Curatorial Project:
Transformation - A Permanent Collection
Curated for ArtConnects NY, installed at the
International Center for the Disabled, New York, NY
Curatorial Statement: Transformation
Transformation is a collection of selected paintings, works on paper, and photographs by a diverse group of New York artists. Its concept and title is inspired by ICD's vision: to help individuals of all ages with disabilities to achieve their highest possible level of health, mobility and independence. For all of us, no matter how difficult or easy the journey, transformation can only happen in stages.
In the context of Transformation, each artwork functions asa metaphor for individual progress. Each reflects the artist's struggle to transform everyday impressions and experiences into a unique pictorial language and any step in the creative process to solve that problem is another milestone on the path of transformation.
The thought-process that precedes each composition is different for each artist. In fact, the artists participating in Transformation in Stages have very different stylistic, ideological, and aesthetic beliefs. Abstract painters, such as Calvin Brown, Fran Holstrom, Bo Joseph, Martin Mullin, Rob Nadeau, Paul Pagk, Donald Silverstein, and Willy Richardson, have abandoned literal renditions of nature. Their compositions are based on complex relationships of color and form that often question the substance of a painting, its physical existence. In contrast, landscape artist Lisa Breslow and painter/collagist Nancy Rubens create environments by either referring to a specific place or as in Rubens’ case, by collecting documents of specific events and cultures. In their photographs, Cora Cohen and Erica Shires follow a similar idea. Their images uncover hidden, underlying truths of concrete locations and objects. Both women focus on easily overlooked every day objects or phenomena. Bradley Wester also employs common objects, such as commercial labels, in his work. Like Marci MacGuffie or Matthias Leutrum, Wester uses patterns of forms to create compositions rich in vivid movement and gesture.
However different their artistic approach, all these artists face the same basic challenge: to find a unique visual vocabulary that describes their view of the world that surrounds them. It takes a thorough examination and analysis of oneself and one’s environment to be able to recognize the various developmental stages that an individual experiences in life. The challenges on this journey might be psychological, emotional, as well as physical. The creation of artwork follows this process and the result provides emotional release to the artist and viewer alike. Freedom of thought, independence and artistic expression require the embrace of transformation, the courage to move forward and accept progress in stages.