Monday, August 30, 2010

Reverse Artist Interview- Part 2

So here is the second half of the reverse interview. Thanks so much to all of you who sent questions! Enjoy!

I like how you're interested in current artists, when I'm sure so many of your peers probably prefer to talk about dead artists, right? 
It's true that a major portion of art historians prefer to research work from what I call pre-modernism (from antiquity, the Renaissance, and Neo-Classicism, etc), but it really great to see that the art history field is expanding to include Modern and Contemporary, Asian, African Diaspora, Islamic and Latin American art. 
However, yes, I think you are right in stating that most historians prefer to research 'dead artists', and I think that is linked to two major issues: 
(1) the general population prefers this work, they have a hard time understanding/relating to modern art. 
(2) There is a strange terminology problem when you begin researching contemporary artists- am I an art historian or an art critic? Because of that, I think art historians who are purely interested in the historical side of art history tend to lean towards researching artists that have long been dead. (Its interesting to test this theory when you look at different major university art history programs- I can tell if the department is based on studying the classics by seeing if they call their department Art History or History of Art---obviously this is never 100% true) 


How do you see yourself as compared with other art historians?
I don't really compare myself to other art historians. I didn't attend any academic programs where there are 20-30 other art historians (at my level) just sitting around chatting, so I never felt a competition to size myself up. And, when I do attend lectures and conferences I am either there as a student, in which case I am in awe of the other art historians and trying to learn, or as a lecturer, and I am too focused on my presentation to compare myself. I think the most important thing for me is that I succeed at making my path, and that is going to be completely different that another art historian as I don't really define myself in that way. 

With the lines that divide fine art, design, and craft now blurring, it's becoming evident that visual art is assuming a special and progressive role in the 21st century. But what role do you see contemporary artists (working in 2010) having? 
I think contemporary artists have a pretty daunting task, because interest in supporting the arts through government institutions is waning and that is not good, especially in the United States. As funds go out the window, artists are pressured (both internally and externally) to create work that is both economical but also reignites public interest in supporting the arts. It's also the task of people like me to make the general population realize that lack of support in the arts will draw us back into a cultural 'Dark Age' and thats just not an option in 2010 or at anytime. 


What impact artists they make this century and how will that differ from past centuries?
Well, based on following trends and personal research I have done, I think artists are reverting to older habits. For decades the major relationship has been between the isolated artist and the gallery. I think due to economic and social events artists are returning to a time when the artists collective and community worked as a united force. And the likelihood of success is pretty high because of the low or no-cost dissimilation of ideas via technology. 


As an art historian, you've come in contact with so many art movements, eras, phases, trends--- what have you. Some of these may be enormously vital, some not. Which "movement" do you think we could have done without?

Ugh, I really don't like this question. Its hard because I can't just ignore the efforts of a group of people from a different time, since I have no first-hand knowledge of how this work affected the community. And as a historian its my job to view all the facts as they are presented, working from that. 


Having said that, if I had to answer the question, I would probably say that I would wipe the term Degenerate Art or entartete Kunst out of the history books. The fact that Hitler and the Nazis were able to discount (and rename) the achievements of basically every Modern artist for their own gain, and that this term still exists is awful.

What is your favorite cartoon from 1980-1990?

Cartoon is a pretty comprehensive term. I will say that the cartoons I remember wanting to watch the most as a little Sicilian stuck in Dallas, Texas were some of the old Italian VHS tapes my parents brought over when we moved in the early 1990s. I especially liked watching a series called Esplorando Il Corpo Umano (Exploring the Human Body). I think these videos were my parents fun way of educating us on the functions of the human body, but also retaining some Italian language influences. Also, they succeeded in making us comfortable talking about and seeing images of human anatomy. I still remember the episode on cavities and their way of describing DNA, muscles, and the nervous system


What's your dream job....and where?
Right now, I want to be a cog in an art collective/art space that unites artists from the Americas...in Dallas. 

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Hot Hot Hot: 1980s and Basquiat!

Andy Warhol, "Enzo Cucchi (turquoise)" (1982)

Francesco Clemente,  "Red, White, Black" (1998)
"Story of My Country II" (1990)

Jean-Michel Basquiat, "The Dutch Settlers" (1982)

The 1980s are Hot Hot Hot right now. We've seen it in the fashion, music, and unfortunately, hair trends. It was only a matter of time before the surge of popular was noticed in the visual arts. 

However, I wasn't sure whether to post my opinions on the spike in interest in 1980s art that I noticed in Basel in an earlier post. I thought one month devoted to Art Basel was quite enough. But, when I read the latest article about a previously unseen video of Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988), which also remarked on the exhibition of his work at the Fondation Beyeler in Basel, I knew I couldn't keep this to myself.

Not only am I am interested in the art from the 1980s, but I am also drawn to this decade for some very silly personal reasons. Who doesn't love the Brat Pack and Nintendo? Aside with this cult interest in the decade, I am also drawn to this decade because I have been researching it, and in particular the Neo-Expressionists, for more than 2 years now. Neo-Expressionism was a style that burst onto the art scene in the late 1970s-early 1980s. It called for a return to painting and figuration after a nearly two-decade focus on conceptual works and abstraction. 

The images I have included above were all taken while I roamed the hallways at Art Basel; these are just those in the Galerie Bruno Bischofberger area. Of the artists in the images, Francesco Clemente and Basquiat are more of a focus than Warhol, whose art fits more in the Pop Art movement of the 1960s than the paintings of the 1980s.

Clemente is a particularly important part of my thesis, as are Rainer Fetting, Eric Fischl, Ida Applebroog, and Robert Colescott. But enough about my research, lets get back to some current articles and events that highlight these 1980s artists.

While I was at Art Basel, I had the unique opportunity to meet Francesco Clemente at a private dinner for the artist and attend a public interview between the artist and a staff member at the Fondation Beyeler. More than just an interview, it was an open conversation between the two. I must say I was highly impressed by the moderators very loose flow of a conversation that succinctly covered ¨the voyage¨ Clemente's art has taken since the 1970s. They were also able to pull it back to Basquiat, whose work is currently on exhibition at the Beyeler. The exhibition space is incredible. For you Dallas-based readers, the architecture is similar to the Nasher, since the architect was none other than Renzo Piano. Much like the Nasher, the work is highlighted by the blank canvas of the space it sits in. I have to say that I personally prefer the Nasher Sculpture Center's layout, but that may have to do with the amount of Texas sunshine that pours into the glass walls on two sides of the building.

Anyway, back to the 1980s. For those of you budding collectors out there, this would be my little tidbit: keep on the lookout for this art. Non-collectors, students, et al, don't worry. By what I saw at Art Basel and what keeps on popping up in art blogs, magazines and newspapers, I am sure that some 1980s art is headed to a museum or gallery near you, if it isn't there already!

Want to know more about this decade, and in particular Basquiat? Check out the Houston Press' article on their Art Attack blog.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Reverse Artist Interview- Part 1

I've been holding one to this one for a while, but I figured that during the August lull, it would be good to post this. I recently turned the tables on myself and answered my own interview questions. After a few artist interviews, I only thought it fair to have to 'go through' the scrutiny I forced them to endure. 


Enjoy! Oh, and if you have any questions to add, please feel free to comment, there is still Part II to come!

Name: Ester Ippolito
Current City: Oggebbio, Piedmont, Italy
Hometown: Palermo, Sicily/ Dallas, Texas
Preferred Medium: speech, text, ink, photography, printmaking
Education: BA-University of Dallas; MPhil (expected) University of Kent
Website Link: duh. 
Gallery Link: not yet, but one day I will.

Tell me about you work in one sentence: 
I am interested in learning about art: what it is, the people, the history, the motivations…everything. I am aware that there is a wealth of information pertaining to art history and I want to share it with the ‘silent majority.’ In my own art, I am still searching.

Would you prefer to work at a gallery or a museum, why? 
Both. I haven’t decided if I want to go into the public sector or the private sector. I am sure like every other choice in my life, I will have to experience both and see which suits me best. I do know that whatever I do, it should be non-profit. Money complicates things and turns art into too much of a commodity. 


What is your favorite forum/method of sharing information about art? 
Word of mouth, I like talking (especially about art.) In this blog I talk about many different places- but I try to take a local approach. I think that if people step outside their door and find the hidden jems in their own neighborhood, then they are much more likely to do the same thing when they visit another city. Eventually, when I move somewhere a little more permanent I will try to focus on that place, but for now- the world is my playground. 


Your work is selected to show in a gallery or museum in the world, where would you choose? 
If I could curate a show anywhere in the world, I would probably choose something close to home, like the Rachofsky House, and make it a party with friends, music, food, and drinks. I like the idea of taking the art out of the museum and putting it in a home. I think the general public doesn’t relate well to the white walls and empty hallways of museums and galleries. Plus, food and music make art so much more enjoyable! Note: When I say close to home, I mean Dallas. I love Palermo, but I would want to be in an environment where I am surrounded by friends, family, and my history. Stories from my adolescence that creep out of the walls. Not to say that I don't have this in Palermo, I just have much more of it in Dallas. 


In what period of your career did you feel most aware of the needs of your audience, if ever? 
In several instances. In 2005 while touring the Sistine Chapel (Rome) with my sister and her friend, they asked me some questions and all of a sudden, I became their docent. It was fun and I was good at it. In the senior year of my BA I realized that I had to make a choice to between focusing on art history or studio art. Obviously, I chose art history, but it was due to the fact that I had become a sort of art guru for some of my friends and I loved talking about art, especially when it was due to a particular question they asked. After university, I had idealistic goals to work in a London gallery or move to New York and ‘make it.’ For my MA I moved to the UK to achieve these goals, but I realized when I returned to Dallas in the summer that if I couldn’t change the pre-conceived notions about art that my friends and family shared, then what was the point? Art should be shared! So I guess that’s was when I decided to take a grassroots approach. I never gave up on the dream of curating or working in a major art center, I just gave myself a bit more wiggle room. 


The art world right now is experiencing a newfound medium of exchanging information virtually. Do you think that this has affected the relevance of galleries, studios, and museums? 
I think if anything, these places have become more relevant. Blogs like mine have helped to make receiving information about obscure topics so much easier. You can literally find information about anything on the web. This sharing of information makes it easier for someone to know about art events in their own neighborhood as well as abroad. 


Would you rather have your work well known in the art community or well understood in the general population? 
I never got into art to become a household name. I don’t care if I am a faceless entity behind a great project. I would rather be a part of a program that is well received and attended by hoards of people from every aspect of life. 


Who are your artistic influences? 
This is a tough question. When I think of artists from the entire history of art, I am most intrigued by those who went against the grain and did their own thing, whether by snubbing the Academy, art critics, or the general population. Right now I am really into the American Graffiti and Punk artists from the 1980s. Actually anything from the 1980s is of huge interest to me during this phase of my research. But I think the beauty of graffiti art is that it is made knowing it is not permanent, its free to the public, it typically deals with a social issue, and most of the time the artist is only known by their ‘tag’. I guess name wise, (those that I actually ‘know’ are) Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Blek le Rat, Fab 5 Freddy, Lee Quinones, ABOVE, and Banksy. I am also exploring the nature of the art collective and how it fits into our contemporary culture. 


What is it about your work that makes it different from current art historians and relevant in today’s society? 
My take on art is based on two factors: technology and money.

1) We are a generation that experienced the technological revolution at its prime, after most of the major advances had been discovered, but before they had been ‘tested’ on a majority of the population. As such, we got to experiment with this medium and shape it into something that best suits our needs and desires. Art blogs, virtual art catalogs, gallery websites, art-themed social networking sites (ARThood & ArtReview), all appeared because ‘we’ had an interest in them.

2)  I am part of generation that is experiencing the harshness of the market more than our predecessors. There are no jobs without experience and no experience without jobs. Due to this catch-22, I, like many other 20-somethings, have had to become more creative about fulfilling my desires. Although somewhat disappointing in the face of social norms, this situation is great. When money is tight you have to be more inventive whether you are talking about art, making art, or experiencing art. 
Also, due to a need to travel and ‘be part’ of whatever location I go to, I have a very small town approach to the art world. I like to use colloquial terms, I like to explain things so everyone understands and no one feels excluded, and I like it when people who had previously shied away from art begin talking about art. And perhaps the romantic side of me loves to see peoples eyes light up when they experience a work of art.


Its 2012 and as the Mayans predicted, the world ends. Every cultural link is destroyed, but luckily there are few survivors. You are among them and are selected to document our cultural past. What artifact/artwork would you choose to record first? 

I know that I would choose Picasso’s Weeping Woman (1937). But how could you talk about a work knowing that no one would ever again get to experience it first hand?  

But, after studying Postmodernism, I would really love to say none- we should just start over and see how society chooses to shape art history. But the historian in me would be disappointed, so much wonderful work, with so many links to ‘our’ past. Also art history helps artists look at the past for inspiration, but also to see what has been done and avoid imitation/repetition, so I think it would a necessity to have some records of styles, major works, etc. It would be tricky though, how do you teach art history without influencing artists.  

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Events and Art Festivals: Le Settimane Musicali di Stresa e del Lago Maggiore, Italy

Oh August... you are by far the least eventful month for the visual arts. 

For those of you new to the art scene, this is the time of year when the gallerists, dealers, curators, and art event coordinators all take a break from the (art) world. And boy is it felt. 

I wish I had some über-exciting gallery or museum event to discuss. I know that for those of you in Texas, Sicily, and other areas of the world lying closest to the equator, going to a museum would be a welcome relief from the triple-digit temperatures (Fahrenheit). However, for the rest of us, the current climate makes it the perfect summer month for vacations. As the tourists flow into the major cities: New York, London, Madrid, Paris, Rome...you get the idea, the citizens of these locales escape the chaos and 'heat.'

Aside from this lull in the arts, I am incredibly fortunate to be living near the city where open-air music concerts enliven August nights.  As of nearly 5 weeks ago I have been living and working in a small frazione called Oggebbio. In the middle of nowhere as it may be, I am afforded beautiful views of the Swiss Alps and Lago Maggiore. Besides being known as the most northern point of Italy (a far stretch from my Sicilian roots), Piemonte also hosts a wonderful event every summer called Le Settimane Musicali di Stresa, roughly translated the musical weeks of Stresa. Stresa is a little town, not too far from where I am, that is known as a  little epicenter of culture flooded once a year by hosts of music enthusiasts, who come for the classical music and the ambiance of Lago Maggiore.

The Stresa Festival (in short) is a few weeks long classical music concert which begins with Musical Meditations from July 30th to August 7th. However the most critical weeks in Stresa are during the Visions concerts, which begin on August 22nd and last until September 5th this year. During this period there is concert every night (and on some occasions 2). The composers range from Beethoven and Strauss to Gershwin and Dvořák.

As far as international classical music festivals go, this is ranks in the leagues of the summertime festivities in Lucerne (Switzerland), among others. Unfortunately, regular concert tickets are not free and often sold out (opening night is fully booked). However, Groups (4+) and those under 26 can get tickets for a mere 5 and 10 euro, respectively. If you plan on going  you might be in luck to find an available non-balcony seat for 25 euro. I hope to score some tickets to Jokes, Bach's Sonatas + Partitas (I & II), New Worlds, or Il Matrimonia Segreto.

With or without tickets, I will still make it my duty to visit Stresa during the concert and hope some of the music floats to my ears. I know this is not going along with my usual theme, but if you feel a lack of art in your life during the summer months, then you very often have to think outside the box.  

Now if we could just do something about this rain...