MET Masters

David Hockney at The MET thru February 2018

In the early 1990s, I remember staying at a friends house high up in the Hollywood Hills, and towards the top we drove past the home of David Hockney.  From the outside it looked just like it does in his many paintings.  Hockney has used his home as subject matter over many years, and that becomes evident when you take a look through the new show that has just opened at The MET.

Hockney in early 1960s

We were in New York City to see shows and have been following Hockney's work for many years and then recently I have been reading about his use of digital media and his innovations in his art, and we were eager to see the exhibition.  Hockney started to gain recognition for his art in the early 1960s fresh out of art school when his paintings were a blend of Pop Art and expressive representation.  Figurative art was not in the ascendant position that it is today, and David Hockney made his early work in the face of that opposition.

Hockney's portrait of Fred and Marcia Weisman, American Collectors

Acrylic on canvas, 1968

At The MET there are some early popish paintings that had a focus on people in his life, his patrons and friends, and Hockney became known for his portraits.  Often these people were painted in their home environment.  Colors are clear and descriptive, the compositions are balanced and confident.  Innovations would come later.

Paintings of Henry Geldzahler stand out in this show, and while not exactly photorealist they still tell you a lot about each sitter ( or stander like that one above ).  Geldzahler was a curator at The MET in charge of determining what was happening in contemporary art.  I thought it was funny that he is portrayed above surrounded by reproductions of Van Gogh, and Piero Della Francesca.

Detail of Hockney double portrait

Mid way through the present show there is a single work that could describe a turning point in Hockney's career, and surprisingly it is a photographic work - barely touched on in the show.

It is a kind of cubist photography that breaks down a panorama into individual snapshots that have been put together in a collage that re-makes the whole scene.

Hockney's cubist photography

If someone else had used photography in this way, I have not heard of it.  The example in the present show gives you an idea of the breakthrough.  The fact is that there is a whole universe of images that Hockney went on to produce, and I would say that the later part of the show at The MET is a little diffuse here especially in regards to the innovative uses he has had for digital technology.

Hockney's recent paintings

The MET was crowded and sometimes getting a good look at the paintings took some time and patience.  The later paintings employ curious distortion of space, and take a page out of the Matisse playbook, when it comes to color.

David Hockney thinks about Henri Matisse

Before we left The MET, to go over to Brooklyn, we took another look at the wonderful show that I wrote about earlier in my post called: "Surprise Party".  This was the gift of Japanese baskets and other works to The MET from my cousins, Diane and Arthur Abbey.  The powerful work at the entrance to the show is a floor to ceiling piece that has tremendous energy.  You get just a hint of that from the image below.  All in all this was a great day to be a gallery goer and The MET is a STAR.

Tanabe Chikuunsai

"The Gate"

Gift of Diane and Arthur Abbey

Well MET

View at The Metropolitan Museum of Art,

New York City, New York

December 2, 2017

You simply can't miss walking into the MET Museum this season!

We were lucky and found a parking space on the street a block away from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and strolled in early Saturday to see Michelangelo and David Hockney.  Both of these artists deserve the kind of full length portrait that these exhibitions give you, and they do not let you down!

Adam and Eve driven out of Paradise

Walk into the show of Michelangelo - Divine Draftsman & Designer, and make sure that you have enough time to see the artwork - because you may get pushed along by crowds who are visiting the museum on any given day.  The lights are low, and the focus is on sensitive drawings starting with the early days of Michelangelo ( 1475-1564 ) and the artwork of his mentors and students.  Going back in time you realize that to study the human form, to give a drawing proper proportion and accuracy - one would have to be familiar with anatomy - and one way was to dissect a corpse ( which was illegal at the time ).  From the looks of this exhibition Michelangelo was obsessed with the body, especially muscles and flex joints.  The drawings on view range throughout his career and include many architectural drawings and also works of the imagination.

Michelangelo studies for fresco paintings in the Vatican

There are famous portraits; scenes with multiple figures, as well as studies for the fresco paintings now in the Vatican.  This is a very rare chance to look over a body of artworks that are so substantial and that make up part of the canon of Western culture.  There are a few bizarre twists in the present exhibition.  Walking past early drawings by Ghirlandaio there is a painting made by studying a print from Schongauer.  It is said that this painting (below) was made when Michelangelo was 12 or 13 years old.

"Torment of Saint Anthony"

In the past, I have given classes in figure drawing and used some of the Michelangelo drawings in this present show as examples.  Still, it helps to see the real thing - to get close enough to see how the drawings accomplish their goals.  People are lining up to see the sensitive portrayals and the special genius of this artist at work.  One artist studies another, learning to see how the other sees.

Draw from a master

As a designer and architect, you wonder how one man had the chance and knowledge to create all this?  How does one accumulate enough know-how to be a credible architect of the Medici Chapel, or  develop the domes of the Vatican?  There is a wonderful model in wood of one of the domes that you can study in this exhibition, along with many plans for the buildings.

Michelangelo as architect of Medici Chapel

In one section of this massive show of creativity the Met has installed a replica of the ceiling fresco for the Sistine Chapel.  This allows the visitor to make some connections between drawings in the exhibition, and places where those drawings became essential for the artist as his process progressed. Fresco painting is a technique of painting into wet plaster - you don't have much time to complete your work or make a mistake, so you better plan out what you are going to do.

The ceiling at The Sistine Chapel

One of my favorite drawings in this show has Hercules struggling with a lion, and it reminds me that art can have the capacity to move the spirits of us all.  It is really interesting to contemplate how Michelangelo made his compositions, and that he retained all the knowledge of the body to be able to show what it would look like if Hercules was wrestling.

Three Labours of Hercules

So, if you are going to the MET, prepare to stay a while, there are over a hundred works in the present show.  This exhibition is mostly about drawing, and the experience is intimate.  There are a few sculptural works included, to serve as a reminder - but the impact remains.  In the second part of my post I will walk down the hall and visit the artwork of David Hockney, so stay close!

Michelangelo portrait of Mr. Quaratesi made around 1531-34

Pop Up Show

Early December, Beautiful Day, Manhattan

going to

UES Gallery, Sci / Art Center

UES is the Upper East Side, so the show put on by the Sci / Art Center was on 73rd Street - a quiet block just off of Third Avenue.  But why were there policemen on every corner?  Later, we found out that President Trump was in town, and the traffic snarled.

UES Gallery / SCi/Art Center 

"Void and Cloud"

Group Exhibition

It has been a few years since I had a work in a gallery show in Manhattan, but I welcome the chance to be part of this group exhibition hosted by the UES Gallery and the Sci / Art Center.  Get to know the Sci / Art Center and become a member.  This is a fine organization worthy of your support in part because they are creating a community and doing something new in the visual arts - this is art with and for a purpose.  Here is the link to their site:  https://www.sciartcenter.org/

Curators introduction and Artist's Talk

at UES Gallery

The Sci / Art Center represents an opportunity for those who are interested in the place where science, art and technology converge.  Even if you are not a practitioner, the Sci / Art Center will give you a window on some very creative activity that connects with a view towards a world that is complex, diverse and very interesting.  There are connections to things that you might know about and ways of visualizing things that can't be seen any other way, and some of these artistic expressions were on view in the "Void and Cloud"  pop up show.

Julia Buntaine and Marnie Benney were on hand to welcome visitors to the Curator and Artist talks in early December.  My wife, Anna and I arrived and settled in to a meet and greet, to hear what folks had to say about the artwork that was mostly on the walls.  This Pop Up Show is called: " Cloud and Void " and the artists involved all had a different take on this topic.

Daniel Hill talks about his work with interference patterns

Daniel Hill spoke about his meticulous work with acrylic polymer paints on a shaped support.  He described the layers of colors and the linear interference progression of lines and textures in his art from 2015.  The painting comes to represent a blend of sound waves , music, and tactile textures that can remind you in part of ripples on water.

Jonathan Feldshuh

Visitors to the show had a chance to hear about the physics of painting from Jonathan Feldshuh who brought up the way he translates and diagrams how particles behave in high energy collisions within his artwork.  In a way his art is a kind of microscope into a world that is happening all around us but is too tiny to be seen by my naked eye ( except in his paintings ).

Jonathan Feldshuh

Sarah Eagen spoke about the relationship of technology to personal relationships, and I enjoyed watching her talk and looking at her hands, and then looking at the photo on silk of the hands in her artwork.  Talk about delicate values, this work was almost supernatural.

Sarah Eagen

When it was my chance to speak, I tried to emphasize the opportunities to take a mathematical expression and give it visual weight - similar to the difference that a spoken language has with the written word.  It is more concrete, more evident, and in my case more colorful and very deliberate.

Along with the other artists, I think we treat our practice of making art as an experiment.  You get to know the conditions you set up, then you can create an interaction of those conditions in a material way and see the result.  The artist is not only driven by a process, but also adds in an emotional content and a bit of intellectual involvement in the mix, and you see what you can get.  Sometimes the results can be very surprising and can move you to a new place.

Alan Singer explains.. "Spinner"

The e-vite for Void and Cloud

at UES Gallery

208 East 73rd Street

Dec2-3, 2017

Elemental

UES Gallery

December 2-3, 2017

208 East 73rd Street

New York City, New York

A Sci/Art Center Program

Here is a link for the Sci / Art Center and the exhibitions they have curated:https://www.sciartcenter.org/exhibits.html

I have been a member of this organization, and I support their efforts at putting together a community of folks interested in creating bridges between science and art.  This past October they ran a long article that I wrote for their magazine on the paintings and drawings of my father, Arthur Singer.  This is to say that I grew up with a healthy respect for art and science and I use this interest in my own artwork on a regular basis.

If you are not familiar with Sci / Art - it is an online magazine looking for members - so visit their website and take a look at the shows they are organizing.  In this new show called "Cloud and Void" the invited artists deal with essentials and conditions in a universal way.  Since I will be exhibiting there in a couple of weeks, I plan to write a review of the show.  At the moment there is a lot to anticipate in New York City, especially with the Michelangelo drawings on view at The MET Museum.

"Confluence" a show of sculpture by Roberto Bertoia

At the University Gallery 

in

The Vignelli Design Center at R.I.T.,

It so happens that this month there are exhibitions on view in Rochester that address some knowledge about basic building blocks.  You can see for yourself, if you visit the University Gallery to see the sculpture of Roberto ( Bob ) Bertoia.  In his art we witness structure, and weight - there is some implied movement with the very basic materials he employs.  In his exhibition works are mostly a beautiful wood as you can see just above.  I wrote earlier about this show being curated by Josh Owen, who is on the faculty at R.I.T.  Roberto Bertoia is also a teacher, and on the faculty at Cornell University, and these works are going to be part of a book being put together about his art which you can order at the gallery.

Two of the pieces by Roberto ( Bob ) Bertoia 

on view at The University Gallery

at 

Rochester Institute of Technology

A structure by Roberto Bertoia

Down the road at St. John Fisher College there is another art exhibition that just opened in the Skalny Welcome Center and this show is titled: "Elements" bringing together three artists - Jappie King Black, Bill Stephens and Bill Judkins.  This show is elegant, and some of the works are quite attractive.  It was just a few weeks ago I remember talking with Bill Stephens at Main Street Arts in Clifton Springs, and he gave me an invitation card to see the show called "Elements".  At the Patricia O'Keefe Ross Gallery in the Skalny Welcome Center you can find this show and there is a nice selection of paintings, drawings, and sculpture by the three artists I mentioned earlier.

Pen on paper, by Bill Stephens

"Female Spirit Guide"

Pen on paper, by Bill Stephens

"Prayer"

I found Bill Stephen's drawings have a kind of meditative quality and a patience one rarely sees anymore.  They are a bit illustrative with a tinge of surrealism that can bring to mind artists from eighty years ago like Rene Magritte, and  Max Ernst. 

Jappie King Black adds some mystery to this show, and her elemental works are sculptural and include her installation DISQUIET.  Sometime she shows colorful woven bowls, other objects made of metal have a kind of ancient bare-bones effect to them that is detailed and very tactile.

Jappie King Black ( above and below )

"Elements" at the Patricia O'Keefe Ross Gallery

St. John Fisher College

The six abstract paintings in the present show are the work of Bill Judkins.  These squarish canvases have textures and colors that would work well with an interior designer.  They approach the idea of  "Elements" by keeping everything low key, and simple in terms of color and drama, maybe even primal or primordial.

Bill Judkins in "Elements"

Thru January 5th, 2018

St. John Fisher College

Western Where

Western Wear.. at The John L. Whele Gallery

in

Genesee Country Village & Museum

On my way out of town to deliver a painting that I had borrowed from the John L. Whele Gallery in Mumford, New York.  I had a very fine chat with Patricia Tice who works as the curator and we talked about blue hands and dogs in art among other things.  Patricia was interested in 3D Printed hands that could be used on the models like this one in front of the stage coach - here to show off  antique clothing like this travel ensemble.  The Whele Gallery has one of the finest collections of sporting and wildlife art in the country, and my father's painting of a Lion on the Serengeti has a place in their catalog.  I encourage people to make the trip out to see this museum and I was pleased that they would loan their painting for our show at R.I.T.'s University Gallery.

Bill White and his new gallery in Caledonia, New York

Bill White has recently moved into the area to open his gallery on Main Street in Caledonia called The Village Gallery.  There is a show on now of artwork from the community and I want to support this kind of grass-roots effort to have a cultural outpost for arts and crafts.  I plan to go and take a long look at what is happening there, and if you are nearby - you could stop in to say hello.

I was on the way down the Thruway going towards Niagara Falls to take part in a conference that brought together exhibitors and ornithologists from across New York State and beyond.  My plan was to promote my new book and meet people who stopped in to say hello.  Since our new book on my father's art has been published, we have had large crowds and many sales.  I look forward to a number of presentations I will be giving, like the one that we held last week at Cornell University and the Laboratory of Ornithology.  If you couldn't be there I have  a link to the presentation that my brother, Paul, and I made to the folks in the auditorium, here is the link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=38&v=hMHhc9kWftc

Alan and Anna at our table

Niagara Falls, NY

The NYSOA Conference

Not only were there many birders at the conference but there were some handlers that brought their birds with them.  These are birds that are being rehabilitated, and sometimes returned to the wild. I saw a beautiful owl and a young red-tailed hawk - reminding me of the great book I read this summer: H is for HAWK, by Helen MacDonald.

Barred Owl on the glove

I was pleased to see one of my former graduate students from Rochester Institute of Technology setting up her paintings right at the entrance to the conference meeting room.  Melissa Mance is an active birder and bird-bander, and she has been painting birds for many years and has some of her large portraits out for examination.  She has some finely detailed renderings like snow buntings, but the real eye-catcher are the portraits of hawks she has banded and her new pair of ravens.

Melissa Mance and her paintings...

At Rochester Institute of Technology ( where I have been teaching  for almost 30 years ) we have some really talented students, and some of them take my class in Zoological and Botanical Art.

This is a class that is based on first hand observation and lots of drawing.  Since I am now on a sabbatical I have to begin to formulate my plan for the class I will teach in the spring.  It is really a pleasure to meet students like Melissa, who give their art the time and effort to make something for themselves and for us to enjoy and marvel at.  And it makes teaching very worthwhile!

Close To Home

Autumn and The Falls at Taughannock State Park

Fall colors greeted us as we prepared for a presentation at Cornell University's Laboratory of Ornithology last Monday evening.  We were invited to hang a selection of images by my father, Arthur Singer            ( 1917-1990 ) in the auditorium of the LAB, and also give a talk that would elucidate  details of my father's career that we cover in our new book: "Arthur Singer, The Wildlife Art of An American Master.  My brother Paul Singer, and I have written an extensive illustrated biography which has been published by RIT Press, and it is now available for sale on their web site.

Paul Singer at the lectern

If you want some further details about the show, and would like to plan on coming to Ithaca, New York, take a look at this link for the news release: http://us2.campaign-archive.com/?e=&u=b35ddb671faf4a16c0ce32406&id=3043208722

Early works by Arthur Singer on the left,

and a collaboration between my father, Arthur Singer, and myself            ( Alan Singer ) on the right

The illustrious career that my father had during his lifetime took him to wild places around the world and as a family we also would accompany my father on his birding trips to state parks and rugged wilderness.  We spent a lot of time appreciating nature, and those hours outdoors formed the core of my father's studies that allowed him to create marvelous paintings when we landed back at the home studio.

In the 1980's my father and I created a series of US Postage Stamps 

honoring the Birds and Flowers of the 50 States on the left,

and a big Bald Eagle in oil that my father made in the same years.

My brother Paul, designed our new book, which we are both very proud of,  and we are thankful for the opportunity to speak about our father's life and his devotion to the environment and conservation. My father's branch of art is closely related to science, but it also requires a great ability to design and draw, and  much patience to render his feathered subjects.  Since we gave our talk in the halls of 

Cornell University we were very mindful of the presence of Louis Agassiz Fuertes  ( 1874-1927 ), who also painted birds and worked as an illustrator for The National Geographic Magazine, and whose paintings are hanging in the auditorium where we spoke.  My father would have been so happy to know that his art, and the art of Fuertes are there for the viewing, and education of the visitors to the LAB now, and for the next few months.  If you haven't seen the LAB, there are also fabulous murals in the building and many fine works of art in the halls, so I urge you to check it out in Ithaca, New York.

This book is available in the store at the Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology

and our show of Arthur Singer's artwork will be up until February 28th, 2018

make a plan to see it before the show moves on!

Satisfy Your Curiosity

"Sacred Curiosities"

at Main Street Arts, Clifton Springs, New York

with

Joanna Poag on wall at left, and Jacquie Germanow in front on right

In the past week I have visited exhibitions that expand my definition of contemporary art and you might find them interesting too.  There is a very fine group show at Main Street Arts at 20 West Main Street in Clifton Springs, and a strong show that has just opened on College Avenue in Rochester at Gallery r.  Grad students from Rochester Institute of Technology are presented at Gallery r in a show titled: "Forces at Work", and it is up until November 19th - so you don't have that much time to catch up with the latest developments.

Bill Stephens and his drawings in "Sacred Curiosities"

I had a chance to speak with Bill Stephens about his drawings in the show at Main Street Arts and I found out about how he does these intimate gestural works which are presented at the gallery.  When you look at the details you can see that they are not quickly done, that they are a kind of meditation on the nature of experience, and the dialog that the artist has with his materials is very engaging.

Bob Conge, mixed media 

at Main Street Arts

It would seem when we look at the collector cabinets of Bob Conge that he has an eye for the absurd.

These boxes of toys and ephemera owe a great deal to Joseph Cornell, but he updates this vision with a edgy flair.  Dolls, toys, and a curious sense of humor informs the collected work he has on view at Main Street Arts.  There is a theme that runs through the selected works in the show at Clifton Springs, some of it has to do with a color palette that is shared by many of the works of art, another facet is a sense of edgy humor which comes through the sculptures of Bill Stewart and the work above by Jacquie Germanow  called "Hot Rumor".    Juxtaposition is also an operating principle.
Take a look at this composition by Emily Kenas below....

Emily Kenas ( Triptych ), mixed media

Bill Stewart

Sandman Bluebird

at 

Main Street Arts

Clifton Springs, NY

Back in Rochester, at Gallery r, the grad students who are featured in the exhibition "Forces at Work" really step out and begin to have a real presence - they are going to make a terrific contribution to our culture now and in the future.  My choice for most interesting art in this show includes a mixed media work by Chenyang Mu, and this sculptural work includes blown glass, found objects, miniature speakers, and music ( heavenly music ).  The music is composed for the work of art and the art does its best to enhance the music!  Blown glass pipes the music to your ears and this art reminds me of the time I saw the composer and musician Harry Partch at The Whitney Museum of Art in New York City.  

Chenyang Mu

"What We Can See" mixed media and recorded music

Artist here is Kibaek Sung

The pink missile is quite timely considering the news today.  It is both funny and shocking at the same time.  My student Kibaek Sung is making his presence in our area known winning a recent commission which he is working on while doing his Thesis.  I could go on and on about this show - it is a great opportunity to think and see the possibilities that art will take and it will satisfy your curiosity.