October/November/December

2010

Nexus - New York

With the passing of each day I edge nearer to the opening reception of the exhibition Nexus: Work & Vision | Squire Broel. I can't help but feel an interwoven sense of excitement and trepidation as the hours pass. Excited not only because of the opportunity to share my work with a wider audience, but also because the show enables me to acknowledge influential relationships and encounters that have fueled my creative growth. My trepidation stems from an obsessive habit of worrying about every minor detail: catalog printing, shipping arrangements, packaging, uncrating, installation, reception and so on. Aren't there meds for that?

Even in my early days of creating I yearned to have that "perfect" art show in Manhattan. As a young artist I dreamt about the grand exhibition, interested curators, glowing critics, and a slew of well-heeled collectors who would swoop through to buy everything. It was a dream that looked a good deal like Alfonso Cuaron's film version of Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations. I'd be a success! I think I'm not alone in that dream. Conversations that I have with actors, musicians, visual artists, and writers reveal that they each secretly guard some form of that "success" dream. Culturally, effectively through the media, success is defined very narrowly: often only by fame and finance. Artists live in turmoil trying to reach that ethereal and nearly unattainable mirage of success. Seeking that narrowly defined definition of success most always leads to personal imbalance and unhappiness.

Fortunately, I had someone in the art world help me untether from that limited viewpoint. Many years ago I visited with an art dealer in New York, and while he was looking through my images he said something like, "Don't define yourself based on whether or not you have a show in New York. The paintings are beautiful. Continue to paint because you're a painter who loves to paint, and not based on where you show. This is a big world, and there are many places to show your work, and many people who will appreciate it." Reading those sentences here may make it seem like a brush-off, but the sincerity of his words and the manner in which they were spoken caused me to take them to heart.

So, here I am, more than ten years after that conversation, having a show in the Big Apple. I'm thrilled about it, and am honored and amazed that it's happening, but I know enough to understand that this one show won't define my career as an artist, it can't solely describe me or my work, but it will support my continued pursuit of a visual exploration of the world around me and the world within me. It's also a great way for me to share my work and history with others, all the while hopefully encouraging others to express their creative yearnings.

View the Nexus: Work & Vision | Squire Broel Website.

Collaborative Bookwork

I recently collaborated with artist and designer David Schulz to create a hand-made book called Roundel. It's a motif work that takes as its point of departure, the roundel: "1. Something round or circular. 2. A small, round pane or window. 3. A decorative plate, panel, tablet, or the like, round in form. 4. Also, rondel. Theater. A round piece of colored gelatin or glass placed over stage lights as a color medium to obtain lighting effects. 5. Armor: a. A metal disk that protects the armpit. b. A metal disk on a hafted weapon or a dagger to protect the hand. 6. Heraldry. A small circular charge." (dictionary.com).

We combined images of my paintings and hand-blown glass sculptural works with David's photographic images and design strategies. The pages and fold-outs of this bookwork explore the territory where object and environment meet. The Los Angeles County Museum was the first institution to purchase a book from the limited edition.

Roundel, by Squire Broel and David Schulz, Light Rail Press, 22 pages, Digital pigment print, Full color, Paper folio containing hand-folded book, 5.75" x 7.75", edition of 11, plus 3 artists' proofs, August, 2010

This visual exploration is available for purchase online by clicking here.

I'll be back east for a couple of weeks prior to the opening reception for Nexus, and will be participating in a few unique art and wine events. I figured that you might find the diveristy of experiences and venues interesting. Take a look at your calendar - I hope you can join me for at least one of these memorable opportunities.

Twin Farms - VT 9/21-9/22

Twin Farms is an all inclusive resort and spa situated on three hundred acres of wildflowers, rolling hills and wandering trails in the heart of Vermont. Join me for a unique experience that will include a tasting of Foundry Vineyards wines, a preview of selected works from my upcoming exhibition, an afternoon art stroll that includes a number of the resorts most notable art pieces by such artists as Milton Avery, Jasper Johns, Cy Twombly, Deborah Butterfield, John Buck and David Bates, and an intimate dinner that pairs FV wines with thoughtfully prepared culinary delights.

Forbes, Zagat, Robb Report, Virtuoso and Conde Nast Traveler have all recognized Twin Farms for consistently offering one of the best resort experiences in the world.

For more information, maps and reservations please visit the Twin Farms website or give them a call at 800-894-6327. Daily rates for this unique package begin at $1,100/per room per night based on double occupancy. All meals, beverages, entertainment and recreational equipment are included in the comprehensive pricing.

The Modern - NYC 9/29

MoMA's restaurant, The Modern, will provide an inspiring environment as we engage in a creative discussion that will touch on a variety of topics ranging from art and culture to wine and community. Our conversation will be bolstered by a light 4-5 course lunch prepared by Chef Gabriel Kreuther. His French-American delicacies will be creatively paired with wine selections from Foundry Vineyards. We might even have the good fortune of having a brief discussion about the merits of art and wine with Belinda Chang, The Modern's Wine Director (she's a wine goddess).

*This exclusive lunch is limited to seven guests. Email me directly for details and to reserve a seat at the table.

IAM - NYC 9/30

Enjoy "An Evening of Good Taste." Join me in the heart of Manhattan on the evening September 30th for an event that will combine art, wine and food into a truly memorable experience. Chef and author Daniel Nayeri will be pairing an array of canapes, cheeses and handmade chocolates with a selection of four vintages of Foundry Vineyards wines. In addition to sharing about the history of each wine, I'll talk briefly about a couple of paintings that will be on hand as a preview for Nexus: Work & Vision | Squire Broel, which opens the following evening.

For additional information and to reserve a place for the evening visit the IAM website or give them a call at 212.944.0944. *This evening event is limited to 40 guests. $100/person

"When I think of art I think of beauty. Beauty is the mystery of life. It is not in the eye it is in the mind. In our minds there is awareness of perfection."

– Agnes Martin

"When I say that beauty has been banished, I do not mean that beautiful things have themselves been banished, for the humanities are made up of beautiful poems, stories, paintings, sketches, sculpture, film, essays, debates, and it is this that every day draws us to them. I mean something much more modest: that conversation about the beauty of these things has been banished, so that we coinhabit the space of these objects (even putting them inside us, learning them by heart, carrying one wedged at all times between the upper arm and the breast, placing as many as possible into the bookbags) yet speak about their beauty only in whispers."

– Elaine Scarry