Writing a Press Release for my Home Town Paper

 I thought it would be nice to let the folks at home know what was going on as well.  I wrote to the The Daily Journal, the local paper where I grew up, and asked if they might be interested.  I got a response and was told to send more information and a picture.  I can't wait for my father to come across this as he is reading the morning paper!  I have not told him about it yet so please don't ruin the surprise!

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PRESS RELEASE

24 Hour Show:  Optimal Cut

Organized by: GallerieRieRiemann,

Exhibition at : 88 Hermann-Liebmann St.,

  Leipzig, Germany

April 12, 2014

Opening Times:  24 hours, Midnight to Midnight

This coming Friday is set-up day for a 24 hour group art exhibition in Leipzig, Germany.  The title of the show is Optimaler Schnitt (or Optimal Cut).  Steve Lewis, who was born and raised in Dividing Creek, New Jersey and now resides in Leipzig, is one of the artists who has been invited to participate.  Lewis first moved to Leipzig in 1994 after graduating from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University.  He was under the tutorage of Judy Scull at Bridgeton High until he graduated in 1990 and studied oil painting with Elsie Donaghay in Cedarville as a child.  The show opens on Saturday, April 12^th, 2014.  The exhibition officially runs for 24 hours from midnight to midnight.

Lewis has been allocated a space to display his new paintings, which he began to paint in early February.  The paintings are the first of a series of what he is calling meta-triptychs. Each of these paintings include 3 narratives within one scene. The compositions are arranged in a manner whereby the viewer feels as though they are part of the environment or could easily imaging stepping into the scene – where they become part of the narrative for that moment and begin to contemplate what to do next.

The exhibition will be held in a 5 story apartment building which was last inhabited probably 5 to 10 years ago.  The rooms still look as they did when they were occupied.  The room Lewis selected seems to have been last used as a baby's room (the wallpaper design and growth marks on the door frame are evidence).  The three paintings that he has completed for this show have images of children that are central to one of the narratives depicted in each scene.

More information can be found at:  Artist-Teacher-HERE.blogspot.com

In Between Time, oil on canvas, 75x160 cm, 2014.

Getting Ready for the "Optimaler Schnitt" Exhibition

Since February I have been working on 4 paintings for the "Optimaler Schnitt" exhibition.  This coming Friday is set-up day and then the show opens on Saturday, April 12th.  The exhibition officially runs for 24 hours from midnight to midnight.  I am happy to have finished 3 of the 4 works so far.  I knew that the space I had been allocated would hold 3 paintings nicely and this was the target I wanted to reach.

The exhibition will be held in a 5 story apartment building which was last inhabited probably 5 to 10 years ago.  The rooms still look as they did when they were occupied.  The room I selected seems to have been last used as a baby's room (the wallpaper design and growth marks on the door frame tipped me off).  It is interesting to think that the child who slept there is now maybe 10 years old.  The three paintings that I have completed for this show have images of children that are central to one of the narratives depicted in each scene.

These paintings are to be the first of a series of what I am calling meta-triptychs.  I came up with this idea after reading about metamodernism and the Notes on Metamodernism by Timotheus Vermeulen and Robin van den Akker.  Each of these paintings presents a single scene in which 3 narratives are playing out, all of which are in a state of flux.  The composition may also be arranged in a manner whereby the viewer feels as though they are part of the environment or could easily imaging stepping into the scene – where they become part of the narrative for that moment and begin to contemplate what to do next.

I am really looking forward to this 24 hour show.  It will be the first time exhibiting since I attended the Artist Teacher Workshop and the first time showing my new work with the meta-triptychs.  I hope the show is successful.  That being said, no matter how it goes on Saturday, completing at least 3 new works means that for me it has already been a success!

In Between Time, oil on canvas, 75x160 cm, 2014.

Liberty, oil on canvas, 160x145 cm, 2014.

His GTO, the Raccoon, and You, oil on canvas, 105x160 cm, 2014.

Exhibition space, room 409, awaiting installation.

Exhibition Poster.

Meeting Students at my Studio

Months ago I came across an advertisement for a weekly PBS Digital Studios production hosted by curator Sarah Green that would be run on Youtube.  It is called The Art Assignment.  I subscribed and had been waiting for the first program to be aired.  In February my gr. 11 art class and I decided to do a variation of the suggested assignment called Meeting in the Middle which was suggested by Christopher Robbins and Douglas Paulson.

Rather than meeting in the middle, we decided to meet at my studio.  I had not had a group of my students there for quite some time.  There was no sense in visiting it when there was no work being made.  As suggested, we set a time, the place, and developed an idea of how to document the journey and/or visit.  The students were excited because they had asked about visiting my studio before.  I was happy to try out using The Art Assignment.

I decided to take photos of the students in the studio and to add their documentations to this blog.  The snap shots are very quick and simple but a record of the event.  The students seemed to also use photos and videos to record their journey.

The students got there pretty much on time and I had coffee, sodas, and chocolate waiting for them.  They wandered around a bit and were keen to know the meanings of particular paintings and different techniques used.  I was surprised at a few of the students' reactions when they saw my work.  One student said it was discouraging to think that her work was not as good and two other students wanted to try to figure out a way to make me famous, which I am very interested in of course!  I began this school year by letting this group know that I would try to make work in line with their deadlines and they have been supportive in my creative efforts, so it was nice to have them over to see the new and old work at my studio. 

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

Joining Art Classes

One day a month ago, I decided to check out if there were any evening art classes that I could join.  I was really not wanting to be taught something but to have the opportunity to attend a class where I could just create, with a group, at a set time.  It seemed to be a good idea to schedule some time where I would make art.  I am finding it difficult to start making art on a regular basis.  Although I have produced more work in the past few months than I have over the past few years, I will not get a serious body of work without dedicating more time on a steady basis.  So I searched for print making classes, drawing circles, and nude model sessions.

Leipzig has several options that sounded interesting.  Two of my grade 12 students were interested in working from a model and so we tried an hour and a half drawing circle at the Kreative-Spinner in Halle 14 at the Leipziger Spinnerei.  We had a good time and made drawings of each other with coloured pencils.  Although we had expected to have a model, we enjoyed the session.

During the following two weeks a student and I tried a two hour figure drawing class at MÜHLSTRASSE 14 e.V..  It was great!  It was the first time drawing a nude model for my student.  I told her of my experience having a nude model at a summer arts camp when I was 14 years old.  I had not drawn from a model since being in graduate school 15 years ago.  It was such a fun challenge.  I am really looking forward to next weeks' session.

Attending these two sessions just happened to precede the drawing trip we had planned before Christmas.  We took the three grade 7 classes to Leipzig's natural history museum.  My colleague and I took the students to do drawings of the stuffed wildlife.  It was so nice to sit among the seventh graders and sketch the images of different animal types.  The task of recording form, pattern, and texture was so rewarding and having the drawings to use as demonstrations for the students worked really well.  It was a very relaxing hour with the students and a good time to get some practice in myself.

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.