The Invitational

Christine Hughes
March 2014

The American Academy of Arts and Letters’ “Invitational Exhibition of Visual Arts” opened on March 4th and runs through April 12th. The 250 Academy members look at contemporary American art and find about 150 artists who they nominate. These artists are then narrowed down to this year’s participants by a committee of 10 who choose those to be included his years show. 37 were chosen. The curator Souhad Rafey, then working with the artists, picks the work to be included based on their input and her own vision for the exhibit.

Both buildings of the Academy containing about a dozen gallery spaces as well the grounds are ample room for Ms. Rafey to compose a beautifully installed exhibit.

In the courtyard between the buildings there is a fabulous grouping of 5 of Bruce Gagnier’s Bronze figures. Just exactly life size they are both very contemporary and carry the history of bronze figure work (some heavy lifting) effortlessly.

In the Annex Ultra Violet’s mirrors share the room with Izhar Patkin’s Theseus & Minotaur; a flowing veil-like set of 3 panels of curtained tulle with a slight Moire’ effect, images shifting almost as if projected onto the fabric.

There are plenty of abstract paintings done by women here (Rachel Malin, Keltie Ferris to name a couple) as well as a beautiful grouping of sculptures by Martha Clippinger which are as painterly as any sculpture I have seen recently.

Abbie Miller’s sculptures are in the center of the south gallery. Imagine an almost day-glo version of a Rodin Burgers of Calais but instead of a bronze looming figure, a shiny vinyl, twisted, zippered form. A bit costume design, obsessive sewing and dance.

Dennis Kardon has a large abstract painting, and 3 magical Ipad drawings each in their own light-box.

Anna Betbeze is represented by several large fiber pieces, wool with charred wood, worked with ash and dyes. Burned through so the wall behind is incorporated visually. Large abstract, visceral. They carry a slight smell of fire evoking the process of creating them.

Tom Doyle has 3 pieces of sculpture in wood and cast bronze “This work is about a desire to suspend forms in space sustained by just 3 supports.” He uses a two man sawmill to carve trees that he fells himself. The forms are reminiscent of the brush stokes of Franz Kline, balanced, weightless, elegant.

This show has so much strong, playful, powerful, and significant work that it should remain on view for a longer period.

The Academy awards a total of $112,500. in prize money to the artists chosen to participate in this show. A panel of ten members chaired by Eric Fischl, all of whom are artists members of the Academy, judge the art and award the 11 individual prizes.

There will be a second show opening May 22, which will exhibit the work of the award winners from this exhibit as well as composers, writers and architects who have been awarded additional prize moneys.

Works by 19 artists in this show were purchased and will be placed in U.S. museums. These works will be included in the Academy’s following show “Exhibition of Work by Newly Elected Members and Recipients of Honors and Awards” which opens on May 22 and also includes the work of award winning composers, architects and writers.

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While walking through some of the back galleries I came across the recreation of Charles Ives’ Study.

This modest room is copied from the ground floor of his house in Redding, Connecticut where he composed and played music for the last 40 years of his life.  This permanent exhibit which as just opened to the pubic, contains over 3000 objects, not the least of which is his small upright piano. 

Ives was an innovative American artist who was not fully appreciated in his lifetime. He was an American Modernist composer whose interest in American popular music and the church music he grew up hearing fed his experimentation with musical techniques and systems. His work with polytonality, tone clusters, quarter tones foreshadowed 20th Century music.

Ives died in 1954 leaving behind a widow, Harmony, who in turn bequeathed to the American Academy of Arts and Letters the royalties to all of Ives’ music which has funded over 250 scholarships and fellowships and awards.

The youtube link below is Leonard Bernstein speaking to an audience in Munich before preforming Ives’ 2nd Symphony (which he premiered with the NY Philharmonic in 1951) giving a little background on Charles Ives.

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Theseus & Minataur (Tyiptych), 2012, Izhar Patkin,  courtesy of the artist
Trypophobia Tripping Phobia, 2013, Rachel Malin, courtesy of the artist
bluemarble, (iPad painting), 2012, Dennis Kardon,  courtesy of the artist
South Gallery View: (from left to right) Abbie Miller, SubRosa, 2013, courtesy of the artist
Anna Betbeze , Fat Lava & Lake 2013 courtesy of the artist and Kate Werble Gallery
Wade Guyton, end wall courtesy of artist and Petzel Gallery, NY.