"In Conversation" curated by Stephanie Buhmann features new work by HF
Hermine Ford Untitled (346-14), 2014, oil on cotton muslin on shaped panel, 47 x 65 x 3/4 in.
NEW YORK, NY — IN CONVERSATION is a diverse group exhibition inspired by a series of recent studio interviews including the artists featured. It will open on Wednesday, May 20, 2015, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Shirley Fiterman Art Center at Borough of Manhattan Community College/CUNY and run through August 1. A related panel discussion is scheduled for June 10.
IN CONVERSATION features the following artists: Polly Apfelbaum, Kathy Butterly, Hermine Ford, TARA GEER, Jacqueline Gourevitch, Michelle Jaffé, Joyce Kozloff, Kathleen Kucka, Melissa Meyer, Luisa Rabbia, Jennifer Riley, and Leslie Wayne.
In addition, photographs of the artists’ studios by Laura J. Gerlach will accompany the installation.
Between January 2013 and March 2015, guest curator Stephanie Buhmann conducted 14 interviews with New York-based artists. Her frustration with the media’s increased focus on art as an investment rather than a source of inspiration served as her impetus for this project, which invites the audience to the place where art is the most intimate and concrete: the artist's studio.
“As the art market landscape continues to become commercialized and evolve around art fairs and auctions, the artist’s studio serves as a contemplative counter-point,” Buhmann says.
Instead of focusing on monetary values or the general marketability of art, Buhmann’s interviews, which are to be assembled in a forthcoming publication, stress concepts of individuality and diversity. They refer to technical aspects, such as the artists’ processes, but also discuss personal history, philosophy and the artists’ eclectic sources of inspiration.
“In our fast-paced world, we often only glance at who and what is around us, making quick assessments based on our tastes and experiences,” says Buhmann. “However, I believe that looking at art should continue to defy this trend as it takes true personal engagement. Each conversation reveals just how much thought, emotion, work and resilience goes into making an object of art.”
IN CONVERSATION is sparked by these interviews and helps to illustrate them. Though all of the artists featured are based in New York, they are working in different media and styles, reflecting some of the eclectic concerns and methods found in the city’s contemporary art world today.
In addition, the project is complemented by a series of studio portraits of all of the artists involved. These photographs were taken by Frankfurt-based artist Laura J. Gerlach in February 2015.
Stephanie Buhmann is a member of the Association Internationale des Critiques d'Art and the Deutscher Fachjournalisten-Verband. She is a contributing editor at Artcritical. Her essays and art reviews have been published by international galleries, newspapers, and art magazines including Kunst Bulletin, Sculpture Magazine, The Brooklyn Rail, ARTPulse, Art on Paper, Art Papers, Art Collector, Art Lies and many others.
FOR INFORMATION: about the exhibit IN CONVERSATION, contact Kathleen Kucka at kkucka@bmcc.cuny.edu.
Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) is part of the City University of New York (CUNY) and enrolls over 27,000 degree-seeking and 11,000 continuing education students a year, awarding associate degrees in 33 fields. BMCC ranks #4 among community colleges nationwide in granting associate degrees to minority students, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education. Visit: http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu.