Art Assembled – New This Week in July

August 1, 2024 0 Comment

July has been good to us here at browngrotta arts. We’ve started getting into our final planning phases for our  Fall 2024 “Art in the Barn” exhibition, Ways of Seeing – exploring ways individuals envision and curate art collections. The exhibition within the exhibition will feature distinct groupings: The Art Aquatic, art influenced by water; Impact: Women Artists to Collect, accomplished artists from the US and abroad; and Right-Sized, art compiled with specific parameters in mind. The exhibition will be open to the public September 21-29. We hope to see you there!

Outside of prepping for this exhibition, we’ve had the opportunity to introduce six artists in our New This Week series, including: James Bassler, Susie Gillespie, Eduardo and Mariá Eugenia Dávíla Portillo, Eva Vargo and Adela Akers.

Now, we’re recapping everything we covered so you don’t miss a thing! Read on for the full breakdown.

James Bassler
20jbas This Old House by James Bassler, multiple cotton and silk warps, patched together multiple sisal, silk, linen, agave, ramie wefts, synthetic and natural dyes. batik plain and wedge-weave construction, 27” x 42”, 2024. Photo by Tom Grotta.

We kicked off the month with a powerful feature on James Bassler‘s piece, This Old House. Timed with the 4th of July, this piece resonated deeply with the occasion. Since 1980, Bassler has been celebrated for his innovative textile work, drawing inspiration from diverse traditions such as the Navajo wedge-weave, Japanese shibori, and pre-Columbian scaffold weaves.

In “This Old House,” Bassler draws from Isabel Wilkerson’s book Caste, which likens America to an old house, with the caste system of slavery being as foundational as the studs and joints. The piece’s flag design, adorned with wax resist and a rich array of woven elements, pays homage to the African textile traditions brought to Virginia in 1619, symbolizing the loss of identity and culture imposed by slavery.

Not only is this work profound, but it also stands out for its stunning complexity.

Susie Gillespie
Evidence of Passing Time by Susie Gillespie, handspun, machine-spun linen, dyed, indigo, oak gall. gesso paint weaving, 15.75″ x 15.75″ x 2″, 2021. Photos by Tom Grotta.

Next up, we featured the talented artist Susie Gillespie and her captivating piece, Evidence of Passing Time. Gillespie draws inspiration from the beauty found in the remnants of what was once new: the patterns in damp, crumbling plaster; remnants of paint on decayed wood; rotting bark; and broken carvings. Her intricate techniques, such as broken borders, insets, twining, and weaves of herringbone and twill, bring these elements to life.

When asked about her work, Gillespie said: “Out of decay and disintegration I wish to express a sense of renewal.”

It’s no secret to us why this artist come so acclaimed, and we hope our readers feel the same.

Mariá Eugenia Dávíla Portillo
16pd Amarillo, Eduardo and Mariá Eugenia Dávíla Portillo, silk, alpaca, moriche fiber, cooper leaf, natural dyes, 82.25” x 24.6”, 2019. Photo by Tom Grotta.

The next duo we highlighted did not disappoint! Turning our spotlight to Eduardo and Mariá Eugenia Dávíla Portillo. Renowned for their experimental approach, this artistic pair has made significant strides across all facets of their practice.

Originating from Venezuela, they pioneered silk farming, utilizing local fibers and exploring natural indigo dyeing techniques inspired by their journeys through Orinoco and the Amazon. Extensive research in China and India further enriched their process, where they developed a comprehensive silk production cycle from mulberry tree cultivation to innovative textile design.

They make a spectacular duo, and we can’t wait to see more from them in the future!

Eva Vargo
8ev Paper Quilt 1, Eva Vargo, Japanese & Korean old book papers, handspun strings of old book papers, 23” x 23” x 2.25”, 2022. Photo by Tom Grotta.

We then turned our spotlight to artist Eva Vargö. With extensive travel experience, including time spent in Sweden, Japan, and Korea, Vargö has skillfully infused global influences into her practice.

Her current works are a fascinating blend of traditional weaving techniques and her own innovative paper-weaving methods. By integrating elements from Eastern philosophy, Vargö creates pieces that resonate with a deep sense of harmony and balance. Her unique approach not only reflects her diverse experiences but also continues to captivate audiences worldwide. It’s no wonder she’s earned such acclaim!

Adela Akers
53aa Five Windows, Adela Akers, linen and metal foil, 29” x 60”, 2005. Photo by Tom Grotta.

To close out the month, we are honored to highlight the work of the late, acclaimed artist Adela Akers. Her piece, Five Windows, created in 2005, showcases her masterful use of linen and metal foiling.

Born in Spain and later residing in the United States, Akers was a pivotal figure in the textile and fiber art world. Her career, which began in the 1950s, spanned the entire evolution of modern fiber art, leaving an indelible mark on the field.

We’re also thrilled to share that Akers’ work will be featured in Impact: 20 Women Artists to Collect, part of our upcoming Fall 2024 exhibition, Ways of Seeing. The exhibition will take place from September 21 to September 29, and we can’t wait for you to experience her remarkable artistry once again.

Thank you for joining us on this journey through July’s exciting features. We’re incredibly grateful for your continued support and enthusiasm for the artists and their remarkable work. Stay tuned for more updates and insights as we approach the unveiling of our upcoming Fall 2024 exhibition, Ways of Seeing. Don’t miss your chance to experience these stunning artworks in person—reserve your spot today! We look forward to seeing you there and sharing more artistic inspirations in the months ahead.

Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women: In Washington DC.

July 24, 2024 0 Comment
Lia Cook
Lia Cook in front of her piece Crazy Too Quilt. Photo by Tom Grotta

We were very excited to visit Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women last month, just after it opened at the Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. Besides thoroughly enjoying the engaging exhibition, we were pleased to catch up with senior curator of the exhibition, Mary Savig, friend of the gallery, Kathleen Mangan of the Lenore Tawney Foundation, and artist, Lia Cook (and see her exquisite work, Crazy Too Quilt).

Claire Zeisler and Emma Amos
Claire Zeisler Coil series three–a celebration and Emma Amos Winning. Photo by Tom Grotta

As the Gallery notes explain, the 33 selected artworks in Subversive, Skilled Sublime piece together an alternative history of American art. Accessible and familiar, fiber handicrafts have long provided a source of inspiration for women. The artists in this exhibition took up fiber arts, dismissed by many art critics as menial labor, to complicate this historic marginalization and also revolutionize its import to contemporary art. They drew on personal experiences, particularly their vantage points as women, and intergenerational skills, to transform humble threads into resonant and intricate artworks.

Monofilament by Kay Sekimachi
Nagare VII, monofilament by Kay Sekimachi. Photo by Tom Grotta

The works in the exhibition are artfully displayed. From the dramatic Claire Zeisler at the entrance to the exhibition, to the Lenore Tawney Cloud in the room just behind, to the narrow circular alcove where an ethereal Kay Sekimachi monofilament hangs in space, there are many vignettes that delight. We had a few (maybe more than a few) favorites. Lenore Tawney’s In the Dark Woods from 1959 is a revelation. It represents the artist’s open warp technique in which she pulled fiber through the vertical threads (the warp) by hand to create painterly, gestural forms. Unveiling of the Statue of Liberty is an exceptional Katherine Westphal quilt. We also loved Faith Ringgold’s The Bitter Nest, Part II: The Harlem Renaissance Party and its fascinating backstory.

Maria Emilia-Faedo's
Maria Emilia-Faedo’s, A Matter of Trust, quilt of metal mesh (1994). Photo by Tom Grotta

New to us was A Matter of Trust, Maria Emilia-Faedo’s quilt of metal mesh. “I collected secrets from friends and strangers, sealed them in ordinary envelopes, and sewed them into the quilt’s pockets,” the artist told Paradise News magazine. The envelopes containing the secrets are known only to their authors and were never read by Emilia-Faedo. We also loved Red and Blue, the 1969 work by Else Regensteiner.

Adela Akers
Sketches of By the Sea, by Adela Akers. Photo by Tom Grotta

We were also impressed by the dedicated gallery space of archival materials, and spent a good amount of time there. It provides a window into the artists’ studios, deepening insight into their creative processes with sketches, mail art, and photographs. There are many resources on line, including portraits of a few of the artists. All of the artworks are drawn from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s permanent collection; archival materials and interviews are selected from collections of the Archives of American Art. 

Katherine Westphal and Sheila Hicks
Unveiling of the Statue of Liberty, quilt by Katherine Westphal, The Principal Wife Goes On by Sheila Hicks. Untitled Bedspread by Marguerite Zurich. Photo by Tom Grotta

You have until January 5, 2025 to see Subversive, Skilled, Sublime. In the meantime, you can see work by four of the artists in Sublime, Katherine Westphal, Adela Akers, Lia Cook, and Kay Sekimachi at browngrotta arts’ in Impact: 20 Women Artists to Collect, part of our fall exhibition, Ways of Seeing.

Save the Date: Ways of Seeing, browngrotta arts’ Fall Art in the Barn exhibition Opens September 21st 

July 17, 2024 0 Comment
622mr Blue Water II, Mariette Rousseau-Vermette, wool and aluminum tube tapestries, 3’ x 5’, 1998. Photo by Tom Grotta

This Fall, browngrotta arts at 276 Ridgefield Road, Wilton, Connecticut, will explore the many ways individuals envision and curate their contemporary art collections. From September 21st to the 29th the gallery’s Fall 2024 “Art in the Barn” exhibition, Ways of Seeing, will sample different types of art selection criteria — by theme, by artist, by size.

Marian Bijlenga Fish Scale Detail
40mb Scale Flowers, Marian Bijlenga, dyed Nile Perch fish scales, 22.375″ x 18.875″ x 2.5″, 2019. Photo by Tom Grotta

Each work in The Art Aquatic, a theme-related collection, exists at the intersection of the artist’s fascination with a variety of nautical themes and the artmaking process. In The Art Aquatic, viewers will find imaginative uses of water-related materials: baskets incorporating shells by Birgit Birkkjaer, kayak and paddle sculptures by Chris Drury wrapped in salmon skin, Marian Bijlenga’s composition of fish scales, and Jeannet Leenderste’s baskets made of seaweed. Other works in The Art Aquatic offer more abstract references to life in the deep, including Ulla-Maija Vikman’s “painting,” Biagga (Sea Wind), made of viscose threads painted in marine colors and Mariette Rousseau-Vermette’s Blue Water II, made of woven tubes of beachy blue, grey, white, and yellow. A third series of works in The Art Aquatic offer watery imagery, like Judy Mulford’s  Aging by the Sea, that features a conch shell and tiny boat, Ed Rossbach’s Fish Trap Basket, with a whimsical fish motif, and the mermaid in Norma Minkowitz’s sculpture, My Cup Runneth Over. 

Sue Lawty Stone Drawing , Baskets by Hisako Sekijima
15sl Calculus, Sue Lawty, natural stones on gesso, 78.75″ x 118″, 2010. Photo by Tom Grotta

Impact: 20 Women Artists to Collect, another of the exhibitions within Ways of Seeing, will examine collecting by specific artist. Impact will present sculptures, tapestries, and mixed media works made from 1976 to 2024 by artists of significance and renown, including Kay Sekimachi, Yeonsoon Chang, Simone Pheulpin, and Carolina Yrarrázaval. Each of these artists demonstrates a knowledge of traditional and experimental techniques, while redefining the perception of textiles as fine art.

Detail of Mia Olsson
11mo Together, Mia Olsson, relief, sisal fibers, acrylic, 2021 . Photo by Tom Grotta

A third exhibition within Ways of Seeing will be Right-Sized, which considers collecting within specified parameters. Diversity is the hallmark — in materials, techniques, and approaches. In Right-Sized, viewers will find embroidery by Diane Itter, sculpture in sisal, paper, and willow by Mia Olsson, Noriko Takamiya, and Lizzie Farey, ceramics by Claude Vermette, and spheres, boxes, and baskets by Hideho Tanaka, Polly Sutton, Naoko Serino, and others, worthy of collecting in multiples.

“Ways of Seeing will celebrate the passion and individuality that spark and shape collections,” says co-curator Tom Grotta, “while offering collectors at all levels a wide selection of works to appreciate and possibly acquire.”

A full-color catalog will accompany the exhibition.

Details:
Ways of Seeing
exploring ways individuals envision and curate art collections
browngrotta arts
276 Ridgefield Road
Wilton, CT 06897

Gallery Dates/Hours:
Saturday, September 21st: 11am to 6pm [Opening & Artist Reception]
Sunday, September 22nd: 11am to 6pm (40 visitors/ hour)
Monday, September 23rd through Saturday,September 28th: 10am to 5pm (40 visitors/ hour)
Sunday, September 29th: 11am to 6pm [Final Day] (40 visitors/ hour)

Schedule your visit on POSH.

browngrotta.com

Woven Histories Highlights – National Gallery, Washington, DC

July 10, 2024 0 Comment
Woven Histories Entrance
Entrance to Woven Histories, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. Photo by Tom Grotta.

During our recent trip to Washington, DC we visited Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction, through July 28, 2024 at the National Gallery. We are not going to pout about the fact that it has taken a few decades for contemporary fiber art to make it into the hallowed halls of the National Gallery. We are just going to revel in this expansive textile coming out party — an exhibition that challenges, however belatedly, the hierarchies that often separate textiles from fine arts.

Woven Histories Installation
Installation view: Work by Ruth Asawa, Kay Sekimachi and Martin Puryear. Photo by Tom Grotta.

The 150 objects in Woven Histories highlight a diverse range of transnational and intergenerational artists who have shaped the field including: Ruth Asawa, Anni Albers, Lenore Tawney, Kay Sekimachi, Sheila Hicks, Rosemarie Trockel, and Diedrick Brackens. There are also painters and sculptors like Agnes Martin and Eva Hesse whose work also played a role in modern abstraction. 

Ed Rossbach
Ed Rossbach, Constructed Color Wall Hanging, 1965. Photo by Tom Grotta.

Curated by Lynne Cooke, the exhibition offers “a fresh and authoritative look at textiles — particularly weaving — as a major force in the evolution of abstraction.” Basketry is given prominence. Cook notes in the book that accompanies the exhibition, Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction, that basketry was a moribund artform in the mid-60s, when Ed Rossbach began his “[s]triving for expressive content, signification and meaning” within basketry’s time-tested techniques. The exhibition highlights others creating basket referents, including John McQueen, Dorothy, Gill Barnes, Martin Puryear, and Yvonne Koolmatrie.

Shan Goshorn
Shan Goshorn Baskets. Photo by Tom Grotta.

There are more than 50 artists whose work is included. The timeline is expansive — beginning with work created during World War I by Sophie Taeuber-Arp of the Zurich Dada circle, and continuing through to 21st century efforts to create community and celebrate the politics of identity by such artists as Ann Hamilton, Liz Collins, and Jeffrey Gibson. The exhibition will travel next to the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, from November 8, 2024–March 2, 2025 and then the Museum of Modern Art, New York, April 20–September 13, 2025. 

Agnes Martin
Agnes Martin, Untitled, oil on canvas, 1960. Photo by Tom Grotta.

Lives Well-Lived: Hiroyuki Shindo (1941-2024)

July 4, 2024 0 Comment
Hiroyuki and Chikako Shindo portrait
Hiroyuki and Chikako Shindo at browngrotta arts Sheila Hicks, joined by seven artists from Japan exhibition in 1995. Photo by Tom Grotta

We first met the talented and charming artist, Hiroyuki Shindo in 1995. Shindo was one of the artists in the east-west textile dialogue that Sheila Hicks crafted at browngrotta arts’ original location. Entitled Sheila Hicks, joined by seven artists from Japan, Shindo was one of the exhibition artists who created, in Hicks’ words, “strictly abstract, nonfolkloric works … Major statements in modest formats. Livable art. More than livable — inspirational and elevating, magnets of meditation.” Shindo and his wife, Chikako, came to Wilton, Connecticut from Japan, as did artist Chiyoko Tanaka, to install the exhibition with Hicks. Shindo served as an invaluable translator and witty raconteur. We learned about the virtues of cold sake, offerings made to the indigo gods, and his adventures in Broken Bow, Nebraska. (He had travelled, he told us, to Nebraska because it was where Sheila Hicks was born.) 

Indigo Thread Balls, Hiroyuki
Indigo Thread Balls, Hiroyuki Shindo, linen, cotton, indigo dye, 1995. Photo by Tom Grotta

We also learned in 1995 about Shindo’s remarkable art process. Shindo worked with indigo, which he first encountered as a student at Kyoto City University of Fine Arts in the late 1960s. An older artisan had told Shindo that he was the last of 14 generations of indigo dyers — Shindo was determined to prevent this art form’s extinction.

Hemp & Cotton, Hiroyuki Shindo
21hs Hemp & Cotton, Hiroyuki Shindo, linen, handspun and handwoven, indigo dye, 82″ x 44″, 1998. Photo by Tom Grotta

Shindo used only natural indigo for his work, which involved an elaborate ritual of his own formulation. He would first ferment the dye, pour it into a cement pool that contained pebbles. Next, he would move pebbles in a trough into the configuration he liked. Finally, he would press linen or flax into the trough of pebbles and dye, revealing the shapes and blurred edges he envisioned — from areas of nearly black to nearly invivible blue shadows. Shindo also made fascinating “thread balls” of wound thread where certain areas were highlighted with dye. As Hicks described the result, ”He is painting. He is sculpting. He is creating entire environments.” The white was as important to these works as the indigo Shindo believed. “If the white is not brilliant enough, or the undyed portion is not the right proportion, the balance is broken, and so I insist, white is as important to my work as is indigo.” Once dyed, the balls were placed in a nearby stream for rinsing, a process that is beautifully filmed in the video Textile Magicians by Cristobal Zanartu.

Wall Hanging, Hiroyuki Shindo
2hs Wall Hanging, Hiroyuki Shindo, linen and handspun and handwoven, indigo, x 12″, 1995. Photo by Tom Grotta

Shindo’s work has been exhibited widely. At the North Dakota Museum of Art, he created a series of panels responding to the flat landsape of the plains. He was among the artists included in Structure and Surface: Contemporary Japanese Textiles at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and Textile Wizards from Japan at the Israel Museum of Art in Jerusalem. His work is in a large group of museum collections including the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois, the Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, New York, and Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil, Mexico City. In 1997, he became a professor and head of the textile department at the Kyoto College of Art. 

Two Large Indigo wall hangings by Hiroyuki Shindo
Two Large Indigo wall hangings by Hiroyuki Shindo. Photo by Tom Grotta

In 2005, Shindo founded the Little Indigo Museum, in an old thatched-roof house, in the village of Kayabuki-no-Sato, north of Kyoto. This private art museum includes examples of indigo works not only from Japan, but also from Asia, Africa, Europe, and Central America — a representation of indigo dye culture from all over the world. The collection features indigo textiles found by the artist among discarded belongings, collected during field trips, and pieces received “from people along the way.”

Hiroyuki Shindo Large Wall Hanging detail.
Hiroyuki Shindo Large Wall Hanging detail. Photo by Tom Grotta

We are among the people he met along the way. He will indeed be missed.

Art Assembled – New This Week in June

June 26, 2024 0 Comment

Summer has brought sunshine, adventures, and an abundance of art to browngrotta arts! We’ve been immersed in exhibitions, shining a spotlight on our fabulous artists, and proudly launched our catalog for Discourse, art across generations and continents.

As June draws to a close, join us in recapping our featured artists from the New This Week series, including Norma Minkowitz, Rachel Max, Sue Lawty, and Hisako Sekijima. Let’s dive in!

Norma Minkowitz
105nm Swept Away, Norma Minkowitz, fiber and mixed media, 40″ x 40″, 2022. Photo by Tom Grotta.

Starting off the month, we featured the work of artist Norma Minkowitz. Renowned sculptor Norma Minkowitz has dedicated years to exploring the potential of crocheted sculptures, intricately interlaced and hardened into mesh-like structures.

Her artworks seamlessly blend structure and surface, offering profound reflections on themes of enclosure and entrapment. Minkowitz frequently contemplates the cycles of life and renewal, leaving twigs and branches embedded within her sculptures. These elements peek through the exterior, evoking comparisons to human skeletal or circulatory systems.

We are lucky to be able to work with her, and we hope everyone else enjoyed her feature as much as we did!

Rachel Max
13rm Caesura, Rachel Max, woven cane sculpture, plaited and twined, dyed
11” x 16.5” x 8”, 2023-24. Photo by Tom Grotta.

Next, we featured the talented artist Rachel Max, known for her innovative approach to contemporary basketry from her London base. Max’s artistic journey explores the intricate interplay between lace and traditional basketmaking techniques, resulting in finely woven sculptural pieces designed for interior spaces.

Her creative process involves meticulous refinement, exploration, and development of delicate openwork structures, where the juxtaposition of precise patterns with more relaxed weaves emerges as a recurring motif. Throughout her work, color plays a pivotal role, serving as a unifying element essential to Max’s artistic expression.

Sue Lawty
33sl Juncture, Sue Lawty, lead, 15.25″ x 12.25″ x 1.5″, 2023. Photo by Tom Grotta

We then turned our spotlight to artist Sue Lawty; renowned for her extensive experience as an artist, designer, and educator, with works displayed in prestigious collections worldwide, including a notable residency at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Lawty’s creative practice delves deep into emotional, spiritual, and physical connections with the land. Through intuitive and meticulous exploration of materials and construction techniques, she constructs unique textual languages. It’s no surprise her contributions are revered across the art world.

Hisako Sekijima
668=680 Grasp V, Hisako Sekijima, walnut, black and kan-chiku bamboo, 9” x 11” x 5.5”, 2023. Photo by Tom Grotta

Last, but certainly not least, we featured the work of artist Hisako Sekijima. Sekijima is known in the art world for her sculptural baskets created with diverse materials including cherry, hibiscus and cedar bark, kudzu, and bamboo.

She describes herself as a perpetual experimenter, fascinated by concepts of order and disorder, connection and disconnection. Her artistic pursuits encompass a wide range of techniques and themes, from binding and wrapping space to exploring spheres, handles, and the interplay of materials.

We look forward to continuing this exploration with you in the months ahead. Stay tuned for more inspiring stories and artists featured in our upcoming series!

Discourse — the book, out now

June 19, 2024 0 Comment
Discourse: across generations catalog

Our 59th catalog, Discourse: art across generations and continents, is now available from the browngrotta.com website. As you may know, we produce our catalogs in house. If you’ve purchased a copy, you should have gotten a Handle With Care insert that reads: ”Each browngrotta arts catalog is individually printed and hand bound. Once you have a copy in hand, please treat it gently. If you crack the spine to see if the pages will flutter out, they just might. So, please don’t. Thanks.” Our catalogs “have never been anything but labors of love,” Glenn Adamson observed on the occasion of our 50th catalog, “quite literally products of a family concern, a cottage industry.” (“Beyond Measure,” Glenn Adamson, Volume 50: Chronicling FIber Art for Three Decades, browngrotta arts, Wilton, CT, 2020.)

New Press

This Spring we had a brief delay in producing while we acquired a new printing press — smaller, faster, and with more bells and whistles. Our previous press, which we bought second-hand, had given up the ghost in May. But it did not give up until browngrotta arts had published more than a million pages, mostly on fiber art and artists. Our new printer has expanded features: it can handle heavier and larger sheets and spot varnish.

Mika Watanabe spread
Mika Watanabe spread

In Discourse: art across generations and continents, you’ll find work by 61 artists from 20 countries. There are 176 pages and hundreds of color photographs, including details. There are also short compilations of collections, exhibitions, and awards for each artist included.

Federica Luzzi spread
Federica Luzzi spread

Also included in the Discourse catalog is an insightful essay by Erika Diamond, an artist and curator and the Associate Director of CVA Galleries at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. In “Consonance of Strings,” Diamond identifies several themes that influence the artists in Discourse. These include textiles like Federica Luzzi’s and Mika Watanabe’s that mirror the human body, works like Stéphanie Jacques’ exploration of the void, that express a yearning for connection, and those  finding order in chaos and harmony in disorder like the subversively “crushed” baskets by Polly Barton. Diamond makes broader observations about textiles’ ability to provide interconnections and common ground for viewers. She compares textiles to quantum physics’ theory of vibrating strings of energy making up the world. Textiles, she sees as “… lines in space — stitches, braids, weavings — moving and bending in search of unity and reconciliation between even the most vastly different materials and ideas.”

installation spread
installation spread: works by Adela Akers, Thomas Hucker, Norma Minkowitz, Neha Puri Dhir, John McQueen on the left and Lia Cook, Ed Rossbach , Sue Lawty on the right

Get your copy of the Discourse catalog from our website: https://store.browngrotta.com/c53-discourse-art-across-generations-and-continents/. It’s a good read!

Dispatches: Washington, D.C.

June 12, 2024 0 Comment

We travelled to Washington, D.C. this past weekend in search of art and archival info. 

We had some delicious meals — Indian (The Bombay Club), Latin Fusion (Mercy Me), lox and bagels, (Call Your Mother) and returned to Shashuka (Tatte), a dish we first discovered in South Africa.

We did some great walking — DC is a very pedestrian-friendly town. 

We scheduled the trip as a celebration of textiles. We visited three exceptional exhibitions — Subversive, Skilled, Sublime at the Renwick, Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction at the National Gallery, Irresistible: The Global Patterns of Ikat at the George Washington University and The Textile Museum, and did some research on artists and art history at the Archives of American Art. (We’ll cover exhibition specifics in upcoming posts on arttextstyle.)

In addition to catching up with artists, curators, and friends at Sublime, we learned something interesting about the Renwick. The building was completed in 1874 and opened as DC’s first art museum, housing William Wilson Cochran’s collection of European and American art, In 1899, the building was comandeered by the Court of Claims. In the 1950s, the Court proposed demolishing the building. Happily, it was saved by First Lady, and tireless patron of the arts, Jacqueline Kennedy in 1963. President Lyndon Johnson transferred the building to the Smithsonian Institution for use as “a gallery of crafts, art, and design.” It was renovated in 1972 amd again in 2013. Between 2016 and 2023, 176,000 people have visited.

We also visited the National Gallery, East Building to see Woven Histories which has traveled from LACMA in California and which will arrive at MoMA in New York in 2025. We’ll share images and info about Woven Histories in a future post.

The National Gallery is a delight — an inspired building — widely considered I.M. Pei’s most ambitious architectural design. (Side note: David Ling, the architect behind the renovation and addition to browngrotta arts’ home/barn/gallery, worked for I.M. Pei.) The East Building houses the National Gallery’s collection of modern and contemporary art and temporary exhibitions. From the Alexander Calder sculpture in the lobby to the massive Urula von Rydingsvard wood sculpture and the striking Theaster Gates work on the 2nd floor mezzanine, to the permanent collection itself (500 works), there is much to see. Hard to pick just a few highlights but we wlll. They include: 45 Calder sculptures and paintings, a choice selection of works from the Washington Color School of the 50s and 60s, including Kenneth Noland and Alma Thomas, and an impressive collection of Mark Rothko paintings (who is a major influence for several artists who work with browngrotta arts).

Our last stop was The Textile Museum at George Washington University for Irresistible…(Watch this space in future weeks for more on that ikat exhibition.) The Museum’s collection is truly remarkable — 21,000 objects in all, Rugs and Textiles from the Islamic World, East and Southeast Asian Textiles, African Textiles, and Indigenous American Textiles. In 2016, the Museum began collecting textiles from the 20th and 21st centuries to showcase textiles as a “vibrant medium of contemporary expression.” The contemporary collection includes works by Ed Rossbach, Lia Cook, Helena Hernmarck, Cynthia Schira, James Bassler, and Polly Barton. 

The Museum also houses one of the most significant textile study collections ever assembled. Nearly 4000 fragments from around the world are housed in the Cotsen Textile Traces Study Collection, compiled by philanthropist and collector, Lloyd Cotsen, who was also a patron of browngrotta arts.

One of the great things about museum hopping in DC — so many of them are free!! We just scratched the surface in the three days we were there.

The National Museum of the American Indian, National Museum of African American History and Culture and National Museum of Women in the Arts are our first stops for our next trip. (If Rhonda hadn’t been there twice already, The International Spy Museum, would be high on the list, too — it’s great fun.)

More Pop-Ups Please!

June 5, 2024 0 Comment
Space 67 - bogarts Pop-Up installation
From left to right: Repos + Paix-side by Mariette Rousseau-Vermette, Embarrilado Azul by Carolina Yrarrázaval, Fire Fright and Range Fire by Lewis Knauss, CMA-CGM by Laura Foster Nicholson, Arm & Hammer by John McQueen and Peninsula by Mary Merkel-Hess. Photo by Tom Grotta

We had a chance to do an expanded Pop-Up at Space67 in Norwalk, CT last month. We were first asked to curate an exhibition that would be enjoyed by individuals who attended The Supper Club. Then, with the exhibition in place, we decided to create a public Pop Up for one day and invite our fans, people in Norwalk, and those just walking by. 

Haiti inspired Chicken Tender
Haiti-inspired, Braised chicken tender in creole sauce – yuka – plantain crisp – cilantro avocado salsa verde was one of extraordinary seven courses served at The Supper Club. Photo by Tom Grotta

The Supper Club dinner was a project of the Kitchen Incubator at the Village Community Foundation in Stamford, CT. The Incubator Program at The Village is a nonprofit program that supports local, diverse entrepreneurs and startups in the food and beverage industry. 

Supper Club Chefs
Chefs Xavier Santiago, Marta Garcia, and Ivan Romero, their crew, and Village Community Foundation President, Jon Winkel, addressing diners. Photo by Tom Grotta

The Supper Club at Space67 involved three exceptional chefs — Chef Xavier Santiago, Chef Marta Garcia, and Chef Ivan Romero — who, with a talented crew, prepared a 7-course meal with offerings from Colombia, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, and the Dominican Republican. 

Supper Club at Space 67
Between courses at Space 67. Photo by Tom Grotta

Sixty people were served, music was provided by The Briefly Educated & Friends and a great time was had by all!

browngrotta Pop-up Space 67 art exhibition
Falling Fruit by John McQueen, Cimbreante by Eduardo and María Eugenia Dávila Portillo and Pre-Columbian Meets Mid-Century Modern by James Bassler. Photo by Carter Grotta

In support of the South American food and drinks (Cuba Libre, Clarified Piña Colada, and Hibiscus Lemonade) that were served, we chose a Pan-American theme for the works we exhibited: Continental Divide: Fiber Art from North and South America included artists from Chile, Venezuela, Canada, and the US. Falling Fruit by John McQueen, Carolina Yrråzaval’s Embarrilado Azul, Cimbreante by Eduardo Portillo and María Davila and CMA-CGM by Laura Foster Nicholson were among the most-commented-upon works in the exhibition.

John McQueen and MAry Merkel-Hess
Arm & Hammer by John McQueen and Peninsula by Mary Merkel-Hess. Photo by Tom Grotta

For the public Pop-Up we added work by Mary Merkel-Hess and a large sculpture by John McQueen.

Claude Vermette by the vaults
Coq-de-Bruyere by Claude Vermette by the Vaults. Photo by Tom Grotta

Pop-Ups serve an important objective of ours at browngrotta arts — to bring fine fiber art to more and varied audiences. Watch for more!

Art Assembled – New This Week in May

May 30, 2024 0 Comment

May has brought with it a fresh wave of inspiration as we embrace the new opportunities that Spring offers. Alongside the launch of our exhibition, Discourse: art across generations and continents, we’ve been thrilled to introduce our audience to a diverse array of New This Week features, showcasing the work of talented artists we’ve had the privilege of collaborating with over the years.

Now, as the month comes to a close, we’re excited to recap each artist we’ve highlighted.

Polly Barton
14pb Guardians, Polly Barton, silk warp with pictorial weft ikat in rayon and viscose, woven in 3 panels. walnut frame, 24 x 49.875”, 2023. Photos by Tom Grotta.

To kick off the month, we featured the remarkable artwork of Polly Barton. In the art world, Barton is a nationally recognized artist who has been working in fiber for 40 years. Trained in Japan, she is known for working with traditional methods of binding and dyeing bundles of fiber to weave contemporary imagery.

In her practice, Barton incorporates a wide range of materials in her work including pigment, soy milk, pastel, metallic threads, stitching, papyrus, and metal leaf. She was also one of the many talented artists featured in Discourse, which is now live on Artsy.

Neda Al-Hilali
1na Crystal Planet, Neda Al-hilali
plaited color paper, acrylic, ink drawing, paper, 43″ x 49″ x 2.5″, 1982

Next, we highlighted the work of talented artist Neda Al-Hilali. This Czechoslovakian artist, who works in the US, is known for for vibrant, detailed works of paper created in the 80s and previously, dramatic “Rope Art,” (featured in Life magazine in the 70s). Al-Hilali is one of the artists included in Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women, that opens at the Smithsonian American Art Museum this week.

Her work has been long recognized, and we are honored to be able to exhibit this strong work by Al-Hilali!

Michael Radyk
8mra Lift, Michael Radyk, cotton jacquard, 66” x 52” x 1”, 2014.

We then turned our spotlight to artist Michael Radyk. Radyk is an artist who explores woven textiles and the qualities inherent in their structure, production, design, craft, and history. He uses both the hand loom and Jacquard loom to produce his work. Radyk designs, weaves, cuts, sculpts, and manipulates his textiles into both two and three-dimensional sculptural forms.

In his artistry, Radyk’s work involves the reinvention of manufactured materials and familiar textiles such as corduroy. He creates work that is based in place and material research using mainly recycled and repurposed materials. ​

Ésme Hofman
4eh Dialogue No.4 (a study in black and white willow skeins), Ésme Hofman, peeled and boiled willow skeins, 7.625″ x 5.75″ x 5.75″, 2024

To close out the month, we highlighted the work of artist Ésme Hofman. Hofman is a traditionally trained basketmaker who learned the foundations of my craft at the German basketry school. When creating, Hofman looks beyond the borders of this traditional handcraft. This gives her freedom to explore creative possibilities, and generates other ways of making. 

Her techniques and materials now vary from the traditional to the contemporary using natural stems, leaves, bark, wire, plastics, vellum, paper and occasionally color. Although fascinated by different possibilities, her my main focus is with the very time-consuming willow skeinwork, a nearly-extinct basketry technique that results in an extremely fine surface texture. Almost like textile, it enables her to create fine objects.

We hope you’ve enjoyed discovering these remarkable works as much as we have. Stay tuned for more exciting updates and features in the months ahead!