Visual Ark

WorkSite – Alumnx: Kate Donnelly (S 18)

Sumru Tekin — Sun, 20 Nov 2022 15:09:54 +0000

WorkSite:

Views from VA studios across the country and beyond

Alumnx: Kate Donnelly (S 18), Burlington, VT, United States

Everything is on wheels in my studio.This makes it easy to re-arrange the space to accommodate a variety of activities and events including video shoots, performance rehearsals, installations, exhibitions, screenings, classes, critiques and meetings with my collective, Snakehouse. In the photos above, one shows the space in preparation for an exhibition. The other shows an entryway created for a week-long class on the theme of fantasy and the surreal.

Although I spend time working in other, more emotionally charged spaces as well (such as my home, the mutable space of a landscape or garden, or my mother’s emptied house before we let it go), my studio is home base. It’s where I store materials and objects, and spend much of my time. I appreciate what it can do, its flexibility, and how its architecture and size inspires certain activity and movement in general (roller skating for example.)

katedonnelly.net

WorkSite – Alumnx: S. Kurter (W 11)

Sumru Tekin — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 17:21:58 +0000

WorkSite:

Views from VA studios across the country and beyond

Alumnx: S. Kurter (W 11), Vermont

My workspace is a 12′ x 12′ room that used to be a bedroom. Today it has three tables, two desk chairs, a green wingback, assorted books, photographs and papers, a printer, a ten year old desktop computer, one plant, and two windows – among other things. There is no bed.

I call it my office because I fancy myself busy doing productive, organized activities there, rather than locating and pursuing ideas that do not materialize.

isthisjustfantasy

hip – hip…with graduating student: Josephine Chase (S 22)

Sumru Tekin — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 18:59:22 +0000

hip – hip!

getting to know the graduates

Graduating Student: Josephine Chase (S 22)

My work, both in conception and execution, is a heartfelt love letter to the ancestors of my theological and genetic make-up, built in reverence and gratitude to every street light that lit an overgrown garden. Through both an interior and exterior art installation, I hope the fluid nature of that art conception, for the viewer, extends beyond the gallery.

Who, or what is your work in conversation with?

I find my work most at home with other thinkers and makers focused on the experiences of contemporary Black experience in art and visual language. I enjoy work that rests neither fully in critique or celebration, but deftly defies monolithic translation by prioritizing storytelling itself as a medium of generational care.

I am forever inspired by the installations of Azikiwe Mohammed, an artist who understands the vignette of the home as this rich material for material exploration, with such a generous thought to the space for the viewer to also wonder and contribute to that projected vision.

How did VCFA change your approach to thinking about your studio practice and your community at home?

It cemented a professional practice as an artist in which I developed a strong partnership with my studio and research, as well as language, to facilitate a generative exchange of interdisciplinary approaches to visual culture.

Who were your Artist-Mentors?

A Survey in Blackness - Azikiwe Mohammed

What was on your play list during your time at VCFA?

1st semester: “Baby Powder” – Jenevieve

2nd semester: “Wild Irish Roses” – Smino

3rd semester: “Craziest Things” – Babeheaven

4th semester: “Isn’t It Lovely” – Genevva

Josephine Chase - Studio

Who are your favorite protagonists in fiction?

Holly Golightly – Breakfast at Tiffany’s: A Short Novel and Three Stories by Truman Capote

Nyasha – Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe.

What, or who, should you like to be – if not yourself?

Perhaps a future matriarch in my family. I would like to stay in the energy of my tribe through several reincarnation cycles if possible. ♽

What is your favorite bird?

Hummingbirds, they’ve got the moves!

Where do you live?

Vermont, USA

Contact

josephinetheartist.com

Hooray!!!

hip – hip…with graduating student: Leah Byck (S 22)

Sumru Tekin — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 16:44:57 +0000

hip – hip!

getting to know the graduates

Graduating Student: Leah Byck (S 22)

My process paper and grad exhibition captures a little bit of everything from the start of my program at VCFA. My paper is a journey through my semesters at VCFA and how I found, through my artwork and research, that I was always doing intersectional work whether I saw it or not.

My grad exhibition shares my personal and communal journey with intersectional identity and multiple intersecting social justice movements that I, and my community, are part of. While the Covid-19 pandemic is not the main focus of my paper and exhibition, this has completely impacted my work and what I chose to make throughout my time at VCFA.

Who, or what is your work in conversation with?

My work is in conversation with artists like Kehinde Wiley who portray figures of marginalized people on a grand scale and as the main subjects. My work is also in conversation with artists that are making whiteness and white bodies strange, such as Mores McWreath.

As I use many mediums to share the intersectional social justice movements in my work, my work has gained insight from all of my artist mentors’ works as well. Each artist mentor of mine is pushing what it means to be marginalized and also centered in their work, which pushes both, my artwork and theirs on who is being talked about, represented, and celebrated in artwork.

How did VCFA change your approach to thinking about your studio practice and your community at home?

VCFA completely changed my thinking and approach to my studio practice because of our requirement to include research into our practice. Before my time at VCFA, I hadn’t done extensive research on topics, but after this program I have learned how important it is to have backup knowledge about a subject or idea one is making visual artwork about. I will continue to use this understanding after my time here at VCFA to continue doing research alongside my studio work.

My community at home continued to expand throughout my time at VCFA. It continues to get bigger as I’ve explored different mediums, and has become a safe space to share my ideas and work. I am grateful to VCFA for pushing my thoughts, my mediums, and for the chance to open my ideas up to what it means to be a visual artist.

Who were your Artist-Mentors?

Performance: Burn The House

What was on your play list during your time at VCFA?

1st Semester Playlist:

WTF Do I Know, Gimme What I Want and Plastic Hearts – Miley Cyrus

The Less I Know The Better and Yes I’m Changing – Tame Impala

If You’re Too Shy (Let me know) and Love Me – The 1975

Something to Believe in – The New Respects

2nd Semester Playlist:

Something Tells Me, I Was Wrong and Rose Leaves – BAILEN

LOST IN THE CITADEL and THATS WHAT I WANT – Lil Nas X

Godspeed – Frank Ocean

HUMBLE. – Kendrick Lamar

Where Are We Now – Mild Orange

3rd Semester Playlist:

Colors – Black Pumas

Wedding Singer – Modern Baseball

Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America, The Sound and Give Yourself a Try – The 1975

The Wire and Little of Your Love – HAIM

When the Party’s Over, Happier Than Ever and NDA – Billie Eilish

4th Semester Playlist:

Music for a Sushi Restaurant, Treat People with Kindness and anything by – Harry Styles

Anything with the Beatles, Prince, Fleetwood Mac, Stand by Me – Ben E. King

Pillow – Jakübi

Too Good – Arlo Parks

Talk It Up, The Feeling and Kick It to Me – Sammy Rae and The Friends

(And SOOOOO many other amazing songs I can’t add because the list will never end)!

Burn The House Down, Start Over (June 1, 2022)

Who are your favorite protagonists in fiction?

Greg Heffley from Diary of a Wimpy Kid (These were the first books that made me love to read)

Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista – Pose

Michonne Hawthorne, Maggie Greene and Tara Chambler – The Walking Dead

Sophia Burset, Poussey Washington and Nicky Nichols – Orange is The New Black

Kai Bartley – Grey’s Anatomy

What, or who, should you like to be – if not yourself?

I have always dreamed of being a bird or a monkey. To be able to soar in the air or swing through trees whenever I want would be a dream come true. Plus, then I would have free access to sports games, concerts, and artist talks. LOL!

What is your favorite bird?

I have so many! I adore chickens and their spirits (and bonus if they are running with pants on). Parrots are so queer, beautiful and colorful. I love hummingbirds, blue jays, and cardinals because of their vibrant and saturated colors, and their uniqueness. Birds are amazing!

Where do you live?

I currently live in New York (very close to NYC) but am hoping to live in other parts of the world before moving back into the NYC area.

Contact

Leah’s Instagram: @leahbyck4

Leah’s Website: https://leahbyck.wixsite.com/leahdrumsandstuff

Hooray!!!

WorkSite – Alumnx: Andrea Taylor (S14)

Sumru Tekin — Fri, 06 May 2022 16:27:45 +0000

WorkSite:

Views from VA studios across the country and beyond

Alumnx: Andrea Taylor (S 14), Vancouver, BC, Canada

My studio is in an old mattress warehouse/factory built in 1909 in Vancouver BC Canada. There are about 100 studios and several hundred artists in the building, which leads to a great sense of community. For the last several years, I have mainly been making mixed media cardboard sculptures and a few stop motion videos. In one picture you can see my set up for making stop motion videos. I’m lucky to have enough space that I can leave this set up while I continue to work on sculptures. The sculptures are mainly made from cardboard from the recycling dumpster at the studio building, along with fiberglass, epoxy resin, wool, acrylic paint, oil paint, charcoal and scrap metal. You can see some of the sculptures as I am working on them in the studio in the other picture.

My studio is a bit messy which I find suits my maker’s brain best. I have been fortunate to be able to show my sculptures and video in a 3 person exhibition right now and so have space in studio and mind to create new works. Hello and best wishes to all VCFA folks. Thanks for visiting!

https://andreataylor.ca/home.html

Spotlight: Gray Space Project with Alumnx Renee Couture (S 11)

Sumru Tekin — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 18:20:34 +0000

Spotlight:

student and alumnx art spaces, collectives and organizations

Profile: Gray Space Project with Alumnx Renee Couture (S 11)

Exploring a range of topics from place to motherhood to wanderlust, Renee Couture has a diverse practice, encompassing sculpture, photography, and drawing.

Couture graduated from Buena Vista University with a BA in Studio Art and Spanish. She spent the next four years rambling throughout the United States and South America. She earned her MFA in Visual Art from Vermont College of Fine Arts (Montpelier, VT). Couture currently works as a Project Manager for the Percent for Art Program managed by the Oregon Arts Commission.

Couture’s work has been exhibited nationally in group exhibitions and as a solo artist. She is the recipient of an Individual Artist Fellowship and four Career Opportunity Grants from the Oregon Arts Commission, and four Project Grants from the Douglas County Cultural Coalition. Couture has been granted residencies at Ucross Foundation, Djerassi Residency Artist Program, Jentel, PLAYA, Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, Vermont Studio Center, and Pine Meadow Ranch. Currently, Couture lives on seven acres in rural southern Oregon with her husband, toddler daughter, and two dogs. She works out of a retrofitted 20-foot camper-turned studio space located in her garden.

What is/are your mission/goals?

Gray Space is a 6’x6’x6’ steel and Plexiglas module on wheels that allows artists in the Gray Space Collective to interrupt the gallery model for exhibiting and viewing artwork by using a temporary and moveable venue. It gives the freedom to display work almost anywhere while avoiding the existing power structures of the art world. Considering the location of the module is integral to the artwork shown inside of Gray Space, thus making everything “site-specific”.

The Gray Space Project presents exciting opportunities to expand our creative practices as the Gray Space module provides a consistent set of constraints in creating site-speciﬁc works of art. It also is sort of an experiment or an exploration of how art and place influence each other. Given the moveable nature of the Gray Space module, The Gray Space collective is able to temporarily bring conceptual art to public locations around rural Oregon, to art lovers and non-art lovers alike, thereby adding to the arts conversation within communities and to Oregon’s arts ecology.

Who makes up the Gray Space Project?

Gray Space is made up of artists who live in central and southern Oregon. Members are Vicki Amorose, Kate Ali, Michael Boonstra, Kathleen Caprario, Lee Imonen, Sandee McGee, Andy Myers, Leah Wilson, and me.

White Noise, Kathleen Caprario

White Noise - detail, Kathleen Caprario

When did you start?

Goodness, back in 2018, I think.

Where did you start?

In Eugene, Oregon. It’s sort of central – Gray Spacers who live to the south could drive north, and those who live north could drive south.

The Highest Fence - in progress, Renee Couture

The Highest Fence - Renee Couture

How did you start?

We started with meetings to get to know each other. Oregon’s art community is small, so we had all heard of each other and seen each others’ work. Our monthly meetings fostered trust, creativity, exchange, and exploration. This took time. We spent a number of months just getting to know each other. Then we made the Gray Space Module for artwork/projects. From there, we planned various Gray Space exhibitions and events, including several day-long pop-up exhibits located at rest stops, campgrounds, a Tailgate Party for Art, and a month-long project.

What’s next for Gray Space Project?

Not to be coy, but I honestly don’t know. During COVID, many Gray Space artists were dealing with changing jobs and changes to how they had to do their jobs, caring for family, personal art projects, and other responsibilities. We also recognized that we need to change when we do projects. Given the extremes in wildfires and all that accompany wildfires (including evacuations, poor air quality, locations where we might want to exhibit being burned, etc.) we realized that summer and fall are not good times for projects. We need to take advantage of the springtime weather. We plan to start meeting again to hopefully begin again, but we seem to be in a sort of hibernating period, which is fine. Flexibility and change is at the core of Gray Space. We shall see.

Gray Space Project - on the move

Duets – Jessica Oleksy (S 23) and Ghazaleh Avarzamani

Sumru Tekin — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 16:07:15 +0000

Duets: student and artist-mentor exchanges

One of the two main components of a student’s course of study in the MFA-VA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts is a semester-long studio project in which the student develops and/or challenges specific aspects of their art practice under the guidance of an Artist-Mentor.

The VCFA Artist-Mentor network is comprised of prominent contemporary artists who mentor students individually, during the semester. With over 1500 Artist-Mentors across the United States and Canada, VCFA students are ensured mentorship with a different Artist-Mentor each semester.

Student: Jessica Oleksy (S 23)

Artist-Mentor: Ghazaleh Avarzamani

Ed. note: The following interview was conducted in December 2021 during Jessica’s 1st semester in the VA Program.

Studio and VC Project Title – Exploration of Borders: Allocentric Enculturation of Ecological Systems

My original Visual Culture research was based on the U.S./Mexico border in relation to immigration issues but then transitioned to identity in relation to the border. How is our identity defined by the place we live? Since I felt that I could not speak from my own perspective without really knowing who I am as an artist specifically, I incorporated a plant’s visual perspective of what a border looks like. By doing so the work became instantly more relatable to the average viewer vs. the projects I was working on prior to my first meeting with my Artist-Mentor.

Ghazaleh Avarzamani (born in 1979, Tehran; lives in Toronto, Canada) is a multidisciplinary artist with focus on dominant power structures; By considering a range of spaces and methodologies for interactivity and play she explores the opposing ideas about the purpose of education, these considerations include reflections on games and their pre-designed educational purposes. Her work investigates how official historical narratives are constructed, and the hierarchies behind the ‘voice of authority’. In her practice she is creating visual narratives that are a simultaneous deconstruction and reconstruction of time (history) and space (geography).

Avarzamani graduated from the Central Saint Martins in 2013. She has exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Toronto, ; Aga Khan Museum, Toronto; Vestfossen Kunstlaboratorium Museum, Norway and many more.

Is there a structure to your exchanges?

J: There is a little bit of a structure. We usually start with me presenting what I am currently working on, where I am as far as each project goes. That’s usually where the conversation starts.

G: There is a structure but it’s organic. We started by trying to understand where Jessica is and narrowing down and articulating her thoughts and interests. Jessica has a very encyclopedic mind and she has a lot to say. I was trying to help her create a control system, not from me, but from herself, to prioritize things and understand what she wants to say exactly.

Jessica, how have the conversations with Ghazaleh affected your process and thinking regarding your work?

J: I thought I had planned and was well organized but when I presented at the meetings I realized I sounded disorganized and unprepared. From her perspective, Ghazaleh did not see things the way I was trying to portray them. Her feedback gave me clarification on what I wanted to say and where I wanted to go. That process took months to understand and apply to my thought process. It took months for me to actually implement and start to understand where the process was going.

G: I give this example to Jessica and other students: I want to imagine their works in the context of an exhibition or in front of an audience and ask, does what they are saying and working on make sense? There is always a big gap between the statement and the work itself. We try to eliminate this gap by bringing the statement and the thoughts closer to each other.

Jessica has a very poetic mind and has a lot to say but you don’t really see all that in her work. So, we tried to get closer and see how we can visualize her thoughts.

Can you describe a pivotal exchange or moment that helped shift something for you?

J: I think a pivotal moment for me was when I went from working on several projects to one single big project. That allowed me to focus on one thing rather than work on several projects simultaneously.

G: Tell us a little bit about the other works…

J: I had been working on some other projects before starting with an Artist-Mentor because I wanted to have some studio projects going prior to my first Artist-Mentor meeting. And those works were not representative of what I was trying to say but forcing different thoughts on the viewer – they were aggressive and abrasive.

What prompted the shift?

J: A big part of the shift had to do with me trying to find my identity as an artist. I didn’t have that in place. I’m not saying I have that 100% currently, but I am in a better place at the moment. Eliminating that particular subject matter from my work allowed me to develop myself as an artist and truly understand what I was trying to say. It allowed me to bring what I am trying to say and what I am actually creating, together – to be more cohesive. That was definitely because of Ghazaleh’s intervention and her feedback. She recommended several books and other artists for me to check out during that time.

Which books?

J: Man and His Symbols by Karl Jung and On Photography by Susan Sontag. Those are a couple of the books she recommended during the semester.

G: I think one of Jessica’s biggest achievements, and we worked hard to get there, is that she could develop consistency.

J: Yes.

G: She had a lot of different approaches, different techniques, and different projects. There was no thread between any of them. They were more like interests. She was interested in a topic and she created one or two works and then jumped to another subject.

I was really trying to encourage her to focus on one thing, be consistent and then create a body of work.

Maybe in another semester she can go back and open those files and investigate other subjects. Gradually I think we will be able to see the thread between all these projects.

Cascade 16" x 20" J. Oleksy 2021

How have you been challenged this semester?

J: Oh my goodness. How much time do you have? I have been challenged from the very beginning of this semester. I believe the purpose of going to a grad program is to be challenged. I was completely open and ready for the opportunity to allow feedback and to implement that feedback, and to allow change to happen. Before I came into the program, I wasn’t completely open and I didn’t really have a structured approach to my creating at all. It was very unstructured. I really needed a decision making process, to really make a plan and implement it.

The subject matter I’ve chosen is extremely difficult to study: identity in relation to the U.S. and Mexico border. When I started incorporating the Visual Culture Research into the project it added a whole other element that really made me look at my identity as a person. And the studio work was something that challenged my identity as an artist. I was being challenged about who I am both as an artist and person. To be an artist you have to be defiant; you can’t be wishy washy about what you want to say because the things you are saying are important.

What role did Ghazaleh play in challenging you?

J: There are so many ways she challenged me. I think the hardest thing to understand for me was the process of elimination – eliminating the excess. For me it was extremely tough to let go of the things that weren’t working and to really focus on the things that were working. Overall, I think that’s what I’ve learned throughout this entire semester. I’m still learning how to implement these things in my decision making process.

Working and focusing on the single 5’ x 10’ piece and putting aside the other things I had been working on allowed me to focus too. It allowed me to develop my process and utilize that process on the additional work I did during the rest of the semester.

G: So many times during our sessions we both agreed that our meetings were more like therapy sessions. It was a very personal journey to go through every aspect of her thoughts and personal aspirations. Jessica is not coming from an art background which in a way is a great thing because she was ready to absorb. What helped during this process as Jessica said: she was super open and very flexible. She is the mother of two and has a lot on her plate. However, every session she had a lot of new works to show and discuss.

I was very concerned with the level of patience in her practice and that’s why seeing her focusing on one project for six months is a big achievement. Eventually, she could focus on one material, one medium and one subject matter and work and work. Through that process she discovered a lot of other things. She went inward and did a lot of investigation into her work. She came a long way and where she is now standing is great. Of course there is a long way to go!

J: Thank you for that.

Shifting 36" x 48" J. Oleksy 2021

How has the VCFA Student – Artist-Mentor model informed the way you approach your process?

J: I wouldn’t have made this much progress this rapidly without this type of program. I think a huge benefit is having someone pay attention to what I’m doing, focusing on me. Because when you are in your thoughts it’s very difficult sometimes to get a grasp on how you want to go about approaching something. Having Ghazaleh understand where I was coming from helped me learn how to articulate those ideas, which I’m still learning. I know that throughout the program it’s going to be the same, a continuous learning process. I am grateful I had Ghazaleh as my Artist-Mentor because I do feel she was a really good fit for me for this semester.

What will you take into the next semester from working with Ghazaleh?

J: There are so many things I learned it’s hard to speak to each thing. There are all these layers of decision making and guidance that I received during the semester that I’m going to take with me into the next semester and into my studio practice.

G: It was actually suggested to Jessica to work with me again in the next semester and I really respected the fact that she rejected the idea. I can see that she is excited to work with other artists and bring more challenges to her work.

J: I always thought that my visual culture work would influence my studio work but I think my studio work is actually influencing my visual culture as well. It’s a weird web and interconnectivity of those two experiences. I’m still learning and reading my notes from Ghazaleh. Although we may not be meeting, I am continuing to learn from her as my Artist-Mentor.

Did Ghazaleh help you to think more about how research can exist within your studio practice?

J: We definitely spoke about research and how it is vital to the creative process.

G: In the first half of the semester, our focus was on her methodology and writing her statement, which was very challenging. We were trying to focus on how she could articulate her thoughts. I understand this isn’t an easy process, she had to come back to her statement and update it throughout the semester.

J: At our first meeting I didn’t have that in place, but I was working on it so the next time we met I at least had a starting point. It took me a long time to come up with the statement because it is something I wanted to take with me long-term.

G: For a while she was not making anything – it was all about sticky notes in her studio – a lot of key words she was trying to organize and prioritize and gradually we got those few keywords up on the wall and then she started writing.

J: After I put the keywords on the wall, I eliminated some of them, and utilized what was left to write my artist statement. The whole process is not easy. Being able to talk or write about my artwork is a tremendous improvement for me. I came in without any ability to discuss my art with other people. I’m still learning, but I can at least talk about it and write about it.

What advice would you give a new student who is thinking about selecting an Artist-Mentor?

J: I think making that decision is part of the process. Learning how to go about selecting an Artist-Mentor is part of the whole process of being an artist. I’m pretty much open to anybody but I also understand the program wants someone who is professional and knows what they are talking about.

I started working with Ghazaleh through a referral from one of the faculty. Immediately I was tested, and I’ve had to overcome and work through those challenges. Going forward in selecting an Artist-Mentor, I want somebody who is going to challenge me again.

G: When we started working together, Jess was mainly working on photography and painting. My work, conceptually or in terms of medium, has nothing to do with her practice. I appreciate the curiosity and the courage when students approach someone who has nothing in common with their work. That’s where the challenge starts, and you start going back and thinking about your work conceptually and things evolve.

Home J. Oleksy 2021

Is it a challenge for you as an Artist-Mentor as well?

G: It is. When I started with Jessica, I knew she was a painter and I had been a painter for a long time so I knew I could manage that, but also, I was hoping I was going to push her to a new environment – maybe sculpture, maybe installation. But then I realized, through the process of working together, that painting, for now, is really the best medium for her project. I stopped pushing her and we focused on painting.

J: I was grateful that you did because I really wanted to pursue painting. And even though I wanted to paint, I’m glad I was open to other things. I really was grateful for the opportunity to do something I have a passion for and – completely love.

G: Yes, I can see that you were. And surprisingly, although I ditched the idea of pushing her to three dimensional works, I think by the last two sessions of our discussions she intuitively came up with one sculpture piece and it was really exciting. The piece was a continuation of her research and her paintings.

Without me even pushing her, she was just organically following her intuition, so we got to where I was wanting her to go! I’m really excited to see what she is going to do next semester.

Having a mentor is a luxury that most artists, even if you are an established one, will appreciate it to have a win-win situation. As a mentor, I also learn a lot in this process.

J: We are both insanely busy but when we were together, there on the call, you were totally focused, and I was attempting to be focused. I think that calmness – that little bit of a stopping point – where we could revisit what was going on at the time, is what really helped and guided me through the studio this semester.

G: Maybe fifty percent is about art, but a big portion of it is about making relationships and creating a safe space to talk and brainstorm. That relationship is really important. So many times, in between the meeting sessions, we were sharing ideas via emails and a shared google doc.

One of the other things that I really appreciate about Jessica is how she forced herself to engage. I understand that the first few sessions can be traumatizing and talking about yourself or your work might not be comfortable, but she really worked hard on that. And, again, put this in a context of a newcomer in the art world, where every single thing we are discussing is new to her and she has to really go back and digest it all.

J: Thank you – you just made my day. I’m so grateful for Ghazaleh and I’m so grateful for the program. The way it is designed has really worked for me.

hip – hip…with graduating student: Nadia Martinez (W 22)

Sumru Tekin — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 14:43:03 +0000

hip – hip!

getting to know the graduates

Graduating Student: Nadia Martinez (W 22)

In my quest for perfection and control, I found imperfection and embraced change in the process. My journey started and ended with the material while positioning myself in my work.

Who, or what is your work in conversation with?

Felix Gonzalez-Torres

Jill Magid

How did VCFA change your approach to thinking about your studio practice and your community at home?

To be more intentional, research more and ask more questions.

Who were your Artist-Mentors?

Parastoo Anoushahpour

Doug Ashford

Ghazaleh Avarzamani

Nils Karsten

What was on your play list during your time at VCFA?

1st Semester: Rising Strong by Brene Brown

2nd Semester: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

3rd Semester: Together by Vivek Murthy

4th Semester: Think Again by Adam Grant

Untitled (Something Familiar) 2020, Sugar, Photographs, paper, frames, 30 x 54 inches

What, or who, should you like to be – if not yourself?

A nicer and kinder version of myself.

What is your favorite bird?

Cardinal

Untitled (Givers and Takers), 2021, Sugar cubes, photography and wooden figure, site-installation proposal

Where do you live?

Connecticut, USA

I’m from Honduras

Contact

nadiamartinez.com

@imartineza

Hooray!!!

hip – hip…with graduating student: Tori JD (W 22)

Sumru Tekin — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 14:37:50 +0000

hip – hip!

getting to know the graduates

Graduating Student: Tori JD (W 22)

My Process Paper follows my studio work through my semesters at VCFA. Both my Process Paper and Grad Exhibition work investigate the relationship we have with objects. In my exhibition I am exploring the relationship between artist and artwork, and the correlation to the relationship between artwork and audience, and how this relationship can be extended. I question what is possible in a gallery space, and how the experience of the artist in process can be translated through the work and to the participants.

Who, or what is your work in conversation with?

The work and writings of Lygia Clark speak to the importance of the moment of encounter. She questions how both participant and artwork transform in that moment and analyzes what is left after the experience. Clark emphasizes the relationships among and between artist, artwork and audience.

The quilting by Rosie Lee Tompkins provided much inspiration to continue making weighted blankets. Specifically, the use of found material, her improvisation within the quilting patterns, and the privacy in which she created.

Sarah Ahmed’s Queer Phenomenology planted a seed of curiosity about how bodies are orientated with and around space and objects, and I explore non-directional orientation toward objects in my thesis exhibition.

I am also still realizing how momentous it is to be a student and an active artist during every moment of the COVID-19 pandemic. I think many of our works are connected by this loss and this desperate need to heal, whether it presents in the works or in our hearts.

How did VCFA change your approach to thinking about your studio practice and your community at home?

The move to virtual learning and remote presentation shifted my whole perspective on the accessibility of my work. I questioned how my work would be seen or interacted with at every moment, I became exhausted with constant virtual communication, I craved human and artistic contact, I asked for extensions for the first time in my life, and I graduated during a pandemic.

Connecting my work to other artists in and outside the ceramic field has encouraged me to explore my craft and its grand possibilities. Contextualizing my work and process within larger phenomenologies and pedagogies has genuinely opened my mind, and I’m leaving with so many resources and texts to continue investigating.

My home community quickly became my only in person audience and were crucial test subjects for multiple semesters of planning and preparing a final exhibition. The final exhibition will only be viewed in person by my fellow grads and select faculty, sealing in how important my cohort was to my progress for the entire program. We had consistent studio visits and planning meetings, and shared intense and intellectually intimate experiences, only meeting in person during our first and last residencies.

Who were your Artist-Mentors?

I truly believe they were each put into my life at the proper time, and I cherish the work we did together.

Heavy Comfort, 2020

What was on your play list during your time at VCFA?

1st Semester: Tempo (feat. Missy Elliott) by Lizzo

Do It by Chloe x Halle

Solo by Frank Ocean

Ginger by BROCKHAMPTON

2nd Semester: ooh la la (feat. Mexican Institute of Sound & Santa Fe Klan) by Run The Jewels

Damn Right by Audrey Nuna

3rd Semester: Transparency by KAMAUU

brutal by Olivia Rodrigo

4th Semester: XTRA (feat. Tierra Whack) by WILLOW

Stoned at the Nail Salon by Lorde

Good Dayz by SZA

Billie Bossa Nova by Billie Eilish

Who are your favorite protagonists in fiction?

BMO, Adventure Time

Marceline, Adventure Time

Beth Harmon, The Queen’s Gambit

What, or who, should you like to be – if not yourself?

If asked this question two years ago, I would have described a desired version of myself. Someone who doesn’t procrastinate maybe, or someone who will keep a room clean for any amount of time. What I’m learning is that this person I wanted to be was built on expectations others had of me. I don’t feel like a people-pleaser, but it’s possible I am a people-peacer. I don’t desire to please you, but I am interested in your peace. However, as I look to the future and think of who I ‘should like to be’, I am focused on my own peace, my own goals, my own well being. How can I let myself breathe, what interests do I have outside of serving others, who am I when no one is expecting me to be anything? I would like to find out.

What is your favorite bird?

A tie between Big Bird and penguins.

Untitled 1, 2021

Where do you live?

Virginia, United States

Contact

@Sculptd_Pottery

Email: tori.jackson@vcfa.edu

Hooray!!!

hip – hip…with graduating student: Nico Lima (W 22)

Sumru Tekin — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 14:28:25 +0000

hip – hip!

getting to know the graduates

Graduating Student: Nico Lima (W 22)

Writing the process paper has involved more introspection than I have ever done before. It was also the most writing i’d ever done about myself and my practice. My Grad Exhibition work feels like a complete transformation of my practice, rooted in my collaboration with ecology to generate a nourishing culture for Earthlings.

Who, or what is your work in conversation with?

The New York Correspondence School

The Arte Povera Movement of the 70’s

I’m interested in that blurry space between science and art which yields experiences that neither can generate on their own.

How did VCFA change your approach to thinking about your studio practice and your community at home?

VCFA pushed me to not take anything at face value; to flip ideas around and approach them from many viewpoints. Also, to be critical of the material and context of my work. I can not go back to a linear practice; everything is now a potential art material or idea.

Who were your Artist-Mentors?

I got to work with some brilliant mentors in the past two years.

Abbas Akhavan (The Illuminated Loiterer)

Kate Donnelly (a.k.a. Lady Donnelly)

Sumru Tekin (a.k.a. Jedi Master Sumru)

Faith Wilding (The Shaman)

Nico Lima - Studio, 2022

What was on your play list during your time at VCFA?

1st Semester: Colony Collapse

2nd Semester: ATTENTION FARMERS

3rd Semester: Lab Notes: Whale Bacon/Unesu/ウネス

4th Semester: Kitchen Garden