Collecting - Basquiat's Iconic New York Times Magazine Cover

This post commemorates a small anniversary. This article with the cover picture above, New Art, New Money: The Marketing of an American Artist from the New York Times 28 years ago (yes, 1985!) marked a defining moment in the New York art scene. If you love the paintings of Jean-Michel Basquiat as much as I do, then this photo by Lizzie Himmel showing Basquiat sitting pretty is probably very familiar to you. After moving several times, I feared that this memorable relic may have gotten lost or inadvertently tossed out. Having recently gotten my hands on it again, I have it hung prominently in my work area for painting (and blogging) inspiration. A special frame is coming soon.

Green-Wood Cemetery, 2002

I re-read the article to get a sense of the mindset of the art world in those days. The New York scene has changed so much since then. Many of the people and places are now gone. It chronicles the art market, changes in the players, the nightlife, and collector habits from the era of the Abstract Expressionists to the mid-1980s. The art stars were different then. Behind-the-scenes painters like Pollock and DeKooning were transformed into superstar personalities like Warhol and Haring. Popular artist venues like the Cedar Tavern were converted to the Mudd Club and Mr. Chow's. The article further describes rise and fall of painting in a booming art market. Everyone was becoming a collector. Surprisingly, artists often had waiting lists for their work. 

Basquiat was at the top of his short-lived career at the age of twenty-five. He was also a victim of his own talent and success; unsure of how to handle the grooming and attention of art world heavyweights, meteoric success, and unbelievable sums of money in such a very short period of time. Just five years prior, he was couch surfing and couldn't even buy his own art supplies. Suddenly his work was hanging in the homes of celebrities, collectors, and notable museums next to the previous generation of blue chip artists. Now, he was easily getting $10,000 - $25,000 for his paintings but he didn't even have a bank account. He suddenly had context in the art machine, people took advantage, and drugs eventually took their toll. 

SAMO©

Basquiat is buried in Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery (Plot: Section 176, Lot 44603) along with other famous creative residents such as Louis Comfort Tiffany and Leonard Bernstein. A thin wire frame that reads "SAMO©" sticks out of the top of the headstone. This was Basquiat's graffiti tag and alter ego that once covered a crime-ridden city, and also appeared in many of his paintings. He described it as "same old" in the form of a corporate logo. The irony is that he didn't have the street credibility of most graffiti artists (spray painting train cars at night) and his own paintings exhibited more of a formal (art historical-based) aesthetic with references to the mark-making of Cy Twombly, Dubuffet, and even the educated but raw primitivism of Picasso. Today, Basquiat's paintings sell for well over a million dollars - if you can even get access to one.

"Bold color and the sensuality of a richly painted surface returned, appealing to an art public that had been starved, baffled or bored for a decade." Gone are the glory days of the New York art world. Artists having household names is practically nonexistent these days. Personally, in this digital age, there appears to be a deep lull. I can only hope for a revival of painting and a resurgence in the cycle of a meaningful art market.

Liberating the Rebel - Interview with Martha Rich

After a brief hiatus for most of January, I thought I'd start off this new year with an interview with one of my favorite artists. I discovered the work of Martha Rich a few years ago through the 20 x 200 affordable art website. Immediately, I fell in love with her two prints of a painted piece of cake with some ambiguous yet suggestive text bubbles floating around the main image giving a hint at the title - Chocolate Electric and Stay Icy (and now a third entitled, Yes Please). Something about the bright color and sugary absurdity of those pieces appealed to me. When I did a little cyber-stalking to find more of her paintings, I was delighted with her overall aesthetic and color sense. I knew I wanted to be surrounded by her work in my home.

Martha happens to live and work in my hometown area of Philadelphia. I visit South Jersey often, so this past fall, I made a stop at Martha's studio to see her latest pieces and ask her some questions.

Martha's artist statement is unusual, not the run-of-the-mill autobiography. It is fractured and seemingly senseless at first glance. It reads like a disjointed novel or haiku, all the while offering a deeply personal and poetic glimpse into the life of an artist with an inability to describe the grasp of the creative process. "My art is driven by the stored moments not by logic. It is my own language and sometimes I don't understand it." Every artist faces so much pressure with the start of a new masterpiece. She likens this moment with an existence inside the corporate cubicle. "There's something terrifying about a blank page." (Working in a cubicle terrifies me too.) Be prepared to enjoy the insights on some colorful and fun paintings!

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-How long have you been painting? When did you know that you wanted to be an artist and pursue art? 

I have been painting since going to Art Center College of Design (in Pasadena), and I have always been doing artsy stuff since I was a kid, but I didn't know I could be an "artist" until the Clayton Brothers told me I could.

-I was initially drawn to your paintings because of your sense of color (and because I like food imagery). There also appears to be an underlying commentary on femininity. Would you agree with that? Can you explain more about where this comes from?  

I don't intentionally make a commentary on femininity, but maybe I do because I happen to be female and therefore that is what I know and therefore it comes out in my paintings.

-Why are you drawn to painting food and desserts?  

You have to ask?! It started when I found a 70s cookbook about cakes at an estate sale.

- What is your work about, and how do you describe your art overall? It definitely appears to have a sense of humor.

I think the majority of my work is about the absurdity of life and trying to deal with it. I do not know how anyone can go through life without a sense of humor. I would crumble if I couldn't laugh at it. I went through a Frederick's of Hollywood obsession a while ago. I wish they would do catalogs like that again.

-Can you briefly describe your artistic progression over the years? How did you get to where you are now?  

I had a creative semi-hippie mom who showed me how to macrame, batik, develop photos, tumble rocks, quilt, make glasses from old beer bottles and more. During the elementary years, I wrote and illustrated my own magazine called "Ye Olde Continental Times." In high school, I was an art major. Then I went to college where they squashed it out of me; spent the next 15 years trying to be a normal-suburban-picket-fence- pantyhose-marriage-kids-corporate-job person. Then divorce led me to taking a class with the Clayton Brothers at Art Center College of Design and that was the changing moment in my life. I have been an "real" artist ever since. Not so brief.

-What’s a Freedom Wig?  

It was a wig style in a Frederick's of Hollywood catalog- kind of a big fluffy afro. I think I latched onto wigs from those ads and the fact that my mother went through cancer when I was a kid and had to wear a wig. I figured that out later. I am out of the wig stage for now.

-In your studio, I saw a series made from the New York Times Magazine. What is the story behind those? 

I hate a blank white piece of paper. It is so hard to put down that first mark. I subscribe to the Sunday New York Times and had a whole pile of the magazines and papers waiting for recycling. One day while working, I had leftover paint on my palette. I hate wasting paint, so I picked up one of the magazines and started painting over the text. I liked it, so I kept doing it and it became my sketchbook. There is no pressure to be perfect in my sketchbooks; a crisp white page calls for perfection. I need a place to fail and make a mess and this is where I do it.

-Aside from the New York Times project – what other projects have you taken on? I started making 100 pieces of art for $100 so people could still by original art and not have to be a "one percenter" to do it.

-You mentioned that people have to watch what they say around you or it might end up in one of your pieces. Can you elaborate? 

I love to eavesdrop which is much easier in a city like Philadelphia versus Los Angeles. I carry a book around and write the crazy stuff I hear then when I make my mind map paintings, I go through the book for the best phrases and curate them into the paintings.

-Who or what is your work influenced by? Do you have any particular favorite artists? My work is influenced by life.  

My favorite artists fluctuate, but I would say Margaret Kilgallen is one who is consistently in my mind. Also Georganne Deen. She is amazing. But I am more influenced by my friends and studio mates than big famous  arteests. Esther Pearl Watson and Mark Todd, The Clayton Brothers, Jason Holley, Aaron Smith, Matt Curtius, Gina Triplett, Keith Warren Greiman are more of my favorites.

-What is your favorite piece of all time that you’ve created and why? 

The Loretta Lynn portrait I did for an independent study with Christian Clayton in art school. It was motorized and was a turning point for me artistically.

-Are there any outside activities that have influenced or become part of your work at all? 

I don't think so. Art is my outside activity. Inside and outside.

-Do you listen to music (if so, what?) or do you have any particular rituals as part of working in your studio? 

I do not listen to music. I listen to the Real Housewives of Anything. I like to listen to talking that I don't really have to pay attention to. I usually have to clean before I start a painting. Organize my brains.

-Where do you like to go for inspiration or find sanctuary? (A favorite museum, your own work space, or out in the woods, a wig shop, a bra store, etc.)  

I like to go to museums. Any museum will do. But it is not a really a "thing" I do a lot. I go through museums like the wind. I am not a lingerer. I get art fatigue really quickly. I think I am more inspired by just living. I don't often look for sanctuary because I think my life is already a sanctuary. Well maybe I find sanctuary in my friends and family or at a really good restaurant.

- What is your artistic future? Do you have any specific projects or exhibitions coming up in 2013? 

I have no idea what my artistic future is except I hope I am still doing art in the future. I have a show in April 2013 with Keith Warren Greiman at Space 1026 Gallery in Philly. That is what I am focused on right now. I was also in the annual Post-It show at Giant Robot this past December in LA. I actually got to go there this year! I was looking forward to that a bunch.

-Where can we find more of your work? 

At any of these websites: martharich.com, martharichartprojects.bigcartel.com, or 100for100.bigcartel.com

Or just come to the studio!

Art Fair Find - Omar Chacon

I was going through my archive of old photos, and look what I found! I love these cheerful works of patterned art from the Scope Art Fair in New York back in 2010. Even though they appear to be very similar, each has a unique characteristic and color palette. The closer you look, the more mesmerizing they become.

Artist Portrait - Cocktails with Beatriz Milhazes

A reception celebrating the colorful patterns and swirls of one of my favorite artists, Beatriz Milhazes.

(James Cohan Gallery in Chelsea - April 16, 2010)

Artist Portrait - Polly Apfelbaum

Polly Apfelbaum in a vintage Lanvin shirtdress that is as colorful as her work

(photographed in front of a Sol Lewitt wall drawing at the James Cohan Gallery - April 16, 2010)

Nostalgia - Jackson Pollock Puzzle

Several years ago, my parents were cleaning out their basement and given my inclination for the arts, thought I would enjoy having this puzzle they bought in the 1960s. It's of Jackson Pollock's painting entitled, Convergence from 1952 whose home is at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York. On the side of the box it is touted as "the world's most difficult jigsaw puzzle (over 500 pieces)". With the dime-sized pieces, and given the number of attempts we've made at it without getting much further than the edges, I can believe it!

Just in case you were wondering, this is the complete painting - without any missing pieces.

Jeff Lewis - Artist Interview

I first saw Jeff Lewis's work for an online print project called 20 x 200, intended to make art affordable and the concept of collecting approachable. With Jeff's explosive use of color and dynamic circles (a personal favorite) I instantly knew I had to contact him and find out more about his work. I first met Jeff in his Bushwick studio about a year ago. We talked with ease about our love for painting and yoga....and also commiserated about the nature of the art world. Now, a year later, he generously allowed me to return to his studio to see his latest work and answer some of my questions. In his own words....

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How long have you been painting? When did you know that you wanted to be an artist and pursue art?

I started painting when I was 15 and basically haven't stopped. I grew up in Nashville, Tennessee which has a good underground music scene but not a lot of art. I always liked looking at art books of various abstract artists (Pollock, De Kooning, Kline) and got a hold of some monographs (Miro, Tapies, Dali) of European artists.

I dropped some acid on Thanksgiving and did some paintings with a friend in 1984. I was 15 and I think this is when my epiphany to pursue art and painting really crystallized. I still have the painting framed at home. In high school, art was what I knew I wanted to do. I graduated in 1988. Then I got a scholarship to the Savannah College of Art and Design, got to travel a bit and see some real paintings in museums and then knew that NYC was the place I had to be. I came up here sight unseen with $500, and a place to stay for 3 weeks on avenue B and 10th. This was in 1992. I was out of school a year which was quite a transitional and lonely time for me- but I was painting. I went to Parsons and finished my MFA in 1995. I then found my first studio in Tribeca and stayed there for 11 years and then did the exodus to Bushwick in search of space- which I really needed - I work really large.

I was initially drawn to your work because of the pattern and circular geometry. What is the significance of the concentric circle to you?

I can't say what the significance is except that it it is a wonderfully therapeutic shape for me to paint. It feels good.

What is your work about? Is it integrated with science at all?

The work is about practice. "Practice and all is coming" is what my yoga teacher Sri K. Pattabhi Jois always said. It is not an analysis of anything. I enter a special space or trance when I paint. It's a sensation or feeling that has no explanation. It is purely intuitive and based in abstract expressionism.

Your paintings have a mandala quality- is your work meant to be meditative for the viewer, or is it more meditative for you in practice?

Both. If the painting is successful. Some paintings have it, some don't. Sometimes a painting has it and I ruin it by fucking with it too much and overworking it. And sometimes, I am able to pull a painting back from being a mess by just making one special move on it. I love Mandala, Yantra, Textiles, and Pattern.

You are very involved with yoga- is this something that has become part of your work at all?

Painting is a practice just as yoga is a practice. And in addition it must become integrated into your daily life in order to advance.

I know you’ve spent a fair amount of time in India- do you find that India specifically or travel to other places has made a lasting impact on your paintings?

India is a state of mind and I can sometimes bring it into my work. I love India. I like Islamic pattern and my travels in Islamic countries has definitely influenced me.

How do you describe your work overall?
I do not like to label it, but one could say that it is neo-psychedelic abstraction. I have several artistic practices in my art practice. Usually if someone asks, I say it is abstract, large, obsessive, and rooted in the New York School.

Can you generally describe your artistic progression over the years? How did you get to where you are now?

I count my blessings. I have been very lucky in finding benefactors, patrons, and collectors and not having to hold a real job. I have never stopped. You can't slow down and get discouraged, because I would have quit a long time ago if I listened to peoples' criticism. It seems some people get very far with little talent and others have great talent and suffer. It's the nature of the world.

Who or what is your work influenced by? Do you have particular favorite artists?

I like so many. But lets say I love Jackson Pollock, the Abstract Expressionists, and the New York School- Andy Warhol, Stella, minimal artists, monochrome painters, and De Kooning. Generally, I like painters and artists who make things with their hands, but I can also appreciate Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst. Donald Baechler is a sensational artist and has been a friend of mine through the years. The list goes on and on.

What is your favorite piece of all time that you’ve created and why?

They are all my favorite. Some speak to me more than others and different times, and generally because I have several bodies of work. Some people prefer, let's say, my oval paintings to my grid drawings, or they really don't like my older oval paintings, but love the new ones. Different strokes for different folks, but I love them all.

Do you listen to music (if so, what?) or do you have any particular rituals as part of working in your studio?

I listen to all sorts of music. I love Indian devotional Music. When you paint you spend a lot of time alone so you have lots of music to listen to. I recently have been painting in silence which is intense and very nice also.

Some of your pieces utilize bold color, others are intensely detailed black and white pencil drawings- are they separate series, or do they complement each other?

They are all a part of my artistic practice. The drawings sometimes help me focus and get me psyched to paint.

The bulk of your paintings are quite large. Last year, I saw that you were doing a lot of smaller paintings on paper. Is a larger scale format more preferable to you?

I love large scale- I read that Barnett Newman said about his large work that it was like a movie at a large scale. They take on monumental form and envelope the viewer and can also suck them into another plane.

  

Where do you like to go for inspiration or find sanctuary? (A favorite museum, your own work space, or out in the woods enjoying nature, surfing, etc.)

I love to visit MOMA when it isn't too crowded. Getting into nature, especially the mountains or sea is great. I also have a floatation tank (sensory deprivation) in my home that I use on a daily basis.

I saw some of your paintings included in the Fountain Art Fair in New York this past year. What is your artistic future? Do you have any specific projects or exhibitions coming up in 2010-2011?

Right now, I have a group of large drawings in pop-up gallery in a store front curated by Jennifer Garcia of We-Are-Familia. It is located at 539 Atlantic Avenue (in Brooklyn) and is up for the month of June. It is quite spontaneous, and I must say that I am really just going with the flow. The response so far has been great.

Also, I will be included in a a group show called Swell, curated by Jacqueline Miro that is spread out over three galleries in Chelsea- Nyehaus, Frederic Petzel, and Metro Pictures. The final decision on the works being shown hasn't been made, but I think I will be showing some very large paintings and some drawings!

Wish Me Luck! Peace.