Interview with Sara Pedigo
Check out this great interview with one of our alumni!
ByAs a young adult, Sara Pedigo would secretly riffle through a box of family photographs stored at her parents’ house. She was intrigued by images of her relatives before she knew them, before she had ever existed. The early photos were mostly of her mother’s side of the family, thought to be taken by her grandfather. Later photos show Pedigo’s own childhood, along with her mother and siblings (her father was often behind the lens).
Read more at Drift
Congratulations to NYPOP alumna Marcie Paper, who was among four artists whose mural designs were chosen to adorn stretches of jersey barriers throughout New York City. The project is part of the DOT’s “Barrier Beautifucation” project which aims to bring public art to the otherwise bland concrete barriers.
Marcie’s designs can be seen on the jersey barriers along the bike path on Tillary Street in Downtown Brooklyn leading to the Brooklyn Bridge.
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle has a nice write up on the project, and you can view photos of the transformation here.
For more on Marcie’s work, visit www.marciepaper.com
Totem - New Exhibition from Soft Spot Online Gallery
People surround themselves with objects that have specific meaning, objects that act as a tether between personal, social and spiritual worlds. These objects hold in them memories, ideologies, questions, jokes, surprises, and other things we can’t put into words.
The works in Totem act as a window looking into the relationships we have with our ‘power objects’. These works explore how these objects function, how they come to have such great meaning, and the role they play as they surround us daily.
![Reclaiming the term ‘Feminist’- feminists are not unshaven, man hating, sex hating, extremists. Feminists enjoy sex and in fact make for better lovers. The purpose of this performance art project is to redefine the term and give feminism a new ‘face.’ And yes, I am unabashedly using sex to sell my ideas/ideals. “Mostly they think feminism is a bunch of angry women who want to be like men. They do not even think about feminism as being about rights about women gaining equal rights. When I talk about the feminism I know up close and personal- they willingly listen, although when our conversations end, they are quick to tell me I am different, not like the “real” feminists who hate men, who are angry. I assure them I am as a real and as radical a feminist as one can be,” “Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression… the movement is not about being anti-male. It makes it clear that the problem is sexism. And thatclarity helps us remember that all of us, female and male, have been socialized from birth on to accept sexist thought and action. As a consequence, females can be just as sexist as men.” Where did this anti-men stigma come from?“When contemporary feminist movement first began there was a fierce anti-male faction. Individual heterosexual women came to the movement from relationships where men were cruel, unkind, violent, unfaithful…more than ever the feminist movement [of today] is seen primarily as anti-sex. Visionary feminist discourse on sexual passion and pleasure has been pushed into the background, ignored by almost everyone.”—-bell hooks; feminism is for everybody—Most people believe that feminists can’t be romantic or sexual but according to Laurie Rudman and Julie Phelan, from Rutgers University, this is not accurate. They carried out a laboratory survey of 242 American undergraduates and an online survey including 289 older adults, and determined that couples with feminists are more likely to have had longer relationships and greater life experience. They looked at men’s and women’s perception of their own feminism and its link to relationship health, measured by a combination of overall relationship quality, agreement about gender equality, relationship stability and sexual satisfaction. Their study also shows that unflattering feminist stereotypes, that tend to stigmatize feminists as unattractive and sexually unappealing, are unsupported. Additionally,men with feminist partners have more stable relationships and better sex lives. Feeling empowered translates to being more empowered in bed, which translates to more adventurous sex with bolder moves and superior satisfaction. A feminist isn’t afraid to push you onto the bed (or vice versa) or talk dirty or get frisky. A feminist doesn’t just “lay there.” She’s an active participant and she’s comfortable enough with herself to get spicy —Today on Umass Amherst campus, 15 people -men and women- rocked these tee shirts as a part of a performance art piece— Thank you <3
www.facebook.com/SamanthaZaruba](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3dbadwvV21r1uo5qo1_1280.jpg)
Reclaiming the term ‘Feminist’- feminists are not unshaven, man hating, sex hating, extremists. Feminists enjoy sex and in fact make for better lovers. The purpose of this performance art project is to redefine the term and give feminism a new ‘face.’ And yes, I am unabashedly using sex to sell my ideas/ideals.
“Mostly they think feminism is a bunch of angry women who want to be like men. They do not even think about feminism as being about rights about women gaining equal rights. When I talk about the feminism I know up close and personal- they willingly listen, although when our conversations end, they are quick to tell me I am different, not like the “real” feminists who hate men, who are angry. I assure them I am as a real and as radical a feminist as one can be,”
“Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression… the movement is not about being anti-male. It makes it clear that the problem is sexism. And that
clarity helps us remember that all of us, female and male, have been socialized from birth on to accept sexist thought and action. As a consequence, females can be just as sexist as men.”
Where did this anti-men stigma come from?
“When contemporary feminist movement first began there was a fierce anti-male faction. Individual heterosexual women came to the movement from relationships where men were cruel, unkind, violent, unfaithful…more than ever the feminist movement [of today] is seen primarily as anti-sex. Visionary feminist discourse on sexual passion and pleasure has been pushed into the background, ignored by almost everyone.”
—-bell hooks; feminism is for everybody—
Most people believe that feminists can’t be romantic or sexual but according to Laurie Rudman and Julie Phelan, from Rutgers University, this is not accurate. They carried out a laboratory survey of 242 American undergraduates and an online survey including 289 older adults, and determined that couples with feminists are more likely to have had longer relationships and greater life experience. They looked at men’s and women’s perception of their own feminism and its link to relationship health, measured by a combination of overall relationship quality, agreement about gender equality, relationship stability and sexual satisfaction. Their study also shows that unflattering feminist stereotypes, that tend to stigmatize feminists as unattractive and sexually unappealing, are unsupported. Additionally,
men with feminist partners have more stable relationships and better sex lives.
Feeling empowered translates to being more empowered in bed, which translates to more adventurous sex with bolder moves and superior satisfaction. A feminist isn’t afraid to push you onto the bed (or vice versa) or talk dirty or get frisky. A feminist doesn’t just “lay there.” She’s an active participant and she’s comfortable enough with herself to get spicy
—Today on Umass Amherst campus, 15 people -men and women- rocked these tee shirts as a part of a performance art piece— Thank you <3
An Open Letter to Kiki Smith
Dear Kiki,
May I call you Kiki? Maybe it’s a bit too early in the relationship for us to be on a first name basis, and it goes against my Southern manners, but hell, I have a major girl-crush on you. I hope that wasn’t too forward … Nevertheless, and in all seriousness, I love your work – I’ve followed you for years.
So, on to business: I just got back from your current exhibition, Visionary Sugar, at the Neuberger Museum of Art, at SUNY-Purchase. Now look Kiki (Mrs. Smith), I still love you, but I have to say my experience with the work this afternoon has left me deeply upset. Though, I can’t say I blame you totally. Most of the onus is on your representative, the Neuberger Museum of Art. The work in Visionary Sugar is large in scope, ambitious and shows a sampling of hand-colored etchings, Jacquard tapestries, bronze and aluminum castings (gilded within an inch of their lives) and a smattering of assorted drawings. But, it wasn’t necessarily what I saw in the mélange of your work that bothered me – it was a certain brand of indolent Neuberger shenanigans that left a bad taste in my mouth.
Obviously the experience of viewing any work is affected by the surroundings in which it’s placed. Kiki – I think I can call you Kiki now – the Neuberger isn’t doing you any favors. When I walked into the South gallery space, after being bombarded by the echoes of docents gossiping over their paystubs, I ran smack dab into a table full of audio mixing equipment, a workman teetering awfully close to your sculpture, ‘Annunciation, 2008, with a cherry picker, and stacks of tables ready to be erected – God knows where (all of which, obviously, obscuring your work). The whole experience left me so dismayed. I tried desperately to hop over the cables and workmen, snaking their way across the floor, but to no effect. Theatrical rigging dominated my field of view.
The reason for the kerfuffle: Paper Jam 2012. Which seems to be a silent auction of “work by some of the hottest contemporary artists at many price points during live and silent auctions.’ Okay: cards on the table. This former museum employee and gallerina-extraordinaire knows we gotta hustle to keep our butts afloat these days. But, dare I say, Helaine Posner, Chief Curator and Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs at the Neuberger, needs to watch out for her artists. Helaine (Mrs. Posner), if you read this, I know you have to be a smart cookie, working your magic everyday to keep amazing artists like Dana Schutz, Jime Dine and my beloved Kiki in material and in the pages of every art magazine, but… COME ON! I can’t even get to half the work in the space! And, if you are going to set up while you are open to the public (which you shouldn’t be doing) have the front desk, at the very least, tell your damn patrons before charging them to NOT SEE the exhibition! The entire experience – personnel, lighting, galleries (and, not just the current exhibitions gallery) – gives the impression of a museum that has given up … or, at least, a museum whose priorities are seriously out of whack.
From what I did see of Visionary Sugar, a lot of it I enjoyed. Though, I do question the curatorial direction – the layout and hodgepodge nature of the space and how pieces were (or, more likely, weren’t) tied together. A few stood out with a casualness that I found appealing. The works, Vision (1st Hour) 2009, Dusk, and Temptation, 2009 all stayed with me for some time (after I left in shame for Kiki).
I might have stayed longer, but roadies in a cherry picker were chasing me around the gallery. And, that damn thing came awfully close to flattening Annunciation. Which is one of the strongest pieces in the exhibition. Alas, I left, unable to enjoy all of Kiki’s boldness. Neuberger owes me more. They owe their artists MORE!
Don’t forget your original purpose, Neuberger Museum. The extraordinary, Roy R. Neuberger, (1903-2010), founding patron and namesake, would roll over in his grave if he saw what I saw. I can’t say I’ve given up, but it’ll be a long time before I go back. Which is sad. Because, I’ve seen some really memorable shows there. They need to check themselves before their shaky presentation, ill-mannered staff and atrocious communication takes an enormous pool of possibilities (a permanent collection of more than 7,000 works of art) down with it – before that amazing collections gets broken up and dispersed because too many of us can’t even see what we came to.
Kiki, girl, I still love you, but remember: the company you keep is ALWAYS important. How you handle your work, how we, the public, view it is paramount. It represents you when you aren’t there to represent yourself. Girl, I still love you, but, in this case, you’re selling yourself short. I hope I can write a follow-up letter someday, proclaiming my unadulterated love and support for you and your work (and maybe even the Neuberger too … here’s hoping). But, as of now, all I saw was a sad museum that just screamed: KEEP OUT! Our priorities are elsewhere – not with Kiki and especially not with our patrons. God knows where they lie …
Sincerely
John Michael Byrd
This semester I took a figure modeling class where we made clay busts of ourselves either life-size or larger. Now that they are beginning the final, firing stage we are given the option to add a pigment to permanently tint the pieces. However, I have passed up coloration at this step and decided to wait for my piece to be fired and then paint it with acrylic. Even though it is a less permanent route, I feel it is traditional to paint over sculptures to add color and detail. We have seen this done as early as Greek, Roman and Egyptian sculpture. I only hope in hundreds of years someone finds my piece buried in my yard with remnants of acrylic paint left just like great sculptures of the past. Some contemporary artists I looked at for inspiration are John Ahearn and Judy Fox. Both artists paint their sculptures making them more lifelike and relatable.
John Ahearn is an artist who worked a lot in the south bronx (sometimes collaborations) making casts of plaster or fiberglass of people in the neighborhood, and then painting them. Many were installed outdoors on large scale murals and often he worked with community groups to expose kids to an art culture. Reading articles online, something that stood out to me was that by painting his cast sculptures Ahearn could directly link those pieces to the individuality and humanness of the subjects. I would like to do this for my own piece; paint it and bring it to life.
Judy Fox works with ceramic sculpture, also in New York. She works by building full scale sculptures using armatures and works sections at a time. Once built she paints many layers to build up color and detail. This is something that I want to try in my own project- to build up layers of color to mimic reality (a bald head is flesh colored, so paint the entire form flesh tones first, then add layers of hair color on top). There are interesting pictures of Fox’s process on her website, http://www.judyfox.net/process.html. I will update in the summer (hopefully) when I finish painting my piece and let you know how it went!
Ahearn
Ahearn
my clay bust, Ruby
The Annunciation
Recently I visited the University Museum of Contemporary Art to see Eija-Liisa Ahtila’s The Annunciation. This work is a film installation containing three separate projections filling three walls of the room. It’s a pseudo-documentary of Ahtila’s own recreation of the Christian annunciation, showing the process of the work itself and the personal development of some of the actresses. With three projections running, the viewer eventually begins to feel like a part of the film. In some cases the viewer is a part of the conversation, following whoever is speaking, jumping from projection to projection. There’s an urge to try to watch everything that is happening, but like in real life, you can’t evenly devote your attention to everything. This piece plays with our attention span and our lack of ability to follow separate screens at once.
The interesting thing about this film is that it documents the entire process of making a film piece. As the viewer, we see the behind-the-scenes action, learning how the film comes together. It shows the actresses discussing the roles and learning the lines, and we learn a little bit about the actresses themselves in the piece, who apparently are not hired actresses; we see their individual reactions to the unfolding film and its symbolic meanings. I’ve seen a few of Ahtila’s films before and I should have expected the visual effects in The Annunciation- there was even a scene explicitly showing the green screen set up, but when the Annunciation scene came together at the end of the piece, I was still impressed by the angel floating through the large glass window of the artist’s studio. the art scene tends to ignore pieces that involve heavy-handed visual effects, but Ahtila remains restrained with these effects, only using them when necessary. Her video installation is a must-see if you happen to be on campus.
-Bryan Meegan
Apparently I posted this to my own blog instead of the NYPOP blog.
Eros/Thanatos- Group 1, Trip #3.
Untitled: Rene Smith and the Lower East Side
So we all got to the city in the usual way again, driving a car instead of the van. We then got on a few trains to go out to see Rene. Her studio is in Brooklyn and took us awhile to get there, but once there we were treated to a mix of hyper-realist oil painting and collages from playgirl and…
Mike Cockrill and the Independent Art Fair
So, we all got to New York the usual way. We then got on a subway to Mike Cockrill’s studio. We were met by a tall, somewhat aloof man who we later found out was Mike. He had just come back from an art supply store and some of us helped him bring some supplies up to his studio. Great. I thought that he was going to be boring because of his odd personalty, but he was hilarious, smart, and savvy. He brought us through a short chronology of his work, and his history as an artist. We saw a number of his paintings in his studio and were able to see his first published work, a book that seemed like a graphic novel about an alternate history of the JFK assassination. It was sly and satyrical. The way he presented his work was really interesting to watch. He brought out stretched canvases and just stacked them up, leaning against the wall, or shuffled them around so that they could be hung next to each other on the wall. Much of his work revolves around childhood and innocence. He uses political characters, like a clown or a young girl with a gun to illustrate his views. When I asked him if he relates to his characters, he responded, “They are all parts of me. The young girl with the gun is me, the clown she aims at is me.” I was really shocked at this because he seemed so intent on creating a charged space that he would use himself and his own psyche as the subject. It was very intense to hear and feel a part.
After leaving Mike Cockrill’s studio I went to Soho, and went to a few galleries where I saw plenty of young artists in some chic galleries.
Saturday morning I got up early and went to the Independent Art Fair in Chelsea. I did not look to see if there was admission, but went in anyway, and walked right up the stairs to the fourth floor. Each floor was filled with younger, newer galleries from around the world who were displaying up and coming artists, and young artists. It was great to see that some galleries, like White Column Gallery, had sold our of all of their inventory. It is a marker that the low end art market is on the rebound after such a turndown over the last few years. All of the work was selling between $50-700. It seemed almost accessible, had I been there earlier and willing to sacrifice my rent (I chose neither). This weekend was invigorating and got me ready to go back to Amherst and work extra hard to try to be successful.
The New York Professional Outreach Program (NYPOP) is about making connections that lead to a career in the visual arts. The program brings university students to the work places of contemporary professionals in New York City. The experience encourages students to believe in the possibility of a career for themselves.