May 20 – August 1, 2015
Curated by Stephanie Buhmann
In Conversation is a diverse group exhibition inspired by a series of recent studio interviews including the artists featured. A related panel discussion is scheduled for June 10.
Participating artists are: Polly Apfelbaum, Kathy Butterly, Hermine Ford, Tara Geer, Jacqueline Gourevitch, Michelle Jaffé, Joyce Kozloff, Kathleen Kucka, Melissa Meyer, Luisa Rabbia, Jennifer Riley, and Leslie Wayne
In addition, photographs of the artists’ studios, by Laura J. Gerlach will accompany the art at the installation.
Between January 2013 and March 2015, guest curator Stephanie Buhmann conducted 14 interviews with New York-based artists. Her frustration with the media’s increased focus on art as an investment rather than a source of inspiration served as her impetus for this project. It invites the audience to the place where art is the most intimate and concrete: the artist’s studio.
“As the art market landscape continues to become commercialized and evolve around art fairs and auctions, the artist’s studio serves as a contemplative counter-point,” Buhmann says.
Instead of focusing on monetary values or the general marketability of art, Buhmann’s interviews, which are to be assembled in a forthcoming publication, stress concepts of individuality and diversity. They refer to technical aspects, such as the artists’ processes, but also discuss personal history, philosophy and the artists’ eclectic sources of inspiration.
“In our fast-paced world, we often only glance at who and what is around us, making quick assessments based on our tastes and experiences,” says Buhmann. “However, I believe that looking at art, which requires true personal engagement, should continue to defy this trend. Each conversation reveals just how much thought, emotion and resilience goes into making a work of art.”
In Conversation is sparked by these interviews and helps to illustrate them. Though all of the artists featured are based in New York, they are working in different media and styles, reflecting some of the eclectic concerns and methods found in the city’s contemporary art world today.
Stephanie Buhmann is a member of the Association Internationale des Critiques d’Art and the Deutscher Fachjournalisten-Verband. She is a contributing editor at Artcritical. Her essays and art reviews have been published by international galleries, newspapers, and art magazines including Kunst Bulletin, Sculpture Magazine, The Brooklyn Rail, ARTPulse, Art on Paper, Art Papers, Art Collector, Art Lies and many others.