page four
"Yeah, but
By Sarah M. Taylor
Photos by David Nikias
The New York Art Seminar,
March 3-11, 1979, was an
experience of excess, artistic
stimulation, waves of blow-outs
and reborn motivation and ex
haustion.
Participants followed the spi
rited lead of Professor Roy
Nydorf through the maze of the
New York art world covering
seven major museums and a
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multitude of galleries from Soho
to 57th St. The group's com
ments ranged from whispers of
"Yeah, but is it art?" to "Oh
wow, subject matter!" and
"My art will never be the same.
There were often breakfast
table complaints of blisters but
these murmers were generally
accompanied with impulsive re
quests to see "just one more
exhibition." Viewing, however,
was not the main activity as this
energetic group also participa
ted in their own process of
making art.
Few evenings passed that a
lively Greensboro group was not
spotted in the Blarney Stone bar
with sketchbooks and charcoal
pencils feverishly capturing the
images of unknowing New Yor
kers slumped on bar stools. The
group actually became so fami
liar with the bartender that
when sketchbooks ran out he
was known to pass out extra
drawing paper.
This combination of both
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making and viewing art was
highlighted by visits to the
studios of professional artists.
Ed Rath displayed both his work
and theories concerning color
and the technical aspects of
exploring painterly planes.
With his quick and impish smile
he uncovered massive fantasy
like paintings of women with
"bionic" hair and chaotic Egyp
tian markets.
Rath's cartoonlike and monu
mental style provided quite a
contrast to the figurative and
abstract paintings of Colin
Thompson, an artist whose loft
lies in the heart of the Bowery.
Supporting himself by working
in a 57th St. gallery, Colin
explained the difficulties artists
experience when trying to show
their work in the traditonal
gallery structure. He also poin
ted out the process in his own
paintings of the conflict be
tween controlling color and yet
allowing it to express itself at
the same time.
Livio Saganic spent a rousing
Wednesday night showing and
discussing his work as well as
leading the way to a special
evening opening at the Max
Protech gallery. Sue Daykin
provided an amusing highlight
as she unveiled massive trip
tychs concerning life in rural
Mexico while her family of
rather large felines bounced
about the studio knocking paint
ings over at will.
An addition to the experience
of visiting artists in their studios
was the chance to meet a group
of artists joining together to
critique each others work.
Friday night was the meeting
of the New York Fugurative
Artist's Alliance; a group of old
school painters who meet toge
ther both to talk about and
critique each others work. The
highlights of these smoke filled
meetings are the ensuing
fights. Following is only a hint
of the dialogue that took place
at this meeting.
"It's boring Anthony," shou
ted a blow-dried male who
looked as if he secretly played
bass for a British rock band.
Redirecting the attention to the
painting on the podium, the
groups' master spoke up, all
other voices creased, "I think it
is Greek in a very bloody
aggressive way.
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"Jesus," moaned the tiny
Japanese artist, as she shel
tered her casted arm, "I just
painted it, I don't want to talk
about it.
"Next," shouted the sallow
faced moderator, beer in hand.
The next painting is carefully
mounted on the reviewing easel
only to be greeted with a gruff
accusation, "Is that saccha
rin?" The group jumps from the
maze of metal chairs and begins
a rather harsh and explicit
dialogue on the politics of how
far extreme sentimentality in
painting may go before it takes
on the characteristics of sickly
sweet saccharin.
The master wrapped things
up, however, by inviting the
entire opposition to "Just go eat
it then." And so it went as the
March 28,1979
voice level rose and fell, the
integrity of the conversation
travled on a precarious roller
coaster, and the figurative ar
tists of New York locked horns.
This eventful meeting pro
vided only a hint of the flavor
and diversity of New York as we
perceived it. There were also
the countless encounters with
street bums, brassy waiters,
stalled subway trails, ram-rod
traffic, snow and rain, high
prices, sleepless nights, visions
of neon, and a wealth of subject
matter to be collaged in our own
probing brains.
The students learned, saw
and absorbed, silently hoping
that some of that incredible
New York energy would rub off
and become an integral part of
their individual lives in Greens
boro.