30 October 2009

IPCNY Opening (Introverts at a Party)

BeforeTheMob
Artists and members gather before the public opening

AtTheOpening
Me and my print (nicely placed next to a print by Endi Poskovic)

I'm an introvert. Maybe that's hard to pick up if the only way you know me is through this blog. I come across pretty well in writing, but put me in a room full of people I've never met and I'm apt to fade back and observe rather than engage. Certainly there are artists who are extroverts, but an awful lot of us are introverts, and this is never more painfully obvious than at an art opening.

The opening at IPCNY was a nice surprise, though, and I found myself feeling relatively at ease. I think there were several factors that made it so:

- The IPCNY staff set aside the first hour just for artists and members. This gave us the opportunity to really look at the work that had been selected, to stare at each others' name tags and figure out who belonged to which work, to introduce ourselves, to ask each other questions and to talk shop. Nothing overcomes the shyness of a printmaker faster than a chance to talk about technique! I also got to meet a couple of the people who had been on the selection committee and it was interesting to hear a little bit about their process and what they saw as the themes running through the show (maps, landscape, sense of place and dystopia).

- The IPCNY staff were present, available and enthusiastic and they did everything they could to help us feel welcomed and comfortable. Director Anne Coffin took a few minutes to chat with Lynn and me, and I especially enjoyed speaking with office administrator Amanda Young and an intern named Guillome.

- Artists like other artists. It reminds me of my dog Ty, the yellow lab. When he sees another lab on the street, especially a yellow one, he always always wants to check them out. I find artists are like that too, especially printmakers. I was happy I got to meet Victoria Burge, who often comes to Zea Mays Printmaking here in my town to print. I also spoke with Nicholas Brown from Washington, who does intricate linoleum carvings of forest floor underbrush and Ross Racine who makes very interesting digital drawings that are aerial views of imaginary (and kind of frightening) suburbs. I also enjoyed speaking with Daryl Vocat, an artist from Toronto who worked with screenprint images that seemed to be from old boy scout manuals.

Frankenthaler

Other highlights of our whirlwind 24-hour trip to New York included a visit to Pace Prints, where we saw a room full of professionally produced moku hanga prints including the 16-block woodblock above done with Helen Frankenthaler.

Lynn and I both really enjoyed an exhibit of screenprints by Sister Corita Kent at Zach Feuer Gallery:

Corita1
Corita2

Going to openings has become a nice way for me and Lynn to do some traveling together, and this trip included a couple of great meals plus this view from our hotel window:

HotelView

Can't beat that!

18 comments:

Kris Wiltse said...

Wag wag! I know what you mean about the introvert thing. But put me on a dance floor and my character does a turn around.
Anyways, what a great experience and thanx again for posting. I'm traveling vicariously. The last city photo almost looks like a painting. The frankenthaler is amazing.

Patty Melville said...

Where in NY did you stay to see that amazing view out of your window????

Sherrie York said...

Thanks for the introduction to Nicholas Brown (and others!) After my initial "yikes" (Underbrush? Alarmingly close to my current Underfoot series) I laughed out loud. Of COURSE it's not the same. Duh. As if two printmakers could get to the same interpretation if they tried. Double DUH. Neuroses don't go away, they just refocus.

Anyway! The show (and subsequent field trips) looked fabulous. You go!

d. moll, l.ac. said...

I wonder if the ratio of introverts to extroverts in artists changes depending on the medium. Are there more extrovert painters proportionally that extrovert printers, for example. And within the genre is a consideration....hmmm at any rate looks like a fine time was had by all, except maybe Ty who had to stay home. But I agree with KW that Frankenthaler is amazing for a Moku Hanga....

Mo said...

Congrats on the show! Love the pics. And how is Ty doing?

Daniel Allegrucci said...

I love that piece. Congrats on this big time show, Annie - I am truly jealous. It's really cool to see pics of the opening. Also, cool that you were hung next to Endi Poskovic - he's great.

Maria Pinto said...

congratulations!
the exhibition looks great and your work, as always, fantastic!
kisses and lots of success

MaRegina

Kit said...

Congratulations, from one introvert to another! ;-) Looks like a wonderful show!

Sharri said...

Annie, I'm one of those extroverted introverts. Ex most of the time, but at an opening I want to shrink into a crack in the wall. Great work! Love the Frankenthaler, too - she is my idol. Congrats on a great show.

Annie B said...

Isn't that view of the Empire State Building great? That was the morning sun hitting it. I took the photo with a slight telephoto setting, so we weren't quite that close. Nevertheless, it was a nice hotel. It was W New York - The Court, which we got for not too expensive via Hotwire.

Sherrie Y, I know that feeling when you hear about or see another artist's work and you realize that they might be doing exactly what you're doing. I hate that, but I'm still compelled to look at other people's stuff.

Daniel, keep submitting. All the artists I talked to (and me as well) have submitted many times.

Thanks everyone for your comments and congrats.

Lana Lambert said...

Grats! You looked like you had a great time all around! Good food, good travel, show press, and meeting other printmakers! Yay!
I don't know. When I see work that is similar to mine I just kind of want to jump out of my chair a little bit and go "Hey, here's an artist on the same wavelength as me! Oooh! They get it! I want to go talk to them and see if we hit it off!" but that's just my reaction. I too am one of those introverts and was wondering similarly about Diana Moll's observation on a great many extrovert painters. I also generally loath art openings but love to talk technique. Maybe it is the lack of public understanding on technique. Anyway, GREAT SHOW and THANKS FOR SHARING!! :-)

Carole Baker said...

Congratulations on being in the show and thank you for sharing some of your experience and introduction to other print makers.

Sherrie York said...

PS: Hey Annie, I tagged you with the Kreativ Blogger Award. Don't feel compelled to play... but thanks for all the kicks in my backside that you unwittingly provide.

http://brushandbaren.blogspot.com/2009/11/kreativ-redirection.html

Anita Thomhave Simonsen said...

guess you and Lynn had a trerrific good time..and you look so happy on the photo......nice reading this post...

Ellen said...

Annie - Great post, great photo of Empire State Bldg, and congratulations again on your show. 24 hours in NY isn't nearly long enough...I miss it terribly. Your photo captured why.

Amanda said...

First of all,congratulations again Annie! Thanks also for this post - I've spent ages following all the links and really enjoyed seeing work by these printmakers. Ross Racine's work is amazing and Frankenthaler never fails to delight, but the pick has to be that one by Sr Corita Kent with all the nuns hard at work in the studio! A classic!
PS I'm an opening saddo - I always mean to go, but 9 times out of 10 pull out as it draws close.

starkeyart said...

Very cool. Congrats again. Sounds like it was a great trip as well.

Funny, I have found that, being an introvert as well, when you come across another printmaker it is like instant kismet. Hard to imagine a room full of them. That would definitely bring me out of my shell.

I am putting being in a IPCNY on my list of things to do in 2010 now, so it will happen. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Hi Annie,

Congrats on your piece...beautiful!

And thank you for letting me know about the NYC print week via Twitter... I'm arranging to hop a greyhound bus on Saturday for the 5 hour trip down to Manhattan. I'd LOVE to see the Rutgers U show too, but I'm not sure I can fit it in the day-

Jen