S+ART

Behind the Scenes at the CRC

The Cultural Resources Center (CRC) is one of three facilities that house the vast collections of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Opened in 1999, the CRC, located just outside of Washington, DC in Suitland, Maryland, provides state-of-the-art resources and facilities for the proper conservation, protection, and study of the museum’s collections. I got the opportunity to take a tour of the CRC with the Smithsonian Knitting Circle class, and get a behind the scenes look at some amazing Native American knitted artifacts that are not always on display to the public.

Students observe the handiwork of Cowichan knitting. Photo by Jen Schiller.

Unlike other conservation centers, the CRC is built open, tall, and well-lit, clearly meant for visitors.  It also organizes its objects by tribe, rather than by material like other museums, because visitors typically wish to view a specific tribe. The vast facility’s three levels hold South American, North American, and archeological objects.

The Cowichan use stranded knitting to create their knitted garments. Photograph by Jen Schiller.

Our guide, Assistant Collections Manager Tori Cranner, brought out an exclusive assortment of knitted artifacts including a Cowichan sweater made from entirely natural wool and colors. To achieve the multicolor effect, the knitter used wools from black, white, brown and grey sheep. The knitter created the sweater using circular or “in the round” knitting, a technique that creates a seamless tube, and then cut it down the middle and hand stitched a zipper. The creator of this sweater used a circular knitting shortcut called “steeking,” which originates in Scandinavia.  

Ceremonial men's leggings. Photograph by Jen Schiller.

Another interesting artifact was a pair of ceremonial men’s leggings. Because of the extremely personal nature of the garments and the traditional role of men in ceremonial practice, the leggings were knitted by men only. These specimens, collected in the 1920s, originate in the arid Southwest San Juan region, explaining their light and delicate property.

Detail of men's leggings. Photograph by Jen Schiller.

Who knew knitting could reveal so much about an individual or an artifact’s history. Historians can tell exactly where a person lived, and from whom they learned to knit, based simply on the technique they used.  

 

-Jen Schiller

 

Following Up with Figure Drawing

Students work from live model. Photograph by Jen Schiller.

It’s been four weeks since I gave my first impression of Figure Drawing and Independent Projects with instructor Max-Karl Winkler. Each session that followed brought new challenges – such as new models, lessons, and materials – that pushed students to develop their skills. As with practicing a sport, each challenge exercises a new muscle and helps students become stronger artists.

 

Student practices ink wash technique. Photograph by Jen Schiller.

Instructor Winkler with Students. Photograph by Jen Schiller.

Sunday’s class introduced India ink washes. The instructor asked students to draw the light part of the figure with line and use ink wash to describe the shadow. I found this concept especially challenging because I am used to outlining the entire figure in the first 30 seconds to get a sense of the shape as a whole, and then filling in the dark. This new guideline forced me to rethink my approach entirely. I even saw the figure differently; suddenly it was not one form but a two-toned couple, light and dark, lying side by side. Each side has its own personality – the light is softer and more concrete, the dark more watery and ambiguous – but together they form a whole. The ink wash lesson added to my skill range by expanding my tunnel vision view of the figure, helping me see it as tones rather than lines. 

Drawing the live, nude form is an  unsurpassed experience that feels simultaneously primal and Enlightened. Combined with expert instruction, Figure Drawing is surely one of the most challenging - and rewarding - studio arts classes at the Smithsonian.

-Jen Schiller

AirCraft: The Jet as Art

Maryland One. Jeffrey Milstein

Photographer Jeffrey Milstein has been interested in aircrafts since childhood. He began studying jets from his backyard near LAX and built a telescope from cardboard tubes and cheap lenses to identify them. As a teenager he filmed aircraft with an 8mm camera at the Santa Monica airport, and developed his current style.

    Milstein captures the beauty of modern flight by standing at the end of a runway and snapping the jets moments before landing. He waits for perfect conditions – preferably late afternoon on a sunny but hazy day when the light reflects off the ocean onto the bottom of the plane. He uses a high resolution digital camera to capture pristine clarity at speeds of 175mph, and then distills the subject from the background to highlight design, color and symmetry. He enlarges some of his subjects to mural size, showcasing grand detail, while displaying others in typology format similar to that used for scientific butterfly studies. The colorful winged forms, simplistically displayed against a white background, start to take on the form of birds or insects. By isolating his subject, Milstein forces the viewer to revel in the aesthetic beauty of a common object many view as simply utilitarian, and reminds me of photographer Leland Bryant's desire to see the beauty in the ordinary. This is what artists are so good at doing, and their ability to make the public stop and see something differently – even for a minute – continues to impress.

Milstein’s show departs Nov 25. Don't miss the flight!

-Jen Schiller

Review: Drawing on the Right Side of Your Brain

A Smithsonian Studio Arts Course

Blind Leading the Blind, 2005. Oil on canvas. 48"x60" (150cm x120cm). Shahin Shikhaliyev.

Artists and scientists alike are interested in studying the process of drawing. What makes one person a better artist than another? How can one practice to become a better artist? We often hear about how the right side of the brain is responsible for understanding spatial relationships, symbols, and putting bits of information together to form a whole – all essential skills for drawing. Unlike myself, left-hemisphere dominant “lefties” are gifted with linear and logical understanding, but they may lack the creative and spatial command of “righties”, which hinders their drawing ability. Logical individuals seek a concrete explanation of what is going on in the brain so that they may practice and improve upon their skill. That’s where Shahin Shikhaliyev's course, Drawing on the Right Side of Your Brain, comes in. Students walk away from Shikhaliyev's  class with not only a new drawing skill but a new vision of the world.

Friday’s session focused on negative space. The concept is vital in the perceptual understanding of shapes and spatial relationships; for logical lefties, it is akin to learning a new language. Shikhaliyev placed a stool in the center of the room and asked his students to sketch the “space around the stool, not the stool”. In the instructor’s demonstration, a seemingly random collection of shapes magically emerged into a stool. As he drew, he clearly verbalized his process: “I am not thinking about the object. I am just enjoying the line, how it develops, its relation to this line as compared to that line.”

 When it comes to becoming an artist, says Shikhaliyev: “You have to create a new view of the world. You are converting the 3-dimensional into the 2-dimensional. Drawing is a very active process; even though the object exists out there, it is your vision. You are creating it.”

-Jen Schiller

One Point Perspective

Interview with Photographer and Smithsonian Associates Instructor Leland Bryant, Part II

(See Part I)

Dreams of Conquest. Photograph. Leland Bryant.

Do you find inspiration organically when you are out and about or do you premeditate your subjects if you will be traveling to a certain city, for example?
Both. If you have a camera when you are traveling you are more inclined to use it. So I have a camera in my bag, and I am always looking. Sometimes something will catch my eye, like a shadow. I like lines that go no place but must mean something. Why are they here? Why are we here? We must be here for a reason. All these things must be here for a reason, so it might as well be for me to find them.

Is there ever an issue with creating commercial work versus work that is more your style? How do you find balance between passion and making a living?

These are often big issues. You have to make a living. I didn’t want to be a tax accountant and then a photographer, and then a father and then a husband. I wanted to be a photographer all the time. An important part of making work is having it seen. I went for 20 years just making art and putting it in folders and binders and saying, I’m not showing it to anybody. It wasn’t until I began to teach and started showing work that I actually became whole. It became part of me, and yet when you show work you release it. You are still responsible for it but now it has a life of its own. People respond to it in so many ways that it effects how you feel about your own work and thusly yourself. So when I could mix [art and work], I did architecture photography.  Despite the buildings in DC being plain, there were always reflections and things I would include in the shoot and the client would say, “This is really great, send me a 30x40, I’m really happy I told you to shoot that!” So that way I sneaked [art into my work]. It’s kind of like being an underground guerilla fighter for art. I have a bumper sticker that says, “Make art not war.”

What do you do with the non-commercial work?

Because I’ve done photography professionally, I haven’t really needed to sell the weird subject material that I have: peeling paint, dried up mud in the desert, millions of colors of paint mixed up in a bucket, etc. I make the work for me. It’s still for sale.

Can you explain your statement, “To make art is to make meaning?”

I think that says it all. I’ve heard a lot of people with a lot of flamboyant explanations of art. I had them too, all the way down to the “capital A Art” that the folks of the enlightenment had when all of a sudden this light just showed up in all their paintings. That was capital A Art. These artists – our ancestors – made art of that type for the first time. But everyone needs the “little A art” – how to shoot their children better, so you don’t have that fake smile. They need to know how to capture a boy who is always flaming through the house, who would be best represented by a little blurred face blowing through the Ether. Photographing light - that is what I try to teach.

What is the most difficult thing about being a photographer?

Probably the most difficult things are also the most rewarding. You have to be ready at the moment. If something drops in your lap, you have to be able to shoot it. Also, the arts in general aren’t supported in this country; we have no need for them so we don’t support them. That’s why I sometimes give it away.

Where is art more supported?

Europe has always supported art – even the Soviets to a small degree. People in Congress come out and say, “this is insulting!” Well I say the same thing to them as I say to any other idiot: “don’t look, stupid! It’s not for you!” Not everything has to be about politics; morality especially.

Do you find that DC is a good place to be an artist?

I think it’s a good place. I think it’s kind of cliquey. But I move in and out of those cliques pretty well. I don’t subscribe to any of them. But I like to keep track of what they’re doing because sometimes I don’t understand stuff. People put art on the wall that I don’t understand, but it doesn’t matter! And that is where “to make art is to make meaning,” and the reverse, “to make meaning is to make art,” comes from.

 

To see more of Bryant’s work, check out his website.

 

-Jen Schiller

 

 

 

Behind the Scenes: A Song for the Horse Nation

Lakota tipi, ca. 1890–1910. South Dakota. Muslin, paint. (20/7873) (Photo by Jen Schiller)

A Song for the Horse Nation, a critically acclaimed exhibit featuring 122 historic objects at the National Museum of the American Indian, offers behind-the-scenes tours every Friday.  Knowledgeable conservators lead the Conservation and Mount Making Tour, and inform participants about the difficult yet essential task of conservation and mount making that often goes unnoticed. Conservators must diligently monitor exhibit temperatures and humidity, construct gentle yet secure mounts, and control light levels down to the exact footcandle to ensure safe storage and travel.  It is thanks to their hard work that museum goers can enjoy the objects in their intact, historically accurate state.

Perhaps the most breathtaking object in the exhibit, and the first visitors see when they enter, is the magnificent Lakota tipi (circa 1890-1910). The giant artifact has traveled the world, including Japan in the 1980s, its journey evidenced by water stains from roof leaks and other details only noticeable at the conservator’s mention. 300 hours of restorative work went into stabilizing the tipi for exhibition, including constructing new poles and even a complete seam on the underside to protect from snags.  Everything from the light positions (which are changed every few months) to the post placements are carefully considered to protect the artifact and preserve its original meaning.   

Next time you are enjoying artwork at a museum, you can appreciate the restorative and mounting work that went into the experience, as well.

 

-Jen Schiller

 

Review: Introduction to Watercolor

                               A Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts Course

Blending and scotch tape demonstrations by David Daniels. Photo by Jen Schiller.

The Smithsonian Associate’s Introduction to Watercolor class met for the second time this week. Instructor David Daniels, a renowned watercolor painter and teacher known in the art world as Mr. Watercolor, fascinated students with demonstrations of his distinctive techniques. While he has painted for more than 30 years, Daniels continues to experiment with the medium, resulting in works that capture the eye and are unlike any watercolor you have seen.  “That’s what drew me to this class, and to this instructor in particular,” said student Liz Bumgarner. “His work is not as conservative as typical watercolor painters – it is more complex, brighter, and more colorful. He is more imaginative.” Bumgarner is a photographer who says she always took pictures because she “couldn’t draw”. The beauty of watercolor is that it allows people with varying skills to create aesthetically pleasing artwork with form and color rather than line.  

Mingled (wet on wet) blending demonstration. David Daniels. Photo by Jen Schiller.

Daniels’ students come from a wide range of skill levels, backgrounds, and professions – from photographers to lawyers to retirees. His easygoing teaching style was encouraging yet helpful in this environment; he supported students’ individual visions yet didn’t hesitate to suggest more effective ways in reaching these goals. He kicked off the class with a review of assignments from the previous week, then gave a brief talk on different mixing techniques (flat, graded, and mingled) and their outcomes, then instructed students on creating a glaze chart. Glaze charts are valuable tools in understanding how hues will look and dry in your painting before you commit. By making strips of every color in your palette and painting various colors on top you can see how the colors interact and have a “cheat sheet” for future paintings, sparing you time and supplies. Watercolor involves more chemistry than other painting styles because density and chemical makeup affects how the colors run, bleed and blend.  

Watercolor glaze chart. David Daniels. Photo by Jen Schiller.

“I’ve given lectures around the world,” said Daniels. “And I always say, I can teach you how to draw pretty well and I can teach you how to paint pretty well. But what I can’t give you is that spark of curiosity that causes you to ask, how do I push my painting further?” If there’s one thing in particular I took away from this class, it was the motivation to pursue that spark, to keep pushing my work further.

 

Introduction to Watercolor takes place every Monday from 10:15-12:45 from October 15 – December 10, 2012.

 

-Jen Schiller

 

 

  

 

Upcoming Class: The Era of Modernism Begins

Luscious Invention, Mixed Media. Peter Karp. Permission granted by the artist.

In light of The Smithsonian Associate’s upcoming seminar/workshop The Era of Modernism Begins: From Abstraction to Collage, I got in touch with art historian Aneta Georgievska-Shine and artist Peter Karp, who will be leading the all-day event, to discuss their backgrounds and their relative program activities.   

An interview with Art Historian Aneta Georgievska-Shine

Q: Ms. Georgievska-Shine, You are leading a class this November that addresses the Modernist movement of the early 20th century. What can participants expect from this class?

Participants can expect to get a sense of the important developments in the visual arts that happened in different European cities in the first decade of the twentieth century. 2012 is the centennial of a particularly significant year in this regard, so it is an appropriate time to reflect on and appreciate these events. 

Q: The Modernist movement happened almost simultaneously in a variety of cities across Europe. What were the common sources of inspiration?

One cannot provide a definitive answer, but there was a sense of crisis and a feeling that the world was going through rather dramatic changes. Why did artists strive to completely break from tradition and replace it with something new? What were people looking for? These are some of the questions we shall be addressing.

Q: What were the movements that led to the birth of Modernism?

The second half of the 19^th century was crucial in general, with Impressionism and the various forms of Post-Impressionism, particularly Symbolism.

Q: You are fascinated with the Moderns, from music to painting to their contribution to other arts. What is it about this era that fascinates you?

The radical departure from convention definitely fascinates me – the rejection of the tradition of Western painting, which had always been oriented toward an ideal. Modernists believed that art was not about beauty, but about capturing the essence of the world. Suddenly they were using different materials like newspaper and throwing conventional academic, representational standards out the window… destroying all hierarchies and preconceptions.

Q: Does the movement continue to influence art – even today?

Modernists had a lasting impact in that they opened the field for a variety of possible expressions. In some ways, the “anything goes” ethos of contemporary art is a direct result of their radical embrace of the new.

Q: You use the term “musical painting.” Can you explain?

It’s a mode of painting that tried to be as abstract as music was abstract, starting around 1910. Artists who aimed to create this kind of painting focused on its fundamental instruments: light, line, and color. Kandinski was one of the crucial figures, Kupka was another.

Q: How did you get into art history?

By loving art.

Q: Are you an artist?

I cannot deny that; loving art usually means that one also tries to make art (at least at some point in one’s life).

Q: Who is your favorite Modernist?

Oh, that’s a hard one. There are so many good artists who were working at the same time, so I really cannot have a favorite. That’s the beauty of Modernism.

An Interview with renowned local artist Peter Karp

 

Q: Mr. Karp, What can participants expect for the workshop portion? 

 

An opportunity to experiment and explore new ways of artistic expression. Hopefully, participants will bring their own expectations and discover their creative talents.

 

Q: What tips would you give to someone who has never collaged?

 

Don’t wait for inspiration, start somewhere. Keep it simple, one good idea goes a long way. Don’t be afraid to “steal”.

 

Q: Your work is evocative of early 20^th century Modernism, such as Cubism and Dada. Why does this style intrigue you?

 

Dada has probably had the greatest influence on contemporary art of any avant-garde movement so I think it is virtually impossible to ignore. But it’s also in my blood. Having grown up in Berlin during and after WWII, it was natural to embrace its challenge of traditional values and revolutionary approach to making art.

 

Q: Your use of black and white is distinctive and intriguing. Why do you largely stay within the grayscale?

 

Gray is of interest to me because it signals ambiguity, and ambiguity is conducive to conversation. And much of my work is about inviting speculation and conversation.

 

Q: Many of your works blend exquisite (and sometimes contradictory) human forms, geometric shapes, and nature scenes. What’s the significance?

 

The significance emerges, hopefully, in the mind of the viewer as he/she looks at my work. Some of my pieces have an underlying narrative, others don’t. And the logic, if there is any, is the logic of dreams.  

 

Q: What’s your favorite piece?

 

The title is “Luscious Invention”, borrowed from a Steely Dan tune. It is a very quiet, dreamlike construction, now in the possession of a dear friend who bought it from the wall of my house. I still miss it, but get to see it when we have dinner at their house.

 

Q: Do you have a specific process that you go through while creating your work?

I call it “systematic coincidence”. I rarely begin with a pre-conceived notion of the final product, but often with an image or object of interest to me. It’s a  process of creating/juxtaposing images and objects, without the filter of reason. I often work on several projects at the same time, with carry-over of ideas from one project to the other.

 

Q: Have you always worked with collage?

 

Actually, not at all. My first art classes at the Corcoran were in portrait drawing and painting, which I still enjoy. My interest in collage and assemblage began in 2005 when I was invited to contribute ten portraits of soldiers who had died in Iraq and Afghanistan, called “Faces of the Fallen”.  Photography also plays an important role in my work.

 

Q: What’s the most difficult thing about being an artist?

 

Getting started, and knowing when a piece is finished.

 

Q: Do you have a golden rule for art?

 

It’s never good enough.

 

For more information on Peter Karp’s work, contact Studio Gallery.

The Era of Modernism Begins: From Abstraction to Collage takes place Saturday, November 17 from 10am – 4pm. Don’t miss out on creating your own personal collage!

 

-Jen Schiller

 

First Impression: Figure Drawing Course

Male nude, c.1917-1920. John Singer Sargent (1856-1925). Photograph by G. Dallorto. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Figure Drawing and Independent Projects, an 8-session course held by The Smithsonian Associates, began on Sunday. Artist Max-Karl Winkler is the instructor, who has taught studio arts courses since 1968 and whose illustrations have been published by the likes of The Washington Post. This month marks his 25^th anniversary of working with The Smithsonian Associates.

Artists from every experience level trickled in, set up their easels, donned their smocks and readied their charcoals. The instructor blanketed the model’s platform and angled the studio lights, and the model took his position on the pedestal. Jiri Stavovcik is one of the best models this side of the Mississippi, Winkler voiced. I was convinced as soon as he seemed to come alive under the dramatic lighting, his pose intense and purposeful from fingertip to facial expression to toe. At first, keeping up with the short pose intervals was stressful – It was as if my hand was racing the clock. But the 3 minute, 2 minute and 30-second intervals were strategic in getting the students to loosen up and capture gesture and form. This is always the hardest part about drawing for me – breaking loose from inhibition and perfectionism, my inner nagging voice. The exercise allowed my body to take over, to “feel” the figure rather than see it, and prepared me for the longer poses.

Next the instructor requested specific poses of the model for the 25 minute sets: an inclined standing pose, an upright seated pose, and finally a sideways fetal position. As students sketched, he would circle the room giving tips and occasional commentary. Beginning drawers had the option to step outside and hear a more in-depth talk on proportions and anatomy. Three hours passed by in no time, and I already sense an improvement in my figure drawing skills. But there is still so much to learn and the next 7 weeks will provide invaluable practice.

The course is held every Sunday, 1-4 pm from October 14-December 16, 2012.

 

-Jen Schiller

Open Studio Fridays at the National Portrait Gallery

Open Studio sign. Photograph by Jen Schiller.

One of the most relaxed, convenient, and fun ways to connect with art at the Smithsonian is the Open Studio Fridays at the National Portrait Gallery. The free event takes place every Friday from 1-4pm and gives museum goers the opportunity to make art without the pressures of registrations, deadlines, or supplies expense. The experimental, low-key environment enhances the public’s interaction with the museum and allows anyone to become an artist. Participants can create a lasting artwork with as little or as much instruction as they desire, while they relax and spend quality family time.

I sat in on this week’s session and was delighted with the enthusiasm of the participants and the popularity of the event. Multiple families participated, including children ages 3-12, and the easygoing and encouraging atmosphere persuaded even the kids and parents most hesitant about “becoming an artist” to pick up an oil pastel and try their hand at it. Understandably, it is easy to appreciate the work of great artists but nerve-racking to reverse the role and produce one’s own work, especially if you have grown up believing you are not an artist. One young boy proclaimed he was “not a very good artist,” and I watched as the instructor gently and successfully changed his mind: “Do you play a sport?” she asked him. “Drawing is not magic. It’s the same as practicing a sport. Some people just need a lot less practice, which makes it look like magic.” The boy relaxed, and eventually the tables quieted as the children – and parents – released their inhibitions and became absorbed by their work.

Dry media supplied for class. Photograph by Jen Schiller.

Because the artists rotate in leading the program each week, participants can expect different materials and teaching styles to ensure a new experience. Today artist Holly Solano, an NPG Weekend Gallery Educator, favored charcoal and oil pastel. The familiar medium’s pliability and sharp contrast was a hit with the children, who also learned about new tools like the tortillon or “blender,” a stick of rolled paper used to soften harsh lines. Even toddlers enjoyed the experience of line making with charcoal on “toothed” paper. 

“Kids and adults get shy about art,” said NPG Youth & Family Program Coordinator Geri Provost Lyons. “But this program is a great way for them to think outside the box and do things that they wouldn’t normally do.”

Open Studio Fridays at the National Portrait Gallery is not just about making portraits (while the plentiful hand mirrors allow for this).  I recommend everyone take a moment out of their busy schedules to relax, express themselves, and enjoy the many benefits of art offered by Open Studio Friday this upcoming week.

Open Studio Fridays repeats most Fridays through December 21^st at the Education Center, Room E151.

Check out more fun and free drop-in events like the Portrait Story Days on Saturday and Sunday.

-Jen Schiller