Beyond Art as Surface Evaluation

BASE began as my brainchild, my Little Written Baby, that burst out of my head womb, temporary roping a few others into the tangle web it had begun to spin.

Upon beginning BASE I found supportiveness from parts of the art community,  and that same supportiveness has been urging me to not let go, to find a grip, and make time. Other parts of the art community were off put and at times angered by the anonymity of BASE, as being behind a curtain was taken to be negative and cowardly.

Regardless of the artist and art community reaction I felt (and still feel) strongly about all of the words I’d spread through BASE. Despite that burning to continue BASE, some months later, I lost track, couldn’t keep up, as life and its commitments weighed my time too heavily to spread it into fire and continue BASE alone.

Now, I’ve changed jobs and got a grip on life (sort of) and have time and energy  to dedicate to BASE again.

In fairness to accountability, and to open more dialogue as I continue I would like say:

I am, and will always be, Jessie Gray. Creator and core of BASE,Transplanted Lancaster City Resident, PCA&D Alumni,  Wearer-of-Multiple-Hats.

Now that that’s out of the way:

BASE will revive itself as a bi-monthly (and need based) publication in both print and on the internet. Print copies will be available for free at local establishments as I attempt to connect myself and BASE on a more personal level with Lancaster, the community that I so strongly care about seeing reach full bloom.

The newest edition of BASE will surface soon after the First Friday of August. It will bring with it a new paper-format and tweaked web presence, with a much more active social media pages.

BASE, and life have been Uphill Walking, but my gams are strong,  my Lungs are full, and my arms are unloaded just enough to pick BASE back up again.

To those who interacted with BASE and myself in any way (positive or negative interactions were all positive in my head): Thank you, you all are the cartilage that holds the backbone stiff. And to those of you, you know who you are, who have been little voices in my ear telling me to keep walking: I’m grateful, as without hearing the bits of “keep walking” I may not have had the presence of mind to step though my life tolls, release my encapsulated fire, and  pick BASE up again.

I look forward to sharing more with you, the Lancaster creative community, and stepping out, talking, and actually shaking hands and saying hello with my real face in the near future. Until we meet, feel free to contact me via any of the social media pages or email ([email protected]) with literally any comments, concerns, ideas, questions, angry words, happy words, encouragement/discouragement etc.

We've been busy connecting with local artist. To find out what Salina Almanzar, Jenny Germann, and Schirlyn Kamara have to say look here:http://www.baselanc.com/localwords.html

The feature of female artists is just the beginning, we have more local artists features on the way.

If we've connected with you already, don't fret, you'll be heard soon.

May is almost here and the show is almost over, so this is a little late, but better than never. Sunshine, you reached out a hand and asked for thoughts on behalf of Peter and his work, so, here we go…

  The varied sizes of Schneck’s paintings fit the walls at Sunshine like they were made to hold them up. A colorful variety fitting of the fantastic space. Along side the many paintings Sunshine offers a Q&A with Peter, giving insight to his art life and the flannel in his closet, referencing; cats, De Kooning,  and personal history. A must read if you love or hate the work .

  When asked about the pop culture references in his work he answered  honestly: they appear in the paintings because they appear in life. The Imagery, of recognizably distorted objects and folks, holds firm to the canvas with solid use of color and geometric influence. Color is always a factor, or issue, in any visual work but, beyond the color lies more than plaid and pepperoni. If you shimmy past the toppings and cheese you’ll find a deeper world, a hearty crust. Schenck’s canvases are filled with what seems to be an outsiders commentary on a current American time and place.

  This underlying theme of idol, and pop culture, slathered with vivid colors and sharp lines, is clearcut reflection of the world we are stuck in. Schenck's work is an honest and possibly accidental mimic of the current state: where Idols are manufactured almost monthly, and anthems are ever-changing hums from the top 100, where the fast is holy, cool reigns supreme, a place where quirks become as typical as the many styling of bread and cheese.

Much of the imagery, with abstraction and representation as the conductors, reaches a place where the objects and people feel fresh in an alien sort of way. Almost as if the creator had just visited our society for the first time and, becoming entranced with specific things, began to create images of our cultural artifacts.The themes, or types of imagery repeated are all connected reflection of some of the countless American subcultures floating around, specifically the young majorities. Pizza, which can be found every-other block, over the phone, or in the frozen food section, is elevated by Schenck to the level of an idol, pictured front and center by its lone (sometimes with halo), as if placed on the canvas by its own power. It’s not just pizza that gets a special throne of idolization: it’s faces, its patterns, its the diptych of repeating circles, triangles, that appears to be a holy land.

​One More Slice, the diptych, is the most alien of all on display. It brings forth a world of bulbous space and stacked shapes that turns into an imposing, yet comforting landscape that is neither interior or exterior. The repetition of upward pointing triangles has the same elevating and semi-frightening effect as the sharp points of religious architecture.The imposing upward points, representative of masculinity, power, and upper worlds, is mellowed out by the feminine downward facing triangles that lace the bottom of the canvas. It mirrors itself with skewed colors, as if the landscape itself is playing tricks on the viewer and creator. With hidden, mock, or implied symbolism all over the surface One More Slice holds tightly to a deeper, more beautifully alienating space. Schenck’s work is playful, colorful, joyous, and confusing - A beautiful surface to a deep well, a place to get lost and explore.

Sunshine Art + Design

104 W. king St.

t-f noon - 6pm

Here's something positive to keep an eye on. Handz On Realistic Fine Art is an organization that is for the promotion, empowerment and education of artists who are not as well known, or well represented, in the community. They also offer other services, and opportunities. Worth keeping on your radar.

First Friday’s are mainly promoted by the City, making it an ultra public event. So it is really no surprise that they have just opened their own gallery, with well equipped space that seems ready for nearly anything. It is open to the public and open to new artists, with what seems to be a perpetual open call via Tracey Beyl, the cities Public Art Director. Unlike some coffee shops, it does not  take commission from the work that sells - for that your should be praised one hundred times. 

The opening reception April 4th featured local powerhouse Robert Paterno, a founder of Prince streets PCA&D. Paterno, as a printmaker, has a phenomenal grasp on technique, and strong visual sensibilities. However, Paterno and his work are hardly an issue when it comes to the City Hall Art Gallery. There are much larger fish in the pan than that. 

The City Hall Art Gallery should be very careful of its mission. As it is in a public, it cannot become diluted by the arts and forget about the community that surrounds it. It cannot show works of only  well established local artists. For instance, it should never show the work of Gail Gray (unless auctioned to benifit community foundations/organizations *wink). It must connect with the city, and the community, not just the art community, but the community that literally surrounds it. It cannot forget about the people who live around the corner, where the streets and hands are less well manicured.  It cannot lie lazily and just take artists as they come. It must reach out, and bring the community in by means of education, empowerment, and encouragement. Otherwise, it is a misuse of the space, time, and money that keeps the lights on.

 The arts are well connected with the city government, there is no argument there. When the two meet - art and government space - there must be a higher calling, a deeper reach into the community., it must transcend a traditional art space.  Please correct me if I am wrong, but  with the two combined it is your obligation to use the space to benefit the community outside of already well established art community. 

Lancaster Galleries, tucked away on Water street behind the Ware Center, is celebrating it’s 30th year in operation. A commendable amount of time for a gallery, or any other business for that matter, making it a sturdy staple in the art community here. With such a long and steady track record there are few words of criticism that would be beneficial. And though the drawing of Jack jumping over the candlestick was lovely and tempting I’ll stay mum on the topic. Rather than pick apart, in detail, individual pieces or the entire exhibit, let us discuss and consider Lancaster Galleries as a whole.

We’ll start with half of a handful of facts about Lancaster Galleries itself:

Established in 1984

Offers a variety of services (restoration, framing, consultation, prints...etc)

They represent approximately 16 different artists 

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With such a long history it’s assumed and hoped for that Lancaster Galleries is not only connected with 16 artists, but also beyond knee deep in art the community here, rather than simply revolving around itself. The community is diverse, and becoming more diverse by the month: There are communities of Muslim, African, Asian, and Middle Eastern peoples, along with refugees from various places whose numbers rival that of the standard white washed communities who once were the reigning majority. There is no need to ask if the population of Lancaster, or the nation, is reflected at Lancaster Galleries, the establishments around Gallery Row, or even Keystone Cultural Center. Any passerby can tell that, with very few exceptions, the art community is grossly monopolized by ageing, upper-middle class, white males.This cycle of dominance can be seen all across the nation, it has been a problem in the art world and society for an unlivable amount of time. Inclusion is key.

The Demuth Museum, in conjunction with the LMA, will be opening an exhibition of POP related art April 11th through July 5th. The last display of POP work at Demuth featured a bucketful of local artists ranging in great variety from Whitson, to Shapiro. The 11th, however, the net is less wide and more far flung: bringing James Warhola, nephew of the ever famous Andy Warhol, to our vicinage. 

Warhola, an illustrator with notches in his bed posts for the likes of the Garbage Pail Kids, and MAD magazine, will be showcasing his popular children’s books along with other works of his. Though Andy Warhol played a huge role in James Warhola’s Art life, some things stay true to only Warhol: He was an innovator, visual genius, and bonafide hustler. While, Warhola, a tame fellow, focuses primarily on the trifle joy of storytelling, keeping a sense of whimsy. Through childrens book illustrations and writings he has found his own way to connect, and disconnect with society, allowing his books to just be books, and an escape from social forces.  Accompanying the Warhola work at the Demuth will be several of Andy Warhol’s sketches. Parallel to the Demuth the LMA will feature a wider selection of pop art, from Christo, to Koons, to Peter Max (and more)..

For the sake of less words (and the interview  with Warhola below) there’s nothing left to say except: If you care about art, really care about art, and not just care about the art that your friends, sons, daughters and brothers create, then GO to the Demuth, and the LMA.  Spend some silent time there with your eyes - if you don’t like pop art, just go for the sake of some variety in the scene, illustration is not often praised as fine art here. Plus, lets face it, if you are anti-pop art, anti-Warhol, anti-whatever, you could use your eyes to take some time to think about it and question it.

  And now, onto our words and sentences with James Warhola.

​

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but: You were raised in a rural, hard working family, with an Art Legend for an uncle and several yearly trips to New York. Your education parallels that of your uncles’ and several of your books and illustrations are derived from the memory or history of him so...aside from Uncle Andy, where else did/do you draw influences from?.... I had a wonderful upbringing in the countryside not far out of smokey Pittsburgh. I roamed the woods with my friends doing the usual mischievous stuff but since I had an interest in art I always found time to draw in my sketchbooks.

ON INFLUENCE

I suppose my biggest encouragement came from my parents...They knew that  'Art' was a good thing thanks to my uncle's successful illustration career. Every Saturday morning my mother managed to get me to the museum art classes at Carnegie Institute. My teacher was a charismatic Pittsburgh art legend named Joseph Fitzpatrick. He held forth with several hundred kids at one time. These art classes gave me an added inspiration. Since I was visually oriented I loved..comic books, trading cards and Mad magazine and anything with pictures. Though I didn't read much I still developed an interest in the narrative. This somehow brought me into the field of children's books.

ACCIDENT AND CREATION.

For the last few years I've been doing more art for myself. My redirection to 'fine art' came about from a broken ladder and a fall from a very high roof about 3 years ago. Ironically I spent over a month in the same hospital that my uncle had died in 25 years earlier. As I sometimes say better late than never. I still love the challenge of telling a story with pictures and will always want to do storybooks but there's something satisfying about doing art for its own sake.

ON THE DIFFERENCE

Yes, my Uncle Andy was an innovator and an artist with an incredible flow of creativity. There were no limits to his thinking. He worked on instinct and rarely needed to explain it since his art really explained itself. He accomplished so much in his short life. As for myself I love telling stories with pictures, that explains my interest in book illustration. My personal work seems to be less narrative and I do not get into any deep considerations (social or political)...if anything I hope I can keep a sense of humor about it.

SCHEDULE AND DISCIPLINE 

My best time to do creative work is first thing early in the morning, starting at about 6 or 7 o'clock. I try to do my idea sketching at this time and the more laborious painting later as the day goes on. As I get older its more difficult to burn the midnight oil so I like to close up things early evening and relax a little. As a freelancer for many decades I can say the biggest challenge has always been having self-discipline. One has to be one's own boss. My Uncle Andy was a workaholic. He always professed to us nephews and nieces that we should always do our best at whatever we ended up doing. I think that's a universal concept that will always be great advice.

END CAP

I am thrilled to show my illustrations from my two Uncle Andy books. I am always pleased to show the side of my uncle that most people aren't familiar with... the fact that he had family, he lived with his mother and he had all these kids dropping in on him. Also accompanying my work are some great drawings of Uncle Andy's. They're great because they show his wonderful ability to put an image down on paper flawlessly. It's really what inspired me to go into illustration.

Things dormant are rearing up, the obsolete are evolving or dying. Posies bud, pupa’s wait, and rain bathes. Spring breezes soothe those who are in a state of flux, migration and  evolution. So now is your chance to make the change with less of a hypodermic pinch and more a fresh zephyr.

  Lancaster’s art scene claims to be glowing, culturally inclusive, full of life, wealth, and community, shooting words around like “premier” and “Rich and diverse".  Even Lancaster ARTS makes false claim to the diversity of the arts and galleries here:                       “ The vibrant arts community of Lancaster City is an integral part of our rich and diverse culture. In our walkable urban center, you will find the arts in many shapes and forms, from museums and an art college to live performances, galleries, and artist studios. Many artistic experiences await you in the City of Lancaster – a city                            authentic.” -Lancaster ARTS. 

We have looked, and cannot see variety of culture in open air. Could you collect and display information on the variety of culture and array of arts on display here? Surly we are not the only ones who would like to see it.

​

Downtown Galleries, specifically the stronghold of Gallery Row, have done nothing to promote community or diversity among the arts or artists. There are no cultures represented aside from the efforts of MOSAIC, and the rarity of people who are not past-white-prime. An overwhelming majority of galleries, singular and multi-artist , are dominated by art that is not even for the sake of art but for the sake of learned technique, which inherently is a shallow beauty.

The stream of gallery row is clear enough to see tadpoles in groups scurrying around for food near the rocks. Regularly displaying buffet tables of crackers, punch, hummus, and other edibles besides, the galleries have turned themselves into miniature free food shacks: occasionally with the food taking over. It’s not uncommon to see a table of food in front of hanging work, or clogging the arteries of gallery floors, making viewing art less of an eye activity and more of a crumb maneuver. 

With all of the refreshments and free food, and non-art related gallery behavior, it is no small wonder that coffee shops and restaurants have begun to seek and display the works of local artists. It is, however, mind-shattering and unforgivable that those businesses that are using artists as ever-changing free wall candy have the immorality and greed to take commission from any work that happens to sell. The artists are happily being exploited because of the pure glee they get from having somewhere to hang their work. Some may not even realize that your businesses are using them for their own benefit: free art. 

ARTISTS, hear me now, stop paying to give it away, stop paying coffee shop commissions. Even if galleries and businesses turn the business of art into a game of crumbs you are obligated by a code of self control and integrity to take your art-selves seriously. If its all a whim and a game you will be sure to lose touch with your art, and make a soggy or non-existent career. 

B.A.S.E. isn't the easiest thing to find, unless of course you're familiar with tumblr or following us via social media. so, we're warming up, blooming a bit and proud to announce our official website!

www.baselanc.com

Despite the milder weather First Friday was about as enthusiastic as a slow meandering creek. Gallery Row was relatively dull, with so few people there was no need to bump elbows or push along with an ‘excuse me’.  The crowds were rightfully waspy as most of the windows were simply frozen in the sands of March. Isadore’s still hosting prints. PCA&D’s still boasting folklore with an 18th century Fraktur. Annex 24’s walls are, not surprisingly, still overloaded.

more than happy to see more local call for entries! cannot wait to see the fruitage it bears!

First Friday's have been dead, little has been in motion, but that doesn't mean we don't have things to talk about...NEW reviews of your Arts are coming tomorrow, Lancaster! Eyes open, face forward, look alive, we love you.

A few of us at B.A.S.E. braved the nasty weather to see the Art of February, and were pulled in from the cold by Maggie Mills’ engulfing paintings. Mills employs children as characters in her pieces, placing them in abstract compositions only vaguely identifiable as landscapes; there’s a ground plane and something resembling a sky, but the painting is still unsure of where it is and what it’s sharing with you, the viewer. Some straddle landscapes between beach and city or, open air to  decimated lands.

Mills’ work seems to be locked into and thrive in a teetering sense of uncertainty. Her figures, like shallow little paper dolls, are just as unable to understand and identify the ground around them as the viewer. Some are shown doing the bromide acts of children: swinging on a swing set, riding in a wagon, skipping along with their friends. In each banal scene the figures are stiff, and joyless, appearing to be forlorn even in the company of other. Mills’ cut outs of figures stand on, and often times above, the ground she has half rendered, as if mimicking the questionable landscapes they’re surrounded by.  

The landscapes they exist in, while as simplistic as a cardboard silhouette, are vast, desolate and unending. As a viewer, Mills’ work can strike you in several ways. To briefly name a few: a melancholy look into a realm of overplayed childhood events, a vague nostalgia on wary or unsafe ground, or simply as a halfly-realized landscape with figures whom float on purpose and accident warily out of grounds reach.

Maintaining a genuine, meaningful connection with your audience can be difficult to do, especially using children as the headlining figures. Works of children, the little innocents, are easier to digest and comprehend when the scene is one of pure ecstasy or simplistic joy: picturesque scenes of young ones in safety and happiness provoke just enough nostalgia to make passers-by nod in acknowledgment. But Maggie Mills puts us in a darker, confused, half-constructed and more fascinating place. The ability of the her works to speak so firmly alone, rather than from her own mouthpiece (of an artists statement), aids to success of each painting. The quality, and thoughtfulness behind Mills’ paintings makes her an excellent fit in the walls of Sunshine: very literally the light at the end of the Gallery Row tunnel.

If you’ve yet to check in to Sunshine this month, you need to do so soon – the show ends on March 17th.

http://www.maggiemillsart.com/

The Isadore Gallery, a well cemented venue for the Arts, has sprung into March with a fresh exhibition of Prints featuring young, green, artists such as: PCA&D alumni, Sam Warren and Eileen Heasley.

The current exhibition of Prints is fitting to the space, rather than hovering between Salon Style and clutter as previously experienced, truly allowing the works and Artists to breath and be seen. Aside from the accessibility of the presentation, Isadore was a joy, offering a motley fare. The variety of size, style, and subject matter amongst the work displayed has no impact on the cohesion of the show as a whole, as each print was constructed with immaculate form and precision, truly a hearty display of solid craftsmanship.

The tradition of Printmaking, as in most facets of Art, is a dense mixture of Craft and Concept. Neither of which were in short supply at isadore this month. All of the Artists included seem to not only have a strong grasp of the logistics of print, but also have a hold on aesthetics and visual message. That being said, some seemed to be speaking in a familiar voice, as if the line or mark were imitated from other artists and creators. But, it’s nearly Springtime so, let us be vague with the negative and focus on the positive -

Heasley, a PCA&D Alumni and avid Print Maker, displayed a number of works that not only fit in with, but also stood out from the rest of the exhibit. Heasley’s prints scream of a quiet tension - with a restrained use of color and lines that dance from delicate to dense. The figures she portrays flitter in and out of trees and nets of fabric and pattern, and overflow rocking boats, allowing the viewer to become entangled on the surface while becoming wary of the situation on the paper. The tension, entanglement, confusion, and entrapment of figures shown in Heasley’s work allows for it to be interpreted in many ways. Such as, but not exclusive to:  a lack of control in one’s environment, Generation Y’s (sometimes irrational) fear of ever looming dangers, conflicted social experiences, or an unrestful brood. The tensity Healsy’s work provides is, whether intentional or not, a direct reflection of the problems that face us all of a daily basis screaming of the internal conflicts with external sources that we have no choice but to take part in (i.e. straint and unrest socially, amongst family, friends, government, co-workers and passersby etc.) This unintentional connection with the problems facing our civilian society is refreshing evidence that the work is valuable beyond the price of the paper and the creator honestly recorded the world as they know it.

Among the other prints were also a bevy of informative and well executed  interpretations of the world. The strength of the Prints, as well as the venue’s layout, gives great hope and expectations of both Heasley and the Isadore Gallery in future months.

https://www.facebook.com/isadoregallery

http://www.eileenheasley.com/

http://henrygepfer.com/section/348123.html

http://jpopstudios.com/

March’s First Friday was more than just a warm up to a more pleasant season but also a fantastic time  to view the wealth of Lancaster Youth’s winning gems. As we all know, the Demuth Gallery has a long standing history in the art community (Pop and otherwise). For this month however, along with the Lancaster Museum of Art, they are putting history aside to encourage and display the future with the Scholastics and Lancaster County Young Artists exhibition and awards ceremony.

The soil is fertile here, giving birth to and fostering great artists over the decades. The Lancaster County Young Artists exhibition at the Demuth is proof that artists are still alive and growing all around us. The artists range in grade from 7th to 12th, but have the artistic muscle and might of many college art students. Showcasing intricate pottery, lifelike busts, technically sound photography, and some advanced and sophisticated paintings and multimedia works.

With such a wide variety of well crafted works from such young trying artists it is nearly impossible to find the correct words to say, or the best work to talk about, so rather than critique the beauty and diversity of the young gems I’ll opt for this:

Philip Guston, renowned lecturer and painter, spoke at the New York studio School in the late 1960’s about philosophy of the image and creation. The lecture included many personal tangents and vague or cryptic art speak with reference to the metaphysical and sentiments reminiscent of “It is what It is.” Among hours of talk surfaced a bit of advice and personal insight that Guston passed onto the students of Then that have been preserved for the students of Now.

“...You do brush drawings for years, so you read Zen Buddhism or you read books on Sung Painting. When you’re troubled, you read Kafka. Any condition you are in you need help. And that’s natural. And it’s fine. It’s just that you have to be careful that you don’t delude yourself. You can’t sell yourself a bill for goods. There’s a roughness you should have about yourself when questioning yourself.” - P.G. 1969, NY Studio School.

Young artists of Lancaster, heed those words, never fear a question, angle your answers not only in the comfort of history but in the chaos of the present, don’t settle on your own ideal or the dust covered gold of others. And, Dear Artists young and old, try not to get deluded in the oceanic world of Art.

http://www.demuth.org/index.php?pID=12

http://www.lmapa.org/