DISTANCE
Curated by Betsy Alwin (A ‘01) and Steve Locke (A ‘02) featuring works on paper by Skowhegan Alumni.
February 17, 2019–April 07, 2019
Curators Steve Locke and Betsy Alwin organized their exhibition around the concept of “distance”—physical, chronological, intellectual, emotional, geographic, etc. All Skowhegan Alumni share the experience of distance from their unique summer on the Skowhegan campus. The curators were further inspired by Solmaz Sharif’s poem, Look, which explores consequences that result from perceptions of difference and distance. This exhibition includes works by artists of varying ages, from various cultural backgrounds, who work in various locations around the country and around the world. Although the works in Distance all can be called “works on paper,” the diversity of shapes, sizes, materials and techniques reflects the variety of contemporary art practices encompassed under that single rubric.
Special thanks to Dorsky Gallery Curatorial Programs.
Participating Artists:
Kim Abraham (A '81)
Alejandro Acierto (A '14)
Lauren Adams (A '09)
Negar Ahkami (A '03)
Colleen Asper (A '06)
Rebecca Baldwin (A '04)
Keren Benbenisty (A '09)
Caitlin Berrigan (A '08)
Suzanne Broughel (A '08)
Derrick Buisch (A '95)
Neil Callander (A '05)
Greg Chann (A '78)
Sue Collier (A '79)
Oliver Comerford (A '91)
Karishma D'Souza (A '17)
Anthony Craig Drennen (A '06)
Jesse England (A '15)
Nicholas Fraser (A '08)
Baris Gokturk (A '16)
Rachel Granofsky (A '15)
Mark Haddon (A '91)
Russell Hamilton (A '90)
Katie Herzog (A '07)
Christina Hutchings (A '77)
Saskia Jorda (A '05)
Courtney Jordan (A '05)
Nils Karsten (A '02)
Becky Kinder (A '04)
Baxter Koziol (A '17)
Shaun Leonardo (A '04)
Anthony Lepore (A '04)
Cyriaco Lopes (A '02)
Colin McMullan DBA Emcee C.M., Master of None (A '07)
Nat Meade (A '09)
Fabiola Menchelli (A '13)
Helina Metaferia (A '16)
Nyeema Morgan (A '09)
Bennett Morris (A '07)
Ester Partegás (F '09)
Carol Pepper (A '60)
Bundith Phunsombatlert (A '09)
Marilyn Propp (A '69)
Hanneline Røgeberg (A '88, F '09)
Sherrill Roland (A '18)
Michelle Rosenberg (A '08)
Annesofie Sandal (A '15)
Amanda Schoppel (A '05)
Austin Shull (A '08)
Molly Springfield (A '06)
Draga Susanj (A '02),
Elizabeth Tubergen (A '15)
Traci Tullius (A '02)
Tabitha Vevers (A '78)
Robert Wechsler (A '06)
Yoav Weinfeld (A '16)
Jane Westrick (A '15)
Distance and (Missed) Connections
Readings and a discussion with Negar Ahkami (A ‘04) and Cyriaco Lopes (A ‘02)
Exhibiting artists Cyriaco Lopes and Negar Ahkami will discuss how themes of distance and connection, or missed connection, inform their distinct artistic practices. The artists will discuss the creative potential they each find in observations of things that don’t quite line up or when disparate people, cultures, ideas or even things try to connect. The discussion will begin with Negar reading LOOK, the Solmaz Sharif poem that inspired the curators of Distance, and Cyriaco will read from the missed connections (man for man) from Craigslist which inspired his pieces on view.
Distance, Longing, and the Digital
A conversation between Rebecca Baldwin (A ‘04) and Traci Tullius (A ‘02)
The artists will discuss how they address longing and attempts to bridge the distance between here and there, now and then, through digital means. The media that the artists employ, video or text messaging, create their own meaning, separate from the subject itself, the sense of home or connection that was sought. In both artists’ work, this space is a rich place of meaning, discovery, humor and love.
Traci Tullius will show her 2011 video Home, related to her drawing in the show that depicts the decay, demolition and topographical erasure of her great grandparents’ 100-year-old farm house in Oklahoma.
Rebecca Baldwin will present a short performance, Txt Play, based on her work in the show, a series of text messages between the artist and people she is close to. Performers will recreate conversations aloud replacing all digital communications with analog interactions.
Closing Walkthrough with Shaun Leonardo (A ‘04)
Shaun Leonardo’s multidisciplinary work negotiates societal expectations of manhood, namely definitions surrounding black and brown masculinities, along with its notions of achievement, collective identity, and experience of failure. His performance practice is participatory in nature and invested in a process of embodiment, promoting the political potential of attention and discomfort as a means to disrupt meaning and shift perspective. Leonardo is a Brooklyn-based artist from Queens, New York City. He received his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, is a recipient of support from Creative Capital and Guggenheim Social Practice and was recently profiled in the New York Times. His work has been presented in galleries and institutions, nationally and internationally, and featured at The Guggenheim Museum, the High Line, Recess, and VOLTA NY. elcleonardo.com