Jackson Hole Art Blog

Chuck Close Self-Portrait Woodcut, 2009 Woodcut in 47 colors Image Size: 28 x 23 inches Paper Size: 35 1/2 x 28 1/2 inches Edition of 70 Printed by Karl Hecksher Published by Pace Editions, Inc.

Now that Teton Art Lab (TAL) has taken up official residency as a Center for the Arts tenant, with representation on the Center’s website, newsletters, et cetera, TAL’s executive director Travis Walker is announcing some exciting shows.

Though Jackson’s 2010 September Fall Arts Festival is a ways off, TAL has sent word that its FAF highlight will be a show of woodblock prints of the works of famed artists Chuck Close, Richard Estes and Alex Katz.    The show represents the first time these works will be seen in Wyoming.   Each exhibition print is the work of New York City master print maker Karl Hecksher, who will also be teaching a class on traditional Japanese hand printing, Moku Hanga.

The exhibition runs September 10 - October 5, 2010.   Mark your calendars.

Close’s work knocks Walker out.

“In 1998, I saw an exhibition of Close’s work at the MoMA in NY,” says Walker.  “It floored me. I had seen photorealistic work before, such as Richard Estes (also in the exhibit), but what he was doing with these images seemed pretty genius, an Escher like blend of math, art, and science. Close makes big pieces with fingerprints, paper pulp, and overlapping circles of color, that become little abstractions up close, but are photorealistic from a distance. Those fingerprint pieces are especially awesome.”

Walker feels the accessibility of Close’s work appeals to the TAL mission, because its so readily educational.  Walker himself says he’s not previously been exposed to Estes’ photorealism.  “When I was a kid, a Jackson Pollock said nothing to me, but the photorealistic stuff was really amazing, technically. How did they do that?”

Walker says this is an unprecedented opportunity for Jackson residents to work with one of the world’s most noted print makers.   And, he giddily notes, the exhibit is free.

Hecksher is a friend of TAL board member David Gottfried. Schwing!   Hecksher, the founder, owner and director of K5 Editions LLC, has been printing in a variety of media since 1983. He spent the first three years after college as head printer at Prasada Press, collaborating with artists on stone and plate lithography.  In 1986 he became a New York artist, printing editions at several major print studios.

Hecksher’s goal is to establish a more painterly approach to printmaking, one reflective of the individual artist’s touch; to make the print speak clearly and express the artist’s intentions.  He’s been at it for two decades, honing his skills, and working with a full roster of noted artists.

A few years back, Walker took in a Portland, Oregon show of these prints and their matrixes.

” At the show there were these intricately carved wood blocks, stencils, paper screens, and etching plates that were just as beautiful as the prints themselves, side by side with the work to help viewers mentally grasp his process. It was truly mind blowing, from a printmakers perspective, to see the work involved in carving the blocks or etching the copper plates….At that time the Artlab was only a couple of months old, and we had only started to plan our printmaking studio. I knew if we ever did get a print program off of the ground, this work was something we should try and exhibit. So Dave made it happen with a few phone calls and a visit to Karl’s studio,” says Walker.

For his part, Hecksher is thrilled to be introducing his experience and method to Jackson artists.  His hope is that students will develop their own personal approach to wood block printing.

(Photo, top Left: Chuck Close Self-Portrait Woodcut, 2009 Woodcut in 47 colors Image Size: 28 x 23 inches Paper Size: 35 1/2 x 28 1/2 inches Edition of 70 Printed by Karl Hecksher Published by Pace Editions, Inc.)

Item #2

“In 2005 I first had the idea to take Rappers, deify them, and frame them in the context of Byzantine, Orthodox, and Catholic iconography and illuminated manuscripts. The violent deaths of some rappers and their subsequent deifi- cation are comparable to the martyrdom of Christian Saints.” - Aaron Bradley Wallis

A few short years ago, a Jackson Hole High School student’s entry in a Y.A.R.D. exhibition was removed from the exhibit by the gallery hosting that exhibit.  A pair of high top basketball shoes nailed at the top of a tall wooden cross was interpreted as protest and rejection of faith.  In other words, the First Amendment was violated because a work of art, funded in part by grant monies, was censored because of its perceived message.   And though funded art may be ejected from exhibitions, rejection cannot be made on the basis of disagreement with any message inherent in the art.

The young man who created the work protested the censoring by positioning himself as if he were nailed to a crucifix, and duct taped himself to the gallery wall.  Far from decrying Christianity, he said, he was celebrating it.  He felt a certain basketball star was a personification of a higher power, that the player was, in fact, a messenger of God.

Show censors got it very, very, wrong and did themselves more harm than good in the process.  The boy’s work was simple genius.

Teton Art Lab’s upcoming show, The Street Bible, heralds rap stars as Christian icons, and rap music as a form of gospel. Created by artist Aaron Wallis, the show is a ticker tape parade of colorful images: prints, drawings, photos, and paintings depict rap stars Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G., Public Enemy and more.  Running March 26 -  April 31, The Street Bible’s opening reception takes place March 26, 6-8 pm.

For information on these and all other upcoming TAL shows, log onto their website, or phone Travis Walker at 307.699.0836.

Two items from the Art Association:

Having just read a Jackson Hole News and Guide profile on  Art Association new Executive Director Jennifer Crawford’s feeling for space between art and its viewer, it really seems like kismet that a new show, Redefining Space, has opened at Artspace Loft Gallery.  Kismet, or great marketing coordination…you decide!  Whatever the force, this exhibit does something new.  Creative personalities fall into ruts; our spaces can rot, and worn space often sabotages creativity.   It creates resistance, a monumental foe for artists and writers.

Gallery and museum spaces manipulated to make the best of any display are not as common as you might think. In that spirit (and not because there’s worn space to rectify) Redefining Space aims to flex and stretch existing concepts about gallery space in particular.  Former Art Association board member Cindee George flexes her own creative biceps by reinterpreting Artspace’s  Donnelly Photography Loft Gallery.   The result is an exhibit within an exhibit, as George’s redefinition of gallery space is the backdrop for a current art exhibition.

The Art Association notes, too, that its Summer Class Registration process begins March 15, 2010.    Log onto the Art Association’s website, www.artassociation.org, to see this year’s offerings.  There are classes for all ages and artistic predilections.   A variety of levels of expertise are accommodated.   The roster includes loads of childrens art classes, so keep your little ones in mind when signing up.

Item #2:

Death, Debt and Divorce. Those are the three certain facts of life continuing to drive the art market, even in an economic downturn.  So says Christie’s CEO Edward Dolman in a business profile on the arts, published in Newsweek’s February 22, 2010 issue. (page 52.)

Last month, a Sotheby’s auction sold  Alberto Giacometti’s 1960 sculpture of a needle-thin man, “Walking Man I” for $104.3 million.  The price broke the previous record fine art sale, $104.2 million.  That record was also set at Sotheby’s, six years ago.  The hammer price bought Pablo Picasso’s 1906 work “Boy with a Pipe.” Prompted by the shockingly robust Giacometti sales price, Newsweek probed Doleman on the “hows and whys” of the sale.  With the collapse and confusion in current world economies, where does a sales price like this come from?  Is there no tactful reluctance, even when art up for sale is renowned?

According to Dolman, the answer is “no.”   Top of the market art sales flourish because of rare supply and rare personal fortune.  Dolman notes that as the Asian and Middle East art markets have grown, so has Christie’s investment in their sales bases.  “Our Asian works of art department is now the single biggest revenue-generating part of our business, superseding impressionist (darn it!) and modern pictures, postwar and contemporary art,” says Dolman.   He adds that when the most expensive art is involved, only a small number of people have the funds to buy it.  Those buyers have so much wealth it is almost impossible to put a dent in it.

The bottom line on “bargains,” says Dolman, is that death, debt and divorce happen no matter how wobbly economies become.   Death often piles debt onto family fortunes, and selling art that has accumulated high value is a handy way of paying off that debt.  Even then, top works of art are scarce.  So when a great work comes on the market Christie’s and Sotheby’s alert their best collectors and encourage them to bid while they can.

Supply and the ability to demand.   Can’t help but think about Jackson Hole’s plunging real estate market, a market with limited pinnacle supply and that only the wealthiest can buy.   Jackson’s real estate market has dropped near 80% in the last year, plus.   Since the recession began, according to Newsweek,  Christie’s sales have dropped from a reported $6 billion to less than $3 billion.  A very few of the highest end valley properties have sold recently;  “moderate” priced home sales remain fallow.

Last year something good did happen.  Photographer Edward Riddell experimented with a new kind of photography workshop, taking students on a photographic journey through Tuscany, Italy.    Those workshops were so successful, he’s repeating the program in 2010.

This spring, Riddell will take another small group of students through Tuscany; come fall, those who sign up will follow Riddell through Yellowstone National Park.  A Jackson Hole resident, Riddell has been shooting the Park’s landscapes for decades and conducting workshops for 33 years.  If you’ve lived here for any length of time, and have been paying attention to photography, you should be familiar with Riddell’s Ansel Adams-like black and white landscapes, and his more abstract color compositions.

Students must submit images to Riddell in order to be considered.  Workshops are geared to intermediate and experienced photographers.

With an emphasis on shooting in the field, and lots of personal attention and day-to-day critique from Riddell, class sizes are limited.

“Landscapes, People and Life of Tuscany” runs April 28-May 5, 2010.   This class is limited to six students; Italy’s touring vehicles are smaller than U.S. vans.  Cost is $1,995.   Riddell, who recently published “Range of Memory” with the writer Terry Tempest Williams, has branched off into portraiture.  Students will work with human subjects, as well as the natural world.

“Fall in Yellowstone - From Photograph to Gallery Print,” is scheduled for September 25 - October 1, 2010.   Limited to eight students, the cost is $1,250.

“The class will focus on morning and evening field sessions spent at Ed’s favorite locations (very generous in the world of photography) along with daily critiques of the previous day’s shoot. The goal of the course will be for each student to develop a portfolio of 6 to 10 photographs taken during the workshop,” says Riddell.

The Yellowstone session will give students the opportunity to produce exquisite inkjet prints at Riddell’s home studio, learning the basics of his editing and printing techniques.   Each student will leave with at least one finished print, finished with the best archival materials available.

I believe travel is included in these prices, but that is NOT confirmed, so please make sure you are clear on workshop costs.  Sounds like a deal to me!

Further details and links to signing up for either or both workshops can be found at http://web.me.com/edriddell/Riddell_Photography_Workshops.

Telephone Ed Riddell at 307.733.9093 or 307.690.3980.

The Teton Literacy’s Second Annual Mother’s Day Trunk Show, a two-day event, features the best of Jackson Hole’s local arts.   May 1-2, take a pre-Mother’s Day stroll over to the historic Wort Hotel in downtown Jackson to view, and bid on, a wealth of jewelry, glasswork, paintings, sculpture, ceramics, needlework and more.   Bid on a complimentary, two-hour Jackson Hole Art Tour for four!  (Value $130 - a great gift for the art-loving ladies in your life, a great treat for summer visitors!)   Fly fishing, spa visits and more goodies will also be up for bid.

The event kicks off with a Friday, May 1 cocktail party and first glance at some great items up for silent bid at the Wort; Saturday, May 2, come back to check out the all-day trunk show and bidding action.

All proceeds benefit the Teton Literacy Program. Check with event organizers regarding non-profit donation tax benefits.   Stefanie Thompson and Andria Clancy are the co-chairs.   For more information log onto Teton Literacy’s website. Phone 307-733-9242.

*

Art for the Soul-Soup for the Bowl, happening at the Art Association on Friday, May 1, 5:30-8:00 p.m., is a new and down-to-earthenware fundraiser for the Art Association’s community arts education program.  An affordable $25 gets you in the door.  Once in, here’s what happens:  pick your own hand-thrown ceramic bowl–thrown or coiled by Art Association ceramicists.  Then, fill that beautiful bowl with your choice of an array of delicious soups from local restaurants.

And…drink beer! (Hope there’s some cheddar soup to go with that.)  Open mic entertainment is on the docket, and attendees get a sneak preview of this Spring’s YARD Art exhibition, headed up by local artist Ben Roth.

Bowl-er artists include: Wesley Barron, Rudy Borrego, Jenny Dowd, Sam Dowd, Bronwyn Minton, Janet Monahan, Robert Palmquist, Allison Parker, Amanda Rizner, Veronica Schreibeis, Valerie Seaberg, Dean Stayner, Marianne Sturken, Tenley Thompson, Josh Thulin and Nicole Waichunas.         Information: 307-733-6379.   Or, log onto www.artassociation.org.

“Nice juxtaposition of future-oriented construction specifics and intense as-if-remembered snapshot panoramas.” — Guest book comment on photographer Michael Sherwin’s exhibit “Dis•Location.”

June 18-28, photographer Michael Sherwin will lead a photography workshop  in the Jackson area.  The workshop is sponsored by the West Virginia University College of Creative Arts , where Sherwin is on staff.  For a time, Sherwin and his wife lived in Jackson Hole, and his June 2005 Art Association exhibition, “Dis•Location,” remains one of my favorite local photography exhibits to date.  Sherwin arrived in Jackson from Oregon.   Sherwin is assistant professor of photography and digital imaging at WVU’s Division of Art and Design.

Sherwin practices his craft democratically, openly encouraging new and experienced photographers.  He’s accessible.   Ego: checked at dark room door.

The 10-day workshop will be held in partnership with the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts, meaning Sherwin will have access to its photography studio. The workshop is offered through the extended learning office at WVU so it is open to everyone, says Sherwin.  As a WVU program, college credit is available.  Visit www.michaelsherwin.com.  Application deadline is May 1.  Hop to it!

The workshop will cover a broad range of photographic practices and principles, with an emphasis on instruction targeted to the individual level of the student. Primary instruction will include the use of digital and 35mm film cameras, along with color inkjet or black-and-white darkroom processes. Students will also have the opportunity to explore work in medium- and large-format cameras and alternative processes.”

My Arts Observatory article on Sherwin, written for Planet Jackson Hole in June 2005,  is reprinted below.

* New Photography Studio Clicks

“Wow!” responds Sherwin.  “Future-oriented in the sense that these things were mapping structures underneath the ground, intended, I guess, for safety.  So when you began the construction you wouldn’t dig up or damage what is underneath.  And I love the idea of a snap shot panorama.  I frequently talk about this work as a panoramic of experience, in that it’s not one single image, but a segment of time, riding the fence between still and moving images.”

Uncovering Fred Hayden’s spot-on observation of Jackson photographer Michael Sherwin’s exhibit, “Dis•Location,” now on display at ArtSpace’s upstairs gallery at 240 S. Glenwood, was kismet.  In fact, our interview was blessed with a confluence of happy incidents.   As Sherwin and I began to review his work, Diane Hazen, a gallery visitor, remarked that she was a long-time resident of Eugene, Oregon, where Sherwin’s photographs were shot. She recognized the locations.  Hazen is also a city planner, and was that day transfixed by Sherwin’s fluorescent street symbols and overlapping, exposed images.  Sherwin’s color photographs are extended, abstract urban street scenes, patterned with construction symbols, maintenance markings, and dynamic linear composition.  Looking at his work, you might be reminded of a path.

“Yes, the path as the narrative act is a big part of this work.  I was studying the idea of psycho-geography, which studies the way different geographies in the city and country affect us emotionally.  That idea of the path really played into this work.”  Contemporary work harkening back to the ancient.

How did Sherwin come to photograph urban road markings, putting them into the panoramic format that he does?  “I was walking and biking to school. I always had my camera on me, so I was paying attention to what was going on around me.  Using a toy camera, and using an entire roll of film really started here in Jackson. I was fascinated by how my walk was being mediated by man-made constructs.  Here I was interested in the road signs and other things coming into my contact. In Eugene, it started with noticing different paint on the streets, different colors.  I followed them through the landscape, and I documented where they were falling at my feet and the landscape as I moved through it.  That led to graffiti, and subconscious types of art.  Unintentional aesthetic acts.  I was interested in the boundary between things that are seen as logistics and things that are considered aesthetic.”

“You photograph the low part first, which is technically under exposed, and then when you photograph the back it brightens the whole image,” said Hazen.  “Exactly,” replied Sherwin.  Sherwin used a toy camera to capture his urban street photos, and his success in capturing the subtle interlocking patterns that occur when nature meets city proves once again that it is the photographer, not technicals, that renders good results.  “It is a process of trial and error with this camera,” Sherwin continued. “You really don’t know what you are going to get. The city is either sunny or cloudy, and you learn what weather works best, with what exposure.”  Examining one image, “13th Avenue University of Oregon, #13496,” Sherwin and Hazen noted the hot pink road markings. “This paint is by far the most colorful, the most fluorescent I’ve photographed. Who would think hot pink? And it is the most hieroglyphic of all of the [street markings]! Random marks that weren’t signifying anything that I could tell.”  Indeed, the markings are like petroglyphs.  “Yes,” agrees Sherwin. “There’s almost a male/female symbolic language going on. It was really fascinating, these street equations that were worked out that have no logical meaning to me at all.  It’s purely aesthetic.”  Discussing the symbols we realize that such records are chosen as communication vehicles, and are recognizable to a culture, because of their universality.  There is no difference between the determining of ancient petroglyph symbols and the cryptic street markings recognized and easily read by urban planners.  Sherwin’s markings represent an acquired knowledge reflecting a distinct community element.  Sherwin notes that the other interesting element of these particular pink markings was that they were water-based.  The evening of the day Sherwin photographed them, it rained.  Virtually all the symbols were obliterated.  “And that made it the chance of a lifetime, photographing that pink,” says Sherwin.

End.

The Jackson Hole Art Association posted some great Spring classes.  I reproduce the schedule here.   Check with the Art Association for a discount on Edward Stanton’s “Drawing Circus” class.    Teaching staff includes Stanton, Sam Dowd and the lovely Georgia Mayer.

Drawing Circus, Mar. 12 - 15
with Edward Stanton
This is no ordinary figure drawing workshop.  Each day features at least one performing artist in theatre or dance striking short and moving poses (costumed and nude) in a partially staged ephemeral atmosphere, with lighting that varies from right and colored to dark and dramatic. Sign up before 2.20.09 & get a 10% discount.

Surface Enrichment on Clay, Mar. 21 & 22
with Sam Dowd
This class will be geared toward the making of utilitarian pots on the potters’ wheel in a spontaneous manner. We will explore the use of underglaze colors and slips as well as mark making on the clay.

Beginning Silversmithing, Mar. 13 - 15
with Georgia Mayer
Learn to saw, solder, polish and complete some simple silver projects. Bring sketches of simple designs. Georgia will demonstrate simple rings, setting stones and patterns for 2 or 3 simple bracelets and / or earrings.

Youth Clay and Art Classes, Session II, Feb. 23
Our second session of youth art classes starts on February 23. There are classes in a variety of media for kids aged 2 yrs. to 5th graders.