DAVID STERN
PANDEMIC PORTRAITS
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Cover: Self-portrait Day 38, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Ellipsis Art is an art advisory firm that provides a full range of services in art acquisition, collection management, and curatorial advice. Our mission is to create a direct dialogue between collectors and select artists and artists’ estates. By working exclusively with artists and their estates, we create a unique opportunity for collectors to acquire art directly from artists.
ANGELICA SEMMELBAUER / Art Advisor angelica@ellipsis-art.com
DAVID STERN
PANDEMIC PORTRAITS
NYC April 24, 2020
Ever since Jan van Eyck painted one of the early self portraits in 1433, the exercise oflooking at oneself has become a genre of painting. Jan van Eyck and Albrecht Duerer, who also is one of the earlier adaptors of the practice, (self portrait at 28 in 1500) concentrated on the presentation of themselves, in some way also advertising their ability as magnificent craftsmen to the world. There established the beginning notion of the independent artist in this period of the Renaissance, and both artists are looking out in an unflinching and almost confrontational way, not allowing the viewer a glimpse of their emotions. This had become an accepted view by mid 17th century and artists were creating their individual interpretations of reality including religious and mythological themes. Rembrandt van Rijn, was the first true “modern artist”, who not only created his own interpretations and iconography, but also found a distinct personal way of painting. His self portrait had become more than just a self-presentation of the artist, but a much deeper exercise in self observation and reflection. Rembrandt created more than 40 self portraits over a period of around 40 years, creating a record of his own aging, showing his state of mind and emotions at certain points in his life. Given the heavy price tag canvas, resin, oil and pigments had, the sheer number of these works is astonishing and points to the tremendous importance these portraits had for the artist. Spending so much time and money on an exercise of self-reflection and discovery, rather than to paint for the market or accept commissions shows Rembrandt’s spirit of exploration and discovery regarding the human condition. In the 350 years after his death in 1669, Rembrandt has become the artist’s artist and to me he became a lifelong role model in his independence and interest in the human figure and human condition. I started doing self portraits at an early age about 22-24, even before I had found my artistic voice, and have continuously done it ever since. There were periods when I painted just one self-portrait per year and others when I made a self portrait drawing every day for one year. For the longest time I used a mirror, trying to faithfully record my features and own emotions. Since about 1999, I mostly paint and draw self-portraits as a barometer of my own condition out of - (of course daily subconsciously collected) - memory. At certain moments I felt the need to record my own condition more than in others, trying to connect the outside reality to my being. I recorded one 13 day stay in Cologne Germany as a visual diary consisting of one large self- portrait on paper with pigments and acrylics -‘the Cologne Diary’; I did one large ink drawing per day for a year and called the exercise ‘the daily drawing project’. This crisis, has confined me to my apartment, as it did to millions of other New Yorkers, the daily commute to the studio seems too risky and although I do not employ anyone, I feel too uneasy to go there and create durng these trying times. So I resorted to draw a self-portrait per day, small, as the conditions in my study don’t allow me to create larger works. These are 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 inches created only with Japanese and fountain pen ink, applied with fountain pen, toothpicks and brushes. My ‘pandemic portraits, as a friend of mine calls them appropriately. I find it helpful to do these, to keep my sanity and connect myself to the horrific news, we receive every day already for almost 2 months. I am currently on day 39 of my self imposed quarantine, and that’s the number of drawings I have done so far. 4
Self-portrait Day 1, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 2, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 3, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 5, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 6, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 8, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 10, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 11, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 12, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 13, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 15, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 16, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 17, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 18, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 19, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 20, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 21, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 26, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 27, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 28, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 31, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 33, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 34, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 35, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 36, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 37, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 38, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 40, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 41, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 42, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 43, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 44, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 45, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 47, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 48, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 49, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 50, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 51, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 52, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 53, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 54, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 55, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 56, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 57, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 58, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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Self-portrait Day 60, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2011 David Stern: Five Paintings, Messineo Art Projects/Wyman Contemporary, New York, January 27 – March 13 2010 David Stern: The American Years (1995-2008) national traveling exhibition curated by Karen Wilkin, The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, Charleston, SC, August 26-October 8, 2010 2009 Cold Cuts – The American Years, Galerie Brennecke, Berlin, October 24- December 3, 2009 Selections from “One Hundred Simple Things,” Messineo Art Projects/Wyman Contemporary, New York, May 14 – July 16 2008-09 David Stern: The American Years (1995-2008), national traveling exhibition curated by Karen Wilkin, Yeshiva University Museum, New York, September 18, 2008-February 8, 2009 Alexander Hogue Gallery, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, October 30-November 28 2005-06 David Stern at The Starrett-Leihigh (project 1740), NYC presented by Claudia Carr, November 15-December 20 2004 David Stern: Braces and Shadows, Rosenberg + Kaufman Fine Art, NYC, April 28-June 3 2002 David Stern: The Gatherings, Rosenberg + Kaufman Fine Art, NYC, October 10-November 16 2001 David Stern: Common Ground, Rosenberg + Kaufman Fine Art, NYC, April 25-May 26 2000 David Stern: Recent Paintings, Louis Stern Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, April 27-June 3 1999 David Stern: Random Cycles, Rosenberg + Kaufman Fine Art, NYC, October 12-November 13 David Stern: Recent Work, William Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, College of Charleston, SC, September 2-25 1998 David Stern: New Paintings, Rosenberg + Kaufman Fine Art, NYC, April 28-May 30 1997 David Stern, Galerie Joachim Blüher, Cologne, Germany 1996 David Stern: Skypieces and Portraits, Rosenberg + Kaufman Fine Art, NYC, September 11-October 19 1995 David Stern: Drawings and Paintings, Synagogue for the Arts, NYC, May 10-June 11 Galerie Brennecke, Berlin, Germany 1994 David Stern, Kunstverein, Gütersloh, Germany, November 20 – December 11 Identity and Relationship: Recent Paintings by David Stern, National Jewish Museum, Washington, DC, December 15 - January David Stern: Bilder, Galerie Brennecke, Berlin, Germany, October 14 – November 19 David Stern: Malerei, Galerie X Sadie Bierl, Munich, Germany 1993 David Stern: Malerei, Galerie Brennecke, Berlin, Germany, January 23 – March 6 1992-93 David Stern: Tanulmányok egy útról (Study for a Way), Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest, Hungary, November 26, 1992 – January 7, 1993 David Stern: Malerei, Kunstsammlung der Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany, March 15 – April 26 1992 David Stern: Malerei, Galerie Welz, Salzburg, Austria, September 4 – September 29 David Stern: Paintings, Martin Ainscough Gallery, Liverpool, England, October 3 – November 2 51
ANGELICA SEMMELBAUER angelica@ellipsis-art.com
ELLIPSIS ART FOUNDER
ANGELICA SEMMELBAUER Angelica is a Private Art Advisor working with a variety of artists and consulting private clients. She is a member of the NYU Alumni Council and ArtTable, the leadership organization for professional women in the visual arts. 2005 - 2014 Director of Mimi Ferzt Gallery in New York City, which specialized in Russian Non-Conformist and Contemporary Art. Organized important curatorial exhibitions of prominent Russian artists, and successfully placed them in important private and public art collections around the world. 2004, NYU Masters Degree, Visual Arts Administration Published graduate thesis focused on building a sustainable global market for Russian Contemporary Art, tracing Russian art through its various historical movements, from Soviet era to the Russian Non-Conformist Movement, to discussion of today’s contemporary art in Russia. Catalog Design: Lisa Meta Griff, Metamorfize.com 52