Don’t bother asking Mark Gottsegen – founder of AMIEN, author of The Painter’s Handbook, teacher, artist, and all around art materials guru – what’s the best type of paint to use? “I get asked this all the time,” said Gottsegen, who took time out from writing to speak to me last week. “And I say, well, I can’t tell you that.”
It’s not that he doesn’t have opinions on the matter, but as someone devoted to the scientific study of art materials he realizes the importance of maintaining an unbiased position. AMIEN, which stands for Art Materials Information and Education Network, bills itself as “the only unbiased source of information about art materials on the internet.” They do not accept advertising and do not allow the promotion of any specific products. In a series of forums on the AMIEN website, users can post their questions about art materials and get answers from a team of knowledgeable moderators and other experts in the field who monitor the site. (Gottsegen informed me that he personally reviews each answer for accuracy). AMIEN’s board of directors includes conservation scientists from top institutions, founders of well-known art supply companies, and artists from around the county. Many of them help answer user’s questions on the site as well. - Trevor Spaulding, Los Angeles Contributor
Patrick McDonough’s lawn chairs are not meant for sitting. And if they begin to seem functional, well, it’s all pretend. The sculptures offer the formal concepts of lawn chairs without actually closing the deal — legs and armrests have gone missing, for starters, and the works themselves are decidedly non functional. Instead of functionality McDonough is interested in their allusions to an American iconography of leisure. Take a look at them and it’s not difficult to imagine the smell of freshly cut grass or the skyward boom of summertime fireworks. It’s part of what the artist describes as his overarching interest in the aesthetics of free time. But there’s something else that’s also at work here; each piece has a significant stake in pure color, in hard edged geometry, and in the rectangular chromatic plane. You won’t need to dig too deep before you start thinking of abstract painting. - Matthew Smith, Washington, D.C. Contributor
Patrick McDonough| 122909-lawn chair, Wood, Paint, Outdoor Furniture Fabric, Hardware
Filed under: Dallas, Features | Tags: Arthur Pena, Contemporary Drawing Today, Dallas, Fort Worth Drawing Center, Francisco Moreno, Josh Smith, Judy Glantzman, Katie Bell, Kevin Jacobs, Making [in] Dallas, Michelle Rawlings, Oliver Francis Gallery, Sedrick Huckaby
I’m not gonna say that Dallas has a “burgeoning art scene.” It’s been here and it’s full of artists who are not tied to a specific idea of what it is like to exist in a cultural mecca. There is a shit ton of space: warehouses are being flipped into DIY studios, abandoned buildings are being utilized for performances and pop up group shows and there is a re-introduction of artist run galleries and raw experimental spaces. Top notch venues such as Dallas’ Power Station and Forth Worth Contemporary Arts are bringing in international artists and sparking much needed conversations as well. Through a series of articles entitled MAKING [in] DALLAS, I will introduce you to key venues, artists, organizers and overall bad asses in an effort to familiarize you with the rebels of our community. We want to get to know you. - Arthur Peña, Dallas Contributor
Volume I: Fort Worth Drawing Center
This wall welcomes you to FWDC.
Filed under: Features | Tags: Brian Fee, Ellen C. Caldwell, Erin Langner, Matthew Smith, Nadiah Fellah
In case you haven’t noticed, we have the best art writers in the world. Seriously, it’s true. Our blog contributors are stationed all over the country, scoping out shows, visiting studios, and interviewing the best contemporary painters in the art world. Recently we asked our most prolific bloggers to answer a few questions about themselves and their thoughts on 2012. It’s your chance to get to know a handful of the talented individuals that bring you the New American Paintings/Blog! There are many more writers, and we hope to feature them soon.
Thanks to everyone that contributes to our blog, helping us bring our readers rich and exciting content on a daily basis!
When we asked Brian Fee which piece “moved him” in 2012, he responded: James Rosenquist | F-111 Reinstallation, 1964-65, Oil on canvas with aluminum, twenty-three sections, 10×86′
Filed under: Art World, Features | Tags: Abstract Painting, abstraction, David Schutter, Devin Troy Strother, Eddie Martinez, Ellen Lesperance, Gaylen Hansen, Gregory Lind, Iva Gueorguieva, John Dilg, Kate Shepherd, Kim McCarty, Kirk Hayes, Mary Heilmann, Morris Louis, New American Paintings, painting, Photo Galleries, Sam Falls, Sarah Braman, Sarah Cain, Steve Locke, Steven Zevitas
Originally Posted on the Huffington Post by New American Paintings Publisher/Editor, Steven Zevitas
The heat has been turned way up on the East Coast, which is all the more reason to duck into a few galleries as you trudge through the city. As is typical for the summer months, a lot of galleries have mounted ambitious group exhibitions, many of which focus on painting.
In New York City, be sure to see: “The Big Picture” at Sikkema Jenkins (featuring NAP alums John Dilg and David Schutter); “Breed” at Greenberg Van Doren Gallery (featuring NAP alum Eddie Martinez); “Stretching Painting” at Galerie Lelong (featuring NAP alums Sarah Cain, Kate Shepherd, and emerging Chicago-based artist, Gabriel Pionkowski); “Contemporary Watercolor” at Morgan Lehman (featuring NAP alums Nina Bovasso, Sarah Cain, Ellen Lesperance and Kim McCarty); “Yeah we are friends and shit” at Josee Bienvenu Gallery (featuring NAP alums Kirk Hayes and Devin Troy Strother); “Stand still like a hummingbird” at David Zwirner (featuring NAP alum Ruth Laskey); “In plain sight” at Mitchell-Innes and Nash (featuring NAP alum Anna Conway); “Everyday Abstract – Abstract Everyday” at James Cohan Gallery; “Painting in Space” at Luhring Augustine; “Context Message” at Zach Feuer; “Hot Tub Time Machine” at Canada; and “Braman, Buren, Falls, Heilmann, Louis, Thurman” at Eleven Rivington.
Installation view. Courtesy of Eleven Rivington.
Filed under: Art Market, Art World, Features | Tags: Aaron Parazette, ACME, Adam Sorensen, Ala Ebtekar, Alexis Stamatiou, Ali Smith, Allison Schulnik, American Contemporary, Andrew Guenther, Andrew Schoultz, Angela Dufresne, Angela Fraleigh, Angles Gallery, Anna Conway, Anthony Meier Fine Arts, Ben Snead, Ben Weiner, Benjamin Degen, Brett Reichman, Brian Zink, CANADA, Carlos Vega, Cary Smith, Catherine Kehoe, Corbett vs. Dempsey, CRG Gallery, Daniel Heidkamp, Daniel Weinberg Gallery, Daniela Rivera, Danielle Tegeder, David Kordansky Gallery, Devening Projects + Editions, Dimitri Kozyrev, Domingo Barreres, Don Voisine, Echo Eggebrecht, Elaine Spatz-Rabinowitz, Eleven Rivington, Emily Eveleth, Erik Den Breejen, Feature Inc., Feodor Voronov, Franklin Evans, Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Freight + Volume Gallery, Friedrich Petzel Gallery, Gregory Lind Gallery, Hannah Barrett, Harris Lieberman Gallery, Heyd Fontenot, Holly Coulis, Horton Gallery, Howard Yezerksi Gallery, Inman Gallery, International Art Objects Galleries, Jack Balas, Jake Longstreth, James Fuentes, James Gobel, James Harris Gallery, James Kelly Contemporary, James Siena, Jeff Bailey Gallery, Jered Sprecher, Jill Moser, Jim Gaylord, Joe Wardwell, John Sparagana, John Zurier, Jon Rappleye, Joshua Abelow, Jovi Schnell, Judie Bamber, Karla Wozniak, Kate Shepherd, Katherine Sherwood, Kelly McLane, Kent Dorn, Kiel Johnson, Kirk Hayes, Kristen Schiele, LaMontagne Gallery, Laurel Sparks, Leo Koenig Inc., Libby Black, Lisa Cooley, Lisa Sanditz, Liz Markus, Louise Belcourt, Mark Flood, Mark Moore Gallery, Marx & Zavattero, Matthew McClune, Melora Kuhn, Michael Scoggins, Mitchell-Innes & Nash, Molly Zuckerman-Hartung, Morgan Bulkeley, Nina Bovasso, Nuno de Campos, Paolo Arao, Patrick Wilson, Paul Shakespear, Paule Anglim, Pierogi, Robert Buck, Robert Kelly, Ryan Mrozowski, Sarah Awad, Sarah Cain, Sarah Walker, Shane Campbell Gallery, Shara Hughes, Shaun O’Dell, Sigrid Sandström, Sikkema Jenkins & Co, Siobhan Liddell, Steven Zevitas, Stuart Arends, Sue Scott Gallery, Susan Jane Belton, Susan Vielmetter Los Angeles Art Projects, Texas Gallery, Tim Bavington, Tommy Fitzpatrick, Wendy White, William Cordova, William Swanson, Xiaoze Xie, Yoon Lee, Zach Feuer, Zieher Smith
It is a simple truth that in any given month, if you added up all of the available space in commercial galleries around the country, the amount dedicated to painting would dwarf that of all other media. The list that I have compiled consists of 40 United States’ based galleries that have a proclivity for painting. That is not to say that painting is the only medium that these galleries show; indeed, most represent artists producing work in a range of media. All of them, however, have shown a particular interest in the medium over an extended period of time, and all have stables of artists that are at least 50% painters.
Mark Flood. Courtesy of Zach Feuer
The list is obviously far from comprehensive, and I consciously avoided blue chip galleries such as David Zwirner and Matthew Marks in favor of younger spaces. Some dealers I have personal relationships with, and others I know only casually. If you love the medium of painting, these are all spaces that you should be familiar with.
I hope that you find the list informative. Directly below is a list and after the jump you’ll find some brief comments and a list of noteable artists. Enjoy! - Steven Zevitas, President/Publisher, New American Paintings
ACME
American Contemporary
Angles Gallery
Jeff Bailey Gallery
Shane Campbell Gallery
Canada
Lisa Cooley
Corbett vs. Dempsey
CRG Gallery
Devening Projects + Editions
Eleven Rivington
Feature Inc
Zach Feuer
Freight + Volume
Gallery Paule Anglim
James Fuentes
James Harris Gallery
Harris Lieberman Gallery
Horton Gallery
Inman Gallery
International Art Objects Galleries
James Kelly Contemporary
Leo Koenig, Inc.
David Kordansky Gallery
LaMontagne Gallery
Gregory Lind Gallery
Marx & Zavattero
Anthony Meier Fine Arts
Mitchell-Innes & Nash
Mark Moore Gallery
Friedrich Petzel Gallery
Pierogi
Sue Scott Gallery
Sikkema, Jenkins & Co
Fredric Snitzer Gallery
Texas Gallery
Susan Vielmetter Los Angeles Art Projects
Daniel Weinberg Gallery
Howard Yezerksi Gallery
Zieher Smith
Filed under: Art World, Features | Tags: Gabriel Poinkowski, Kate Shepherd, lisa d. freiman, Sarah Cain
New American Paintings can work in mysterious ways. When Lisa Freiman, Senior Curator and Chair of the Department of Contemporary Art at the Indianapolis Museum if Art, completed the jurying of our 2012 Midwest Competition, the results of which will be published in August as Issue #102, we had a discussion about the overwhelming amount of abstraction in the applicant pool; indeed, the book will strongly reflect this. We were both excited about what we were seeing, and Lisa passed on some of her picks to a colleague at the museum, Adjunct Curator, Veronica Roberts, who was working on a group exhibition titled “Stretching Painting.”
Long story short…Veronica has included one of those artists, Gabriel Pionkowski, in her group exhibition, which has just opened at New York’s Galerie Lelong. In Veronica’s carefully selected show, Gabriel finds himself in the mix with nine other artists, including two New American Paintings’ alumi, Sarah Cain (NAP #73) and Kate Shepherd (NAP #44). The exhibition makes a strong case for just how slippery the definition of painting has become.
These are exactly the kinds of things that we hope New American Paintings will lead to for featured artists. I want to congratulate Gabriel on inclusion in “Stretching Painting.” His work, as well as the exhibition, are well worth a look.
Gabriel Pionkowksi, Untitled, deconstructed, hand-painted and woven canvas, acrylic, and pine, 49 x 39 inches
Filed under: Features | Tags: Anniversary, Chawky Frenn, Christine Vaillancourt, Ilona Anderson, Issue #1, Mary Sherman, NAP, Paul Inglis, Paul Rahilly, Shelley Reed, Timothy Harney
At the very least, our design teams have come a long way! The content, however, although receiving face-lifts every so often, has been the same. We have featured artists from all over the country in our magazine achieving greater exposure for their work. As it states in the first publisher’s note, “…this publication can act as an open studio for artists across an entire region, whether they work in close proximity to other artists or work alone in the woods…This book represents the launching of a new idea in art publishing, a new opportunity for emerging artists, and a new market for collectors.”
So, 100 issues later, we are still at it…Holding regional competitions and featuring the very best for you to enjoy. We thought it would be fun to share, on this occasion, our very first issue with you from 1993. After the jump you’ll find various cover iterations since ’93, and a few spreads of some artists you might recognize from issue #1.
The first issue of New American Paintings, Published in 1993. Cover Artist: Mary Sherman
Filed under: DC, Features, Q&A | Tags: Britton Toliver, Bronx River Arts Center, Cordy Ryman, Culture Hall, David Reed, Furthermore, Gary Petersen, Halsey Hathaway, HKJB, Inna Babaeva, Ivin Ballen, Jered Sprecher, Jose Ruiz, Joshua Abelow, Keltie Ferris, Kris Chatterson, Matthew Smith, Milton Resnick, Pamela Jorden, Progress Report, Stacy Fischer, Stacy Fisher, The Working Title, Tompkins Projects, Vince Contarino
Give it time and the Internet will mobilize for change in just about any arena. So it’s not surprising that artist-run exhibition spaces — always bastions of change — are increasingly striving for a stronger online presence, sometimes even eschewing fixed brick-and-mortar locales all together. And it’s not just exhibition spaces. Artist-run curatorial projects like HKJB, Culture hall, and Progress Report exist mainly on the web, producing information that’s decentralized and disseminated horizontally, peer-to-peer. All of which is relatively new.
One of these projects, Progress Report, is designed as an online curatorial resource centered on visual content and studio visits. Co-founded by Brooklyn-based painters Kris Chatterson and Vince Contarino, their project is particularly keen on abstraction and focuses on the creative process from the perspective of working artists. This is noteworthy not only because Chatterson and Contarino are a couple of accomplished abstract painters in their own right, but also because they prove to have an expansive grasp for what their contemporaries are up to. -
More about Progress Report and our conversation after the jump. -Matthew Smith, D.C. Contributor
Installation view of The Working Title, a group show on abstraction curated by Progress Report and exhibited at the Bronx River Arts Center, March 25 through April 29, 2011.
Filed under: Art World, By the Book, Features | Tags: 95, Midwest, tim wirth, wirth, wirth motor company
Innovative artists find ways to interact with their fans and come up with witty ways to attract new ones, and Wirth has done that with “Worth Motor Company.” WMC is a clever project, aimed at car lovers that want to artistically capture their treasured vehicles, whether, “New or Old. Fast or Slow. Polished or Demolished. Good or Bad.” Visitors of the site can submit an image and description of a vehicle, and even request to include special items that might make the resulting original painting even more tear-jerking for the current or former holder of the title.
