Flux

I recently had the opportunity to engage in self-directed study with art coach and artist, Steven Aimone, at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, in New Smyrna Beach, FL. I remained on campus for a few weeks, living there with two separate hand-picked groups of artists. These individuals arrived from different areas of the northern hemisphere. All of us were asked to focus on an objective, a 'mission statement' or 'contract' that would guide us over the period of study.

During the first week, I focused on Holodomor, the Ukrainian holocaust that is marked by its 80th anniversary this year. Starting with events begun in the 1920's, the Holodomor, transliterated as "Extermination by starvation", reached its brutal peak between 1932 and 1933 in the nation commonly known as the "bread basket of Europe." Although the Stalinist regime that had seized control of Ukraine's politics and government failed to keep accurate statistics on the numbers of Ukrainians killed during the fake famine it had created, historians estimate that between 5 and 12.5 million Ukrainian men, women and children were starved to death, murdered trying to escape Ukraine, or evacuated and sent to their ultimate deaths in prison camps outside the country, in places like Kazakhstan and Siberia.

Holodomor X-1932 (approx. 24X72).

My process for creating art is never deliberate: I don't start with a preconceived notion of what to paint or draw. I just react to surfaces after energetically drawing or painting into them. But the anniversary weighed heavily on my mind last week, influenced by my reading (like The Holodomor Reader by Bohdan Klid and Alexander J. Motyl,  and A Candle In Remembrance by Valentyna Borysenko) and a documentary (Genocide Revealed, directed by Yurij Luhovy).

Holdomor XI-1932 (50X60)

And that influence crept back into my work as I went along, incorporating elements like dirt and grass from the landscape. I marveled at the persistence of an ancient race that, despite every odd and centuries-old forces hell-bent on its total annihilation, has stubbornly clung to its national identity since ancient times. The Ukrainian people, like many others on this planet, are a testament to the concepts of resilience and constancy. 

After a short break, I resumed painting for another week with a different group of talented artists. I put aside my thoughts about Ukrainian history and revisited the concept of flux, this time with a lighter, playful heart.

Flux II-16-1

Flux II-15-1 (approx. 24X72)

©2013 - Patricia H. Zalisko - All rights reserved

THE SCRIVENER

An old friend, who was a lawyer, relayed an event many years ago that upset her. She was a government attorney and once had dealings with a lay boss who implicitly referred to her as a "scribe." Years later, I still think about why she was offended and completely understand. However, now, as an artist, I've been reminded by another good friend that my process and the evidence of that work is quite narrative. Being a scribe, documenting and attesting to our experiences and powerful emotions in my art, is natural and not at all pejorative. The longish horizontal format that I often favor lends to that feeling. 

Noting my frustration with keeping work 'untitled', this friend, artist and scholar Fran Gardner, reminded me about the titling of a modern artist's work and suggested that I incorporate significant dates in titles of paintings in which I was documenting certain events or emotions. Doing so is consistent with my process, which usually springs from the strong memories and emotions that come from life's experiences. I'm putting them down in art, evidencing these shared events, creating a timeline. 

Copyright 2012 - patricia h.k. zalisko

With that in mind, I created Sandy X-28-II, above, evidencing my personal experience with Hurricane Sandy in the NYC metropolitan area. Channeling the brutal destructive force of that storm in a low lying and heavily populated area ill-equipped for tropical storms, I resurrected the sense of helpless as the Hudson River and New York Harbor flooded city streets like a tidal wave, carrying tons of raw sewage, gasoline and diesel oil, cars, animals, debris along with it.

Copyright 2012 - patricia h.k. zalisko

I completed Sandy Hook XII-14, above, in response to the mass shootings and murders in CT. Specifically, I channeled the incomprehensible horror of innocent first graders facing their killer. I was affected by the murders here for many reasons. My sibling lives nearby, worked and now consults in the county's school system, has children who attended the school where the slaughter occurred, has neighbors and friends who were killed there. I have family and friends who have run into the killer and his family. And these brutal slayings stirred vivid memories from the presumptively dead ashes of my former profession as a child abuse and homicide prosecutor. As such, I spent many a year investigating in excruciating detail the killings of too many children. 

(Pat at work at Atlantic Center for the Arts in December, creating what will become Sandy Hook XII-18 - photo by Audrey Phillips)

I couldn't express then the depths of my grief for fear of committing prosecutorial misconduct. There's no hugging a child who recounts to you the anguish of chronic abuse and maltreatment. My job was to dispassionately advocate for the interests of dead or injured children and, hopefully, I did so professionally, compassionately, respectfully and thoroughly. But nothing can limit my abject sorrow or restrain my ability to express it when I paint. 

This is my personal language, and it is rooted firmly in my life and our shared history.

Springing Forth

This winter, between traveling and a major solo exhibition of my work, I've participated in two workshops, in New Smyrna Beach, FL and in Asheville, NC, with artists who are close friends. We met many new friends, from across the US, Canada and Europe. Under the tutelage and guidance of our art coach, Steven Aimone, we encouraged one another, shared our common frustrations and solutions, and discovered new breakthroughs. Our studio spaces at the Atlantic Center for the Arts (New Smyrna Beach) and Pink Dog Creative (Asheville) were inspiring and so conducive to creating art.

I've included some photos from each workshop in Florida and North Carolina.

Discourse (above)

After some travel, I am preparing for a few interesting shows. The first opens on March 26, 2012 at ArtServe Gallery, 1350 Sunrise Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL. This exhibition, Art Florida 2012, will feature the work of approximately 30 artists from across Florida, who were juried into this show by Carol Damian, Director and Chief Curator, Frost Art Museum, Miami. My piece, Discourse, will be featured. The gala reception will occur on March 31, from 6-9 p.m. and the show comes down on April 13. This event was cosponsored by the Broward Art Guild.

Elkridge (above)

Also, my piece Elkridge will be featured in a catalogue published by NYC's Denise Bibro Fine Art and Women's Caucus for Art in connection with the exhibition, Petroleum Paradox. The work of about 42 artists was selected and juried into this event by Eleanor Heartney, Contributing Editor to Art in America and Artpress. The exhibition, consisting of a few of these works, will open on May 24, 2012 at Denise Bibro Gallery 529 W. 20th St., NYC, and will end on June 23, 2012.

And please save the date: on April 28, 2012, several of my strappo pieces will appear in an exhibition of this printmaking art form at the Museum of Florida Art, 600 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, FL. This strappo exhibition of select artists is timed with the Museum's unveiling of the facade of Harold Garde's Iconoclass. The unveiling occurs on April 28th (by invitation) and the public reception follows on April 29th at 2 p.m. This exhibition runs through July 15, 2012.

ABSTRACT ATTITUDE

So much for hibernating! I've just begun a photography class with renowned photographer, Rafael Torres, at the Art League of Daytona Beach; and am now preparing for ABSTRACT ATTITUDE, a solo exhibition of my art at the Lake Eustis Museum of Art. The exhibition will be curated by Susan Loden, the museum's multi-talented Executive Director.

The museum, located at 200B East Orange Ave., Eustis, FL, is a treasure in the heart of Lake County. It exposes Florida to some cutting-edge art. I am honored to have been invited to exhibit here, and hope that you can support this incredible institution. The opening reception is this coming Friday, January 20th, between 6 and 9 p.m. and includes an artist's talk. On February 5, the museum hosts ArtEscapade, a free United Arts ArtsFest family event from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. I will be there during this fun event.

Some new work, like Z2 (above) and Viridian (below), will be previewed in ABSTRACT ATTITUDE. Z2 builds on some earlier work involving large heads, marrying into a new process. Please stop in and see me at the museum: I'd love to tell you about it.

Also, there will be an opening reception on January 23rd between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. of ART IN THE CHAMBERS, at the Orange County Administration Building, 201 S. Rosalind Ave. - Suite 105, downtown Orlando. Congratulations to Orange County for recognizing the artists who have lived or exhibited there! This show features the art of 13 invited artists and runs through May 11, 2012. Please join us.

On the Gulf Stream, below, will be exhibited:

Art Retreat In Asheville

So what happens when five artists (who are also friends) go away together for about a week, stay in a magnificent home nestled on the side of a mountain located about two miles from downtown Asheville's arts district, in October at the peak of Fall color in the Smoky Mountains, and study with their favorite art coach? The answer is sage guidance and advice, magical paintings, deepening friendships, loving support, great food, and memories that will last a lifetime.

The house that we rented was designed, reconstructed and owned by Richard Fort, a local architect.

These are some views of our kitchen, dining room, entertainment room and from our living room window. We had magnificent views of downtown Asheville, the turning leaf colors and spectacular sunsets.

The five artists were Fran Gardner, Melissa Mason, Toni Slick, Beau Wild and me. We traveled, from our respective home states, by car to our journey's end off Mountain View Road in Asheville. Steve Aimone was our instructor and coach, who along with his lovely and gracious wife, Katherine, hosted our art-making at their spacious studio, also in Asheville.

Katherine and Steve Aimone, in their studio loft

Steve probed our objectives, allowing us to modify these as we went through the week and as revelations occurred.

Throughout, he honed in on where we were going, offering challenges and helping us overcome obstacles by developing satisfactory solutions. Steve has a gift. He is not only clear and knowledgeable: he rapidly ascertains individual artist needs and talents. He nurtures those personal skills to help his students move forward and push their own boundaries.

The result is art that is personally gratifying, rich with a language that expresses the artist and yet ...

Paintings by Beau Wild

...speaks to all viewers in a powerful and enriching way. It wasn't all serious: we laughed and cracked each other up for days on end.

Pat and buddy, Fran

Fran's workstation and growing installation

Melissa's wall of art

Toni and some of her paintings

We all cranked out some terrific art, brought away wonderful discoveries, and returned home refreshed and elated.

Pat and some paintings

Willem de Kooning Retrospective

The de Kooning Retrospective has opened at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. I had an opportunity to see this exhibition with an artist pal, Annette Margulies.

Her observations and knowledge of the Dutch American abstract expressionist were impressive. It was fun to put our heads together to see what new things we could discover about his work & perhaps take away to our own. One thing was apparent throughout: we could all look at de Kooning's work in books and catalogs. However, the awesome power that each painting and sculpture holds can only be imparted and felt by seeing them and allowing yourself to be enveloped by their presence. You could spend days absorbing this exhibit, which comes down on January 9, 2012.

This show fills the entire sixth floor. The curatorial comments accompanying his work suggest that de Kooning prepared studies and drawings for his paintings, a surprise to me who thought that he had been a spontaneous action-painter very early on. He apparently was not until the last 10-15 years before he died! He was also known for burying words -- whether from his own writing into the canvas or from collage or transfers -- into his paintings, much like Twombly.

More than 200 paintings, sculpture and drawings were loaned or pulled from MoMA's own vast collection for this retrospective. Pieces came from many museums and private collections around the globe. We'll probably not see such an important collection of his work in one grand space like this for many decades to come.

The exhibit starts with some of de Kooning's earliest work. He was a photo-realist and successful commercial artist in the Netherlands. A few recovered drawings and paintings are shown. That early work is technically good, albeit boring by comparison to his later masterpieces. Then the show focuses on his drawings, early paintings (you can spot the influence of Picasso and Gorky here) and transition after Black Mtn., to the birth of the Woman series (I think that MoMA exhibits all of the Woman paintings and I had no idea how extensive or numerous these were before visiting the show). There are scores of Women paintings in this series.

One of the highlights of the show is an immense (about 17' wide) painting in charcoal and calcimine (?) that de Kooning prepared for a dancer friend for $50 (!) with the help of another artist (I think, Milton Resnick) for a theatrical stage set. He based this piece, it is believed, on Judgment Day. Right around this time, de Kooning was painting the large pink paintings, like Pink Angels, and about to move into his massive B&W work, like Excavation and Attic. This massive piece is hung apart from the other galleries displaying de Kooning's work: MoMA rightly gave the piece plenty of breathing room.

The exhibit leads you into his work during the '70's. You can see that he was experimenting with earlier collage techniques and discovered that "the landscape is in the woman", much as "the woman was in the landscape." He dabbled with sculpture and you can trace his fluidity in the three-dimensional work. Lastly, we are lead into paintings from the '80's. The curator cut off the show at 1987, when de Kooning's worsening dementia was believed to have affected his work. I'm not sure I agreed with this. Arguably, this last body of work was becoming less lush, dense: but the focus on line and mark making, filling the canvases with marvelous pure shapes and expressive lines are rich, dominating. Maybe, like Rothko, de Kooning was finally getting down to what it was all about, that elusive core.

Neo News: Falling Into Art

We have a new addition to Neo Stable Studios: our mascot, Tebow!

Melissa's toy poodle puppy often comes into our studio. He's a cutey, barking while his mouth is stuffed with his favorite toy. Tebow has grown since this photo was taken, but a few weeks ago, he was small enough to fit into the pocket of my painting apron while I worked.

As the summer winds down, autumn returns and the weather cools off, the artists of Neo Stable Studios are back to work. The pasture that lies outside our stable is bright green thanks to the rain produced during Florida's hurricane season. Touches of gold creep into the landscape. Melissa's horses and those of boarders romp in the pasture. The lines, shapes and forms in and out of the studio provide constant inspiration. Forest From The Trees, below, is an example. I painted this piece on a canvas that Melissa was about to throw out: it bore one of her early equine paintings and had marvelous texture.