Metropolitan Museum of Art

                                                   Maggie, Andrew, Renee, Kate, Aubrie, Alex, Jamieson, Amy

This was our first visit as a group to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Marc first gave us a tour of the Baroque Art.  We discussed Caravaggio’s composition, how he used diagonals to create gentle collisions. We saw the comparisons between him and Titian. There was also a special exhibit of the rare Velasquez painting, Velazquez’s Portrait of Duke Francesco I d’Este.

We walked around smaller galleries. We took time to observe small details of the paintings, such as the cracks of the paint and the hidden under paintings. By closely observing different paint strokes we thought about our own techniques and different methods of applying paint

Another piece that had hidden details was the Entombment of Christ. There is subtle graffiti carved into the limestone, which includes the dates that they were created.

Entombment of Chirst,  ca.1515, Made in Bournonnais 

When we walked through the contemporary section we saw works by Picasso, O’Keefe, de Kooning, Pollock, Edward Hopper, and Paul Klee. For the contemporary art section we all seemed to relate more to the paintings. I spent the most time in front of Andre Derain’s scenes of London.  Others were mesmerized by the giant lipstick.  However, I still think everyone’s favorite was Jackson Pollock’s drip-painting. We are planning to have several more trips there because it is impossible to see it all in one day.

- Julia Tighe

Regent Street, London, 1906, Andre Derain

Maggie, Alex, Gina 

Jamieson, Andrew, Christina

Julia

Jamieson, Marc Dennis, Andrew

Like Minded Individuals

One of the more unique aspects of this trip is the ability to meet active artists in their studios or at galleries in which their work is being represented. At these studio visits, we are able to pick the brain of each artist regarding anything from their choice of medium, where they draw inspiration from, their struggles as an artist, and even learn what their favorite movie is.

Our art ambassador and professor Marc Dennis always reminds us as students, and as people to "surround yourself with like minded individuals." These visits to artist studios, such as Mark di Suvero, Chris Yockey, Noah Becker, Grace Roselli, and Ken Solomon provide us with that opportunity to be exposed to like minded people, no matter how long or short these visits may be. To hear these individuals passionately discuss their lives, their work, and and their various experiences is so eye opening and educational. Because these are practicing artists in New York City, one of the world's biggest and most diverse art communities, they have years of knowledge to impart onto us students eager to learn. Many of the artists we are lucky enough to meet and speak to were once in the same position as us students trying to take the art world by storm. We share the same ideals, interests, and concerns they once did. Having the chance to be around these like minded individuals is both intellectually and artistically stimulating as it is comforting. Despite the common aloof facade the art world can often present, the artists we have had the privilege to meet have offered nothing but support and encouragement along with their tricks of the trade and other tips. By connecting with these artists in their studios, we as a group have been inspired in one way or another just listening to like minded individuals who remind us that we are not alone as artists or as people.

-Maggie Zurbruegg-Ramey



Ken Solomon at Josee Bienvenu Gallery
Amy, Alex, Ken Solomon, Maggie, Andrew, Jamieson



Mark di Suvero Studio
Aubrie, Alex, Jamieson, Chris Yockey, Marc Dennis



Socrates Sculpture Park
"Do It" Artists, Andrew, Kate, Marc Dennis, Christina, Chris Yockey, Jamieson, Gina



Noah Becker's Studio

Jamieson, Julia, Gina, Noah Becker, Kate



Grace Roselli's Studio

Jamieson, Kate, Gina, Renee, Grace Roselli







Mark di Suvero's Studio

No matter how far we try to escape Elmira, it always seems to follow!  Today we got the chance to not only meet Mark di Suvero, but had the opportunity to explore his studio in Queens.  Chris Yockey '98, an assistant to di Suvero, an Elmira College Alumni and an inspiring sculptor gave us a tour of di Suvero's studio and art, as well as his own.  It's amazing to see how far a former Elmira College student has gone when not too long ago he was in the exact place we are today, proving that through all the hard work, great success can be accomplished.

The process di Suvero goes through to make a piece is a work of art in itself. Plasma cutters, grinders, and welding are all a part of making both his small and gargantuan pieces. Most of his sculptures are hands on and mobile for viewers, making it all that much more engaging. Some of them had the ability to be taken apart and reconstructed to the viewers liking which I found to be bold for an artist. Even with the large pieces, di Suvero puts them together and takes them apart using a crane until he is satisfied with it as a final piece of work.  The skill it takes to interpret and successfully incorporate the center of gravity for the piece to balance and move, along with such large cuts of titanium I found astounding.

After our visit, I cannot wait to see what other inspiring directions artists have taken.

-Gina Maffei

Works By Mark di Suvero

Works By Chris Yockey

Chris Yockey '98 showing the center of gravity on di Suvero's smaller works.

Chris, Gina, Chrisina, Jamieson 

Left: Steel Interlocking Puzzle

 Middle: Chrs Yockey's Model

Right: Bronze Reconstructable Piece 

Marc Dennis, Chris Yockey, Mark di Suvero

View from Mark di Suvero's Studio

Christina, Julia, and Renee watching sculpture rotate in the wind.

Ken Solomon and his New Exhibition



Ken Solomon's Website

After our great visits with artists Noah Becker and Grace Roselli in DUMBO and with the Flag Foundation in Chelsea, we followed them up with a superb talk with Ken Solomon at his new exhibition.

Having met Ken on our first night in the city, he recognized many of us when he met us at his exhibition. He gave us an in-depth look into his works, telling us about his fascination with systems and opening our minds to the concept that the way in which each one of us uses our technological devices tells a lot about our own personality. He even let us in on a secret to one of his works! However, we promised to keep it on the down-low.

(Ken Solomon talks about his inspiration)

My personal favorite of his works that were on display was his piece Running to Stand Still, which was a compilation of 100 watercolors paintings of iPhone screenshots displaying various songs he had listened to on his Pandora app as a means of self portraiture. Being an avid Pandora user myself, I understood right where Ken was coming from in his explanation about technology and one's personality. 

(Ken on how art circles can be intimidating)

It also excited me how Ken has been able to take a media like watercolor and elevate his works to the level of his oil-painting peers. His application and use of watercolor completely blew me away as I looked around at his exhibit. This visit was truly the highlight of my day! I look forward to spending some time to explore using watercolor in more of my own works as I continue to grow and learn!

(Ken's take on individual motivation and academic experience)

First Night in the City

Before I arrived in New York, I put together an idea of how I thought Friday evening would go. I'd get to the loft, unpack, get some dinner, and settle in for an early night, ready to adventure in the morning. I never expected that on my first night in th city, I'd be meeting an artist straight out of my contemporary art textbook.

After riding the subway, we arrived at Pace Printmaking Studio in Gowanus. None of us knew what to expect. After we met the host Rob Fischer, I took a look around. What caught my eye first was a slide show of vintage photographs projected on the walls in the entrance. The main part of the building was a print making studio; there was art along one wall- work by the director of Katy Perry's California Girls music video and other artists. Large printmaking equipment took up some of the room, and there was a table of record players pumping music, live musicians, a ping pong table, and many cool looking people.

One of them happened to be Chuck Close! None of us could believe it- we were so anxious to talk with him. Throughout the night, we all got a chance to chat him up. Gina even got a kiss on the cheek! There couldn't have been a more perfect beginning to such an awesome trip.

-Jamieson Riling

Biography of Chuck Close

Visit Chuck Close Offical Gallery

Jamieson, Chuck Close, Gina

Kate, Renee, Maggie, Christina, Chuck Close, Julia, Aubrie

Print from Pace Studio Annual Party

MoMA Monday

Had I chosen to stay on campus this term instead of traveling to the Big Apple, today would have been a day like any other at Elmira College. I would have woken up this morning, grabbed a coffee in Campus Center and made my way to my first class of the new term followed by lunch, another class, and then probably falling into bed.

However, the average day in New York City involves grabbing a monstrous bagel, hopping on the busy subway, and spending the day with the art of Vincent Van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol and countless other renown artists.

Standing on the first floor of the Museum of Modern Art today, I felt like a kid in a candy store impatiently waiting in line just knowing that the walls directly above me were the works of the greatest, most influential, and inspirational art of past decades. Sure I've read about these artists in art history and contemporary art classes, written numerous papers about them and their work, and have memorized titles, dates, and theories while flipping through my textbooks. But until today I have never stood face to face with a Pablo Picasso painting or seen the true colors of a Mark Rothko up close and personal. Seeing these amazing works of art does not compare to reading about them or viewing them reproduced on a projector in a lecture hall. Seeing these pieces in person forces the viewer to confront the scale, texture and content of the work in a way that is impossible to grasp when looking through a book. Appreciating these pieces in person seems only right for any aspiring artist or art student.

My most memorable experience of the day was turning the corner and encountering Jackson Pollock's 8' 10'' by 17' 5 5/8'' foot painting entitled "One: Number 31". With my nose inches away from the canvas, I was able to see every abstract drip of paint on the enormous canvas. I got lost in the chaos of the colors and the movement in the painting, but was able to achieve a sense of calmness at the same time. I felt so small in front of this important painting that helped define the Abstract Expressionist movement of Post World War II America. The next paper I write about an Abstract Expressionist, Post Impressionist, Surrealist or any other artist featured in the MoMA, I can speak from my unforgettable experience with the powerful works of art that I saw today.

-Maggie Zurbruegg-Ramey

Pollock, Jackson. One: Number 31. 1950. Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Detail