter is a national hero, so even at noon on a Wednesday it was packed! I'm planning to return hoping it will be less crowded. Check out where the curator placed this one!

I was so happy this painting was in the show--it must have been a transitional one because you can see the lower left portion of the painting hasn't had the hazy brushing technique, but the rest of the painting has. This must be what the under painting looks like for works where he uses a photographic source before "applying his blur filter."

A few works from the lower level permanent collection: