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clairesgaragezine · 1 year

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CGZ Featured Artist: MJ (Molly Jean)

May 25, 2023

Everyone, I am SO excited!! Please welcome our very first featured artist: MJ, stands for Molly Jean, female, 38 years old in Kansas City, Missouri. No formal art education outside of the 7 art classes she took in highschool. She took two semesters of theater in community college, "that counts for something" she says. She used to have a website but hasn't updated in years, you can go ahead and find her on Instagram @mollyjean.art or over on her Tumblr which is a mish mash of fan girl stuff and whatever else she feels like @yourcoolauntie (for her avatar of Aunt Gayle from Bob's Burgers)

Leviathan, 2012 (Acrylic on canvas, 16x20in)

CGZ: When did you start painting? What’s your earliest memory of painting or of creating art?

MJ: I remember making a little pinch pot in Kindergarten. In first grade we made robots out of different materials, they were flat on paper, it was mixed medium. I used tinfoil and some other stuff. It got hung up at the school district's main office, they tracked me down and gave it back to me in highschool!

CGZ: And where is the robot now?

MJ: I don't know where the robot is, my mom may have it in a box but it may have gotten lost.

Object II, 2020 (Acrylic on canvas, 30x40 in)

CGZ: Has your birthplace or your family background influenced your approach to creating art?

MJ: I wish I had an answer about my culture or my family heritage, but I don't. My dad's side is Irish & English, his family came over well over a hundred years ago. My mom is half Croatian but her grandparents were old by the time she was born, and they all assimilated very thoroughly, so I know little of Slavic culture. So birthplace and heritage…the isolating suburbs of the southern midwest.

Ultimately art has been my constant therapy, so my approach is, I have to do it. Let me try not to trauma dump too much. I grew up in a very dysfunctional home. My mom was the gentler one, my dad was scary. But my folks would take my siblings and I out to museums and around the city to expose us to a bigger world outside our suburb. We grew up poorer than we should have been because my dad was a high functioning addict, with an okay job with the city, but money went to drugs and lawyers. So I'm certain being aware early on of how class works in America shaped me as well. My mom and dad were too different from one another but they both appreciated the world, usually in a very critical and very negative way. My father, troubled, but very smart, always played music, records, he loved movies and anything avant garde and fringe. He had no boundaries and it was a volatile home. So, in a house where one parent was always afraid to speak up because her spouse would explode in a rage and the other never not talking about his every thought and feeling…I never learned to properly communicate mine. So…art. My folks are still alive…I realize I wrote this like they're dead.

CGZ: Who are your biggest artistic influences?

MJ: The dadaists, the surrealists, abstract expressionists, the early abstract guys like Wassily Kandinsky. We watched a documentary in Jr. high about Keith Haring that stuck with me. That's a big leap from Picasso to Haring but this is kinda off the top of my head, I never took any art history courses.

CGZ: How has your art practice changed over time?

MJ: I used to be uncomfortable calling myself an artist, in my early 20s I didn't think I'd earned it because I hadn't sold anything yet. That was real dumb. If you make something that serves absolutely no function other than you created it and now it exists and now it's in the world to be debated, analyzed or just looked at and displayed, congratulations you made an art. That aligns with the old adage of Art for art's sake.

CGZ: What do you like best about your work? What makes you happy when you’re creating?

MJ: I don't think I have a best liked…but I'm generally pleased if I can come close to what I had in my mind before I started.

Labyrinth, 2022 (Acrylic on canvas, 16x20 in)

CGZ: I adored your 2023 International Women’s Day post (self-portraits in a candlelit bath with body-affirming/life-affirming messages). Is there a shared meaning or messaging across your whole art practice? What differs for you between your abstract paintings and your photography projects?

MJ: Thank you so much for saying that. Also, great question. This is actually something I've thought about because I'm scared. It's been years since I've displayed anything and I'm worried if I approach a gallery they will ask me this and I will squeak out a bullshit answer like, let the art speak for itself. I think if there is a thread between all my work, paint, mixed media, photography it's about discovery and exploration, acceptance. I'm a traumatized, depressed, queer so that's easy, right? Looking at the parts of ourselves we'd rather keep hidden because of shame or pain, that we all have a part of ourselves we must excavate. Even folks with happy childhoods. Just don't lose yourself in the ditch in the process. …I'm not sure any of that made sense.

CGZ: What are some of the most memorable responses you’ve received about your work?

MJ: About a decade or so ago a friend made a little film about this shadowbox project I was doing. It was an artist showcase. I was in the film community as a script supervisor…so that's how most knew me. I didn't talk about my art. I can't watch it now because I cringe…but after the viewing, a DP came up to me and he said, "I didn't know you were interesting." Weird backhanded compliment.

Another standout is walking into a pop up gallery I was showing at and meeting a jewelry designer there and she said, "You must be MJ, you look like your art." That was very affirming.

CGZ: What are the “little things” that you notice but no one else does that inspire your work?

MJ: A sunrise, the way light simmers and breaks apart when it shines through a tree canopy. I think people see that stuff, I don't want to pretend I have some profound insight on life that others don't. I suppose it's about priorities and what we choose to register and spend our time on. I have no children or a partner, I'm my own distraction and obstacle. I do prioritize stillness.

CGZ: What are your favorite mediums to create in? Are there any “experimental” or new-to-you mediums that you’re interested in exploring?

MJ: Acrylic is my main bag. I'd love to work with oils. Not very exciting I know. Honestly, I have ideas for sculptures but have no idea where to begin.

CGZ: What is your favorite time of day to create? What’s your “just right” setting? Do you have a favorite drink or mood-setting music? A lucky trinket you keep nearby?

MJ: Some might not say I'm not a true artist because I have a day job and am not starving for my art…but that's the dream right, to be able to eat and shelter yourself and do only art. So, usually midday on a day off. I might smoke some weed, I will definitely be listening to music, through my stereo setup or my headphones.

CGZ: Describe what it feels like when you know a piece is finished. What makes you sit back and go “That’s done.”

MJ: I never have that feeling of "done", it's usually, I have exhausted all effort and I am either satisfied or I'm not. I'm guilty of painting over works. But I have a few pieces I think I'm completely satisfied with. The ones pictured are a few of those.

CGZ: Where do you go for inspiration? What helps refill the well?

MJ: Listening to other artists, and other people speak on their work. Moonage Daydream, the David Bowie documentary I watched the other night for example. I recently watched a piece on Roberta Flack. Music is a big motivator. I live about 10 miles from The Nelson Atkins Museum of art, so going and looking at the Marcel Duchamp or the Van Gogh's helps too.

CGZ: Do you have a favorite art museum? When you go there, where do you beeline to first?

MJ: See previous. Ha.

CGZ: What’s the weirdest or best book you’ve read recently?

MJ: I'm shit at getting around to finishing a book. I have Blood, Sweat and Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max Fury Road next to my bed. Spine not cracked.

CGZ: As the kids say: “I’m in my ___ era.” What era are you in?

MJ: Hermit. My fingernails haven't started to curl yet so there is still hope.

As Above So Below, 2020 (Acrylic on canvas, 16x20 in)

CGZ: What song has been stuck in your head lately?

MJ: Recently, On My Own from Les Mis. The hermit bit aside, I did just go catch the tour that came through town. So…

CGZ: What keeps you going? How do you overcome creative blocks?

MJ: I don't have creative blocks per se. They can happen but mostly I have hurdles. I let my brother move into the room I was using as my studio…so, I haven't been painting as much. But I have to always be creating something. As a kid before I painted I played piano, then got into theater, acting, modeling for a couple years. I once had a webshow with a best friend where we reviewed TV shows and recreated the episode using Barbie dolls. I was 27. Nowadays I write or play with photography, if I can't paint. Recently, some poetry, and about 100,000 words worth of fan fiction. A girl has gotta let it out somehow, no shame.

CGZ: What’s the best piece of artist/creator advice you’ve heard?

MJ: I'm sure I've heard plenty but my memory is crap, so I have no quotes to give you right now. I think in highschool, when my teacher came up over my shoulder and pointed at the heavy outline in my still life (that she'd tried to get me to stop doing) and said, "You just can't help yourself can you? That's just how you paint." Taught me something. We can be taught and told and can imitate and follow instructions and still reveal ourselves through a simple unconscious stroke.

CGZ: Where do you hope to be in five years? Ten? (Wrong answers only.)

MJ: I can't even provide a wrong answer. These kinds of questions addle my sick brain.

CGZ: A parting quote for our readers? (I adored, “I can't wait until I'm dead and all my art is at a thrift store or left beside a dumpster.”)

MJ: I'm glad you appreciated that. I do love the MOBA, museumofbadart.org, and would feel no shame being included there, they do important work, I do believe that.

I feel like I've said too much. I was mentally smoking a cigarette this whole time. So I'm stomping it out now. Just imagine me staring into your eyes like performance artist Marina Abramovic and come up with something.

This was really fun and terrifying by the way. Thanks so much Claire 🖤

Communication, 2020 (Acrylic and oil on canvas, 18x24 in)

Hellhound, 2012 (Acrylic on canvas, 16x20 in)

#claire's garage zine #cgz featured artist #mj: molly jean #@yourcoolauntie #cgz spring 2023 #2023-MAY-25 #MAY-25

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scribblesartcollective · 11 months

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Happy Juneteenth! As Juneteenth is in the middle of Pride Month, it seems only fitting to feature a Black American for our queer artist today. And that artist is, Beauford Delaney

A fixture of the Harlem Renaissance, he's best known for his expressionist portraits. Attracted to art from an early age, both Beauford and his brother were drawing as very young children, beginning with copying cards from Sunday school.

Born in Tennessee, like many black artists in the midcentury, he moved to New York, and then to Paris, drawn to the more liberal minded places. He'd remain in Europe for the rest of his life, only with brief visits to family in the US.

His work was actually ahead of his contemporaries in Abstract Expressionism. And his work shifted quickly and dramatically as he was exposed to new ideas. Tragically, Beauford suffered from mental illness made worse by alcoholism. And in the end, he died from complications of Alzheimers.

Another gay black American spoke of him best, so we'll use his words here. James Baldwin wrote: "Perhaps I am so struck by the light in Beauford’s paintings because he comes from darkness— as I do, as, in fact, we all do. But the darkness of Beauford’s beginnings in Tennessee,

many years ago, was a black-blue midnight indeed, opaque, and full of sorrow.

And I do not know, nor will any of us ever really know, what kind of strength it was that enabled him to make so dogged and splendid a journey."

#Beauford Delaney #Black Artist #Black Art History #Queer Art History #gay artist #lgbtq art history #pride month #pride art history #happy pride month #happy juneteenth

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creativemorningsvancouver · 2 months

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The first event of 2024 will feature renowned sculptor Marie Khouri who will share her incredible personal story of creativity through the lens of the global theme RISE.

Born in Egypt and raised in Lebanon, Marie Khouri relays messages of movement, community, and connection through her artworks. As an immigrant spending time across Europe before truly settling in Canada, Khouri’s work speaks to a unified and diverse audience, creating sculptures that unify communities. With her works rooted in a profound sense of dislocation and the search for a greater sense of place, her sculptures are formed through extensive hands-on process that employs traditional sculpting techniques alongside contemporary innovations in material and building standards. Khouri was just honoured as the Award of Distinction in the 2023 Applied Art + Design Awards by BC Achievement Foundation.

Every month we ask our speaker a handful of probing questions to give us a deeper glimpse into their life and relationship with creativity:

How do you define creativity and apply it in your life and career? When asked about how I define creativity and apply it in my life and career, I express that for me, creativity is not just a sporadic occurrence but an everyday phenomenon. It permeates various aspects of my life, from the way I dress and cook to my behavior and work. I draw inspiration from everyday things, whether it be an image, a reading, or a simple walk, emphasizing the importance of finding creativity in the ordinary.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration or energy? Reflecting on where I find my best creative inspiration or energy, I stress that inspiration often stems from everyday experiences, such as images, readings, or walks—especially those by the sea. I emphasize the significance of not merely looking at things but truly seeing them, delving beneath the surface. Ultimately, I highlight the pivotal moment when I can apply this creative inspiration in the studio, manifesting it into the everyday things I create.

What’s one piece of creative advice or a tip you wish you’d known as a young person? In response to the question about creative advice for young individuals, I suggest embracing every moment and experience, emphasizing that tips and advice are valuable additions to one’s creative journey. Stressing the importance of taking life one step at a time.

Who (living or dead) would you most enjoy hearing speak at CreativeMornings? When asked about the dream speaker at CreativeMornings, I express a desire to hear Louise Bourgeois, citing her groundbreaking contributions to sculpture and feminist art during her time. I appreciate her ability to break the mold, highlighting her role as an abstract expressionist in feminist art.

What did you learn from your most memorable creative failure? Answering the question about the most memorable creative failure, I share the lesson learned—that accidents can lead to creative successes. I draw a parallel to Bob Ross’s philosophy that there are no creative mistakes, only happy accidents. I emphasize the iterative nature of art, where mistakes can often pave the way for unique and creative outcomes.

What fact about you would surprise people? Regarding a surprising fact about myself, I reveal that I speak five languages, worked as an interpreter before becoming an artist, and even had a background in finance. This unexpected facet adds depth to my identity beyond the realm of art.

How does your life and career compare to what you envisioned for your future as a sixth grader? When asked to compare my life and career to the visions I had as a sixth grader, I explain that, due to existing in a difficult reality during a civil war in my home country, I was incapable of dreaming at that age. This experience shaped my perspective on life and dreams.

How would you describe what you do in a single sentence to a stranger? “I play with clay,” encapsulating the essence of my artistic endeavors.

If you could open a door and go anywhere, where would that be? In response to the hypothetical scenario of opening a door and going anywhere, I express a desire to be in my home, Paris, France..

What keeps you awake at night? Delving into what keeps me awake at night, I humorously attribute it to my “creative juices,” emphasizing the constant flow of ideas and inspiration that fuels my artistic endeavors.

What are you proudest of in your life? When asked about what I am proudest of in my life, I unequivocally cite my children as my greatest source of pride, followed by my achievements in public art.

What has been one of your biggest Aha! moments in life? Recalling one of my biggest “Aha!” moments in life, I share the profound experience of witnessing the installation of my first public art piece—VANTAGE—a moment that solidified the impact of my creative contributions.

WATCH RECORDING HERE

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violetzane · 1 year

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A 30 YEAR WISH & NUMBER ONE BUCKET LIST DREAM COME TRUE!

This past weekend in Niagara Falls Canada I was able to realize a three decade long wish come true and that was to meet my all time favorite actor and celeb crush BILLY ZANE. Billy Zane played Caledon Hockley Roses Fiancé in Titanic, The Collector in Tales From The Crypt Demon Knight, Kit Walker The Phantom as well as many many film and television roles. Billy Zane is also an avid swimmer and brilliantly talented abstract expressionist artist along with spiritualist. While I love all of Billy Zane’s characters and roles it was Cal Hockley from Titanic that stole my heart. Billy Zane aka Cal Hockley was my absolute favorite in Titanic. I was always a Caledon Hockley girl since the original release in 1997 when I saw the movie in HS. To me Caledon was perfect. Caledon Loyal here! I got the opportunity to meet Billy Zane over Saturday and Sunday at Niagara Falls Comic Con. Let me tell you he is absolutely the most kindest and sweetest and wonderful people you can ever meet. Just so appreciative of his fans and is so down to earth. Billy Zane is just so chatty and takes his time with each fan. The best celeb you can ever meet. Billy loved the gifts I made him too. We chatted about his art, movies, spirituality and life in general. He also called me beautiful too. I also got my number one bucket list dream pic come true too with him putting The Heart Of The Ocean Necklace on me like he did for Rose in Titanic. LADIES! He is wayyyyy more beautiful, handsome & gorgeous in person. That tan, those eyes and that smile is to DIE FOR! Billy Zane is an all around beautiful man inside and out. It was a dream of a lifetime and a truly enriching and spiritual experience meeting him this past weekend. I hope to meet him again! If you guys get a chance to meet Billy Zane GO! It’s a truly soulful experience. Always a Billy Zane aka Caledon Hockley Girl.

PS: Billy Zane gives great hugs too! Love Caledon Hockley Hugs!

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rabothekerabekian · 5 months

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My top books I read in 2023:

1: Sirens of Titan (Kurt Vonnegut) - I love Vonnegut’s writing so much, and Sirens is such a great narrative on free will and loving whoever is around to be loved. (Plus chrono-synclastically-infundibulated is just fun to say)

2: Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison) - already a book about important social issues that are still incredibly relevant today, Ellison’s style portrays a lifelike picture of the politics of race in America.

3: Midnight’s Children (Salman Rushdie) - The language and style of this book make it a delight to read as Rushdie paints an incredible mural across a canvas of Indian historical events interwoven with the supernatural to create an amazing story.

4: Job, A Comedy of Justice (Robert Heinlen) - Excellent satire of fundamentalist religion, packed with jokes and reality shifts, a complex world that goes from Mexico to Kansas to heaven to hell has a lot to say about religion.

5: The Master and Margarita (Mikhail Bulgakov) - The Devil and his entourage cause chaos in Soviet Moscow, in addition to a narrative about Pontius Pilate. An excellent and absurd premise sets up a criticism of humanity but also a defense of it, both in Judea 2000 years ago and now.

6: Ficciones (Jorge Luis Borges) - While the writing can be dense, so much is packed into these short stories parsing the meaning is definitely worth it. Fantastical scenarios act as mirrors to reality and each story leaves just enough to the readers imagination to make it a compelling and thought provoking work about the labyrinthine ways of reality.

7: Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe) - I love novels you can get lost in, and such a rich portrayal of Igbo life easily lends itself to a complex world that many people failed to see about Africa. Important social issues are dealt with and both extreme ways of living are critiqued in a compelling narrative.

8: Bluebeard (Kurt Vonnegut) - A coming of age a going of age and the Armenian diaspora are explored through the life of Abstract Expressionist artists and what it has to say about culture, society, and gender roles. You have to keep reading to see what’s in the potato barn, and when all is revealed it makes a lot of sense for Vonnegut.

9: Kafka on the Shore (Haruki Murakami) - So much happens in the book you are riveted as the chapters bounce between characters. An excellent hook grabs you in and doesn’t let you go. Murakami’s imagination runs wild and this strange reinterpretation of oedipus makes you think.

10: Cat’s Cradle (Kurt Vonnegut) - Newt Hoenikker said it best - “no damn cat, and no damn cradle.”

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deepfloyd · 7 months

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Janet Sobel (Jennie Olechovsky) Ukraine, USA, 1894-1968.

Milky Way,1945.

Enamel on canvas, 44 7/8 × 29 7/8" (114 × 75.9 cm).

Gift of the artist’s family to MoMA.

"Janet Sobel began experimenting with drip painting long before the style was made famous by Jackson Pollock. Sobel was self-taught and made her paintings on scraps of paper and cardboard boxes, often blowing paint around the canvas or using glass pipettes in lieu of brushes. Her work soon caught the attention of critic Clement Greenberg, dealer Sidney Janis, and collector Peggy Guggenheim, who included her work in a 1945 show at her gallery Art of This Century. Most notably, Sobel made a strong impression on Pollock, who has cited her influence. Her best-known work, Milky Way (1945) —now in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art —was created a year before Pollock made his first drip painting. Though Sobel’s renown faded, her impact on Pollock and the Abstract Expressionist movement secured her place in art history."

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pwlanier · 1 year

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AMBILOBE, 1972

THOMAS DOWNING

Thomas Downing was a member of the Washington Color School co-founded by Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland. Downing is best known for his paintings of multiple colored disks systematically arranged into rectangles or squares. It has been suggested that such rigid and minimalist grids of large colored dots were created to protest the painterly "action" paintings of the Abstract Expressionists. These works by Dowling carefully avoided any evidence of the actual act of painting or brushstrokes. They are pure, clean, and almost mathematically measured. There is a freshness and yet also a formality here even as Downing experimented with different sizes and shapes as well as with different contrasting colors to elicit an optical illusion. Downing's occupation with color and their particular choices implies a knowledge of works by Josef Albers as well as the influence of Kenneth Noland and Morris Louis. It is interesting to compare these works by Downing with the "spot paintings" of the contemporary artist Damien Hirst. This period of hard-edged abstraction is just now beginning to soar in interest amongst collectors.

Taylor Graham

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i12bent · 1 year

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Bárður Jákupsson (b. Dec. 23, 1943) is a Faroese artist who works in a colorist, almost abstract expressionist style of landscape painting. Jákupsson trained at the Academy in Copenhagen in the 1970s and after his return to the Faroe Isles he became the director of Færøernes Kunstmuseum. His art is probably best known from the numerous Faroese stamps that feature it.

Above: Untitled, 2016 - oil on canvas

#art #faroese painter #bárður jákupsson #danish royal academy of fine arts #2010s #oil on canvas #expressionism #abstract landscape #colorist painting #færøernes kunstmuseum #stamps

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denverstrategicpartners · 1 year

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Discovering the Artistic Legacy of Clyfford Still: A Visit to the Clyfford Still Museum

Clyfford Still Museum is a must-visit destination for art enthusiasts who are interested in discovering the work of one of the most prominent American abstract expressionists of the 20th century. Located in Denver, Colorado, the museum is dedicated to the life and work of Clyfford Still, who is regarded as a key figure in the development of the Abstract Expressionism movement. In this article, we will take a closer look at the museum and the legacy of Clyfford Still.

Background and History

Clyfford Still was born in North Dakota in 1904 and grew up on the Great Plains of North America. He began his artistic career in the 1930s, but it wasn't until the 1940s that he started to gain recognition as a painter. His work was characterized by bold, sweeping brushstrokes and large, abstract forms. Still was a pioneer of the Abstract Expressionism movement, which emerged in New York in the 1940s.

In 1961, Still withdrew from the art world and moved to a remote farm in Maryland, where he continued to paint until his death in 1980. Still's wife, Patricia Still, inherited his estate after his death and worked to preserve his legacy. She donated his entire collection of paintings and papers to the City of Denver in 2004, and the Clyfford Still Museum was established in 2011 to showcase his work.

The Museum's Collection

The Clyfford Still Museum is home to over 3,000 works of art by Still, making it the largest collection of his work in the world. The museum's collection includes paintings, drawings, and sculptures, as well as personal papers and archives. The collection is arranged chronologically, allowing visitors to see how Still's style evolved over time.

One of the most impressive features of the collection is the sheer size of Still's paintings. Many of his canvases are over 10 feet tall and 20 feet wide, and their large scale is a testament to the artist's bold and confident approach to painting. Still's use of color is also striking, with many of his paintings featuring a limited palette of dark, moody colors that evoke a sense of drama and intensity.

Visiting the Museum

Visiting the Clyfford Still Museum is a unique and immersive experience that is designed to showcase the artist's work in the best possible way. The museum's building is a work of art in itself, with a design that is both modern and elegant. The building is made of concrete and features a series of skylights that allow natural light to flood the galleries. The museum's architects designed the building to be as unobtrusive as possible, allowing the focus to be on the art.

The museum's galleries are arranged chronologically, allowing visitors to see the progression of Still's work over time. The museum's staff is knowledgeable and passionate about the artist's work, and they are always available to answer questions and provide insights into Still's life and art.

In addition to the museum's permanent collection, there are also temporary exhibitions that showcase the work of other artists who are related to Still. These exhibitions provide a broader context for Still's work and allow visitors to see how his legacy has influenced other artists.

The museum also offers a range of educational programs and events, including lectures, workshops, and tours. These programs are designed to provide visitors with a deeper understanding of Still's work and the context in which it was created.

Conclusion

The Clyfford Still Museum is a unique and inspiring destination for anyone who is interested in art and culture. The museum's collection of Still's work is both powerful and beautiful, and it provides a window into the mind and artistic legacy of one of the most important figures in 20th-century art.

Clyfford Still Museum Video:

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Clyfford Still Museum Location:

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#museum #art #denver museum #denver attraction #denver co #Clyfford Still Museum #Clyfford Still #Youtube

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scotianostra · 2 years

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Stuart Fergusson Victor Sutcliffe was born in Edinburgh, on June 23rd 1940.

As a youngster Sutcliffe’s father moved the family to Liverpool, where Stuart grew up.He attended Park View Primary School, Huyton, and Prescot Grammar School where he developed a love and aptitude for art.

While earning money as a bin man, he attended the Liverpool College of Art and was regarded as one of the best painters in his class, working mainly in an abstract expressionist style.

It was at college that he met fellow student John Lennon, who became his flatmate. After one of Sutcliffe’s paintings sold for the then-massive sum of £65, Lennon convinced him to buy a bass guitar — which he could barely play — and join the band Lennon had formed with his friends Paul McCartney and George Harrison.

The band’s name had already changed numerous times. Upon joining, Sutcliffe and Lennon lit upon the idea of “beetles” as a nod to Buddy Holly and the Crickets. Over the next few months, that name evolved into the Silver Beetles, then the Silver Beatles, and finally to the Beatles.

Along with hastily recruited drummer Pete Best, Sutcliffe and the Beatles travelled to Hamburg, Germany to play clubs and hone their skills. There, Sutcliffe fell in love with photographer Astrid Kirchherr, who became his fiancée just two months after meeting him. She gave him the mop-top haircut the rest of the band would soon adopt.

In 1961, Sutcliffe left the Beatles to focus on his painting and life with Astrid. He won a postgraduate scholarship to attend the Hamburg College of Art, eager to study under Edinburgh sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi.

His artistic career was cut short, however, when after a series of increasingly severe headaches, he died of a sudden cerebral hemorrhage on April 10, 1962, at the age of 21.

His fiancée and former bandmates were devastated. Sutcliffe’s face can still be seen on the far left side of the album cover of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

#Scotland #scottish #anglo-scottish #Edinburgh #liverpool #artist #musician #the beatles

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curatingworship · 1 year

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NEW ARTWORK INSPIRED BY RYVOLI - ACCEPTED INTO THE 2023 JURIED FRESH ART EXHIBITION

I have a new painting the was officially accepted into this year’s annual Fresh Art Exhibition at Summit Artspace in Downtown Akron. It was a true honor to be selected by juror Michael Gill, the Executive Director, Founder, and Editor of Collective Arts Network (CAN) Journal. My accepted artwork is titled:

Wasting Away in the Best of Times (We Go on Dancing Nonetheless)

So, creating this artwork was a totally awesome experience for me. My buddy Tim (whom I’ve created several short films with) introduced me awhile back to an amazing new band that his friends started called Ryvoli. I was hooked after listening to them for the first time and found myself consuming their new album and old songs on repeat all the time. Their music hit me in that right spot (like other bands I’ve mentioned before) that connected in a personal way with my story, and heartbreaks, and hopes.

I told Tim I was really provoked to create an artwork based on one of Ryvoli’s songs. He offered to connect me with Sam and Jenn from the band directly to see about collaborating on the piece. (The concept of collaborating with the musicians/song writers that inspire me to create artwork was always a dream of mine and something that I always thought should occur more often in the art/music world than I have seen.

All that to say, Sam and Jenn were totally game for helping me out. After some initial texts/emails, our collaboration resulted in several short but precious audio journal entries that Sam took the time to create for me to use in my work. I listened to the recordings many times and took notes and added my own reflections in my sketchbook as I worked on the painting. This process was so rewarding as it helped unlock a new depth and meaning in the song and lyrics that I was referencing in my work.

My favorite artwork to create is a collaborative artwork. I enjoy working on pieces with other creatives as opposed to just going it alone. I’ve always been that way. Perhaps that’s why I love making films as they have a built-in communal creative quality to them. Or maybe it’s just a lot more fun to tell stories when you co-write them with other people.

Anyhow, I hope that Sam and Jenn like what I’ve created and feel like there are at least a few bits of their work that have been honored by my own. As I said in my artist statement, I think my painting is really like a small “song” that we wrote together. I’m hoping that someone who listens to it will find some meaning and hope in their story the same way I did when I heard “Not in a Bad Way.”

Thank you Sam and Jenn for taking the time to connect with me. Your music and lyrics are special and have a special place in my story.

I’ve included the formal Titles/Artist Statements/Details about my piece below.

The Fresh Art Exhibition opening is January 13th from 5pm-7pm. The show runs from January 13 - March 18.

Artwork Title: Wasting Away in the Best of Times (We Go on Dancing Nonetheless)

Artist Statement: Wasting Away in the Best of Times (We Go on Dancing Nonetheless) is a visual and emotional response to the song “Not in a Bad Way,” by Ryvoli. Stylistically, it is an abstract expressionist work influenced by street art and using words and language as art. Thematically, it explores the tension that exists when we find ourselves navigating or trapped in moments known as “liminal spaces.” These disorienting seasons often leave us hanging uncomfortably in transition, often forcing us to tread water somewhere in-between storms and safe harbors.

My work is heavily influenced and inspired by music and Ryvoli’s song “Not in a Bad Way” served as my primary inspiration and source material for this piece. My research for this painting took a fresh turn as I was able to connect with Sam (and Jenn) from the band through a mutual friend. This is the first piece I’ve done with an inside perspective from a song writer on the story behind the song that provoked me to create a work of art. Through our small collaboration, I ended up with several short but precious audio journal entries from Sam. She thoughtfully answered questions I had and offered honest reflections about the pain and hidden beauty behind her song. The painting contains some of those moments, as well as my reflections as I spent time listening to the song and Sam’s journal recordings.

Whenever we speak to an artist directly about their work, it connects us to their art or music in a new and more intimate way.

My hope is that this painting reveals my story (one that is rooted in many long years of chronic pain), while also re-telling a bit of the story Sam shared with me too. In the end, perhaps our collective voices have a song worth singing to someone else who is searching for some bravery as they face the hard and often lonely road that leads, sometimes slowly, through liminal spaces.

Beyond Ryvoli’s “Not in a Bad Way,” this artwork was also influenced by mewithoutYou’s “9:27 a.m., 7/29″, “My Exit Unfair”, “O’ Porcupine”, and “A Glass Can Only Spill What it Contains.”

Medium: Acrylic, Crayon, and Hand-cut Stencil Graffiti on Canvas

Dimensions: 36” x 48”

I wanted to add the Juror’s Statement about the show...

The challenge of Fresh—to push the boundaries of what art can be— is a big one, both in the context of the times and within the practice of any individual artist. How does art evolve, and how does an individual practice evolve, and how do we push ourselves and each other? For most artists, this is a constant pursuit. What can we do that is new? How can the things we make relate to the world, and matter? One of the ways that happens is through the materials use, and the way they intersect with the times. Does the medium speak to the time? Is it derived of the time? How does it relate, either inherently or in the way the artist uses it? In choosing this show, I focused on medium and material and the ways they inform the artists’ work.

This is an incredibly varied show, not only in the media and the mix of media, but in the perspective of the artists. There’s abstract intrigue, urgent concerns, and topical provocation, and plenty in between. And you have plenty to gain by taking a close look at each piece. I love the way the show came out, and glad to have you see and consider these works.

Thanks to all the artists who applied to be a part of this show. Without individual artists, we would not have all this substance that enriches our lives. And thanks to Summit Artspace for creating the platform for the artists to show their work, and for people to take a look. It has been a pleasure playing a role in this year’s iteration of Fresh.

– Michael Gill Executive Director Collective Arts Network

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