Douglas Abdell (1947-present)

The following post serves as a commemoration to the artist Douglas Abdell (1947-), an American born, Málaga-based conceptual artist specializing in Sculpture. In honor of his 67th birthday, the following post is to represent my appreciation for his work, his philosophy, and his life. Furthermore, the post below is an excerpt from my undergraduate research written in 2010 at St. Mary's College of Maryland. Enjoy! (Also refer to: "What Lies Beneath? A Student-Designed Exhibition" Blog).

The Language and Art of Douglas Abdell: An in-depth analysis of Klaet Aeyad
Verioska Torres, 2010

Douglas Abdell working on drawing from
 The Sculpture of Douglas Abdell: January 14th - February 5th 1977.
New York: Andrew Crispo Gallery, 1977.

Biography
Douglas Abdell (Aiutami) was born on March 16, 1947 in Boston, Massachusetts from an Italian/ Lebanese family. He is the youngest son of Marianna Guernieri and George Joseph Abdell, and a graduate from Brookline High School (1965) in Massachusetts. With a strong background in the Visual Arts from Brookline, he pursued to study painting and sculpture in Florence, Italy from 1968-69. By 1970, Abdell graduated from Syracuse University with a BFA in Sculpture, and incidentally moved to New York, where he was represented as an artist at the Graham Gallery. Three years later, he moved to Vermont, where he received a fellowship as a community artist with the Vermont Arts Council. Before moving back to Boston, Abdell showcased his large works in solo exhibitions at the Andrew Crispo Gallery and the Davis and Long Company. The Sculpture of Douglas Abdell, a 1975 solo exhibition at the Andrew Crispo Gallery, traveled to several universities including St. Mary’s College of Maryland in St. Mary’s City, Maryland in 1976. Within the year, sketches of a new series of sculptures called the Aekyad began to emerge. By 1978, Abdell published a book of poems about the Kryad sculptures in a language of his own devise called, “Kryad Poems.” His largest works from Aekyad series were exhibited at the Andrew Crispo Gallery called, Recent Sculpture, 1977-78. The Miami-Dade Community College organized a traveling retrospective exhibition, Douglas Abdell: Sculpture and Drawings—1973-1979, which reached two universities in Virginia: Sweet Briar College and Washington and Lee University. He currently lives in Málaga, Spain with his wife and continues to work on sculptures in conjunction with political and social issues of the Mediterranean.Bibliography:
Douglas Abdell, The sculpture of Douglas Abdell with an interview by Gene Baro. New York: Andrew Crispo Gallery, 1979.
Douglas Abdell Recent Sculpture. New York: Andrew Crispo Gallery, 1979.
Douglas Abdell Sculpture & Drawings. Florida: New World Center Campus Art Gallery, 1979.

The World of Non-Soviet Art

Work and Play

We are currently under construction, here at Cremona Farm. Our Registrar and, newly titled, Curator of Silos and Farm Architecture at Cremona has been busy with the reconstruction of the ceramic-tile silos c.1930 (three by my count) and its overall preservation and appearance to the public. Furthermore, we had student archaeologists from St. Mary's College of Maryland dig in the torturous heat and humidity at Cremona, and have wonderful finds to share later this year. Another development is to renovate our dearly beloved Tobacco Barn, or Sheep Barn sometimes called, into a spacious multi-purpose building and visitor center for future events. In addition to the renovation - any art present at Cremona will be moved to Rutgers at a later date. Fortunately for us registrars at Cremona, our offices will continue to function as such and more offices will be added for future Director and staff at Cremona. The most amazing place in Southern Maryland with horse pastures, wide view of Persimmon Creek, and, who cannot forget, Cremona's luscious vineyard and farmland. Although there are no tours, no reservations, and no admittance to Cremona Farm, this is one exciting venture to go to when it becomes reality!

Sadly, I will be leaving Cremona the following year to pursue my career as curator, but my years at this beautiful locale were well spent. I have learned, and still learning, so much about a time and art in history that was unheard, untouched, untold by academics and educators until an eccentric American, Norton T. Dodge (1927-2011), decided to collect, preserve, make visible, and educate the public about Nonconformist Art from the former Soviet Union. A full biography of Norton Dodge will be posted in November in memory of his trials and triumphs as a leader and activist in Art History.

But for now I want to write about a not-so-Russian fellow by the name of Don Swann. Don Swann, an American artist based in Baltimore, Maryland and studied in Munich, Germany and Italy, was a prolific artist and was most famous for his scenes of Historic Americana, Ships, Trees, U.S. Navy series, and Schools. His work was advertised and exhibited in many states, and can be found in many permanent and private collections, to name a few, the Metropolitan Museum, Mrs. John D. Rockefeller Collection, US Naval Museum, J. P. Morgan Collection, and many more. He founded the Etchcrafters Art Guild, which his son, Don Swann, Jr., later carried on after his father's passing in 1954. From the archives of University of Baltimore, "Donovan Swann, Jr. was a graduate of Princeton University in Art and Archaeology, attended the Maryland Institute and Johns Hopkins University and studies with his father for four years. ... Author of Colonial and Historic Homes in Maryland, he completed over one hundred etchings of his own, [including one accepted by the Vatican] his rendition of 'The Mother Seton House.' His etchings are housed in the Cairo Museum Shop in Egypt, the Matinee Gallery in Nassau, The Heritage Gallery in Bermuda, and other 300 galleries across America." He continued to print etchings from his father's original plates, which he signed and published under his name. He died at age 87 in February of 1998. The University of Baltimore holds a majority of Don Swann prints, both original and reprinted etchings.

That being said... I came across three Don Swann etchings published and signed by Don Swann, Jr. from the original plates (as said on verso). Recently cataloged Don Swann originals, the three are historic landmarks or places in St. Mary's County: "Susquehanna" , "Tudor Hall, St. Mary's County" ,  "Mulberry Fields, St. Mary's County." All beautiful scenic prints and rendition of the historic homes in St. Mary's. I cannot publish photographs of these divine prints, but I can keep my followers and academics posted on art, history, where to find local artists, and the like.

Until I write again... Pintame un Russo!

Registration and Non-Conformist Art

So long has it been that I have written a post, but I have been busy with a new job. I have recently taken the position as Assistant Registrar at Cremona Foundation for the Norton and Nancy Dodge Art Collection. If you have not heard of this fine collection, you should refer to John McPhee's The Ransom of Russian Art.

Curious is Norton Dodge of the underground 'art scene' in the Soviet Union. He goes into basements, attics, small apartment complexes to find extraordinary 'unofficial' art. The term NON-CONFORMIST is defined as a person who does not accept and refuses customs and beliefs of the government/ high authority, defiant. And in terms of art being 'nonconformist' refers to the production of non-Social Realist art in the Soviet Union (1950-1980/90).

The majority of the collection contains paintings (mixed media and oil on canvas) and drawings. I have been given the task of cataloging posters. It is a great challenge to digest and catalog these posters considering they are written in Cyrillic. The most different, yet fascinating, works of art I have seen by far! Some works are a bit risque and other works are intentionally pulsating with sexual references. Some works reach to the point of a dreamscape and other works stay with Academic painting.

It is difficult to pin point a favorite, but I personally love sculptures. I love the three dimensional tactility of art! C'est une chose à voir et une autre à toucher.

Curator Profile: Charles Esche

 Charles Esche is an interesting character and art historical figure. He invests in the ideas of relational art. "Relational Art" focuses on social environments and shared activities through the art. The notion of ‘imagination’ is a way of relating art to life, and imagining the world differently appeals to Esche. Not only am I interested in his emphasis on relational art and imagination, but I am intrigued by his curatorial approach. A flexible curatorial approach, no doubt, where he does not use a template but he does create a model exhibition design for the art that is to be exhibited. Every one of his projects are unique: “I tried to address the conditions I found [in Istanbul], tried to think them through my own experience and tried to provide a structural model for activity that would work there.”

Born in 1962 on England soil, and brought up in Manchester and London.

Education: 
1980-84 BA in Mediaeval Studies, ManchesterUniversity
1988-89 MA in Gallery and Museum Studies, Manchester University 
(Specializes in contemporary art)

Career:
Director of the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands
Co-founder of Afterall Journal
Theoretical advisor at Rijksakademie
Co-curator
Editor and Writer

Select Exhibition/ Work History:

• 2010: Curated U#, the Slovenian Triennale in Ljubljana
• 2008: Visiting Professor, Ratti Foundation, Milan, Italy
• 2007: Curator, RIWAQ Biennial, Ramallah, Palestine 2007 (with Khalil Rabah)
• 2005: Curator, Istanbul Biennial 2005 (with Vasif Kortun); Curator, CAUCUS, Cork, 2005 (with Annie Fletcher)
• 2004: Made the Director of the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands.
• 2000-04: Director, Rooseum Center for Contemporary Art, Malmo, Sweden
• 2002: Curator, Gwangju Biennale 2002, Gwangju, Republic of Korea (with Hou Hanru and Song Wan Kyung)
• 1998-01: Curatorial Adviser, Foundation for Art and Creative Technology, Liverpool, England
• 2000: Co-curator, Amateur: variable research initiatives 1900 & 2000, an international exhibition at Goteborgs Konstmuseum, Konsthall and Hasselblad Center, Sweden (with Mark Kremer and Adam Szymczyk); Co-curator, New British Art 2000: Intelligence, Tate Britain. London, England, (with Virginia Button)
• 1998-00: Co-Director, The Modern Institute, Glasgow 1997-02 Research Fellow, Edinburgh College of Art - developing the proto academy project
• 1998: Founded Afterall with Mark Lewis at Central St. Martins College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London; Lead Curator, Revolution - International Symposium on Electronic Art 1998, Liverpool and Manchester (over 12 venues)
• 1997: Co-Curator, Escaping Gravity Video Positive '97, Liverpool and Manchester (with Steven Bode)
• 1993-7: Visual Arts Director, Tramway, Glasgow
• 1996: Curator, Instant video project, Film and Video Umbrella, London
• 1990-3: Exhibitions Curator, Kettle's Yard, University of Cambridge
• 1989-90: Assistant Curator, National Galleries and Museums on Merseyside

Reference:
1. Charles Esche CV

India Art Summit - India's Modern and Contemporary Art Fair

INDIA ART SUMMIT ART FAIR

(January 20-23, 2011 in New Delhi, India)

International art events are reminders or a celebration of recently discovered talents. People from all over the world travel to these events (Art Fairs, Biennales, Armory Show, Whitney, Venice, etc) to see the art and to mingle with the artists, curators, collectors, and other people in the art scene. For more information on international art events and festival refer to www.zeroland.co.nz.

The India Art Summit (IAS) is an international art fair takes place in New Delhi, India. Over 84 galleries from India, China, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, Pakistan, U.A.E., Latvia, United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and The United States bring in a group of curators, directors, artists, and art collectors into the mix to delegate the exhibitions. The organizers from IAS develop a floor plan for the event; this allows organization of space for each individual gallery and the works being shown.


Then the curators work with their alleged space, install the works, and mediate between audience and artists. The mediums range from paintings, drawings, prints, photography, sculptures, mixed media, installations, video art and performances.

Art Fairs and Biennales are found all over the world. The four most prominent locations for art fairs in the United States are located in New York, Washington D.C., California, and Texas. For more information contact your local art gallerist or university museum to speak to an art/ art history professor.

The Cool School - Walter Hopps

(photo: taken from Amazon.com)

The Cool School is first, and foremost, a documentary on the dos and don'ts in the art scene. It is also a biography of Walter Hopps, a legendary American Art director and 'first' curator of Modern Art in Los Angeles region. It focuses on the Ferus Gallery in L.A. around the 40s - 50s, an extremely conservative area, where the art community was completely invisible. *Spoiler Alert* In the end, the Ferus Gallery stops operating in 1966 and the artists that boomed from these exhibitions left their 'brotherhood' behind until recently (2007) when the film The Cool School was released.

Although the Gallery itself had not flourish in sales as it did in visitors, the past teaches one to not make the same mistakes, but make new ones. I personally enjoyed the grandeur of conversation in The Cool School. In a sense the film evoked a care-free, nonchalant emergence of the art scene through constant deliberation of artist and work selection (which artists are chosen for the exhibit), design (how the design of the exhibition was going to look), and audience (who will benefit from the exhibition?). This is something that interests me greatly: the power relationship/interaction between curator and artist; and how they build/ create/ fabricate a piece of history by exhibiting art objects. According to the film, this is also known as 'the art scene.'

I am also interested in the exhibition design that Walter Hopps uses towards the end of the film, where he exhibits Andy Warhol's Campbell Soup prints. The satirical placement of prints on the wall as if they were 'high art' (the kind that are French, Italian, and Spanish) like the "Masters" was the best part in my opinion. Similar to that of other controversial exhibitions such as "Mining the Museum" and "The Enola Gay." Although these exhibitions and Hopp's Andy Warhol Solo Exhibition were saucy and almost disturbing, they were so radically different that it shifted museology paradigm into an interactive and 'think-for-yourself' approach.

(REFER to http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/coolschool/film.html for more information about the film).