Line and Stylish EN Sep. 2013 by LineandStylish Art Magazine

Nยบ1 EN / SEP. 2013

Steven DaLuz A talk with the architect of the light 1

Technical File Owner: José Eduardo de Almeida e Silva Editorial Address: Urbanização do Lidador Rua 17, nº 105 4470-709 Oporto - Portugal Contact: +351 967 762 515 Director in Chief: Eduardo Silva Sub Director: Isabel Gore Editor: Eduardo Silva Editorial Staff: José Eduardo Silva, Isabel Pereira Coutinho, Luis Peixoto Guest Redactors for Nr.1 issue: • Anne-Marie Pollet • Gerda Bulens • Sony Ith • Valery Oisteanu Art and Web Director: Luis Peixoto Photography: • Arcadia Contemporary • Art Faces (James Van der Zee - cover) • Bertrand Delacroix Gallery for Jason Bard Yarmosky • Dayna De Hoyos for cover • Galerie Carré Doré • Lower Belvedere: • Martin Adam for – “The Sphinx of Life” • Martin Adam for : Kustav Klimt Cromolitography • Musée d’Orsay • Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia • Musée Würth France Erstein • Patrick Ramont • Steven DaLuz • Taymour Grahne Gallery

Line & Stylish magazine is a monthly publication, exclusively edited in digital format and distributed totally free to its subscribers. With this decision we want to create, in Portugal, a magazine entirely dedicated to Fine Arts, guided by the quality and easy accessibility. We are an independent group without any state, political, trade union and economic support or pressure. This situation, allows us to state our complete exemption, regarding the material to be selected for publication. Thus, the only criterion that guides our action, will be our taste and sensibility. This because in a strictly aesthetic standpoint, independence is a deceptively utopic concept, since any artistic manifestation is by nature a source of discussion. Thus, all material to be published in Line & Stylish is a reflection of the taste of the team that produces it, although this admittedly â&#x20AC;&#x153;tendentiousâ&#x20AC;? position, obliges us to respect the limits imposed by the press deontology and professional ethic. Simultaneously, we also do not have a clear regional incidence. Line & Stylish magazine is based in Maia, and there is no advance geographic preference. Thus, it is fair to say that Line & Stylish is a magazine of global coverage, trying to make known, through text and image, not only the new tendencies, but also national and international cultural events that, in our view, best illustrate the present.

JosĂŠ Eduardo G. de Almeida e Silva General Director

Cover: Photograph by Dayna De Hoyos www.daynadehoyos.com 3

Steven DaLuz A talk with the architect of the light By: Isabel Gore e Eduardo Silva

opinion, one of the most original plastic proposals. Not only for his aesthetic value, but also for the involved technique. Steven DaLuz’s work, even away from the main spotlight of the art world, embodies the ambiguity in which the new century painting develops; on one hand, presents a careful figurative component, on the other has an abstract component, result of a synthesis of forms. In order to elucidate us about this so peculiar proposal, we have decided, by unanimity, to invite its author to our first talk (a kind of interview), thus inaugurating an item that we will seek to maintain during the next numbers.

Being a new magazine, the first number has an additional importance. Here, more than in any other number. The chosen elements illustrate our position before Art. Obviously, several solutions have raised, but all of them collided in the fact that all personalities were widely known and highly valued in the world of Art, not adding anything beyond the evidence, or then being a local phenomena, fruit of an era. Basically, passing personages that do not bring anything new to the more aware reader. Therefore it was natural that our choice should fall on a discrete painter, living in San Antonio, state of Texas, named Steven DaLuz, who since three years ago has been performing ,in our

Steven DaLuz is an artist born in 1953 at Handford, Califórnia. Still young he decided to interrupt his art studies to serve, as medical 4

Becoming - Oil, metal leaf on panel. Courtesy of Steven DaLuz 5

technician, in the USA Air Force where he remained for 24 years. While serving in the Air Force, he completed a BA degree in Social Psychology and a MA degree in Management. After being retired, he devoted himself to his original passion, Art, completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Window

Oil, metal leaf on panel 36â&#x20AC;? x 36â&#x20AC;?, 2012 Courtesy of Steven DaLuz 7

own studio in 2005. Until then, I painted in the house garage. But it was something I had to do, because there was an energy in me that needed to be exteriorized. For me, art is as essential as food and I need to express my conviction that, beyond this chaotic world, there is something sublime, ethereal light, finally the Beauty!”

Our meeting took place through an astonishing video conference, with 6 hours difference between the city of Porto, Portugal and San Antonio, Texas. On the screen, we had the usual smiling face of Steve, as it is his custom, who immediately offered to clarify our curiosity. The first question was, how he felt when he returned to painting, in full time, with more than 40 years. Without abandoning his good disposition, replied: “I always felt the need to paint, so I thought that it was a natural process”. We wanted a more detailed explanation, for what Eduardo insisted again in the reason that took him to restart painting when he retired from the Air Force. “I always drew, made portraits, copied some cartoon characters and even in the Air Force, I continued to draw, especially abstract drawings in charcoal or graphite. After retired, I decided to return to Art. It was a lengthy process, finally getting my

Descent

Oil, metal leaf on panel. 60” x 48” , 2011 Courtesy of Steven DaLuz 8

“I always felt the need to paint, so I thought that it was a natural process”.

Sentinel

Oil, metal leaf on panel. 36” x 36”, 2009 Courtesy of Steven DaLuz 11

Both, Eduardo and I, felt that the need here expressed was something obvious. It was not by chance that his work covers various fields as the figurative and the pure abstract are, so we decided to ask him the reason of this duality. Steven smiled, but immediately put a more serious look to tell us:

“Do you really think that?”. Faced with Eduardo’s affirmative answer he said: “Well, it’s your opinion and I am very pleased that my painting were able to transmit you something. My works reflect my attraction to questions about the origins, the beauty of the human figures and the power of the ethereal light that can illuminate things and at the same time blind them. This is perhaps the contrast between light and chaos. But as I told, figurative and abstracts are connected just like the Humankind and Cosmos and I need to make both in order to reach an equilibrium.”

“The creative process takes us to a whirlwind of ideas that manifest themselves in various forms and images. When I paint, I can concentrate on that inspiration that I’m living, and I am conducted to worlds that, sometimes, I do not know where they are going to end. In this sequence, we tried to know if Steven identified himself more with the abstracts or the figurative: “I have a great fascination for both, although I am probably best known for my abstracts that many times, are seen almost as landscapes”. Eduardo said that Steven was not a landscape painter, but a painter of “ states of the soul”, to what he widely smiled and asked: 12

Ovum 2

Oil, metal leaf on panel. Courtesy of Steven DaLuz 13

Overture 3 - Oil, metal leaf on panel. 60” x 84”, 200

08. Courtesy of Steven DaLuz

Thus and considering that his painting has a great spirituality it became clear to clarify whether his purpose was to transmit a message or a feeling. In a more enthusiastic way, Steven said: “For me Art is an Universal language that, in my case, allows me to express, in a virtual way, some of my feelings and thoughts. I have always asked myself what it will be beyond this world , without expecting an answer from life. I only know that there is a connection between the humankind and cosmos and that I feel an inner energy that needs to get out. This is not a question of religion but a question of spirituality, the sensation that we are a part of the cosmos, full of mystery. We are more than a “corporeal body”. In this dark, chaotic and tumultuous world we are living, I try to express a message of feelings and sensations of serenity and sublime in order to stimulate the viewer’s imagination so that he can make a pause for a moment, and just FEEL something. If I achieve that, then I have done my job”.

Knowing that there is no objective to transmit a specific message and, simultaneously, there is no concern to manifest himself in a particular genre, we asked why he calls himself “Neo-Luminist”. “As I could not find a genre that my work fit neatly into, in 2009 I used the term “Neo-Luminist” to classify my work, by comparison with the work done by Luminists from the middle of XIX century, and with whom I share the concerns of the effects of light in landscapes, although in a different way, because as I said before, mine are virtual. Thus, the use of light itself is not intended to accentuate a real aspect, but rather to emphasize the feeling I try to transmit”. Then, in a humorous way, concluded: “To be honest, sooner or later, I would be cataloged. So, instead of waiting for someone else to label my work after my death, I decided to classify my own work”.

SIf light is the fundament of his all plastic expression, we asked him what kind of materials did he use in order to achieve those effects. ““I have made many experiences in order to choose the right materials to get that ethereal light and the sensation of sublime. I use oils and, normally metal leaf and sometimes gold leaf. I prefer to work on hardboard panels and I prepare them with 2 coats of PVA; 3 coats of gesso, and 2 diluted coats of acrylic red oxide. I also employ a chemical preparation to quickly create color patinas on metal. It takes about a week to prepare my surfaces in which I am going to work”. Even using special techniques that define, in some way, the originality of his paintings, we wanted to know the important role of other artists in his work. “Obviously, many artists have had a crucial role in the development of my work, mainly the classical masters as J.M.W Turner, Rembrandt, Degas, Velasquez, Sargent and many others. However, I cannot deny the fact that J.M.W Turner is my major influence, either by his concern with color, either with light. “

We became aware that your studio is a place of particular importance. Why? “I think most of my works are a result of many lonely hours. I need to leave my soul and mind wander. Sometimes I have the feeling that time flies, and all my questions are there, in paintings, waiting for an answer. In this “Sanctuary” I can reflect, talk with myself, and my hands are guided by that inner energy that I have mentioned before”. Then addressing himself to us, he asked if his painting transmitted some kind of message or feeling, to what Eduardo replied that through his painting He can see a kind of poetic landscapes, while I felt that his painting conveyed a cosmic force which led us to focus on a light that is not real, but who dwells in our soul and mind. At that Steven insisted: “Do you really feel that?” We insist on our position, so he smiled as he had done at the beginning, thanking our attitude. And so we left, perhaps more enriched by a moment where we have shared the creative power of the man that we only knew only through his paintings, that he had been sharing with us over these past years, hoping to see them soon, somewhere in Europe.

Photography - Courtesy of Steven DaLuz 19

JASON BARD YARMOSKY Born 1987, Poughkeepsie, New York. Jason Yarmosky began drawing as a child. He graduated with a BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 2010. At 25 years old, Yarmosky explores the complexities of aging, physically and mentally, by painting his 85 and 86-year-old grandparents. His works have been exhibited and collected throughout the world. In fact, all forty-three of his paintings created during the past two years are now in private collections. His work has appeared in numerous publications such as Azart Magazine, American Artist Drawing, New American Paintings, High Fructose, and the Huffington Post. He is a past winner of the Elizabeth Greenshields Award.

JASON BARD YARMOSKY “Studio Portrait “ Photo: Courtesy of BERTRAND DELACROIX GALLERY

“Elder Kinder pays homage to the idea that age is not a deterrent to living fully, but rather a springboard for exploration. My paintings examine the relationship between the limitations of social norms and the freedom to explore, particularly the juxtaposition between the young and old. The carefree nature that is associated with youth often gives way to borders and boundaries placed on adult behavior. As we transition from adult to elderly, these raw freedoms often reemerge. As a child you learn to walk; later in life we learn to unwalk, literally and metaphorically. However, the dreams of the young, often sublimated by the years, never really disappear.I choose to explore this theme with two people very close to me, my eighty-four year old grandparents. The process of aging has always intrigued me. The lack of permanence in life and the inevitability of aging has always been on my mind growing up. I am also interested in how people, in both mind and body, respond to the passage of time. As Madeleine L’Engle said, “The great thing about getting older is that you don’t lose all the other ages you’ve been.”

The resulting paintings capture the intersection of the battered body and the vibrant soul. The images in this series can be seen as either humiliating or empowering. The pessimist sees the images through the lens of shame and vulnerability, weighed down by social convention. The optimist sees a sense of liberation, where an adolescent’s playfulness and the freedom to dream complement the wisdom of old age.” – Jason Yarmosky BERTRAND DELACROIX GALLERY 535 W. 25th Street, NY 10001 New York info@bdgny.com 21

JASON BARD YARMOSKY

“DREAM OF THE SOFT LOOK” OCTOBER 1 – 31

OPENING RECEPTION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 6-8PM (RSVP REQUIRED)

“The Soft Look” - Courtesy of BERTRAND DELACROIX GALLERY

“Dream of the Soft Look”, Jason Bard Yarmosky’s new solo exhibition at Bertrand Delacroix Gallery continues the artist’s exploration of the human life cycle. Building on his earlier works, these new meticulously constructed and strikingly life-like paintings invite the viewer into intimate moments of truth, many of which are reflected in the model’s gaze in a mirror. The resulting view sparks an external/internal conversation filled with moments of bewilderment, frustration, humor, and wonder as the aged body is reflected back at the still vibrant soul, dreaming of the soft look. 22

Yarmosky explores the tension between the physical and psychological elements of aging. However the show also has much to do with memory, and its enduring role throughout the life cycle. His powerful black-and-white paintings reflect the “realness” of now. They are the mirror of the present, while the “idealized” memory, often colored over time, is presented in myriad pigments. The artist created a short video to further explore this concept of aging. Yarmosky’s black and white lens follows his grandfather, Leonard Bard, waking up to Chopin’s Nocturne. As his grandfather goes through his daily painstaking routine of waking, showering, shaving etc., he has contemplative moments interspersed with flashbacks to his past. These memories are of his wife and daughters and are represented by 8mm footage, which was filmed by Leonard in the 1950’s. Yarmosky presents us with his grandfather now in black and white, and his grandfather’s actual memories in color. As the video dances between the present and past, Leonard comes face-to-face with his countenance and circumstance, ultimately finding equilibrium in his memories and the wisdom gained from a lifetime of living. BERTRAND DELACROIX GALLERY 535 W. 25th Street, NY 10001 New York info@bdgny.com

PATRICK RAMONT Belgium Painter

(1960), GHENT

“The Birth of Iathusia”- 200 x 200 oil painting. Photo: Courtesy of Patrick Ramont

through the Strait of Gibraltar. New images on his retina, new sources of inspiration. The beauty of the coasts of Normandy and Brittany has been branded on his memory for ever. Ramont doesn’t merely aim to paint fine harbours and seascapes. His light on canvas and his palette suggest some strange magic behind reality. Ramont is fascinated by mysteries of ancient times. His dark green mossy boulders evoke the megalithes of Stonehenge and the menhirs of Brittany. The light passages on his canvases draw you into another dimension. Also the mysterious depths of the submarine world have inspired Ramont. As a diver he explored fauna and flora deep down in exotic faraway seas.

look into the artist’s soul Ramont was three years old when his parents moved to Ostend. This proximity of the sea would become vital for his life and of central importance in his work. The sea, the piers, the beach and the dunes became his playground. Romping on the beach, swimming recklessly between East and West piers, fishing: the golden days of his boyhood. And drawing, already then. The urge to capture nature impressions cannot be deleted from Ramont’s memory.

The human figure is mostly absent in his work. He considers man as a species that pollutes and destroys nature. Ramont’s perception of nature is a solitary experience. His great masters are Rembrandt and Vermeer. He admires the magistral use of light in their oeuvre. And in his view also Van Gogh’s world of colours is unequalled. Ramont is an artist who feels the energy and the passion within his soul.

Sculptor Hubert Minnebo was his secondary school teacher for plastic education. He taught him to ‘look’, without a doubt an absolute condition for a painter. He joined the Belgian navy as a young mariner and sailed the open sea, along the European coast and

Gerda Bulens, 2009 25

“The Five Elements” 200 x 200 oil painting Photo: Courtesy of Patrick Ramont

“…..Ramont is an artist with an eye for structures and materials. With his sharp sense of observation he brings the diversity in our environment on canvas. “ His skies are unlike other skyscapes. They are transparent and with their delicate degradation of colour they radiate quiet and meditation. His blues combined with purple, mauve, lilac, pink, red and orange are a delight for the eye. Also his dark and ominous marine paintings are attractive…’ “ …..He is not only inspired by the North Sea. He also brings fantastic underwater scenes on canvas with mysterious ruins, wrecks and antique statues. On some of these paintings we find blood coral with a visible three-dimensional paint surface. Your eyes feel the deep red structure. He is intrigued by foreign coasts with breakers dashing against the rocks… His marine paintings smell like beaches, breakwaters, shells, seaweeds.Seas can be calm, inconstant, destructive, threatening, stormy, unpredictable. Ramont is able to paint all these aspects of the sea.’ Anne-Marie POLLET (†), art historian Tradução: L&S

“The Birth of Iathusia II”-200 x 200 oil painting. Photo: Courtesy of Patrick Ramont

INTERVIEW WITH

Steven Diamant President of ARCADIA CONTEMPORARY

A gallery is made by the art that exhibits, and by the difference that distinguishes it from the others. New York is, undoubtedly, the current capital of art, therefore the competition is huge. However, a gallery established in 1998, succeeded to impose itself either in town and internationally, betting on a genre considered by many old fashioned but, presented here in all its splendor and worthy to be among the major tendencies of the 21st century. This capacity, is due to the artists here represented and, above all, to the man who founded it and, day by day, makes it a â&#x20AC;&#x153;go-toâ&#x20AC;? for anyone who loves and believes that talent is one of the vital components of art. This man has a name: Steven Diamant, President of Arcadia Contemporary. By: Eduardo Silva Line & Stylish, Director in Chief

ARCADIA

Photo: Courtesy of ARCADIA CONTEMPORARY

ARCADIA Gallery Interior

Photo: Courtesy of ARCADIA CONTEMPORARY

L&S: What led you to found a gallery in the late 90s, when the art market began to give signs of recession?

L&S: What is the major difference of Arcadia 1998 to Arcadia 2013? How many pages do you have in this magazine? When we first opened, we were one of the very first galleries to feature what later became called “Classical Realism.” This was work created by young, contemporary artists who displayed extraordinary skills in drawing and painting. The works featured in the gallery were often “mistaken” for 19th century works because of the timeless talent and imagery that were displayed in them...a lot of collectors told us that they didn’t think “people could paint like that anymore” and the gallery became a “go-to” source for skilled, representational painters. Flash forward 14 years and now there are galleries featuring “Classical Realism” all around the world, the only problem is that these galleries are featuring artists whose works all look the same. A lot of artists think being able to draw and paint skillfully is “the goal” and it is not. That talent is merely the tool that you use to create great works. The analogy I often use is that you can be a writer

Steven Diamant: I decided to open Arcadia when I decided to leave the gallery that I had formerly been affiliated with for almost 15 years. It was time “to move on.” Originally, when I decided to depart, I thought I might just go to work for another gallery as I was fortunate enough to have received several offers, but truth be told, I was a little tired of working as hard as I did for someone else. It was time for me to be my own boss. I really did not concern myself with the state of the economy as much as I had confidence in the artists I wanted to show. There were not a lot of galleries exclusively featuring representational work, so I thought we would be a unique destination for collectors who were interested in acquiring works that they could “understand” when they looked at it by artists who were either emerging or mid-career... and more importantly, living. NOT everyone wants a cow floating in formaldehyde in their home. 32

“Untitled Painting of Vikki Sleeping”

Photo: Courtesy of ARCADIA CONTEMPORARY

ERIC PEDERSEN oil on canvas, 112 X 78 inches, 2012 33

with an impressive vocabulary, but if your writing doesn’t have anything special or unique to say, then you are not going to stand out among other writers. The same holds true for artists. There are lots of skilled, talented artists, but THEY HAVE NOTHING TO SAY IN THEIR WORKS...skill alone is not enough.... will someone know a painter’s works immediately by seeing it? In the case of a lot of Classical Realists, the answer is NO. Over the last few years, I have gone out of my way to find artists who are creating works that are IMMEDIATELY recognizable with a perspective on what is going on in the works TODAY. It’s not just about “flawless draftsmanship,” but more importantly, it’s about whether the artist is creating work that is his and his alone! That’s the major difference. The artists we are showing are each genuinely unique in what they are creating and present a CONTEMPORARY point of view as opposed to imagery that is reflective of a past time period. 34

Photo: Courtesy of ARCADIA CONTEMPORARY

“Versine” BRAD REUBEN KUNKLE oil and gold on canvas, 20 X 20 inches, 2013 35

out of drawing well BEFORE he went on to explore and develop his talents as a Pop artist, rarely does it ever go the opposite way. So, prove to me that you have the skills as the “foundation” of what you create, but have gone “beyond that” to create your own unique “style.”

L&S: Why did Arcadia, right from its beginning, bet on realistic artists at a time when conceptualism was still a dominant style? Steven Diamant: Whether the answer to the question reflects a “calculated guess” or simply “artistic naivete,” I showed and will continue to feature representational work because that is the genre of artwork that moves me the most. While I can “appreciate” a Donald Judd minimalist sculpture or a Pollock painting, they do nothing for me emotionally. I “get behind” and champion the work that excites me and that is representational work.

2. Do

I immediately recognize YOUR works as your own?. If I see “too much of an influence” of another artist or teacher in an artists’ works, I am immediately turned off.

Is the artist’s work different from anything else we already feature in the gallery? If we have a successful artist in a certain genre, I don’t want another artist’s work competing with them. The artists we represent have worked very hard to be where they are and I want each of them to stand out from all of the others we feature.

L&S:What are the main criteria for the selection of artists represented by Arcadia? Steven Diamant:

Skill. Ever look at Picasso’s early works? When he was 10 years old, he was able to draw like an “Old Master.” It was AFTER it was readily apparent that he had amazing skill, that he then went on to explore Cubism, Abstraction and other forms of imagery. Warhol made a career 36

L&S: At the present moment, and comparing with the past, do you feel that there is a more acceptance by the public to realism, as well as an evolution in the way how the critique deals with realism?

L&S: Do you think we are watching an artistic revolution, where the figurative plays the main role in the new vanguards? Steven Diamant: NO. I realize that is a very harsh statement, but no, I do not believe that there is any “revolution” happening. I think that there will always be collectors who love figurative work and will continue to collect it...it just doesn’t make the headlines like someone spending $12 million dollars for a gigantic balloon animal.

Steven Diamant: THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ACCEPTANCE BY THE PUBLIC FOR REALISM, it accounts for probably 90% of all of the artwork that has been and will be created in the world. It’s the art critics, museum curators and anyone else that tries to impress other people with their vocabulary and “artspeak” that does not feel that representational is “valid” or “worthy” of their attention. The art and artists that gets featured in art magazines are selected because the writers or editors think they can “say something new” with their essays. Now I am all for ALL KINDS OF ART, conceptual, minimal, abstract, , you name it and I appreciate it and accept that someone will love it, but the attitude that representational painting is “de-classe” or “simple” is wrong. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and NO ONE IS RIGHT OR WRONG.

L&S: What is the secret to gather emergent artists and turn them into worldwide recognized artists, such is the case of Brad Kunkle, Julio Reyes, etc? Steven Diamant: There is no “secret.” Just stay focused on what you love, stay diligent in looking for the talent...respect them, nurture them and work your ass of to show the work to enough people so you find the ones who feel the same way you do about how great the work is.

“Untitled - Floating” HENRIK ULDALEN oil on panel, 31 X 43 inches, 2013 38

Photo: Courtesy of ARCADIA CONTEMPORARY

“Escaping Shadows”

Photo: Courtesy of ARCADIA CONTEMPORARY

KIM COGAN oil on canvas,12 x 10 inches, 2013 40

L&S: What do you think about the lack of a biennial or an international meeting of Art, making the figurative the central reason of the event? Steven Diamant: I think it sucks. I chart my own course and if those fairs don’t want to include galleries featuring well executed, representational work, then screw ‘em. Yeah, that’s a little harsh, but hopefully, more and more will see the quality of what we show and will “jump on board.”

Photo: Courtesy of ARCADIA CONTEMPORARY

“Union Street Entrada” DANIEL OCHOA oil and collage on canvas,36 x 48 inches, 2013

L&S: What are your future plans at short and long term?

Steven Diamant:who are painting in a style that existed 100 years ago and not us that the artists we represent ARE CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS and are creating Long term: To continue to do what we are doing. I am very fortunate. I love what I d

*Editorial note: Artists represented by ARCADIA CONTEMPORARY 42

sing their talents to create works that “speak of today.” So I’m putting it out there works that are reflections of what is going on in the world today and not yesterday. do and what I feature in the gallery. I’m a lucky guy.

ARCADIA CONTEMPORARY

51 Greene Street New York, NY 10013 212-965-1387 arcadiafa@aol.com

Photo: Courtesy of ARCADIA CONTEMPORARY

Nicky Nodjoumi

“Chasing the Butterfly and Other Recent Paintings” 7 September – 12 October 2013 Opening: Saturday, 7 September 2013, 6 – 8 PM New York, New York (July 11, 2013) – This September, Taymour Grahne Gallery opens its doors with an inaugural exhibition by acclaimed Iranian painter Nicky Nodjoumi. Featuring large-scale oil paintings in the main gallery and works on paper in the lower gallery, Chasing the Butterfly and Other Recent Paintings explores Nodjoumi’s surreal hybridization of historic and contemporary imagery intercut with sharp political commentary. Born 1942, in Kermanshah, Iran and based in New York since 1981, Nodjoumi uses his practice to explore the intersection of his personal history with the politics of alienation and dislocation. Combining historic references, social realist critique and surrealist abstraction, his compositions feature multilayered human figures engaged with bizarrely counter-poised animals, theatrically staged against indeterminate backdrops and barren landscapes. Not unlike the work of the German Social Realist Neo Rauch, Nodjoumi’s paintings suggest the intention of a narrative reading, but are instead cryptic and open-ended. In Inspector’s Scrutiny, 2012, warriors from traditional Persian miniatures join with anonymous suited men in the struggle to tether and subjugate a supine horse, creating a scene that is both politically charged and ambiguously unresolved. Nodjoumi’s figures are continually spliced and rejoined on fractured registers with mismatched proportions, a spatial discrepancy that heightens the work’s disjointed layering of history and identity. This uneasy perspective is balanced by the artist’s humorous, yet bitter satire. In Time to Pray, 2012, a family of apes grouped in a pose redolent of ritual

“The One Who Sees What is Hidden”

Photo: Courtesy of Taymour Grahne Gallery, New York.

NICKY NODNJOUMI oil on canvas, 85 x 65 in, 2011

worship are in fact engaged in coital activity, overseen by a supplicating mullah, who seems to vindicate the absurdity of adherence to religious stricture. In Nodjoumi’s works on paper, politicians and businessmen cut from the day’s paper are extricated from their public personae and recontextualized in undefined circumstances, often framed within the confines of a rigidly structured grid, echoing unnamed systems of authoritarian order. Complicating the work’s play between fantasy and reality by providing a hint of material textuality, the artist’s sketches and clippings are also on display. As artist, writer and curator Phong Bui considers in the exhibition’s accompanying catalog essay, “Nodjoumi’s newest paintings evidence a negotiation between political convictions—ones that belong squarely neither to his native home nor his adopted one—and the intricate yet obdurate language of painting he has created for himself out of necessity.” 45

About Nicky Nodjoumi Born in Kermanshah, Iran in 1942, Nicky Nodjoumi experienced the Islamic Revolution of 1979 from the perspective of a young artist, astutely aware of the political and social upheavals of this tumultuous period in Iran’s history. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in art from Tehran University of Fine Arts, Nodjoumi moved to the United States in the late 1960s and received his Master’s degree in Fine Arts from The City College of New York in 1974. He later returned to Tehran as a member of the faculty at his alma mater, joining his politically galvanized students in their criticism of the Shah’s regime and designing political posters inspired by the revolutionary spirit sweeping the country, only to be exiled once more in the aftermath of the revolution. Nodjoumi has exhibited internationally and is in several prominent collections worldwide, including the British Museum in London, the Salsali Private Museum in Dubai, and the National Museum of Cuba. His work will be featured in the exhibition Iran Modern, opening at the Asia Society in New York in September 2013, in conjunction with his solo exhibition at Taymour Grahne Gallery. The artist lives and works in Brooklyn.

About Taymour Grahne Gallery Taymour Grahne Gallery seeks to foster a diverse, international program of groundbreaking contemporary art, with a special foundation in contemporary the art of the Middle East region. Working collaboratively with curators and critics, the gallery is committed to cultivating emerging talent and supporting established artists from around the world. Taymour Grahne Gallery is situated in the heart of Tribeca in a landmarked 4,000 square foot space designed to accommodate a dynamic public events program organized in conjunction with the galleryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exhibitions and related publications. Widely recognized for creating the most comprehensive and widely read blog dedicated to contemporary art from the Middle East, gallery founder Taymour Grahne brings a special foundation and specialization in Middle Eastern and North African art. Exhibiting artists include: Tarek Al-Ghoussein, Noor Ali Chagani, Reza Derakshani, Daniele Genadry, Nermine Hammam, Hassan Hajjaj, Mohammed Kazem, Sanaz Mazinani, CiarĂĄn Murphy, Nicky Nodjoumi, Farah Ossouli, Albert Yonathan Setyawan, Walid Siti, and Camille Zakharia.

Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm. Taymour Grahne Gallery 175 Hudson Street New York, NY 10013 info@taymourgrahne.com

”Inspector’s Scrutiny” NICKY NODNJOUMI oil on canvas, 85 x 130 in, 2012

Photo: Courtesy of Taymour Grahne Gallery, New York.

ART FACES

At Musée Würth France Erstein For those who are interested in photography, painting, and especially in the role that portrait plays in the contemporary visual arts, The Musée Würth presents the exhibition Art Faces; “The photographs find the artists”. A quite good chance to understand how painting and photograph are linked since the start. The art of portraiture, rated as one of the nobles genres of painting in the hierarchy of genres of the 17th Century, knows a strong competition with the development of photography during the second half of the 19th Century. In fact, this period corresponds to both the triumph of the painted portrait, driven by bourgeoisie’s rise, and the development of the photographic portrait, cheaper and faster. Then the 20th Century brings photographic portrait triumph, conquering the popular crowd and throwing to a second plan the painted portrait. Many photographers specializing in portraiture like Nadar, August Sander, or even, Helmut Newton. If is the result of a staged moment or a spontaneous situation well captured, the portrait is always the fruit of an encounter, a play or a negotiation between two subjects, one behind the lens, the other in front of it. The exhibition Art Faces focuses on gathering often renowned between some acclaimed photographers like Michel Sima, Gisèle Freund or Herbert List with artists like Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrien, or Gerhard Richter. This set of photographs, which now belong to the Würth Collection was assembled by the Swiss photographer François Meyer. The starting point of his collection consists of a set of photographic portraits made by him in the late 70s, during their stay in the United States where he attended the studios of Sam Francis, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, among others. From this set, sleeping in a drawer for twenty years, he and his wife Jacqueline joined until the end of the 90s a collection of more than 250 black and white portraits of artists. Photographers featured in the exhibition: Kurt Blum, Philippe Bonan, Jean-Cristian Boucart, Denise Colombo, Pierre Descargues, Jean Dieuzaide, Luc Fournol, Gisèle Freund, Michael Halsband, Monique Jacot, Benjamim Katz, Barbara Klemm, Herbert List, Oliver Mark, Olivier Mark, François Meyer, Inge Morath, Arnold Newman, Sebastiano Piras, Michael Sima, James Van der Zee, Sabine Weiss. Exhibition ends in January 5, 2014

Cover photo; Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960 – 1988) by James Van der Zee (1886 – 1988), New York, 1982, courtesy of Würth Collection.

Musée Würth France Erstein Z.I. Ouest / Rue George Bresse / BP 40013 F – 67158 Erstein cedex Tel: + 33 (0) 388647484 Mail: mwfe.info@wurth.fr 51

DECADENCE ASPECTS OF AUSTRIAN SYMBOLISM Lower Belvedere 21 June to 13 October 2013

This is the first time that the Belvedere highlights the multifaceted positions of Austrian Symbolism in a major exhibition. As a first step towards a longoverdue review of this highly significant movement in Austrian art around 1900, which has hitherto almost exclusively been analyzed from partial aspects, the show offers an overview of the development of the Symbolist approach in Austria and Central Europe. Presenting a diversified compilation of artistic viewpoints on a number of themes, Decadence - Aspects of Austrian Symbolism illustrates a large spectrum of styles and personal ways of expression. An artistic intervention by the Canadian composer and installation artist Robin Minard expands the visual and acoustic experience of the exhibition, so that the show also takes into account the interdisciplinary aspirations of this art movement.

Symbolism as a Point of Departure for Modernism

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Although it provided the basis for relevant movements of the twentieth century, such as for Magic or Fantastic Realism during the interwar and postwar years, Symbolism was viewed with disfavour in the art world. The fantastic and exuberant were considered obsolete, irrational, and decadent. Yet it was particularly in Austria that this genre, which has long been neglected, played a central role in the evolution of Modernism. Developing from the spirit of dĂŠcadence, it discovered for itself a cryptic aestheticism of decay, mysticism, and enigma as early as the 1870s,â&#x20AC;? Agnes Husslein-Arco, director of the Belvedere, explains. For their Expressionist works, both Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka drew on Symbolism, while works by Gustav Klimt or Koloman Moser are based on Symbolist thought; the movement even proved crucial for the development of abstract painting, as becomes evident, for example, in the oeuvre Franti ek Kupka...

The Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Daughter, before 1902 Eduard Veith oil on canvas, 74 x 49.5 cm ÂŠ Belvedere, Vienna

The Sphinx of Life, 1898 Franz Metzner Porcelain with glaze, H 37cm ÂŠ BrĂśhan-Museum, Berlin Fotografia: Martin Adam, Berlin 55

In Search of Means to Express Sensuality, Magic and Profoundness Looking for a way out of the pomp of Historicism and the superficiality of Naturalism, the young generation of artists went in search of a new way of expression that would represent sensuality, magic, and profoundness. Its members fathomed the mysteries of mythology and mysticism, creating their own modern myths. Ostentatious historicist painting gave way to a focus on subjective views of the inner mind rendered in a suggestive language of colour and form. This abandonment of reality led some artists to idyll and others to cosmic visions. It was primarily via the Vienna Secession that such artists as Max Klinger, Franz von Stuck, Fernand Khnopff, and Jan Toorop disseminated this aesthetic approach throughout Austria and Central Europe. “Decadence - Aspects of Austrian Symbolism illustrates how, in the context of the fin de siècle, the approach of décadence led to the dissolution of traditional aesthetic norms in favour of a liberal and creative experimentation with the possibilities of pictorial representation. Since Symbolism embraced several styles on the one hand and also extended to such genres as literature, poetry, and music on the other, it is a mindset rather than style,” Alfred Weidinger, vice-director of the Belvedere and curator of the exhibition, points out. Symbolism’s interdisciplinary character culminated in the emergence of the Secessionist Gesamtkunstwerk or total work of art, the concept of which is also integrated into the exhibition in the form of an acoustic intervention by the Canadian composer and installation artist Robin Minard, who harks back to a graphic ornament used in the Secession’s exhibitions with the aid of 2,000 loudspeakers, drawing his inspirations from Symbolist music, literature and poetry.

Flower Festival, 1896 (calendar sheet for 1897) Gustav Klimt Printed by K..K. Hoflithograf A. Haase, Prague 1897. Chromolithography on paper 50 x 65 cm ÂŠ Museum of Decorative Arts, Prague 57

The Evil Mothers , 1894 Giovanni Segantini Oil on canvas, 105 x 200 cm ÂŠ Belvedere, Vienna

The Judgment of Paris, 1885-1887 Max Klinger Oil on canvas, wood and plaster framing 370 x 752 x 65 cm ÂŠ Belvedere, Vienna 58

Ex oriente lux, 1911 Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach oil on canvas, 91.5 x 193.5 cm ÂŠ Collection Schmutz, Vienna

A Symbolist Imagery between Vision and Suggestion: the Gesamtkunstwerk Along such themes as From Allegory to Symbol, Faces- Bodies Landscapes, Fin de Siècle and Golden Age, The Woman as a Symbol, Between Underworld and Universe, and Richard Wagner and the Symbolists, the show presents works by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Giovanni Segantini, Gustave Moreau, Max Klinger, Arnold Böcklin, Jan Toorop, Fernand Khnopff, Alfred Kubin, Franz von Stuck, Luigi Bonazza, Wilhelm Bernatzik, Wilhelm List, Maximilian Lenz, Erich Mallina, Rudolf Jettmar, Eduard Veith, Franti􀀀ek Kupka, Maximilian Pirner, Karl Mediz, Arnold Clementschitsch, Koloman Moser, Wenzel Hablik, Ernst Stöhr, Oskar Kokoschka, and other artists. The theme From Allegory to Symbol illustrates how the Symbolist image – unlike classical allegory, which is based on convention and can be grasped intellectually – is aimed at making a suggestive impact and puts sensual experience before rational knowledge by juxtaposing the banalities of reality to myth and mysticism. Faces – Bodies - Landscapes addresses the preoccupation of artists with their subjective views of the world. Through the renunciation of naturalistic representation, artistic means of design can be employed as vehicles of expression, so that the treatment of the face, body, and nature in portraiture, nude painting, and landscape art turn out to be a quest for insight. The focus of Fin de Siècle and Golden Age is on the Symbolist continuation of the melancholy, atmospheric landscape of Romanticism. Many artists felt hypercivilization to be a burden; they craved for a simple life and fathomed the relationship between man and his environment. The section The Woman as a Symbol visualizes how the central role of the woman as an allegorical figure takes on new significance in Symbolism. Traditionally associated with sensuality and mystery, the woman offers 62

herself as an ideal figure of projection – her roles, oscillating between saint and whore and between femme fragile and femme fatale, are rendered in all of their facets and enriched by new aspects. Between Underworld and Universe demonstrates how death as a transition from worldly to eternal life functions as a perfect metaphor for the Symbolists’ objectives: from the trivialities of everyday life to the mysteries of the hereafter, to heaven and hell, to the netherworld and cosmic realms, beyond time and space. Finally, Richard Wagner and the Symbolists illustrates how Wagner’s vision of the total work of art and his Ring of the Nibelung, his opus magnum first performed in 1876, supplied an inexhaustible repertoire of inspiring motifs and an opportunity of plunging into a romantic underwater realm that had hitherto only existed in music and literature. It can thus be said that Wagner’s work was probably the source of the most relevant contributions made by Austrian Symbolism. OA PDF of the catalogue is available for download at: www.belvedere.at/press (login: PR2013) The exhibition is realized with the kind support of the UNIQA. Tradução: L&S

LOWER BELVEDERE MUSEUM Prinz-Eugen-Straße 27, 1030 Wien, Austria 63

YIN XIU

NOWHERE

2013.07.23– OPENING RECEPTION: Satu

798 Art District, No.2, Jiuxianqiao Roa

Following Yin Xiuzhen’s first solo ex Beijing is proud to present a secon artist. As a leading Chinese Contem imaginatively integrate collective m and rough realities with some of her in reality of Chinese Postmodernism – i upon its uncontrollable developmen in two of the artist’s new works Now (2013) featured in this exhibition – th disorderly falling of the once dazzlin

Traits of the artist’s modest, nostalgi are evident in her works, combin fragments; the artist’s concerns for t conveyed through her works. Yin’s w historicity of our daily experienc individual significance and indepe works, Yin transcends individual ele kind of personal values in the pub Bhabha, this is known as Thirdness new international culture based on alternative cultural practices and his 64

UZHEN

E TO LAND

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2013.09.28 urday, 20 JULY 2013, 4-6pm

ad, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100015

xhibition Second Skin in 2010, Pace nd solo exhibition this July for the mporary artist, Yin has the ability to memories and places, drastic changes ntimacy personal items; revealing the its impermanence quality shadowed nt. Such quality was also brought out where to Land (2012) and Firework he wheels that idle in midair, and the ng fireworks.

ic and feminine vulnerable character ned with collective memories and the future are subtly but effectively works not only reflect the accelerated ce, they also represent the artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s endence. Furthermore, through her ements and strives to establish some blic realm. According to Homo K. s, a key element and a conceptually n hybridity, a space that collapses storical narratives. 65

BIOGRAPHY Yin Xiuzhen A leading female figure in Chinese contemporary art, Yin Xiuzhen (b. 1963, Beijing, China) began her career in the early 1990s following her graduation from Capital Normal University in Beijing, where she received a B.A. in oil painting from the Fine Arts Department in 1989. Her artworks have since been shown extensively in various international exhibitions. Yin Xiuzhen currently works and lives in Beijing. Most well known for her works that incorporate second-hand objects, Yin uses her artwork to explore modern issues of globalization and homogenization. By utilizing recycled materials as sculptural documents of memory, she seeks to personalize objects and allude to the lives of specific individuals, which are often neglected in the drive toward excessive urbanization, rapid modern development and the growing global economy. The artist explains, “In a rapidly changing China, ‘memory’ seems to vanish more quickly than everything else. That’s why preserving memory has become an alternative way of life.” Yin uses memory as a critical tool to examine the political, social and environmental constructs that surround her. Inspired by the quickly changing environment of her native Beijing, common themes in Yin Xiuzhen’s work include memory, the past and the present, as well as the complex relationship between individuals and the constantly shifting society they live in. Through collection and assemblage of old materials in a new context, Yin is able to weave past experiences together with the present. In this way, she embraces the notion of memory and experience in an attempt to convey aspects of individual lives in relation to global transformation. Yin Xiuzhen has participated in many international and domestic group and solo exhibitions. Solo exhibitions include Nowhere to Land, Pace Beijing, Beijing, China(2013), DUCHAMP and/or/in China, UCCA, Beijing, China (2013) , Yin Xiuzhen, Groninger Museum, Groningen, Netherlands; Kunstmuseum Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf, Germany (2012), Second Skin, Pace Beijing, Beijing, China (2010) and Project 92, Museum of Modern Art, New York, U.S.A (2010). She has participated in various significant exhibitions around the world including 66

the 5th Moscow Contemporary Art Biennale, Moscow, Russia(2013), the First Kiev International Biennale of Contemporary Art, Mystetskyi Arsenal, Kiev, Ukraine (2012), OUR MAGIC HOUR: Yokohama Triennale, Yokohama, Japan (2011), the 7th Shanghai Biennale, Shanghai, China (2008), the 52th Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy (2007), the 14th Sydney Biennale, Sydney, Australia (2004), the 26th Sao Paulo Biennale, Sao Paulo, Brazil (2004) and Inside Out: New Chinese Art which was organized by the Asia Society Galleries, New York, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, California (1998). The artist has received a range of prestigious awards including the China Contemporary Art Award (CCAA) and the UNESCO/ASCHBERG award in 2000. Her work has also been acknowledged in The New York Times in 2006 and Art in America in 2003.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Black Holeâ&#x20AC;? YIN XIUZHEN 2013 -PACE BEIJING Photo: Courtesy of Pace Beijing

For more information, please contact Pace Beijing at: 86,10. 5978.9781 pr@pacebeijing.com | www.pacegallery.com 67

There are events whose greatness lies not in what is showed but, mainly, in what they suggest, this is the case of:

One True Art – 16 Responses to the question “what is art”. It is a performative artistic experimentation that invites the viewer to reconsider the notion of art when examining it under specific perspectives, ranging from metaphysics to politics. The goal of the project is to formulate a definition of art or reflect on the reasons why such a definition is impossible. The central component of the work is a public event comprising sixteen interviews each with a duration of thirty minutes, with sixteen art experts – philosophers, critics, curators and artists – over the course of a single day in the Auditorium 400 Nouvel Building at Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid. This event will take place in English and be recorded on video. The audiovisual material resulting from this encounter will be projected in the Auditorium at Edifício Sabatini of the Museo. One True Art is a project by Manuel Saiz for the Fisuras programme of the MNCARS. The event will take place on Saturday 28th September at 400 Auditorium of Novel Building, and in the Sabatini Building Auditorium (on all other days).

Calle de Santa Isabel, 52 (perto da Estação de Atocha) 28012 Madrid, Spain

Masculine / Masculine

The Nude Man in Art from 1800 to the Present Day

Pierre et Gilles, Mercure [Mercury] de 2001 © Pierre et Gilles. Courtesy of Galerie Jérôme de Noirmont, Paris Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Desmarais, The Shepherd Paris, 1787 Ottawa, National Gallery of Canada, Photo © NGC

Level 0, Main exhibition area 24 September 2013 – 2 January 2014

While it has been quite natural for the female nude to be regularly exhibited, the male nude has not been accorded the same treatment. It is highly significant that until the show at Leopold Museum in Vienna in the autumn of 2012, no exhibition had opted to take a fresh approach, over a long historical perspective, to the representation of the male nude. However, male nudity was for a long time, from the 17th to 19th centuries, the basis of traditional Academic art training and a key element in Western creative art. Therefore when presenting the exhibition Masculine / Masculine, the Musée d’Orsay, drawing on the wealth of its own collections (with several hitherto unknown sculptures) and on 70

other French public collections, aims to take an interpretive, playful, sociological and philosophical approach to exploring all aspects and meanings of the male nude in art. Due to the fact that the 19th century took its inspiration from 18th century classical art, and that this influence still resonates today, Musée d’Orsay is extending its traditional historical range in order to draw a continuous arc of creation through two centuries down to the present day The exhibition will include the whole range of techniques: painting, sculpture, graphic arts and, of course, photography, which will have an equal place in the exhibition. To convey the specifically masculine nature of the body, the exhibition, in preference to a dull chronological presentation, takes the visitor on a journey through a succession of thematic focuses, including the aesthetic canons inherited from Antiquity, their reinterpretation in the Neo-Classical, Symbolist and contemporary eras where the hero is increasingly glorified, the Realist fascination for truthful representation of the body, nudity as the body’s natural state, the suffering of the body and the expression of pain, and finally its eroticization. The aim is to establish a genuine dialogue between different eras in order to reveal how certain artists have been prompted to reinterpret earlier works. In the middle of 18th century, Winckelmann examined the legacy of the divine proporzioni of the body inherited from Antiquity, which, in spite of radical challenges, still apply today having mysteriously come down through the history of art as the accepted definition of beauty. From Jacques-Louis David to George Platt-Lynes, LaChapelle and Pierre et Gilles, and including Gustave Moreau, a whole series of connections is revealed, based around issues of power, censorship, modesty, the boundaries of public expectation and changes in social conducts.

Winckelmann’s glorification of Greek beauty reveals an implicit carnal desire, relating to men as well as women, which certainly comes down through two centuries from the “Barbus” group and from David’s studio, to David Hockney and the film director James Bidgood. This sensibility also permeates the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries as it questions its own identity, as we see in the extraordinary painting École de Platon (School of Plato), inexplicably purchased by the French state in 1912 from the Belgian artist Delville. Similarly, the exhibition will reveal other visual and intellectual relationships through the works of artists as renowned as Georges de La Tour, Pierre Puget, Abilgaard, Paul Flandrin, Bouguereau, Hodler, Schiele, Munch, Picasso, Bacon, Mapplethorpe, Freud and Mueck, while lining up some surprises like the Mexican Angel Zarraga’s Saint Sébastien (Saint Sebastian]), Les Bains mystérieux (Mysterious Baths) by De Chirico, and the erotica of the Americans Charles Demuth and Paul Cadmus. This autumn therefore, the Musée d’Orsay will invite the visitor to an exhibition that challenges the continuity of a theme that has always interested artists, through unexpected yet productive confrontations between the various revivals of the nude man in art. Curators: Guy Cogeval, director of the Musée d’Orsay and Musée de l’Orangerie Ophélie Ferlier, sculpture curator, Musée d’Orsay Xavier Rey, curator of painting, Musée d’Orsay Ulrich Pohlmann, director of the photography collection, Stadtmuseum, Munich Tobias G. Natter, director of the Leopold Museum in Vienna The exhibition has been organised by the Musée d’Orsay in collaboration with the Leopold Museum in Vienna.

Musée d’Orsay 62, Rue de Lille 75343 Paris Cedex 07 France 72

The School of Plato (detail), 1898 Jean Delville (1867-1953) oil on canvas, H. 260 ; L. 605 cm Paris, Musée d’Orsay © ADAGP, Paris - RMN-Grand Palais (Musée d’Orsay) / Hervé Lewandowski

Communications Dept: Amélie Hardivillier: +33 (0)1 40 49 48 56. amelie.hardivillier@musee-orsay.fr Contact Press: Marie Dussaussoy: +33 (0)1 40 49 49 96. marie.dussaussoy@musee-orsay.fr 73

September, 2013