Trying to Figure Out the NOW!

Ever since starting this journey of rediscovering myself as an artist and writing this blog, I have been exploring the notion of NOW.  (Written large because it is important.)  I have been working on exploring what I want to say and how I want to say it.  The paintings allow me to indirectly communicate with an audience.  I feel I am beginning to establish the "how".  What I keep falling over is the "what".  Something feels genuine and current and important... worthy of my time and that of the audience, but what is the "what"?

About a year and a half ago I was getting ready to give a lesson about surrealism to a grade nine class.  I found a video called Modern Masters focusing on Dali.  While viewing it I learned, or was reminded, that Dali was a student that came upon surrealism and not inventing it.  He saw the work of Magritte and de Chirico, which inspired him to create surrealistic paintings.  Dali tapped into what was happening at the moment and became an important contributor of the movement.  This realization sent me searching of what was current.  What were contemporary artists generally working on?   Was there something beyond post-modernism?  What was the notion of NOW?

While searching the internet, I found articles on predicted movements called post post-modernism, hyper-modernism, pseudo-modernism, and meta-modernism, which often refer to social media and a return to romanticism.   Meta-modernism seems to have a large following and many are referring to this named movement.  I find myself wanting to understand the thoughts and theories that are being explained but am not quite convinced and confused.  Just yesterday I found a video from Nicole Salamone based on being a meta-modernist https://youtu.be/ZFngn03Okf0.  She seemed so sure that she was living and creating in this movement.  She conveyed issues that seemed to be familiar to how I think or feel about wanting to portray the NOW.  I was reminded of something that I saw a few months ago.  While watching a video interview with Bo Bartlet he said "we live in a magical world" when referring to taking the time to notice the present.  This is the case since I have been working on my art again.  I believe I need to start to document these small coincidences or by chance discoveries that seem to be moments that are strung together one after the next.  I need to listen to my own suggestions that are in my head as I research and even go about my daily business.  I am sure that there is something important to come but I will only get there by placing value on each of the steps along the way.

 

My Autoethnography - UNNNNNNNNNNN CUT, by Nicole Salamone, 2015

Visiting Artist Teachers from My Youth

Judy and Me

Before taking off to New Jersey, USA for a family visit, I made a list of things I wanted to see and do in order to make the most of my time.

One of the things on my list was to contact two art teachers that helped me grow as a person as well as an artist.  The first day of my stay I decided to call Judy Scull, my high school art teacher.  I had not seen her for several years.  We had become friends on Facebook so she knew about my new paintings.  I was excited to tell her all about my plans while visiting and the preparation of new ideas.  Her and her husband had my son and me over for lunch the next day.  It was such a nice time.  We saw their art collection and pond, my son played with their dogs, and we had a chance to catch up on who's doing what from my high school class mates!

I knew that I wanted to also get in touch with Elsie Donaghay, the art teacher that I took private lessons with as a child as well.  One day I stopped by her house.  She was out doing yard work and I was so glad that she recognized me.  We hadn't been in contact for about 15 years.  She still gives lessons at her house which is still the wonderful place that I remember.  She told stories about me to my son when I was his age painting in her studio.  It was great to see her again and be able to spend some time with her.

Elsie and Me

  I am looking forward to seeing them both again when I go home at Christmas.

I was happy to see that the press release about my June exhibition had finally been posted in my hometown local paper.  I had tried for two previous shows.  I wanted to surprise my parents, let people back home know that I was painting and exhibiting again, and acknowledge Judy and Elsie for all their support.  I think that also writing about visiting my former teachers on this trip became the neighborhood connection that helped get it published for the June exhibition.

Vineland Daily Journal, July 30, 2014

http://vineland.dj/1mXbZ9A

Reflecting on the Year After the Artist Teacher Workshop

Back in May 2013, for professional development, the Leipzig International School sent me on a course called "Artist Teacher Workshop" at La Vigna Art Studios in Pisa, Italy.  The course was designed and run by Heather McReynolds, an IB Visual Arts Examiner.  The main focus of the workshop was to rejuvenate the artist within art teachers and help them realize the benefits of being an artist teacher who teaches by example in the classroom.  The course was wonderful.  Heather was so inspiring, encouraging, and generous with her knowledge.  It has changed how I see myself as a teacher but more importantly it has made me realize I need to rediscover myself as an artist.

After returning to LIS and starting the school year of 2013/14, I thought about ways of making good on the professional development and keeping the energy felt while on the workshop alive.  How could making art more regularly help my students?  My grade 11 IB Art class has been a great encouragement.  By meeting their deadlines for critiques and sketchbook entries I was able to grow artistically along with the group and lead by example.  Grade 9 IGCSE used my new work to practice written analysis and we traded linoleum prints.  I collaboratively worked with grade 10 and 12 students on their ideas and created work that demonstrated possible solutions.  I even attended drawing classes with a few grade 12 IB Art students.  Becoming an artist teacher has been very positive in the classroom.

The blog I started, Artist-Teacher-HERE.blogspot.com, allows me to record the steps taken to stay artistically productive and to share images of the art works when they are completed.  Producing my own art again has been vital to me feeling complete and has strengthened my teaching.  The highlights of the year have been working on a series of new paintings exhibited at a 24 hour group exhibition called Optimaler Schnitt in April and exhibiting  at Webervogel and Linguarama in June.  I can not thank LIS enough for supporting me as a teacher and valuing me as an artist.  This year, I have undergone a great transformation and I am looking forward to being an artist teacher next year, sharing all the benefits that may come in and outside the classroom.

 

Exhibition view at Webervogel, Leipzig.  Running June 5 - 25, 2014

Preparing for the "Optimaler Schnitt" Exhibition

Soon after completing my masters and moving back to Leipzig, Germany , I was fortunate to stumble across an amazing event one evening in the summer of 2001.  It was a GallerieRieRiemann 24-Hour-Exhibition titled "Sieben" (Seven) due to it being the seventh event.  Artists were invited to exhibit artwork that explored the topic "Sieben."  There were so many people and different types of art.  A collection of video projections, paintings, installations, films, and performances were on display in and around an empty building, that was formally a printing company, from 0:00 to 23:59.  I was so excited that I could not wait to find out if there would be another one and how I could take part.

Last Sunday I attended the introductory meeting of the  16th edition of the 24-Hour-Exhibition.  I was so excited to hear there was another one planned because the last one was 4 years ago and I was not able to take part.  While at the meeting, which was actually sort of a pot luck breakfast that went from noon to evening, I was asked by one of the organizers how many times I participated in the exhibitions.  I was surprised to recall that I was actually in 6 of the 8 that I could have possibly signed up for.

The title of the next exhibition is "Optimaler Schnitt" (Optimal Cut).  I must propose my idea for work to exhibit.  It should be new work that goes along with the titling theme.  I have had several discussions with my students in gr.11, my family, and friends about how I could interpret this theme.  It is amazing how some things just come together.  I immediately felt that the current transition of art teacher to artist-teacher and establishing myself as an artist was metaphor that truly expressed the theme.  This blog and the series of posts since October seemed to be screaming "Optimaler Schnitt!"  Therefore this 24 hour exhibition should become the first exhibition of new work produced under this new mindset.  It will be the first exhibition since attending the Artist-Teacher Workshop in Pisa.  It has given me a deadline.  April 12th at 0:00 a collection of work needs to be completed and on display!

The  "Optimaler Schnitt" seems to be a break or a change in the flow of a normal event; where a surprise or something unexpected takes place.  The paintings that I am planning are of frozen moments where the viewer is visually invited to become part of the scene or situation.

I am trying to set the elements in the paintings' compositions in a series of three.  The paintings should have one main narrative but three possible separate parts.  Each part represents a different perspective in the events taking place.  Some paintings will allow the viewer to experience the third point of perspective, encouraging the viewer to then become an integral part of the narrative and forced to not only view a set of optimal cuts, but be forced to contemplate their own.

All five canvases have a maximum length of 160 cm.

All five are stretched with canvas and primed with gesso.

Here two of the five with similar colours have been completed with the first coat of oil paint.

Steve Lewis WOOLOO Exhibition

Being Active Now

While searching sites on hyper- and meta-modernism, I came across a quote from Marina Abramovic, who recently had a retrospective in the MOMA.  She was urging artists to work in the present, to just do something, take part in any event, to be active.  I had just heard about a small 3 hour Christmas market at a local cultural centre near where I live.  So I signed up to have a table for €5.00.  I thought I would sit and draw holiday cards at customers' requests.

This led to ordering card blanks and thinking about ideas to illustrate.  When a person from the centre contacted me to inform me about being allowed to take part on the event, I was informed that the card idea may compete with the production of cards as a children's activity at the event.  I had the idea of creating cards with snowmen on them and actually had a few practice versions completed.  The blank cards were set aside for a future event and the snowman idea had to be developed off of the card and onto something different.

I wanted to have something that children could create as well, but at the same time being able to sell a product.  One that had something to do with snowmen.  I came up with the snowman kit.  The children could create the face of a snowman with chestnuts and pieces of sticks on a blank drawing of a snowman head and then store them in bag for use when it snows!

It was a great creative kick!  I didn't make a lot of sales but it was fun painting the 19 Snowman Bags and participating at the market.  With a bit of thought and early planning, I think it may be worth trying again next year at a weekend long arts and crafts Christmas market in an art's centre in Leipzig.

Making Art Alongside Students

Finding the time to produce art while being a teacher is tricky.  Working alongside students during the lesson once they are working on their own art has been an interesting solution to the issue.  I try to sit and join in with students at their table.  Sometimes sitting with students who may be having difficulties with the task or with those who are not able to stay focused on their work.  The students get a kick out of seeing the work and value the fact that their teacher enjoys making art and may perhaps even be good at it.  It gives opportunities for conversations with students that would not otherwise happen and gives them a bit of insight into the teacher's own artistic interests.  Teachers are actually people too!  

This year I have also scheduled studio evenings with grades 9-12.  Once a month on a Friday, we meet after school in the art room and work on our art until nine at night.  It gives students a chance to catch up on their coursework or try something new.  It gives me a chance to complete some work too.  It is nice when students give me advice or share ideas of what I could do next.  The students who attend these evenings have greater respect for the lessons and me as their teacher.  I could also try to occasionally bring this atmosphere into the actual lesson by announcing to the class that the next lesson will be run as a studio where students may continue their class work or come prepared to try something new.  This would be good at the end of a unit when most students are finished but some need extra time.  It may help get some of those who are less engaged motivated by seeing me and their peers working as artists.  This could help them realize that the joy of focusing and making art is better than fooling around during the lesson.  I will have to give it a try.

 

 This is a watercolour I did with a grade nine class out in our school garden.

 This is a lino cut I did to trade with the grade nine students after they completed their own lino cuts.

 This is the lino print portrait I did of our former director who moved on to another school.

This is a drawing of  a dream that may be developed into a painting.