Roadtrip: Marie Harnett and Kristian Evju at the Albers Foundation
Kristian Evju and Marie Harnett at the Josef + Anni Albers Foundation
Contributed by Sharon Butler and Stephanie Theodore / This spring, we visited Marie Harnett, a London artist who was in residence at the Josef + Anni Albers Foundation in Bethany, Connecticut, and her visiting guest, Kristian Evju. During a two-month residency, Marie worked steadily on a series of highly detailed graphite drawings based on altered images from films. Unlike other programs, the Albers residency is all about work, which suited Marie (and Kristian while he was there), whose drawing practice is extremely labor-intensive and requires extraordinary focus. The Albers didn�t envision group meals, camaraderie, or cocktail parties, but rather time, space, and solitude. The residents also have access to the Albers� archives and library, which are located in a bunker-like building down the winding dirt driveway.
A view from the sleeping loft
Marie graduated from the Edinburgh College of Art in 2006, and had her first solo in London at Alan Cristea Gallery in 2009. Stephanie saw the show and, impressed with Marie�s detailed photorealist drawings, eventually invited her to show at Theodore:Art. The 2013 group exhibition, �Notorious,” was followed in 2017 by the first solo exhibition Marie had in the US. Sharon had met both Kristian and Marie several years earlier when Sharon was a visiting artist at the Vytlacil Residency Program, so it was a good opportunity for us all to catch up.
Conversation: Stephanie, Marie, and Kristian discus Marie�s new work.Although Marie was the official resident, Kristian was visiting from London for a couple weeks while we were there, and he had set up his own work area in the far corner.This is one of the drawings Kristian was working on during his visit. He takes found vintage photographs, combines them in enigmatic and unpredictable ways, and uses them as the basis for his graphite drawings.Kristian�s pencils and other tools in the easel shelf.Marie had just started this new drawing when we arrived. She masked the image area with drafting tape, and if you look closely in the center of the board, you can see the beginning of her new drawing, which is based on the photograph taped above the work area.
Marie watches movie trailers frame-by-frame to find her images. She doesn�t pay attention to the plot, but only to the images, which she says are full of ambiguous narrative potential. She never watches the films. Ever.
Both artists use high-powered magnifier glasses (and extremely sharp pencils) to get the smallest details right.The house features a reading corner with this curved modern chair, woven with worn leather strips, and a wood stove. Although we didn�t stop in on this visit, the main house has an amazing collection of furniture, textiles, and art created by Anni and Josef Albers, and the residents’ houses have a few interesting pieces, too.Finished work: Marie Harnett, That�s Not a Game I Play, 2018, graphite on paper, Paper 13.2 x 19.2 cm / Image 6.4 x 15.0 cm (Images of artwork courtesy Marie Harnett and Alan Cristea Gallery, London)Finished work: Marie Harnett, Read, 2019, graphite on paper, Paper 12.7 x 18.8 cm / Image 7.75 x 10.3 cm (Images of artwork courtesy Marie Harnett and Alan Cristea Gallery, London)Finished work: Marie Harnett, Lavender Lane, 2018, graphite on paper, Paper 12.7 x 18.8 cm / Image 7.75 x 10.3 cm (Images of artwork courtesy Marie Harnett and Alan Cristea Gallery, London)Finished work: Marie Harnett, Juliet and Dawsey, 2018, graphite on paper, Paper 12.7 x 18.8 cm / Image 7.75 x 10.3 cm (Images of artwork courtesy Marie Harnett and Alan Cristea Gallery, London)finished work: Marie Harnett, Dawsey, 2018, graphite on paper, Paper 12.7 x 18.8 cm / Image 7.75 x 10.3 cm (Images of artwork courtesy Marie Harnett and Alan Cristea Gallery, London)
During the residency, Marie was exploring the notion of a faceless figure, different painting approaches, and experimental sewing projects. A table in a corner served as a worksite for a series of small paintings on paper, and Marie told us that she found working with paint, color, and brushes infinitely more complex (and more nerve-wracking) than the relatively simple process of drawing. At night she worked on sewing, both with machine and hand stitching.
Marie�s painting table.We brought pies and grape leaves for lunch from Stephanie’s favorite bakery in Sunnyside. There were plenty of leftovers, which was a good thing because they were responsible for preparing their own food, which meant leaving the compound every few days.
The Albers property covers several quiet acres with wooded walks and a lovely pond. In 2016, we drove out there to select art work from then-resident Pierre Mabille for “Deux C�t�s,� a group show at Theodore:Art that later traveled to Galerie Jean Fournier in Paris. But this time our visit coincided with such a lovely spring day that after lunch we took a walk, beyond the archive building, past soon-to-be-planted garden, and down to the pond.
Kristian, Marie, and Stephanie out in the woods.The concrete building where the Albers archive is stored.The gardenPondside: Here we are examining the rustic handmade chaise lounges to figure out how to raise the backs. Left to right: Kristian, Sharon, MarieIn the middle of the pond, at the top on the right, you can see an island where the Albers planted two sturdy pine trees.Surrounded by rustling evergreensWe sat on a bench and contemplated the birds as they landed on the pond, talked about Josef and Anni Albers and the enormous contribution they made to the art world. We also covered history, politics (Brexit–WTF?), and science fiction. What a beautiful day! Left to right: Marie, Kristian, Sharon.Pile of fire wood or sculpture?The view of the house as we headed back to the city.
Stay tuned for our next Roadtrip feature–somewhere in or near the Catskills.
About the Authors:
In 2010 Stephanie Theodore founded Theodore:Art, a contemporary art gallery and consultancy, presenting exhibitions of works by emerging and established artists from the UK, EU and the US. The gallery is located at 56 Bogart Street in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
Sharon Butler is the publisher of Two Coats of Paint and is affiliated with Theodore:Art, where she had a solo show in 2018.
Even though making art is often an experience that happens in the solitude of one's studio, it rarely occurs in a vacuum. Artists rely on each other for support, reinforcement, inspiration, and challenge, forming communities to avoid feeling like fish out of water in this world. Tim Gowan was one of those artists who cherished […]
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Always good to pass our neighbor @ceyadams murals on Prospect St in DUMBO ❤️ @art_dumbo #LOVE
Latest post, link in profile / Ed Ruscha’s retro spective / Contributed by Laurie Fendrich / The work of the Los Angeles artist Ed Ruscha is often referred to as a West Coast version of Pop Art. The implication, of course, is that since it didn’t come out of New York, it must be inferior. His retrospective “Now Then,” his first at the Museum of Modern Art and first in New York since 1983, contains over 200 works from 1958 to the present…. Despite its outward similarity to conceptual art and New York Pop Art, Ruscha’s work feels decidedly different. Link in profile
Image: Ed Ruscha, The Los Angeles County Museum on Fire, 1965-68, oil on canvas, 135.89 x 339.09 cm
New post, link in profile / Selected Paintings from SPRING/BREAK NYC 2023 / Contributed by Fay Sanders and Bob Szyantyr / In a shift befitting this year’s theme, !WILD CARD!, the Spring/Break Art Show departs from its past trajectory of more-and-bigger spectacle, year after year. Building on the “Secret Show” of this past spring, which returned to the Old School where the fair began, the organizers asked artists for this year’s show at 625 Madison to revisit past themes with a mix of nostalgia, homage, and cheekiness. Link in profile
Image: Jackson Hill (detail) / Booth 1018 “Backyards” curated by Todd Cramer. Featuring artists Todd Cramer + Jackson Hill + Guillermo Amat. Theme: Fact and Fiction (2019)
When I got the email from @alexandregallery yesterday, announcing that they were presenting a clutch of #lorenmaciver paintings @independent_hq, I scrambled for a press ticket to the preview so I could see the work one more time before it passed into private hands. The fair, located on the waterfront next to the Staten Island Ferry, was nothing if not elegant, and the MacIvers didn’t disappoint. Here are details of a MacIver and some other pieces that caught my eye. Then I walked over to Pier 11 and took the ferry back to the studio in Dumbo. Great morning 💥Sorry not to have images of the Sigmar Polke photographs — knockout @sieshoeke — Kenwyn Critchlow paintings @dianerosenstein, the Mary Dill Henry paintings and notes @hauserwirth, Emilio Cruz @corbettvsdempsey, and others. If you can’t make it to the fair, go look them up. Tags to come, but feel free to identify in the comments.
Latest post, link in profile / Rescue Center [Elizabeth Scheer] / I first discovered the Rescue Center while walking idly on the Upper West Side. I rang the bell and then stood in the atrium. A person came to the door and wrote my name on a clipboard. “You’ll be added to our mailing list,” they said. I cannot recall if that individual was a man or a woman. Gender, race and so forth were not of consequence in such a place. The humans formed, in aggregate, a giant hand filled with seeds…. Link in profile
Latest post, link in profile / Confrontational color at Analog Diary / Contributed by Clare Gemima / Analog Diary’s group exhibition “Chromazones” – curated by Derek Eller, Abby Messitte, Katharine Overgaard and Franklin Parrasch – features a wide, intergenerational array of artists. Many works, including Clare Grill’s Plant, Pam Glick’s Cat, Dog, Car, Sky, and Yukine Yanagi’s Chrysalis, are traditional oil paintings. Others utilize unconventional materials, such as glitter, which is found in Chris Martin’s Fireflies, or gemstones, which appear in Alteronce Gumby’s I can’t stop thinking about love. And there are ceramic sculptures, like Peter Shire’s Scozzese and Ken Price’s Iggy. The show confronts viewers with abundant color. While that may be a narrow parameter, here it provides insight into each artist’s approach to material and method of application. Link in profile.
Images:
Eugene Von Bruenchenhein. No. 535, 1957. Oil on masonite. 24 x 24 inches
Sylvia Snowden. Minnie’s Stitch, 1990, acrylic and oil pastel on canvas, 66 x 54 inches
Spring/Break, part 2. Miscellaneous objects and installations. Now back at the studio drinking ice coffee with my feet up. Tags to come, but feel free to identify and tag artists and curators in the comments. #springbreakartshow2023 @springbreakartshow
Spring \Break Art Show, where every picture, no matter how colorful, seems to have a grim story to tell. Lots of tarot. A return to punk. Bio anxiety. Plenty of kitsch. It’s OK, though. @drlisalevysp says so 🙂 Details and tags to come, but feel free to identify images in the comments. #wildcard #springbreakartshow2023 #mosaicartspacelongislandcity #dreamsymbolism #contemporarymedievalart #newpreraphaelites
Latest post, link in profile / NYC Selected Gallery Guide: September, 2023 / Here are a few shows that stand out this month: Joan Snitzer at AIR in Brooklyn, Rebecca Morris at Bortolami, Leslie Smith III at Chart, Wade Guyton at Mathew Marks, Charline von Heyl at Petzel, and Sam Gilliam, Julian Schnabel, and Jules de Balincourt solos at Pace. We also got an announcement for a show of new Cady Noland sculptures at Gagosian in the 871 Park Avenue space. Is this a prank, we wondered (as we posted the news immediately on social media). A bunch of art fairs are in town this month, including the indefatigable Spring/Break Art Show. Art fair addresses, links, and dates are all posted at the end of the gallery listings. Summer’s over everyone — welcome back. Link in profile
Images
The Painting Center: Sue Havens, Untitled (Round XXXX), 2023, Acrylic on 150 lb. paper, 22” x 30” @thepaintingcenter
Amos Enos Gallery: Elena Barenghi, The Golden Rule #2, acrylic on wood board, 18 x 24 inches @amosenogallery
