THE SOURCE AND SOUL FOR PROMOTING THE ARTS SINCE 1994
APRIL 2022
THE ARTFUL MIND
GAIL GELBURD PHOTOGRAPH BY EDWARD ACKER
THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 Thou Shalt Respect Art... —Cheryl RUBY AVER ARTIST INTERVIEW BY H. CANDEE...6
GAIL GELBURD ARTIST INTERVIEW BY H. CANDEE ... 8 VIRTUAL ART GALLERY FINE ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY ARTISTS FOR SALE
...28
KEITH DAVIDSON INTERVIEW BY H. CANDEE ...38
CD Release Party for Aimee Van Dyne’s upcoming album, Broken Love Songs
Friday April 29th • 7:30pm at THE FOUNDRY • WWW.THEFOUNDRYWS.COM 2 Harris St, West Stockbridge, MA • 413. 232. 5222
POETRY ... ROSE OLIVER ...42 RICHARD BRITELL | FICTION SOMETHING FOR OVER THE COUCH
CHAPTER 9
...48
Publisher Harryet Candee Copy Editor Marguerite Bride Third Eye Jeff Bynack Advertising and Graphic Design Harryet Candee Contributing Writers Richard Britell Michael Cobb Photographers Edward Acker Tasja Keetman Bobby Miller ADVERTISING RATES 413 ‐ 645 ‐ 4114 artfulmind@yahoo.com issuu.com | Instagram FB Open Group: ARTFUL GALLERY for artful minds Box 985
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2 • APRIL 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
TAKE THE BERKSHIRES HOME WITH YOU
Lonny Jarrett Fine Art Photography Berkshirescenicphotography.com 413‐298‐4221 Lonny@berkshirescenicphotography.com
THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 3
H. DAVID STEIN: "OFF THE WALL FLOWERS"
DISAPPEARING
510 WARREN STREET GALLERY
BRUCE PANOCK
APRIL 1 - MAY 1, 2022
I have been a student of photography for more than 20 years, though most intently for the last five years. I am primarily a landscape photographer. Recently my photographic voice has migrated to the creation of work with reference to other art forms, notably encaustic painting and ancient Chinese and Japanese brush painting and woodblock art. My intention is to create with viewer a moment of pause and reflection; a moment to digest the image and find their own story in the art. Each image is part of a limited edition. There are several sizes available. Each piece is priced according to size. Images are unframed and printed on Hahnemuhle archival papers. Bruce Panock bruce@panockphotography.com
H. David Stein 510warrenstgallery@gmail.com 510warrenstreetgallery.com Hrs.: Fri., Sat., 12-6, Sun., 12-5 April 9, 2022 : Open until 8 for Hudson's Second Saturday Gallery Crawl
“Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable” —Banksy
PHOTOGRAPHY
MATT CHINIAN PROSAIC REALISM I am a prosaic realist. That means I paint what I see and depict places and objects without sentiment or romance. My subjects are taken from daily life, things I see in passing, things I’m drawn to; they are mundane and often overlooked. I unlock patterns and relationships and do not judge. I practice ruthless honesty, and let the paint be paint. Visit: www.mattchinian.com
Katherine Borkowski-Byrne
My Little Hearth
katherineborkowski-byrne.com 4 • APRIL 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
Martine Kaczynski
Brick and Sky
website - martinekstudio.com Instagram - martinekstudio
Mark Mellinger Paintings - Collage - Construction
100 North St Pittsfield #322 914. 260. 7413 markmellinger680@gmail.com Lysis. 12x12. 2021. Acrylic on board.
THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 5
Ruby Aver, The Opening #3
RUBY AVER Interview by Harryet Candee
Hi Ruby. What is it about Tai Chi and collage that you enjoy? Ruby Aver: In both Tai Chi and my collage works, I enjoy exploring the energy patterns that move shapes. How did you find the path to Tai Chi and all its related kinds of teachings? In 1986 I had just returned to Amsterdam (my home-base for 17 years ) from a year trekking in Southeast Asia. I began looking for a meditative movement practice. I started with Chi Kung. Chi Kung is simple Chinese moving meditation for health using the same principles as Tai Chi practice. I enjoyed practicing six hours daily the first year with master Djie Han Thung . Eventually I became his assistant teacher. 6 • APRIL 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
What else have you studied that has enriched your life? I grew up in the performing arts training as a classical ballet dancer and became a first soloist with The Chicago Ballet . I regularly visited the Art Institute of Chicago and soaked in the luxury of viewing some of the world's masters. I am seeing that your recent collage art reminds me of an opening of doors, or in some way, ‘re-awakenings’. I sense you may be enjoying life more than ever? I began collage work one year ago. Since I was home more and socializing less at that time I found that I really enjoyed this visual expression. My recent series called “The Opening “ is inspired by the variations in the rising steam from my tea cups. Since things have slowed
down due to COVID, a deeper meditative door did open. Life seems more enjoyable the more present I can be. Tell us more about your collage work, when it began, the road you took from starting collage to where you are today? How has the process developed? What is the process you use? A friend suggested collage as an outlet during increased time at home starting a year ago. I began with more quirky pop art expressions. This evolved to be quieter and more abstract this winter, as you can see in this recent series . At the same time, I feel there is a sort of uplifting optimism in the open energy of this work. The process that evolved is cutting out random shapes which exude flow. Then I puzzle them
Ruby Aver, The Opening #12
Ruby Aver, The Opening #4
until I feel both harmony and surprise elements. This group of collages are all in similar proportion to each other (the latest work). They remind me of affirmations overlapping with your study and knowledge of the world of Tai Chi and other physical and mental forms of study in certain ways. Can you express your thoughts? There is indeed an overlap with Tai Chi, Chi Kung, and my collage works. The sheer process of repetition on a meditative theme, for example. The breath-driven impulse coming from the ground up is essential as well. I also feel an overlap between dance, choreography, and visual composition. I find it all nourishing. ( I see them to be, just my thought), paper
collage ‘gift bowls’? Reaction? The individual may find associations in addition to what I was conscious of when creating a given collage, But I am happy that my work resonates with others as peaceful and uplifting. A wonderful, expansive world is created as I connect with people in this way. Ruby, tell us about your recent art exhibit, please? My work has most recently been shown in Richard Britell’s Spazi Fine Art Gallery . You may be developing further along into collage making, and this particular style and focus now, may be just a stepping stone towards further exploration into different artistic processes. Do you feel like you are
moving along? What brings you from one step to the next with your art-making? Tell us your thoughts, Ruby. I have been painting using similar themes as The Opening series. I’m not sure of a ‘stepping stone‘ pattern, per se. I feel by practicing surrendering to the present moment, the next step reveals itself. Can you share with us some of your philosophies you stand true to and believe in? I believe if we become still enough, fresh impulses can arise yielding new directions. Adjusting to making life work through COVID times, some of us picked up new things to help us along, and have kept them up. And you? Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 7
Ruby Aver, The Opening #15
Ruby Aver, The Opening #7
8 • APRIL 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
Ruby Aver, The Opening #6
Ruby Aver, The Opening #10
Yes! Covid life definitely created the space for new beginnings and experimenting with collage. In retrospect, Ruby, tell us about your artistic life in the Berkshires, in Housatonic? Have you always lived in the Berkshires? Tell us more about your life, like, have you always had a taste for the arts? After Chicago Ballet, I danced in New York City with Harkness Ballet and then with Scapino Ballet in Amsterdam, Netherlands. I have lived in Housatonic for 24 years. I was Associate Director and Ballet Director of the performing arts program at Berkshire Pulse for many years . I also taught ballet and Tai Chi Sword at Bard College at Simons Rock. I have always felt the
arts were as important as breathing to me. Currently I enjoy teaching Tai Chi Sword and Chi Kung classes privately and to groups in Housatonic. What artists can you say have been influential to you? How so? Why? For this recent series, I feel the spacious universal influence of the poetic Thich Nhat Hanh, the composer Satie, and the art of Matisse. Connecticut-based contemporary abstract artist Erika Larskaya is always a huge inspiration for me with her spontaneous work. Spring is coming! Will the change of weather influence your artistic desires, change the di-
rection at all for you? What plans are upcoming for you that makes you happy to think about? I will move to creating work on my porch this spring. The light and fresh spring green colors are sure to inspire and uplift us. It makes me happy to think of teaching my Tai Chi classes outdoors on my land once again. For me, Tai Chi and visual arts are both really about reaching out and connecting with humanity. rdaver2@gmail.com Thank you, Ruby!! Many thamks to you, Harryet! H THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 22 • 9
A.P.E. ARTS GALLERY TIVOLI ARTISTS GALLERY Tivoli Artists Gallery will hold it annual photography show “Captured Light” from April 4May 1st. The show will highlight photography and all its myriad of forms. The displayed work will include traditional photography, digital photography and alternate photography methods. Photographic processes have undergone many changes in recent years. The digital image is everywhere, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitch, social media is saturated with images. People have re-discovered traditional film and the darkroom, alternative photography workshops have exploded. So let’s take a moment to explore some of this wonderful work. Whether it’s landscape, portrait, or abstract photography that interests you, it will be on view at the light filled Tivoli Artists Gallery. Tivoli Artists Gallery -- 60 Broadway, Tivoli, NY 12583, Friday 5-8:30 pm, Saturday 12:008 pm, Sunday 12-4 pm
ORANGE BOAT, 5 X 4 FT, OIL ON LINEN
PRIVATE PUBLIC GALLERY Private Public Gallery presents “Restless Nights” large scale paintings by Kathryn Lynch opening April 9, 2022 til May 29, 2022 Lynch illuminates scenes that are both a metaphor and balm for the passing of time. Hovering between realism and abstraction she presents urban scenes that typically flash by in the corner of a commuters eye. Lynch’s canvases tap into the unconscious looking to reveal the solitary explorer in each of us . Like no other painter I know Lynch has been obsessed with her city - her New York is one of bright lights and traffic - high rise buildings , boats and bridges. Private Public Gallery—530 Columbia Street, Hudson, NY
“Wanna Come Over?” is a group installation/exhibition by Smith College art students. The exhibit will run April 5 – 24 with an artists’ reception on Friday, April 8: 5-8 pm. The gallery hours are Tuesday – Sunday, 12-5: Friday, 12- 8 pm. Working in collaboration, the senior class students (both Art History and Studio Art majors) seek to recreate the space of a Smith dorm room. Using the classic schoolchosen furniture as well as trinkets, textiles, wall art, doodles, and more, this room represents the inner spaces of student life as they contrast the elusive exteriors of a private institution. This exhibit is part of A.P.E.’s new Guest Curator Program and is curated by Aidan Wright and Ariella Heise ‘22. Participating artists include Phoebe Collins, Paige Oliveira, Fay Adan, Talia Heyman, Ariella Heise, Shreya Dwibedy, Ashai Gonzalez, Nicole Huang, Sandra Pomelo-Fowler, and Eve Liberman. A.P.E. Arts Gallery – 126 Main Street, Northampton, Massachusetts. 413-586-5553. www.apearts.org
Susan MacVeety’s Children’s book
HELPER COW Now available on Amazon.com / KINDLE
Helper Cow is a delightful story of Jazmine, or Jazz, a cow whose curiosity and delight in things around her manages to put her in the middle of all situations around the farm. Buy on Amazon ~ 1571973079 10 • APRIL 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
Beautiful illustrations throughout the book by Anne Douglas
THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 11
Carolyn M Abrams ANDREA JOYCE FELDMAN WATERCOLOR
Wings of Peace Carolyn M Abrams Art Atmospheric and Inspirational Art Brunswick New York “Quiet” 10” x 14”, Watercolor
www.carolynabrams.com
Visit: andreajoycefeldmanart.com
Visit my website or contact me for a studio visit
CAROLYN NEWBERGER
PAUL LEWIS AAND ANDRIS NELSONS AT TANGLEWOOD
cnewberger@me.com 12 • APRIL 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
www.carolynnewberger.com
6178775672
SHARON GUY
Messages Mixed Media on paper, 9” x 12” $150
https://www.sharonguyart.com sharonguyart@gmail.com • 941. 321. 1218
Ghetta Hirsch
Home Studio Visits by appoinment: 413. 597. 1716 ghetta-hirsch.squarespace.com
“Welcoming Edge” 9” x 12” Oil on canvas
THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 13
MARY DAVIDSON
High Heels Series
www.davidsondesigncompany.net Studio appointments, please call 413-528-6945 KEITH AND MARY ORIGINAL ARTWORK FOR SALE STUDIO/GALLERY, SOUTH EGREMONT, MA
Bruce Panock
the art of
mary ann yarmosky
LINES AND SHAPES OF GRASSES
www.panockphotography.com bruce@panockphotography.com 917-287-8589 14 • APRIL 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
visit and enjoy: maryannyarmoskyeclecticart.com
Matt Chinian
Chinian, #1902 Parking lot, Hoosick Falls, NY 2021
Prosaic Realism Open Studio May 14 - 15
mattchinian.com
BRUCE MURPHY Flowering Boxing Gloves PHOTO PRICES UPON REQUEST
845-797-0318 Text or message me on Facebook at Bruce Murphy or Instagram at: BruceMurphyArt E-mail: Brucemurphy17@gmail.com
THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 15
ELIXIR As I write this, the March winds are roaring outside and at times shaking my old cottage windows and I see that even as the sun shines, there is a light snow swirling in the air. I find the weather, wind, rain, sleet, snow, very comforting. Nature is a force and it connects us to ourselves, as after all, we are also of nature. As you all know, I am all about us staying in touch with nature internally and externally as well as allowing that connection to take us deeper to our other nature, the divine. It is also not new to hear me speak of cleansing the body to assist in getting in touch with ourselves. As life has thrown many challenges to each of us over the last couple of years and continues to do so worldwide, it is essential that we are in touch with all aspects of ourselves. To do this we must regularly take stock of our lives. Where are we, in this moment, what are the uncomfortable things that we are pushing away instead of confronting, putting off for another time? Have we been, instead of going inward and allowing these things to come to the surface, suppressing them by overindulging in netflix, alcohol, sweets, social media, and all the other things that in and of themselves are not unhealthy, but can create imbalance in our body, mind, and spirit? All of this is perfectly natural during times of stress and when the winter has been long. At the beginning of March, I began my own cleanse. It always amazes me how quickly the
body responds and begins to reset! The body wants to heal, to run efficiently, to work harmoniously, to bring us to our highest potential, but it needs our cooperation. One thing I noticed is that as I am cleansing, after a few days when some cravings can arise, I then begin to crave the foods that are good for me. My inner navigational compass begins to guide me to not only eat certain foods, but to do things that are good for me…taking walks, going to bed early, reading a book, and yes, going inward to seek out those things that I have neglected and face them…that is when change happens, true healing! It is a powerful process and as I am in the middle of it now, I am more than ever encouraging all to do the same. Spring will soon be here and by the time this is published it will be April and nature will be pushing herself up through the earth, budding in the trees, warming the ground beneath our feet and inviting us to engage. If we want to engage fully and not be bogged down by the abovementioned imbalances, we have the opportunity to do so. If I can assist you with this process of change, please reach out for nutritional/lifestyle consultants, the Restorative Cleanse, healing foods preparation instruction, private cooking & small tea party catering. Elixir - www.elixirgb.com – 413-644-8999 organictearoom@gmail.com instagram: elixirtearoom.
Life is sometimes hard. Things go wrong, in life and in love and in busi‐ ness and in friendship and in health and in all other ways that life can go wrong. And when things get tough, this is what you should do. Make good art. ― Neil Gaiman Let the artists know you have read about them in
ARTFULMIND@YAHOO.COM
16 • APRIL 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
AIMEE VAN DYNE BROKEN LOVE SONGS
CD RELEASE PARTY Local Folk/Americana singer-songwriter Aimee Van Dyne from Brooklyn, currently calls Berkshire County her home. In New York, she has performed at venues such as The Bitter End and Rockwood Music Hall, where her live performances have been described as events where “three of the best voices in town soar through a uniquely imaginative blend of ideas: counterpoint, contrapuntal vocals, two sets of lyrics playing against each other, you name it!” Her original songs, characterized by “catchy choruses and melodies that frequently evoke the thoughtful, George Harrison-side of the Beatles” are a distinctive blend of Folk/Americana and Pop/Rock. Her Upcoming CD, “Broken Love Songs” was produced by multi-instrumentalist Jim Henry (Eliza Gilkyson, Tracy Grammer) and recorded by David Chalfant of The Nields. It features a first-class team of musicians, including Jon Carroll (Mary Chapin Carpenter), Paul Kochanski (Lori McKenna), and the Berkshires’ very own Ben Kohn (Misty Blues Band). Aimee began writing songs while still a student at Brown University and then continued to write and record while studying architecture at The Cooper Union. In 2001, she released her first EP, “Owning Up,” while working as an architect in NYC. After taking time off to raise her twin daughters, Aimee embarked on a major life transformation, moving up to The Berkshires to pursue a career in music full-time. Aimee is thrilled to be celebrating her CD Release Party on Friday, April 29 at The Foundry in West Stockbridge, MA. She will be joined by her six-piece band, featuring Jim Caron on violin, Sarah Mitchell and Francine Ciccarelli on vocals, and Fran Tokarz on upright bass. Aimee Van Dyne - aimeevandyne.com / thefoundryws.com / The Foundry: 413-2325222
Deirdre Flynn Sullivan
The Four Corners of Memory From the four corners of memory She sees a blazing night sky as the lumber yard burns, The shattered glass of storefronts scattered like a broken palace, The armed guards, the bewildered children, And the pulling away of clasped hands, black and white. Lightning struck our sacred circle of hope, And prominent politicians from both sides of the tapestry, Strode home to their white rabbit retreats, While we stood frightened in the bomb's blast, And watched houses rise like fiery rockets to the moon. She closes her eyes to listen and see more attentively, As decades of scratchy music and torn pictures loop Their way into her reverie, time travel, bursts Of old-timey songs and vivid words of poetry. She doesn't lie even when the deceitful beat her down. In recent years, she has taken the scraps thrown her way and Made them into artworks of love and understanding. She recalls her lover's feet under the covers with her own, And she knows they giggled like innocent children, Over the age of fifty, when pain befriended becomes a gift. ~ Deirdre Flynn Sullivan My Heart Beats ~ Deirdre Flynn Sullivan
THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 17
GAIL GELBURD 18 • APRIL 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
Photography by Edward Acker
RISE UP 2021. Archival digital print with encaustics and oil stick, 18 x24”
Gail Gelburd
Photo credit: Gail Gelburd
ARTIST GAIL GELBURD Interview by Harryet Candee
Thank you for the studio visit at your home in Otis. It was great to connect with you and see your work. I seriously wonder off the top, how, and in what ways does your home life and environment connect with your artwork? Gail Gelburd: My environment is my world! I was looking to change my lifestyle; to get away from pressures of the city and find a place to raise my children, and of course to have a space large enough to make my art. I found my slice of paradise in an early 18th century watermill in the small town of Otis. A rustic old mill of old wood and metals often found its way into the construction of my pieces. The building is a 3 story structure that straddles the mouth of the river, fed by 2, sometimes 3, waterfalls. The water rushes into the river all year round while the pond glistens in the sun. I watch the water change from a trickling stream to plunging falls,
or covered in snow and ice, morning fog, or colored leaves. The waterfall in my own backyard became my “Monet’s waterlilies”. Like Monet I sought to capture the changes of the light forms. I photograph continuously. But sometimes the waterfall would bring basketballs, soda cans, and debris and I wanted to share the beauty of the environment but make people aware of how they are destroying it. My 20’ ceilings allowed me to make large pieces and installations and to work with life sized figures. My waterfalls appear in 2 dimensional pieces, on light boxes, as relief sculptures and as fully three-dimensional figures (where the waterfalls are printed on fabric and molded into a human form). It is meant to remind us, as it reminds me each day, that we are the environment and when we destroy it, we destroy ourselves. In my piece the Eyes of the River, my face stares out from the raging water-
fall as the guardian of the river trying to protect it. My light box piece, Deluge, changes when we shine a light on the river, or Falling Debris clearly shows the things, natural and not, that pollute our water. Gail, tell us about your connection to the element, WATER. Talk away, girl… Water is my favorite of all elements too! I celebrate water all the time! I find water to be the most powerful of all elements. It can be a solid when frozen, a gas when heated, or flow as a liquid. We cannot hold it, it has no form, it has no color except what it reflects the sky and the bottom of a pond. It can be a gentle quiet pond, a raging river, or carve a mountain. It can devastate a town. And yet it nourishes all of us, and we need it above all else. Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 19
GAIL GELBURD
IN THE STUDIO: Preparing a piece for the Lightbox
We can survive without a home or a car, we cannot survive without water. Its life cycle is everchanging, like our own. A drop of rain falls into a pond and moves towards a stream. The stream becomes a river, it moves around rocks, and it can spray into the air. It may plummet down a waterfall until it once again moves in a waterway out to the sea. Eventually it evaporates back into the clouds, to rain down on us once again. We need to honor and cherish it, or it can destroy us. You are an earthy girl; I see it with your deep interest and need to use encaustics, (that is wax), and textures and muted grey tones and shadows paralleling with major use of light sources in telling your visual story. Somewhere down the line, I sense you had a great art education granting you enormous freedom. Can you tell us your side to this? I have always made and loved art. As a child my parents took me to MoMA in New York to see a Matisse exhibition. I got to the room that was called the “swimming pool”, where his paper cut outs surrounded the room. I sat on the floor and didn’t want to move. I was in “the pool “and that 20 • APRIL 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
installation made me feel as if I was in the art. My Dad let me sit there for a very long time. It was then, that I learned that art is not like fast food. You need to take the time to absorb it, understand it, engage with it. Whenever I could, I would do paper cut outs, collage, work with clay. In college I majored in what was then called the minor arts, printmaking, photography, and ceramics while getting immersed in art history. I wanted to know what everyone had created and what it meant. I went on to get a PhD in art history but focused on what others were not studying. I studied Asian Art, African American art, Contemporary art. I questioned why there were no women artists in the art history books. I wanted to know the world through art. My dissertation was on the influence of Eastern philosophy on Environmental art. As an art historian, and curator, I received many grants to travel to Asia especially, as well as Africa and then Cuba. I saw art created from a different perspectives. I spoke to the artists, the people, other curators. I curated the art exhibitions of what I saw and tried to bring artists together. I wrote books about the art and was inspired to make my own art. Romare Bearden once told me that an
Photograph by Edward Acker
artist is someone who has seen the art of the world and still has something to say. I realized that my best art education had been my travels and art studies and I still had something to say. I knew what I wanted to say and worked to find ways to say it. I always started with my photographs, a new technology, but I wanted to combine it with the very oldest technology, encaustic paint. I love how encaustic, because it is wax, moves and changes like the water. Like water it can be a solid or become liquified when heated. I often then bring the images together to create an installation or to create a piece that would make you sit and contemplate the image, as I do everyday in front of my waterfall. Now 2022, and after all is said and done, we are looking forward to getting our artwork out of the studio, storage and bins and find a place to exhibit! It’s been a long haul for many of us and for others, the best opportunity time of all to create. What has the past year been like for you? Have you found this time of isolation and shut down beneficial for generating ideas and plans for your art? Making art is a solitary act. So, the pandemic re-
DELUGE 2021. Archival digital print with encaustics and oil stick in a light box, 26x38” Gail Gelburd Photo credit Gail Gelburd
minded me to spend more time in the studio. In some ways, as horrible as it sounds, I enjoyed the fact that I couldn’t go places, I wasn’t expected to be someplace or visit anyone. All I had was my art, and my waterfall, my house, my husband, and my dog. At the same time, I listened to the news about those who were not as fortunate as I was to live in a beautiful place for isolation, I felt terrible for those who had to work and risked their lives each day. I felt that it was even more urgent to make statements through my art. I made some blatantly political works related to the Black Lives matter demonstrations but then returned to my focus on the environment. I realized that all of this started with a bat. And when we don’t pay attention to the smallest creatures, when we take over their environment, we fall victim to their diseases. We cut down trees, we fill in wetlands, we re-route waterways, we turn the landscape into a concrete jungle. Artists for centuries have warned us of the perils of nature amidst its beauty, artists like Thomas Cole, Ansel Adams or Alan Sonfist, to name a few. And then when Mother nature rebels we wonder why. As an artist I believe that we have a responsibility to do more than make
pretty pictures, we need to stand up and defend the world we live in. I want my art to show the magnificence of our environment and yet subtly remind us of the perils if we pollute and destroy it. Your work, which has significant and important message of healing, temperance, kindness, respect to each other and to the planet. And now with COVID behind us, we all have so much to share, talk about and communicate through the arts. It will soon be a race to see who can get their work out there, not enough venues, too many artists, etc…. it would be prime time for any artist to be showing their work. I wonder if you had the opportunity of a lifetime to choose where you would have a one woman exhibition, where would that be, and what would you prepare for the viewers to see? I was fortunate to be included in more than 5 exhibitions (virtually) and then a couple of on ground exhibitions during the pandemic. I was supposed to be in a gallery in the lower east side during April 2020, but of course it closed and that never happened. I would love to have one
in the lower East side, or in Chelsea NY but am open to all places. The best one-woman exhibition that I had was right before the pandemic. The large gallery, MS17 in New London Ct, had two wonderful owners who saw my vision and wanted to work with me to create an environment for the art. The works were linked by a rock garden that used debris rather than rocks. The images were accompanied by poems that I wrote and the sounds of nature. I hope to once again be able to show my work in a way that will make people want to stay, contemplate and engage in a dialog with the work. One or two works shown in an exhibition, is a great introduction to my work but like Monet’s waterlilies it is so much more powerful to see the changes of the water and trees, to be in a space where you can see the art and hear the rushing water, the running of the steam, the rustling of the wind. I would like my exhibition to include photographs with encaustic painting, light boxes which change when the light is on, and full life size figures in the center so that visitors can feel their kinship with the environment, as they listen to the sounds. I would want small Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 21
GAIL GELBURD
COUNT TO NINE 2015. Archival Digital print with encaustics, oil stick, wood, metal and stones, 18x18x12” Gail Gelburd Photo credit Gail Gelburd
benches that look like rocks so that a visitor can be in the art rather than just looking at it. My dream would be to be in a museum like Mass MoCA. I love working with curators and understand their needs. I want to create an exhibition that includes the sounds of the waterfall and the silence of the pond. It should all be experiential, internalized, felt. When the human form realizes that it has a symbiotic relationship with the river, the sea, the trees, the wind, and the mountain, we can begin to accept the precious majesty of our environment and become one with it. This is what I want the viewer to experience. Of course, I wish I was able to see through your eyes what it was like being close to the Tsunami aftermath. To feel and see what you have experienced. Did you feel that Earth was communicating some sort of message to the living beings on the planet? Tell us, what artwork did you create that best tells us your point of view and unravels your thoughts on how Earth is reacting to the not-so-wonderful ways that humans have been misbehaving. 22 • APRIL 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
We love to live on a mountain top or next to the sea, but nature must be respected. We populate these areas and then are so surprised when a Tsunami gobbles up a town, floods a village or an earthquake throws houses off a mountain top. This is the power of nature, this is how it communicates. The seemingly stillness of water, or beauty or a warm breeze can turn violent, and we can never defend ourselves against its forces. I was able to secure grants to bear witness to the devastation of the land and to interview the people who lost their homes and family. I went to Japan and interviewed a young woman who had returned from the states. She dropped off her suitcases at home and ran to the new job on the 9th floor of a large building in Sendai. When the earthquake and tsunami came, she was knocked to the ground as windows blew out. For 9 minutes she could not get up. When she rose up, she ran to the windows and saw that her village 9 miles away was swallowed up by the sea. Her suitcases were gone, her home, her town, and all her grandparents. I created a piece as an homage to her. A double-sided photograph with encaustic
rises from a suitcase. It shows the torrents of water on one side and the aftermath of the destruction on the other, including her lost grandmother. This piece is called Count to Nine. Gail, what was one of your all time most profound traveling experiences? There are so many having been to Japan, India, Nepal, Cuba. But perhaps the most profound was going to Nepal. I traveled 1 year after the Gorka earthquake to see the aftermath. When I arrived, the air was still choking with dust. There were homeless mothers and children huddled in the buildings that had collapsed.( Homeless) I got a guide and decided to hike up the Himalayas to see where the bulk of the devastation had occurred. Most of the villages were of poor Tibetans and they were receiving no help from the government. We climbed 12 miles a day and saw the collapsed houses, and orphan children. We saw refugees living in tents, as in my piece A23. We slept in a hut with no heat and ate whatever we could find or brought. I felt guilty to complain because these people had no way out,
REFUGEE A23 2018. Archival Digital print with encaustics and oil stick, wood and metal, 28x22x8” Gail Gelburd Photo credit Gail Gelburd
they were a victim of Mother Nature. I woke up early in the morning to watch the sun rise on the top of Mt Everest. I could see the snow capped mountain and the sun glaring and coloring the snow. It was magnificent and it reminded me of the majesty of nature and why we can never take it for granted. Again I wanted to show the beauty, the magnificence of nature and yet at the same time the tragedy, when we don’t pay attention to the forces of nature. Like life it is the balance of forces, the Yin and the Yang. The majesty of the sunrise (the Yin) compared to the devastation of the land and the people (the Yang). Can you recall one of your recent visits to the museums and what impressed you? The James Turrell exhibition at Mass MOCA is one of my absolute favorites. I have gone 8 times! He creates a space where you are in the art. His work, although it seems abstract, is based on nature and influenced by Eastern philosophy. I had the opportunity to go to Roden Crater with Turrell when he was constructing it
and talk to him about his attachment to nature, the land and the sky. He captures it in his work and yet creates a meditative space of light and color. I also recently saw Glenn Kaino, In the Light of a Shadow at Mass MOCA. I did not know the artist before but have now gone three times to see the exhibition. It is also an installation that uses photographs and installations but has a profound political message. Are you a Hungry Artist, Gail? Explain how you may or may not be. Everyone has a personal, interpretation to what a hungry artist actually is. Hungry, absolutely! For more time to work, to be able to follow through on all my ideas, and to share my art with the world. I want it now to be out there. For a long while I was content to make it just for myself and those who love my work. But I realize that I need to share it so now my goal is to have a gallery and exhibitions and plan to now spend time working on that. Unfortunately, that interferes with the time to create but it is what I now need to do. It would be self-
ish to not share it and that will ultimately encourage me to do new work. I look at a gallery as a partner and will look for someone that loves my work and wants to work with me on exhibitions, sales, and installations. What are you presently working on in your art studio? Unable to travel over the past two years I was thrilled to be able to just return to my waterfalls, and stream and trees. My goal has always been to shine a light on the beauty of nature and the repercussions of our taking it for granted. I realized that I have all the inspiration that I need in my own back yard. I have always wanted to find a way to show the aesthetics of a beautiful landscape, but that when you look closer and in more detail the issues are revealed. We often do not look that closely and don’t want to shine a light on the ills of society. I began to create light boxes with motions sensors. When you approach my work at first you will see a beautiful Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 23
GAIL GELBURD
HOMELESS 2018. Archival digital print with encaustic and rusted aluminum, 36x30” Gail Gelburd Photo credit: Gail Gelburd
raging waterfall, but as you get closer and the light goes on the gold in the landscape is revealed as dirt and you can begin to see garbage, pollution, a child crying. Walk away and the light goes off and you don’t have to see the problems anymore. Each of the images will capture the water at different times of the year, and at different times of day. Deluge is a large light box that changes when the light is on or off. There’s many artists that create work that is considered to be decorative, harmless, just lovely, invasive on one’s thinking. That is not your art. That is s not you. One strong focus you have worked on is based on the lack of permanence. Also, as you have mentioned, you like to elevate your viewers to a spiritual state of bliss. Can you go into both of these thought-provoking ideas with specific images of your work for back up? I care deeply about the aesthetics of the work but 24 • APRIL
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also want it to have meaning and say something. I want my art to ask questions, inspire contemplation, not provide the answers. My work is about a Lack of Permanence. The reality is that nature is not permanent. We are not permanent! Life is always changing. I love using wax because it moves and you can always change it, move it with heat. In that we are impermanent, I feel that my art should reflect that impermanence. In Asian art and traditional Buddhist philosophy, there was a profound respect for nature and compassion for all living beings. I began a quest to understand it and how to incorporate it into my art. My piece Don Tien is a sculptural female figure who sits in a lotus position, meditating. She is part of an installation. Behind her is an image of a Tsunami, analogous to those which rage inside us all, although she sits quietly contemplating life. The waterfall on her façade falls down her face to her center or Don Tien. In one hand she holds the water which
is designated by the wax, and in the other the water falls to the floor where there is an image of a pool of water on the floor. She embodies the Yin and the Yang. My methodology is that Her form is created by molding a photograph printed on fabric. Encaustic is added to her to emphasize the raging water on her body, in the Tsunami and on the floor. She balances precariously on a pedestal and although she is in a state of quiet contemplation, it seems that she can not stay in that position forever. What do you love to do when you have free time to roam and be playful, Gail? What adventures have you come upon? Hike, ski, snowshoe, walks in the woods, always with a camera, my husband and my dog on hand. And swim; to me swimming is the most exhilarating and yet contemplative. The world becomes quiet as your soar through the water or float and feel the sun on you. And I love to walk
JIAOREN 2018 Archival digital print on fabric with encaustics and oil stick, 50 x 10 X 12” Gail Gelburd Photo credit: Gail Gelburd
GAIA of the TREES 2019. Archival digital print on fabric with encaustics and oil stick, 18x12x8” Gail Gelburd Photo credit: Gail Gelburd
on the beach with my daughter or go to a museum with my son. I love going to museums and galleries. Each of these present new adventures and an opportunity to see the world through another person’s eyes. Behind the scenes in art making is so much like a personal puzzle we create for ourselves. How can you describe the challenges and frustrations between the thought process and hands on process that can often trip us up along the way? Unlike other types of photography mine is not about posing or setting anything up. I love to walk through nature and find the moment, the light, the rustle of the leaves, the contrasts of colors. I wait for it. The right light or mood or path. I began by creating color photographs and collage but soon discovered that for me, the colors interfered with the composition and concept of the piece. So I began to work in black
and white but add color or gold leaf when needed to highlight certain elements. I am not just a photographer, although all of my work starts with a photograph, then I paint with wax, and oil pigment on top of the wax. I often create my own frames. Sometimes I print on fabric, mold it and create a figurative sculpture as in Jiaoren, or Gaia of the Trees. I find that my best art comes from sitting with it for a while. I take thousands of photographs and then pull out the best. I do a print, keep it out on an easel and think about what it wants to be. Usually there are 3 out at a time. I know that it usually needs to be worked on, collage elements added or perhaps it wants to be printed on fabric. It always gets encaustic but not until it tells me what it is. Those answers usually come when I least expect it, before I fall asleep, while taking a walk, or in meditation. Sometimes I have a general concept that I want to work on and then I will look for the images that fit it best.
I usually have a pretty clear Idea before I begin to actually work on it. Will I make a frame for it, will it be painterly or sculptural or a on a light box, but I always believe that I must be open to its change. Although I have a clear idea when I begin, it may actually emerge as something quite different before I finish. And that to me is the most exciting part, to see what that art piece wants to be. You are an artist, art historian, writer. You are a Professor at Eastern Connecticut State University. How does this all come together? The reality is that it all comes down to your creative nature. It is all an important part of who I am. Creativity is in your soul, it’s your spirit, it’s in everything that you do when you are an artist. I taught about Asian art and how we can philosophically address Issues in Contemporary society. I loved teaching because I can share that Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 25
GAIL GELBURD
EYES OF THE RIVER 2021. Archival digital print with encaustics and oil stick, 18x24” Gail Gelburd Photo credit: Gail Gelburd
MEMORIES OF RYUJIN 2015. Archival digital print with encaustics and oil stick, 12x18” Gail Gelburd Photo credit: Gail Gelburd
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DON TIEN IN THE TSUNAMI 2018. Archival digital print on fabric with encaustics and oil stick on fiberglass, 36 x36 x30” Gail Gelburd Photo credit: Gail Gelburd
creative spirit with students. I hope that I inspire them as much as they have inspired me. Gail, what is most important to you now, in your life that keeps you busy and feeling grounded? (not necessarily just about art) When my children were home I had to divide my time between them, work and my art. Now that they are off on their own and doing very well, I can just focus on all the ideas I have for my art. I keep a notebook of ideas. I can work in the studio for hours and days and if I get to lost in that world my family and friends can bring me back to the real world. When I need inspiration, I can just sit by my waterfall. What challenges are you presently looking at to dive into? (not necessarily about art!) My main focus now will be to find a gallery but I am also now involved in my town. My town of Otis has nurtured me for decades and I now want to give back. During the pandemic, reaching out to my community, I joined the Otis Historical Commission. I became excited that they were working to restore a church in the center of town in order to have an arts and cultural center. I am now working with them to raise money, write grants and create a vision for the future of this incredible town. Tell us about your artwork that touches specifically on women’s issues, please.
I see women as the womb of life. Like Mother Nature or Gaia, women have always been intimately connected to nature. I try to put that in my work as in Gaia of the Trees. The figures that are formed from photographs printed on fabric are women. The faces in the photographs are women. One piece in particular, combines these issues. In Rise Up a female figure emerges from the tumultuous water. It is a call to all women to rise up from their situation and take control. In Homeless, a woman on her own, struggles to protect her child in the debris, women or young girls can be found in many of my pieces trying to protect themselves and their environment. I often combine nature and faces or sculptural human forms in order to remind the viewer that we are the environment and when we destroy nature, we destroy ourselves. Don Tien is the embodiment of women and nature. She balances it all in her very being. Women are the protectors, of children and nature. We are expected to do it all. And although the Tsunami may rage inside us and all around us, we must find the calm for everyone else. In many ways my images of nature are an analogy for the struggles of women.
society which could destroy its beauty through neglect and willful destruction. I have always balanced my world between writing and art. As I work on my new light boxes I am also working on a new book. As part of the Otis Historical Commission we discovered boxes that belonged to a woman who lived in Otis and died 20 years ago. It turns out that she was a writer, poet, artist but growing up in the 1930s, her options were limited. She finally had a chance to a be a Journalist in Paris and took her sone and dog there, just as Hitler rolled into her boulevard. She kept journals, wrote letters and kept diaries about her starvation in Paris, her struggles for acceptance and then her husband divorced her while she was a refugee in Paris. Her story is compelling. She had so much to offer but most of it was left in boxes in her abandoned house. I am writing a book now to tell her story and publish her writings. When we shine a light on the beauty of our world we see the issues that we need to fix. In my book I also hope to unveil the struggles women have faced in their struggle to be able to be creative.
What are you working on now? My newest work continues to be about the environmental issues confronting us today. I want to draw attention to the majesty and beauty of nature but to also reveal the wanton disregard by a
WWW.GAILGELBURD.COM Thank you, Gail!
G THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 27
VIRTUAL ART GALLERY BRUCE PANOCK GHETTA HIRSCH MARK MELLINGER CAROLYN NEWBERGER MARY ANN YARMOSKY
Bruce Panock
Doorway
THE PRESENTATION OF ARTISTS ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES CONTAIN ART THAT CAN BE PURCHASED. TO REACH ARTISTS, CONTACT INFO CAN BE FOUND AT BOTTOM OF EACH PAGE.
FACEBOOK: ART GALLERY FOR ARTFUL MINDS
ISSUU.COM (LIVE LINKS TO ARTISTS WEB SITES) TO PARTICIPATE: ARTFULMIND@YAHOO.COM
28 • APRIL 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
BRUCE PANOCK
What We’ve Done
Barn
Each image is part of a limited edition. There are several sizes available. Each piece is priced according to size. Images are unframed and printed on Hahnemuhle archival papers.
Flight Freedom Hope
Visit Bruce Panock:
www.panockphotography.com bruce@panockphotography.com 917-287-8589
THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 29
GHETTA HIRSCH
“April Snow” 2021, 20”X20” oil and mixed media on canvas, unframed $800
“Spring Greens”, 2019, 7”X9” Oil on board, unframed, $150
“Leaning” 2020,10”X10” impasto oil and cold wax medium on wood panel, white wood framed. $500
VISIT GHETTA HIRSCH: Ghetta-Hirsch.squarespace.com Instagram@ghettahirschpaintings ghettagh@gmail.com Please text or call 413-597-1716 30 • APRIL VIRTUAL GALLERY 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
MARK MELLINGER
Viscosity 24”x 24” Acrylic on canvas 2017
Castration Anxiety Construction of found materials, onze baby shoes 2020
Totem Construction of plant and discarded materials 2018
Contact Mark Mellinger:
914-260-7413 markmellinger680@gmail.com
THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 31
CAROLYN NEWBERGER
The Knights at the Clark Art Institute, September 4, 2021, pen and ink wash, 12 x 18 inches
Davi Finkel and Wu Han at South Mountain, pen and ink on toned paper, 11 x 8 inches
Ma, Ax and Kavakos at Tanglewood July 30, 2021, pen and ink with wash, 12 x 18 inches
Zina Ellis Sings at Barrington Stage, pen and ink wash on paper, 12 x 8 1/2 inches
Visit Carolyn Newberger: www.carolynnewberger.com cnewberger@me.com 617-877-5672 32 • APRIL VIRTUAL GALLERY 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
“Drawing Music”
MARY ANN YARMOSKY
Les Chats 18”X 24’ $250
Girl Band 24” X 36” $325
Visit: maryannyarmoskyeclecticart.com myarmosky@comcast.net • 413-441-6963 Canvas Waiting for Inspiration 18” X 24” $250
Face Book Instagram THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL VIRTUAL GALLERY 2022 • 33
SLAVIC EASTER EGG DECORATING VENTFORD HALL Celebrate the Easter season with a unique opportunity to learn a time-honored Eastern European craft. Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum will offer its annual Slavic Easter egg decorating demonstrations and instructional workshops on Saturday, April 9 from 10:00 am to 12 noon and again from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The workshop will take place at the mansion’s former gatehouse at 55 Kemble St., Lenox and in practicing social distancing, will be limited to 6 people at each session. Masks will be required along with proof of vaccination and ID. This Eastern European tradition of creating intricate and beautifully decorated eggs has been passed down for generations. Lenox resident Tjasa Sprague, who will again lead the workshop, learned the technique many years ago from her Czechoslovakian mother, Maria Krofta. The technique begins with unwashed eggs (provided by a local poultry farm) which have a residue-free shell surface. The Slavic Easter egg is a wax resistant technique which employs aniline dye later in the process. The decorating begins with drawing on the egg with wax, followed by immersion in the dye, with repeated wax drawing and dying as desired. The eggs are uncooked and are “blown” out after the decorating has been completed. The eggs may be displayed, when stored carefully, for an indefinite number of years. The fee for each workshop, which includes all materials, is $35. Reservations are required and seats are limited. Children should be at least 12 years of age. Please note that all tickets are nonrefundable and non-exchangeable. Payment is required to make a reservation for an event. Proof of vaccination, ID and masks are required. Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum - 104 Walker Street (PO Box 2424), Lenox, Mass.; www.gildedage.org; (413) 6373206. For reservations https://ventfort04092022.eventbrite.com. 34 • APRIL 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC SKYLARK Close Encounters With Music presents SKYLARK A Cappella Vocalists making a Berkshire debut. “Hidden Symbols, Secret Codes” will be performed live at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington on Saturday, April 30 at 6 PM What might happen if Robert Langdon, acclaimed professor of Symbology at Harvard University (and fictional hero of Dan Brown’s best-selling novels, including The Da Vinci Code), were enlisted to explore hidden symbols, secret codes, and long-forgotten historical connections buried in manuscripts of choral music over the centuries? Join GRAMMY-nominated Skylark to find out. The Close Encounters With Music season continues with more surprises: Video introductions by author Dan Brown, musical selections drawn from the ancient to the modern, including works by Giuseppe Jannacconi (who wrote in the style of Palestrina), Franco-Flemish Renaissance composer Guillaume du Fay, and Benjamin Britten hold the audience riveted as the mysteries are unpacked. In 2017, Skylark embarked on a historic tour with Clear Voices in the Dark, a compelling program featuring Francis Poulenc’s notoriously difficult Figure Humaine paired with songs of the American Civil War. Skylark’s performance at the French Institute Alliance-Française in New York was described as “fascinating…. impeccable diction and a seamlessly blended sound… Singing in a shimmering pianissimo that rises to a triumphant crescendo, the Skylark ensemble practically opens the heavens with the beauty of their sound…” (Stage Buddy NYC). The previous year, Skylark made its debut at Atlanta’s celebrated Spivey Hall with a chamber performance of Rachmaninov’s AllNight Vigil. CEWM – Tickets live at Mahaiwe $28/$52/ Virtual tickets available at $28, click to purchase tickets to “Skylark”. 800-843-0778; cewm.org, Email: cewmusic@aol.com.
JAZZ AND JON
Jazz the HELPER COW by SUE MANEY MACVEETY Based on a true story of Sue Maney MacVeety’s fawn colored Jersey cow, Jasmine. Helper Cow teaches children and adults the importance of kindness and the necessity of patience. Readers will follow Jasmine through her daily routine of “helping” the farmers with their jobs. Even though Jasmine may complicate the farmer’s duties and get in the way, Jasmine’s family would never give up on their helper cow. Helper Cow includes stunning watercolor illustrations of peaceful farm scenes by Anne Douglas, a recipe for making butter from Jersey milk, and the lyrics and musical notes to Bob MacVeety’s song, “Helper Cow”. Much can be learned from this delightful children’s book. About the author and illustrator: Sue Maney MacVeety and Bob MacVeety moved from Boston to the Berkshires to homestead and raised two children. Their daughter Jessica hand raised Jasmine. Because Jasmine was always in and where the work needed to be done, Bob would sing “Helper Cow” while he patted and cajoled Jasmine back to her pasture. Anne Douglas is a longtime friend and neighbor of the author. Anne also shares an interest in organic farming, art, pottery and raised a family in the Berkshires. She is the creator of the beautiful, whimsical images in Sue’s book. She used watercolor and pencil for the designs. Anne came to sit with Jasmine to paint. The book was originally published by Pentland Press. It sold 2,000 copies. It was then picked up by Ivey House publishing. It now has a rebirth thanks to Max MacVeety as an ebook on Amazon for Kindle apps. We all could use a Helper Cow right now. “Wonder where I’d be right now if I did not have a Helper Cow? Helper Cow, Helper Cow sure do love my Helper Cow!” Look for two more books soon to be out on Amazon by Sue Maney MacVeety: Singing Sea and Breakfast with Lola. Sue Maney MacVeety suemacveety@gmail.com.
THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 35
A PIECE OF ME, 11” X 14” WATERCOLOR AND INK
“DANCING” 2022, 9”X12 OIL AND COLD WAX MEDIUM ON ARCHES
GHETTA HIRSCH
SPRING FORTH, 14 1/2” X 8”, WATERCOLOR AND INK
ANDREA FELDMAN How did I transform a piece of paper into a story larger than the surface it’s painted on? Please step into my picture; spend some time looking around. Perhaps the sweep of the path has drawn your eyes to the trees standing tall. Let your imagination lead you as the colors of nature wash over you. As you walk along, the pine needles cushion your footsteps. It’s quiet except for the din of the birds coming from somewhere, flying off the page, clueing you that there’s more to the story. Look again. There’s always something else to see. Andrea Feldman Andreajoycefeldmanart.com, 413-655-7766.
36 •APRIL 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
As I am writing this column, Russia has invaded Ukraine and this decision has shaken the whole world in ways we did not quite expect. Democratic values emphasizing our human rights for freedom are awakened as nations join forces with courageous Ukrainians. My painting strokes are dancing, not only with the hope that “good” will prevail, but also because in the “mud season” of our Berkshires, when every plot of white snow is melting and overloading our rivers and soil, nature will send us some colors. The pond on Williams campus is a witness to my joyfulness. Rushes will mix with weeds, cattails will reach for the sky, just as humans will hopefully understand to respect each other. Yes, for the greens of our spring. Yes to a mixed and supportive variety that makes nature and each of us dance and sing freely! Covid is hopefully less of a worry this spring and summer 2022. I will be exhibiting at Southern Vermont Arts Center as usual. Some other exhibits are on the working table and I will keep you informed on my website. My new and enlarged home studio in Williamstown is also welcoming you. I require vaccinations or masks. Ghetta Hirsch – call or text 413-597-1716 to visit; ghetta-hirsch.squarespace.com.
VIEWS OF GUÁ NICA #11, 22”X20” OIL ON ARCHIVAL FILM, 2022
VIRGINIA BRADLEY VIEWS OF GUÁNICA #11 The Views of Guánica Series is inspired by the history of Guánica, Puerto Rico and the grandeur of its magnificent bay. In July of 1898 the United States surprisingly, invaded Puerto Rico with 16,000 troops on the Caribbean side of the island at Guánica Bay. The Spanish had thought the US was planning to invade on the northeast area of the island. The US claimed they were liberating Puerto Rico from Spanish rule, where in fact Spain had recently granted Puerto Rico limited autonomy. The US gained a strategic navel advantage in capturing both Puerto Rico and Cuba, these islands were the last two Spanish held territories in the Caribbean. Since 1898 the destiny of the Puerto Rico, “Island of Enchantment” has been in flux. Guánica is now the poorest area of the island and was devasted by earthquakes in 2020 after partially recovering from Hurricane Maria. No one here forgets the image of Donald Trump throwing paper towels at citizens when he visited the island after Hurricane Maria. And now southwest Puerto is being gentrified by bitcoin barons while native Puerto Ricans are being pushed out of their homes. I was not only inspired by the natural beauty, the history and the dynamics, which sadly are more current than ever, but also by its people, who despite continuing challenges, are resilient and love their remote piece of paradise by the beautiful Guánica Bay. The Views of Guánica Series references the sea and landscape in Guánica, and the Puerto Rico sun becomes an alchemical agent to transform raw materials into finished images. The pieces are made on archival film to exemplify the importance of keeping archives and remembering history. Simultaneously, the translucent film is a suggestion of the crystal-clear Caribbean Sea. For more information, please view my website. My studio is located in Great Barrington, and I welcome studio visits. Virginia Bradley virginiabradleyart@gmail.com or cell 302540-3565; www.virginiabradley.com.
WILLIAM CASPER
CAMEL POSE IN RESIN CAST’ 16”X5.5”X10”
casperassociates@gmail.com williamcaspersculptures.com THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 37
SCHOOL’S OUT 21 X 29”
Artist KEITH DAVIDSON Interview by Harryet Candee
Keith tell us about your artistic focus. What inspires you to paint? I am inspired by nature and its stillness, so in my paintings I try to capture a mood and re-create a natural environment. My focus is also on choosing colors that create harmony. What medium do you work with most of the time? I prefer acrylics because I can build layers since they dry so fast. I use them like watercolors but they work better when you want to keep layering with the paint. Time allows me to keep building layers on layers. How do you mentally separate the abstract work from the realism work that you do? My experimental paintings often combine some visually realistic areas with areas of flat color or 38 • APRIL 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
shapes. I use color, placement of elements to find a balance within the work, this allows me to work from my imagination, which I find tremendously rewarding. My realistic work pushes me to advance my technical skills. I really enjoy the fish paintings. I wonder if you can tell me about the techniques you use to get the look you want on the canvas? I am an avid fisherman, fishing lakes, rivers and brooks. As a child I would draw for hours often my subject were fish. I also have a boat and polarized sunglasses and I am fascinated with the light and how it penetrates the water. It is not easy to create the light source under the water, so I build up layers to build the different transitions, also using color saturation. I will block off other areas of the painting while creating the flow of water and presence of light.
I also enjoy the abstract work you do, can you describe its meaning and what your main focus is in making these? My intention is to juxtapose areas of texture with flat areas of color. I love to use line, color, shapes, textures and some realistic forms to create the pieces, putting together ideas that are not usually presented together, but create a visual painting and nourish the senses. From all your art work so far, which would consider to be the most relaxing, the most rewarding, and for you, the most successful, and why? Painting trees is something I and everyone else identifies with especially here in the Berkshires where we share are space with so many. A tree or a group of trees, gives my painting a single focal point, using the background to create a
KEITH DAVIDSON THE RED CATFISH 41 X 32”
mood. The mood can be isolation, detachment, a sense of the past, stillness or whatever it speaks to in the viewer. Can you bring us to an understanding of how your life allowed you to be an artist? I have always been an artist. I drew for hours as a young boy. It is very natural to me. I believe the reason I paint objects in nature is because I spend the majority of my time outdoors. I love to paint something in nature, keeping my mind focused outside in some way. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Lenox, MA., on a 600 acres property, which is now referred to as the Mount. My Dad was the caretaker. We were near a lake and plenty of woods and gardens.
Have you changed your life in some ways as a result of living through COVID, and have you decided to keep doing some of the new things you picked up doing during COVID out of necessity? At this point in my life, I run a small home improvements business with my partner Andrew Smith. We were very fortunate to have very little interruptions in are work during COVID. My overall circle is very small. Neither my wife or me got COVID. I am not the most social person so staying home when I had to and paint was a joy! The art exhibitions you have been in must have brought you a sense of confidence in your art making. What shows have you been in in retrospect that you would consider to be most successful, and why is that?
Over the years I have been most successful at the Housatonic Valley Art League shows. They ran in the summer in Great Barrington, winning awards and selling paintings. I also have been juried into many other clubs in the tri-state area, which has been a confidence booster. My most prestigious club I got into was the Rockport Art Association which is not easy to get into. Have you found the need or desire to venture off into a totally new medium and enjoy the experimental process that would be shared just with yourself, and possibly, Mary, your wife, who also is an accomplished artist? I have stayed with the same techniques, same medium for awhile now, with adjustments over time. Mary paints so differently from me that she does not really need anything from me in that regard. Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 39
KEITH DAVIDSON
KEITH DAVIDSON PLANES 21 X 29”
KEITH DAVIDSON NATURAL EMBRACE 18 X 25”
40 •APRIL 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
KEITH DAVIDSON VINCA 14 X 21”
KEITH DAVIDSON LOOKING IN 21 X 29”
We do help each other, especially when we are stuck or cannot figure out what a painting needs, this is very helpful. My greatest asset is that I can mix any color, which can be very helpful to her if needed. In what ways do you and Mary work together as artists? How is the general chemistry with that? I find artist-teams can be so rewarding in so many ways. Mary and I share the same work space, but no comments unless asked is the rule. LOL. As with everything in life there are pros and cons to this. We work together and I also enjoy the studio to myself. As a team you always have another artist
to bounce ideas off of, and another set of eyes when something just isn’t right, possibly layout, color and /or perspective. We also help each other drop off paintings for shows, traveling and hanging exhibitions as a team making it go quickly. What outside of the art making realm do you find interesting and that you are also involved with? As I stated before fishing is a big passion of mine, so between work, my painting, fishing and reading there is not much time left. Can you share with us, please, what you think
you have learned the most about life and yourself through being an artist? A tremendous sense of community with the common denominator art. The stereo type that artist work in isolation to me seems false. Ideas are always shared. Just looking at another’s art work is inspiration!! www.davidsondesigncompany.net Thank you, Keith! H
THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 41
Poetry Woodland Walk Rose Oliver
After the forced hibernation of New England’s Arctic winter, the temperate Spring sun transforms the forest floor. I walk upon a lush emerald moss carpet, dotted with Violets and Lacey Boston ferns. Mushrooms tip their caps. Jack preaches in his tiny pulpit.Crocus heads emerge from the dead leaves of Winter.Tree tops wave their verdant fingertips. There is a secret place in these woods known to but a few.Surrounded by granite stones is a large pool, a sort of lesser Stonehenge.”Look closely,” I told those I chose to introduce to my refuge. Tadpoles swam about in every stage of their life development. An evening visit rewarded us with The strong bass music of their elders. Everywhere are tulips, those brilliant bee castles.Daffodils trumpet Spring’s arrival. I love the colors of Spring, the flower’s perfume,. But it is the song of Spring I most love- those croakers who always bring me back to That pool of new life.
“Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” – Andy Warhol
The Sea Sun a pale yellow disc tints cotton clouds buoys clang mournful as funeral bells The sea a green mirror tosses frothy lace Upon the shore Littered with detritus: jagged shells, Some smooth, Useful to pocket for worry stones. Torn crustacean claws, Uninhabited clam shells Rocks festooned with seagull droppings, Barnacles cling to an abandoned hull , Seaweed strands wave in a tide pool, Like mermaids tresses, Broken bits of glass dot the beach In a crazed mosaic. All life emerged from this saline brew. The receding shore line uncovers its fragility. We too are soon cast adrift. Fog sets upon us. Land disappears. No matter what vessel we sail in The sea will claim us. Future beach combers ponder Beached bones, All that remains of us On some Distant shore — Rose Oliver
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FOOD AS MEDICINE LAKSHMI’S GARDEN In these stressful and confusing times, gaining clarity of the mind can seem like an insurmountable hurdle. Even though meditation is one sure-fire way to reduce the distractions of the mind, the act of doing it can seem impossible or stress inducing. One reason being is that when one’s eyes are closed, the mind (which we’ve already established may be busy or stressed) can take over, rendering the meditation attempt moot. In this case, I typically suggest that one practice candle-gazing, which is a form of meditation. It’s a great introduction to meditation because it gives the eyes something to focus on while we begin the practice of programming the mind into one-pointed attention, or put another
way, candle-gazing takes one of the distractions of the mind (sight) out of the equation because it occupies the eyes. The mind is shaped by the five senses. At this point in our meditation scenario, our eyes are occupied. Make sure the meditation environment is as quiet and scent-free as possible. Now, the eyes are focused, the space is quiet, there are no distractions of smell, and you’ve come to stillness, hopefully, with a satiated appetite. Quieting the activity of the eyes, ears, nose and tongue sets the stage for meditation. Yet even though the sense organs are inactive, they could still contain memory of one form or another. This month i will expand on the idea of cleansing the sense organs to help make meditation more accessible. The nose is a great place to start. While the nostrils may seem like a simple passageway to the lungs, nothing could be further from the truth. In addition to being lined with hair to help catch particles, these openings lead to the nasal cavity, which is fed mucus from multiple sinus cavities lined up on either side of the nose, leading to the final sinus cavity which is in indirect contact to the cavity housing the brain. The accumulation of mucus and particles in route to the lungs can be of great distraction to our physical and mental health. Flushing out the nasal cavity and sinus cavities are a great way to prepare the
body for meditation. The same can be said for the ears, eyes, mouth, and skin (referring to the sense of touch). Mucus can accumulate in these organs causing congestion, changes in blood flow, insensitivities, etc. Attempting to meditate while these conditions are occurring is like swimming upstream. Meditation is difficult enough without distractions from the sense organs. There are multiple ways of cleansing the sense organs. Next month I will continue to discuss these processes and will leave you with this thought…the eyes serve us by allowing us to see. Sight is more than simply the function of the eye. Our sight, combined with its impression on the mind, gives us our perception. If we want to perceive truth, our purest attempt can happen by cleansing the eyes, and using a steady, calm mind to discern what is being seen. Be well and heal thyself! Lakshmi’s Garden -Terrel Broussard, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Herbalist, Bodyworker; 413-329-5440.
FRONT ST. GALLERY
Kate Knapp Painting classes on Monday and Wednesday mornings 10-1pm at the studio in Housatonic and Thursday mornings 10am - 1pm out in the field. Also available for private critiques. Open to all. Please come paint with us! Gallery hours: Open by chance and by appointment anytime 413. 274. 6607 (gallery) 413. 429. 7141 (cell) 413. 528. 9546 (home) www.kateknappartist.com
Front Street, Housatonic, MA THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 43
PAINTING BY KATE KNAPP
FRONT ST. GALLERY Pastels, oils, acrylics and watercolors…abstract and representational…..landscapes, still lifes and portraits….a unique variety of painting technique and styles….you will be transported to another world and see things in a way you never have before…. join us and experience something different. Painting classes continue on Monday and Wednesday mornings 10-1:30pm at the studio and Thursday mornings out in the field. These classes are open to all...come to one or come again if it works for you. All levels and materials welcome. Private critiques available. Classes at Front Street are for those wishing to learn, those who just want to be involved in the pure enjoyment of art, and/or those who have some experience under their belt. Front Street, Housatonic, MA. Gallery open by appointment or chance anytime. 413-5289546 at home or 413-429-7141 (cell) www.kateknappartist.com
44 • APRIL 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
DINA MARTINA
BOBBY MILLER
PHOTOGRAPHER My teacher, master photographer Lisette Model, taught me that the secret behind a great portrait is the relationship between the photographer and his subject and the artistic capture of the moment. In my studio in Great Barrington, I do hair, make-up, styling, lighting and photography, thereby creating a finished portrait that tells a story even in its simplicity. I believe in incorporating both the classic tools of the camera and newer technologies like Photoshop. In that way my portraits correct the small flaws that nature has bestowed on us. I create images that show us not only as who we are but who we can be as well. So, if you feel daring and inspired to have a portrait that defines you at your very best, I encourage you to come sit before my camera. Bobby Miller Studio, 22 Elm St, Gt Barrington 508-237-9585. By Appointment Only.
MARY ANN YARMOSKY When I first started painting, I was asked why I usually painted women. This simple question helped me to clarify. Why did I feel the need to paint at all and why did my subjects most often involve women? I have been blessed both professionally and personally to know many incredible women. Some have climbed the corporate ranks through hard work and tenacity, some have struggled as single parents barely making ends meet. Some have lost parents, spouses and even children and somehow, they keep moving forward with grace and dignity. The stories vary, but the inspiration remains. My paintings represent my curiosity about what makes each of us tick. What gives us the courage to move forward with faith and determination and yes, with love and compassion. It’s up to you to decide who my ladies are and what they are thinking. They only came to me with the first stroke of a brush and a little paint. I don’t know their stories or where they hale from. I only know that they now exist, and some will love them, and some will not. Such is the life of a woman. I have always had an artist’s heart and insights. I studied fashion design in Boston, worked for the Boston Opera Company designing costumes and later for Sardella of Newport in Newport, Rhode Island, where we designed and made clothes for Newport’s elite, outfits that were photographed for Vogue and National Geographic and were worn to events held at the cliff walk mansions and beyond. My artistic ability then was confined to fashion sketches, imagining how fabric could be transformed into something beautiful and intriguing and then sewing what I visualized into something wearable. Designing outfits and seeing them worn was a heady experience, dealing with the women for whom those outfits were designed and their spouses, was often a challenge since egos prevailed. MaryAnn Yarmosky - myarmosky@comcast.net, 413-441-6963, maryannyarmoskyeclecticart.com
BERKSHIRE DIGITAL STAMPED ABSTRACT SERIES # 23
MARY DAVIDSON Mary Davidson has been painting on a regular basis for the last 16 years. Davidson’s paintings are a two-dimensional decorative visualization of line, color, design, shape, patterns, and stamping. As you begin to study the paintings, you will find the foreground and background tend to merge, with overlaid patterns. “I love the intense complexity and ambiguity of space and dimension.”. The effect can be startling: the longer you look at the piece, the more you see. With style more design than literal, she hopes to convey lightheartedness, playfulness and whimsey. “One of my favorite art teachers along the way used to say, ‘It is only a piece of paper and/or canvas. NO RULES’. Painting is a way to express my creativity. I always work in a series, which keeps me focused. I work with acrylic paint because it is so forgiving.” Davidson’s New Hat series consist of 70 paintings. “I start with a basic drawing, building with color and shape, coming to life with gesture and flow. As the title suggests, the hats are important, and the millinery designs emerge. There is much joy in their creation and my passion for playful designs is reinforced by their bright colors, linear rhythms and patterns leading our eyes around and through the painting. My newest series is even more abstract, with an even stronger emphasis on design. I do like to use stamping, along with painting, because I love the result. When I finish with a painting, I adhere the canvas with mat gel to gator board, creating a nice tight surface. My paintings are always framed.” In addition to an Associate Degree in Fashion Design from Newbury College in Boston, Davidson has taken many classes in drawing and painting, and participated in many art workshops. “I feel as though I have developed my own unique style at this point. I am a member of three local art clubs, along with two other clubs not so close to home.” Mary Davidson - PO Box 697, South Egremont, Massachusetts; 413-528-6945, Cell 1-413-717-2332; mdavidsongio@aol.com, marydavidson83155@gmail.com, www.davidsondesigncompany.net.
DYLAN W. KUBIS “THE BEAUTY OF THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST” I could not have asked for a better way to start the year then with the release of my 60page photograph filled book of my trip. This was one of the best trips of my life. Driving through 17 states, 7,866 miles of fun, songs, boring scenery, exciting scenery, fast food, new dynamic experiences, love, gambling, fine food, not so fine foods, 25 nights of hotels, and over hundreds of Inspirational, Sensational, Motivational, Imaginative beautiful photographs of the American Southwest. We’ve been planning this trip for a few years, to show the world that someone like me a person with special needs can be more, do more, than many people think I can. To me Down Syndrome is in some ways is a gift. I see, feel, think and sense differently than most. I hope you will see this difference, my overwhelming vision on the 60 pages and over 70 photographs of this photographic diary. Order your copy today at: https://www.dwkisphotography.com/store-1 or email me at dkubis@gmail.com Thanks for purchasing my book, Dylan
Since opening in 2005, Berkshire Digital has done fine art printing for artists and photographers. Giclée prints can be made in many different sizes from 5”x7” to 42”x 80” on a variety of archival paper choices. Berkshire Digital was featured in PDN magazine in an article about fine art printing. See the entire article on the BerkshireDigital.com website. Berkshire Digital does accurate hi-res photoreproductions of paintings and illustrations that can be used for Giclée prints, books, magazines, brochures, cards and websites. “Fred Collins couldn’t have been more professional or more enjoyable to work with. He did a beautiful job in photographing paintings carefully, efficiently, and so accurately. It’s such a great feeling to know I have these beautiful, useful files on hand anytime I need them. I wish I’d called Fred years ago.” —— Ann Getsinger We also offer restoration and repair of damaged or faded photographs. A complete overview of services offered, along with pricing, can be seen on the web at BerkshireDigital.com The owner, Fred Collins, has been a commercial and fine art photographer for over 30 years having had studios in Boston, Stamford and the Berkshires. He offers over 25 years of experience with Photoshop, enabling retouching, restoration and enhancement to prints and digital files. The studio is located in Mt. Washington, but drop-off and pick-up is available through Frames On Wheels, 84 Railroad Street in Great Barrington, MA (413) 528-0997 and Gilded Moon Framing, 17 John Street in Millerton, NY (518) 789-3428. Berkshire Digital - 413 644-9663, www.BerkshireDigital.com.
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THE ARTFUL MIND THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022 • 45
ANDRIS NELSONS CONDUCTS MAHLER, GRAPHITE AND PASTEL ON TONED PAPER, 11 X 17 INCHES, 2016
MOUNTAIN WISDOM OIL ON CANVAS, 14”X11 ½”
"DORIS DUKE THEATRE" WATERCOLOR
CAROLYN NEWBERGER
SHARON GUY
MARGUERITE BRIDE
In my art I try to capture the essence of our human experience, in music, in dance, in our relationships with each other, and in the world around us. I work in several mediums, including watercolor, pen and ink, and collage. These drawings in this issue are executed in darkened performance halls, where with a loose hand and receptive mind I try to communicate both personal character and the spark, rhythm, flow and urgency of performance. Several of these drawings accompany personal essays and music and dance reviews in The Berkshire Edge. Carolyn Newberger - Cnewberger@me.com, 617-877-5672, www.carolynnewberger.com
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INSPIRED BY NATURE My purpose as an artist is to connect with the healing power of the natural world and to encourage others to do the same. Nature is alive and infused with spirit. I constantly seek to reconnect with this spirit of nature through creating art. While I quietly observe and study land, water, and skies, the ordinary world around me is transformed by light and shadow into the sublime. I enjoy using an intuitive process while I play with the boundary between representation and abstraction. My work is in private collections in the United States and Canada. Visit: https://www.sharonguyart.com sharonguyart@gmail.com / 941-321-1218
BERKSHIRES IN WATERCOLOR Soon the “Art of…” Gallery in Lenox will reopen after a brief winter rest. Many new watercolors of mine will be on display from April 29 – June 9. This sweet gallery, located at 12 Housatonic Street in Lenox (right next to the Heritage Tavern), opened last fall and displays the works of a small but eclectic group of local artists and artisans. It is almost bike season, although I know some avid cyclers will say it is always bike season. This past winter I had great fun incorporating bikes into many of my paintings…..the result…about 22 watercolors on canvas and paper that will be on display this summer in a solo exhibit called “Cycle Therapy”. This exhibit will run from June 3 – July 31 in the gallery lobby of Hotel on North. Beginning in June, see my new original paintings plus fine art reproductions and note cards in the newly refurbished gift shop in the Red Lion Inn. The “Shop Around the Corner” will be reopening on Memorial Day Weekend… remodeled, refreshed and renamed and will include a large brand-new watercolor on canvas of the Inn. Do you have special occasions in your future? Anniversary? Wedding? Graduation? Retirement? Selling a home and downsizing? A custom watercolor painting of a wedding venue, a home or other special location is a treasured gift. Any time is a great time to commission a house portrait or favorite scene you would like captured in a watercolor. Paintings (or even a personalized gift certificate, then I work directly with the recipient) make a cherished and personal gift for weddings, retirement, new home, old home, anniversaries…..any occasion is special. Commission work is always welcome. Marguerite Bride – Home Studio at 46 Glory Drive, Pittsfield, Massachusetts by appointment only. Call 413-841-1659 or 413-442-7718; margebride-paintings.com; margebride@aol.com; Facebook: Marguerite Bride Watercolors.
ELLEN HERMANOS, NIGHT INTO DAY ANGELA A’COURT, KITCHEN CHAIR ANGELA A’COURT, DOING ONE THING AT A TIME
SUSAN ELEY FINE ART Susan Eley Fine Art, Hudson presents Flora Inhabited, a two-person exhibition featuring Angela A'Court and Ellen Hermanos. Flora Inhabited will be on view at SEFA Hudson through April 17, 2022. Both artists will be present for an opening reception on Saturday, March 12th, 6-8PM. The reception coincides with 2econd Saturday Hudson Gallery Crawl, a local initiative where cultural venues and select businesses on Warren Street remain open until 8PM to welcome visitors. The artists initially approach their work through a study of botanical forms. They transform petals, leaves and stems to generate intimate and atmospheric visual scenes. A’Court creates works on paper, primarily pastels and monotypes; she depicts interior spaces and the personal objects that live within—from verdant bouquets to anthropomorphized chairs. Hermanos composes multi-media paintings by intuitively layering pigment and materials; she produces sublime colorfields, which often represent domestic symbols such as flowers and windows. SEFA Hudson is open Thursday-Monday, 11AM-5PM and by appointment. For inquiries or to schedule an appointment, please contact liz@susaneleyfineart.com.
NOTES TO MYSELF
KATHERINE BORKOWSKI-BYRNE I studied painting at the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts when painting was king. It was when I first saw a deKooning painting, that I knew what painting could do and that I had to be a painter. My main love is oil on canvas or paper giving the full range of marks from watery thin to luscious thick. One of my favorite teachers at art school, said, "When you paint in oils, you have the whole orchestra." My inspiration comes from many outside sources but my excitement comes from the process of painting when any original ideas disappear and the painting has a life of its own. My favorite pieces are those that come from "within." Visit: katherineborkowski-byrne.com
WHERE'S KIZER? ACRYLIC AND PIGMENT STICK ON CANVAS. 2022. 65" X 65"
MARK MELLINGER ABSURDIST ARTIST STATEMENT My work explores the interconnectedness of Bauhausian sensibilities and Trobriand Island chants. With influences as diverse as Noble Sissle and Shemp Howard, new insights are created from both mundane and transcendant dialogues. Ever since I was a child I have been disturbed by the essential ephemerality of space/time. What starts out as circumlocutory vision soon becomes corrupted into a hegemony of greed, leaving only a sense of ennui and little chance of a new paradigm. As spatial miasmas become transformed through emergent Unabhängigkeitserklärungen, the viewer is left with a catafalque for the prognostication of our future. markmellinger680@gmail.com
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THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2022• 47
Something For Over The Couch PART 9 “The Naked Lady Bath Mat” That week I was in a fever to find out about Judith, and what happened to her, and was anxious for it to be Saturday, so I could mow my art teachers lawn, and then again sit down in her kitchen with her and hear the rest of the story of why she separated from her art dealer husband, but especially what happened to the interesting waitress who insulted everyone that her husband Max intended to make into a famous artist somehow. I did not have a girlfriend at the time Hanna told me the story of Judith, and the fact is, I had never had a girlfriend, ever. I had a close friend that I would talk to for hours, but this is not the place to tell you about her. I had not seen her in many months, she was in a mental hospital because she happened to discover her mother dead, hanging in a broom closet in their apartment over on Rose place. That happened before I met her, but because of it sometimes she would be in the hospital for a month at a time. She showed me the closet in the kitchen one time, it was the most unforgettable closet you might ever see in your lifetime, and I still to this day can’t get it out of my mind. But I will tell you about Ruth at another time. I think Ruth might have been in love with me, I am not certain, but one day she said to me, “You look like one of those Greek Gods sometimes when you talk, but skinnier. She lived with her father in a messy rundown apartment, he had finished mortician school, but had not been able to find a job. If you look in an art history book and come across paintings by Rubins, you will see what Ruth looked like, blond hair on top of a bunch of circles, like a bowl of fruit. I loved to sit on her second floor front porch and talk with her and smoke cigarettes till the sun went down. We always understood what was said and what was meant, but she wasn’t my type, so that was why she was not my girlfriend. I did not know what my type was, I was positive of one thing, if I was ever to have a girlfriend in my life it would have to be someone like Judith, someone full of anger and unable to contain it, even with an effort and Ruth was as gentle and kind as a girl could be. The boys used to persecute her because she was a little fat, but I didn’t mind it. The last time 48 • APRIL 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
I had seen her had been months ago just after she was expelled from school, I don't know for what. Ruth was much smarter than I was, and would alway say, “Oh I read that,” if I ever mentioned a book. So, it was with out of actual romantic curiosity that I wanted to her the conclusion of the story of how Hanna separated from her husband, but also, more about the angry waitress, who I wanted to hear more about, but a stupid thing happened in the meantime that interfered. The thing that interfered was that I had to get a haircut. All my life, as long as I could remember I was sent to the barbershop once a month, to get a haircut, but somehow I had managed to avoid this ritual for almost six months and so my mother finally had a fit about it saying, “You look like a girl, do you want to look like a girl now, is that it?” My mother was especially touchy about this question of my being like a girl, and perhaps you recall that she, for some reason I couldn’t figure out, connected my painting pictures with the danger of girlness, I had no idea why. In order to get her off my back, I promised to get a haircut that very afternoon, and it was Wednesday. The truth of it was, I did not want to get a haircut because of Hanna. One day I was waiting for her at the kitchen table, as she was making lunch, and for no reason at all came up behind me and for just a moment grabbed my head in her hands and said , “Promise me Richard, that you will never ever again get a haircut.” Then, just as suddenly, she shoved my head away, and went back to the stove. I didn’t think much about what she did, because I would often see her do the same kinds of things with her stepsons, she would grab them suddenly by the ears or the hair and say something idiotic to them like, “No more speeding tickets,” and so I thought it was just like she was momentailily mistaking me for a child, and as a matter of fact she often talked to me like I was 10 and not 16. But because of that request to not cut my hair, a silly request impossible to comply with, I made up my mind to grow my hair as long as possible, and looking in the mirror, I actually liked that I looked like a girl, but a masculine girl, if that is possible. So I went to the barber shop, the same barbershop I had my haircut in since before I could speak in sentences, and Savi cut my hair. Savi, smoked cigarettes, one to a hair cut. He would light a cigarette, take a drag, cut hair, finish up, take another drag and put it out. Having my hair cut consisted of sitting in the chair and looking at the cigarette smoke wind up into the air, blue from paper and brown from the tobacco I guess. Savi also cut my Dad’s hair until he died, and he cut my Grandfather’s hair also. Sometimes he would say, out of the blue, “I cut his Pop’s hair, you know, I drive over to his house once a month, never tips me either.” Why he thought other strangers in the place wanted to know about Pops was a mystery to me, but he often felt moved to mention it, he was a family institution.
“You paint pictures now don’t you Dickie?” Savi said to me, using the name everyone used with me except Hanna. Savi had what I now know is called a ‘pencil’ mustache, just a thin line in the middle of his upper lip, that made him look like a man you could never trust. I always wanted a long wait to be next in the chair, because next to the chairs you wait in was a table with ancient magazines missing their covers, that often had pictures of interest to a young man who has never seen a woman with no clothes on. These magazines did not satisfy that curiosity, but often came close. When I didn’t answer his question right away he said, “How would you like to do a picture for me, I’ll pay you ten dollars for it? Not exactly a painting,” he said, “What I want is for you to cut out a shape from a rubber bath mat, so that it looks like a woman.” “Alright, “ I said, not really thinking. Then Savi disappeared into the bathroom of the barbershop, and came out with a rubber bath mat, rolled up with a rubberband around it. It was not a new bath mat but an old one, it was white but brown stains around the edges. I took the bathmat and started to leave with it, and he came up close to me and whispered in my ear, “Naked you know.” I nodded but did not say anything. That very evening I set to work on the bathmat. I drew the rectangle on a big piece of wrapping paper the right size, and drew the shape of a woman on it, but it would not ever do as a bathmat, because it was too long and thin. It was obvious that the head and the legs had to be left out, but then the question came up, should it be a head on view, or in profile. My sketch of a woman’s body head on looked like nothing at all but perhaps a puddle in the street, because with no detail, you couldn’t tell what it was. Then I drew the figure in profile and I discovered that I actually did not know what a woman’s breasts look like from the side, having almost never seen a picture, let alone the real thing. Finally, after a million tries I managed to draw a naked woman from the side and it looked exactly like those drawings you see on the walls of public bathrooms, but it was the best I could do. I did not cut the figure out of the bathmat, but simply drew it in with a magic marker, and decided to see if Hanna could help me with it, before I dared to make the final cut. I was embarrassed to show her such a thing, but I thought back to our first meeting and how she had helped me with my commission for over the couch in my brother’s living room. That commission had led to my friendship with her, a friendship that has become very important to me, and so I was sure she would be glad to help me with my naked lady bath mat. —Richard Britell PARTS 1 THROUGH 8, AT SPAZIFINEART.COM (SHORT STORIES)
EDWARD ACKER PHOTOGRAPHER
Madonna, Gramercy Park Hotel, NYC, 1984
Time Flies D Get Pictures EdwardAckerPhotographer.com 413-446-8348
Gallery SGD
The home of Stephen G. Donaldson photography 198 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA (The Flying Church Building) “Sunrise in Field, Williamstown”: 30 x 60 Limited Edition Pigment Print on Canvas. Series of 45 $1,800
The “Blue Light” Collection: an extraordinary exhibit of 12 Limited Edition fine art prints. Also featuring an extensive collection of fine art photographic images from The Berkshires and beyond.