Explorations in Line / notes from a first-time curator

Over many years of wandering through exhibits of contemporary work, there have been numerous group shows that leave me nodding in recognition of the wonderful conversations taking place on the gallery walls. It is so very satisfying when a curator's decisions offer me new insights into what I am looking at. But there are also occasions where I leave a gallery scratching my head, struggling to understand what led to the selection of the work. While I might engage with specific works in the exhibit, I still wonder why they are hanging together. A curator's statement may help me see connections that I had missed on my own, but sometimes it is difficult to discern how what is on the walls reflects what is in the statement.

That got me wondering..... How do curators go about their work? Where do they start -- with the ideas or with the art? How do they move from selecting the work to exhibit to articulating a clear vision about that work? What is the role of a curator's statement? I decided to investigate, not only by speaking with artists who have curated exhibits, but by jumping in and organizing a show. For this post, I am focusing on my experience as curator of "Explorations in Line", currently on exhibit at the Garrison Art Center, NY. For anyone who has already curated exhibits, my observations are likely familiar and obvious. 

Drawings by Tamar Zinn (left) and photographs by Tenesh Webber (right) at the Garrison Art Center

My starting point for this exhibit was my own work, specifically the drawings about line that I've done for the past five years. I've been thinking about and making lines for quite some time.... decades actually. As a teenager doing my first figure drawings, I preferred the quick sketches -- capturing a pose in two minutes or less. What held me enthralled was the gesture, the movement of my hand to make the line. Although I did my share of thoughtfully developed studies of the figure, those drawings felt more like technical accomplishments, and as such, didn't particularly interest me once they were completed. Line as a reflection of emotion, line that captured an action, a line that was the action.... that is what I found engaging. Why not curate an exhibit around line?  
Step 1 (which should have been obvious but wasn't) as artist / curator: think about what interests me in my own work.

After that, I began compiling images from artists whose work I was already familiar with that incorporated line in some significant way. Paintings, drawings, sculpture, photographs -- all readily available online, which made this initial task easy. And then I started looking, looking, looking at what I had accumulated....  and the images sorted themselves into two groups -- maybe and no. It was only at that point that I tried to understand why some pieces held my attention, but not others.  Step 2: look first, think later.

Opening night: Tamar Zinn, Jaanika Peerna, and Tenesh Webber. On the wall, Jaanika Peerna: Withheld, and Tamar Zinn: drawings from the Pavane series.  (Photo by Harry Wilks)

Of course, curating is about noticing. I looked at the work again and again, to see beyond my first impressions. At that point I started to write notes about what I saw, thinking about the what, why, and how of each artist's work, and searching for a way to articulate my observations with clarity. As the maybe group gradually shrank to a manageable size, I started reading. Artists' websites sometimes provided a wealth of information, sometimes not so much.
Step 3: take notes about my observations and start reading about the artists.

 

Photographs by Tenesh Webber. (For complete image information, see below)

At that point, I felt it was time to think about different iterations of an exhibit about line. What if there were 3-4 artists, whose work would I select? What would be the premise of that show? What if the exhibit included work by as many as 7-8 artists? How would that shape the focus of the show? I decided on  a show with fewer artists, which would allow for multiple pieces from each artist. I also began to discuss my plans to curate a show with several close artist friends whom I could rely on for meaningful feedback. With their help, I made the final selection of artists for my first venture as curator.  Step 4: select the artists and narrow the focus. 

Jaanika Peerna, Drooplines, 2017, graphite and colored pencil on hand-cut mylar, magnets, 24x7x8"  (photo courtesy of Jaanika Peerna)

After contacting the artists and confirming their interest in the exhibit, I began to write, as well as consider possible venues. I was lucky that I did not have to do a lot of research to find a venue, because a friend let me know about an upcoming deadline to submit proposals to the Garrison Art Center. That meant that the language for the proposal would have to come together very quickly. Fortunately, the notes I had already written provided a framework for the proposal, and I had already gathered images to include. Proposal submitted, it was now time to wait.
Step 5: seek out venues and write a proposal.

A few months after submitting the proposal, I received word that it had been accepted and that the exhibition would take place a year later. That gave me more than enough time to study the floor plan for the space, print out scaled images to tape onto a model, arrange, re-arrange, and arrange once again. I was already familiar with the gallery space, but I visited once again to try and picture the work in the space. Since I had already seen Tenesh Webber's photographs on exhibit, and I was certain of which work I wanted to include, I made my selection from her website. I had also seen Jaanika Peerna's work on exhibit and had made a preliminary selection, but decided to do a studio visit so I could see additional work. As it turned out, I ultimately went with my initial selection for Jaanika's work as well. 
Step 6: make the final selection of works, and lay out the exhibition.

Jaanika Peerna, Withheld, 2017, water soluble pigment on hand-cut mylar, magnets, 88x17x7"   (photo courtesy of Jaanika Peerna)

With the work selected, what remained was for me the most challenging part -- writing a curator's statement that would be meaningful for me and be useful for viewers. I had read many superb statements that enhanced my understanding of the exhibits, as well as many that left me mystified. The language that would shape my statement came slowly and went through many, many, many iterations. Once again, I was fortunate to have an artist friend (who is also a superb editor) give me feedback in crafting the statement.
Step 7: write the curator's statement

These are the opening paragraphs of my curator's statement:  

 “Explorations in Line” highlights the vital role of line in the work of three contemporary abstract artists. Working in sculpture, photography, and drawing, Jaanika Peerna, Tenesh Webber, and Tamar Zinn use line as a thing unto itself, an embodiment of thought and sensation, rather than as a means to depict form. Having chosen to make line central to their work, all three artists employ a stripped-down, largely monochromatic palette. By limiting the palette primarily to black and white, with occasional hints of other colors, the artists allow viewers to immerse themselves more fully in all that their lines express. For these artists a line may manifest breath, communicate movement, embody emotion, or reflect natural phenomena. In “Explorations in Line,” some lines declare themselves soloists, while others dance –- and sometimes wrestle –- with one another. These lines transform the space they inhabit and shape how we perceive that space. Peerna’s dimensional use of cut mylar gives her lines a palpable physical presence, Webber’s threadlines leave their trace on exposed photographic paper, while Zinn's paired lines are gently embedded in indeterminate space. Each artist’s line is deeply personal, not only in what it conveys, but in the nature of its making.

The exhibit offers viewers the opportunity to observe the artists’ conscious decisions about a line's direction, weight, and speed. Peerna’s lines, which begin as strong verticals drawn on a flat plane, transform when the drawing is shaped into sculpture. The repeated translucent lines curve, loop, and fold back on themselves, seemingly without beginning or end. Webber’s delicate lines meander across a black field and present as a grid on a photographic image. Although periodically disrupted, the fragile networks of lines are seemingly held in place. Zinn's dark lines move leisurely across an atmospheric field, but their weight imbues them with conviction, as well as suggesting that they continue on beyond the field’s edge. While Peerna's lines are drawn using spontaneous full-body movements, Zinn rehearses her gestures in the air in anticipation of marking each pair of lines on the paper, and Webber incorporates chance actions into her arrays. 
  
The complete curator's statement is below (after the exhibit images), and also provides information the intention and process of each artist.

Tenesh Webber, Clear View 2, 2016, silver gelatin print, 20x20"

Tenesh Webber, Loose String 1, 2013, silver gelatin print, 20x20"

Tenesh Webber, Lift Version 2, 2015, silver gelatin print, 11x11"

Tenesh Webber, Loops 1, 2015, silver gelatin print, 11x11"

Tenesh Webber, Quake, 2015, silver gelatin print, 11x11"

Of course, if you plan an exhibit, people have to know about it. So I started planning the publicity, and limited it to social media and an email blast. Next up was the installation. Although I had made a detailed layout for the exhibit, I had no prior experience actually hanging a show. I was fortunate that the gallery coordinator at Garrison Art Center, Samantha Palmieri, took over that task after we arranged the work in the gallery. It was thrilling to see what I had envisioned less than 18 months earlier come together in the space. It was everything I had imagined, and even better.
Step 8: start the PR work for the show 
Step 9: deliver the work and install the show

My first experience curating an exhibit has all been positive -- I had support from friends, worked with artists who came through reliably, and gallery staff that was professional. I know it won't always go this smoothly, but I'm ready for the next step.
Step 10: start thinking about the next exhibit.

Tamar Zinn, Pavane 26, 2017, pigmented charcoal and conte crayon on paper, 16x9"

Tamar Zinn, Pavane 18, 2017, pigmented charcoal and conte crayon on paper, 16x9"

Tamar Zinn, Pavane 41, 2017, pigmented charcoal and conte crayon on paper, 16x9"

Tamar Zinn, Pavane 30, 2017, pigmented charcoal and conte crayon on paper, 16x9"

Tamar Zinn, Pavane 21, 2017, pigmented charcoal and conte crayon on paper, 1x9"

Tamar Zinn, Pavane 13, 2017, pigmented charcoal and conte crayon on paper, 16x9"

My curator's statement:
 

 “Explorations in Line” highlights the vital role of line in the work of three contemporary abstract artists. Working in sculpture, photography, and drawing, Jaanika Peerna, Tenesh Webber, and Tamar Zinn use line as a thing unto itself, an embodiment of thought and sensation, rather than as a means to depict form. Having chosen to make line central to their work, all three artists employ a stripped-down, largely monochromatic palette. By limiting the palette primarily to black and white, with occasional hints of other colors, the artists allow viewers to immerse themselves more fully in all that their lines express. For these artists a line may manifest breath, communicate movement, embody emotion, or reflect natural phenomena. In “Explorations in Line,” some lines declare themselves soloists, while others dance –- and sometimes wrestle –- with one another. These lines transform the space they inhabit and shape how we perceive that space. Peerna’s dimensional use of cut mylar gives her lines a palpable physical presence, Webber’s threadlines leave their trace on exposed photographic paper, while Zinn's paired lines are gently embedded in indeterminate space. Each artist’s line is deeply personal, not only in what it conveys, but in the nature of its making.

The exhibit offers viewers the opportunity to observe the artists’ conscious decisions about a line's direction, weight, and speed. Peerna’s lines, which begin as strong verticals drawn on a flat plane, transform when the drawing is shaped into sculpture. The repeated translucent lines curve, loop, and fold back on themselves, seemingly without beginning or end. Webber’s delicate lines meander across a black field and present as a grid on a photographic image. Although periodically disrupted, the fragile networks of lines are seemingly held in place. Zinn's dark lines move leisurely across an atmospheric field, but their weight imbues them with conviction, as well as suggesting that they continue on beyond the field’s edge. While Peerna's lines are drawn using spontaneous full-body movements, Zinn rehearses her gestures in the air in anticipation of marking each pair of lines on the paper, and Webber incorporates chance actions into her arrays.

                 Jaanika Peerna’s sculpture is a direct response to natural phenomena of light, air, and water. Peerna begins by drawing lines on frosted Mylar with a series of vigorous, physical movements, then alters the lines by sweeping across them with a damp, oversized brush. She then systemically slices across the drawn lines, creating a series of parallel strips that she subsequently shapes into three-dimensional forms. As the sculpture responds to the forces of gravity, the lines droop, bend and flow. Her lines become the space, rather than merely inhabiting it. Peerna’s sculptures are further transformed by light and shadow, as well as by the changing position of the viewer. For Peerna, each piece is a manifestation of flux—ever changing, never static.

In the work of Tenesh Webber, the interplay between technical control and chance manipulations is a central element. Working within a minimalist sensibility and aligned with improvisational abstraction, Webber takes the controlled structure of the grid as a starting point and then allows unplanned operations to direct the outcome. Using a process that blurs the boundaries among sculpture, drawing, and photography, Webber manipulates and layers Japanese beading thread to create a grid, which is then placed onto photographic paper and exposed to light. In the resulting image, called a photogram, white lines are set against a seemingly endless black field. Although the image is fixed, the disruption to the network of filaments creates a sense of impermanence, of structures distorted, but unbroken.

                  Tamar Zinn’s drawings are rooted in her deeply emotional connections to both classical music and modern dance. Recollections of intertwining lines of music prompt a sensory response, which she transforms into a lyrical duet of gestures. Zinn begins by creating an atmospheric field, methodically rubbing layers of pigmented charcoal into the fibers of the paper. As she readies herself to draw the lines, auditory memories couple with movements of her arm above the paper. She captures the speed and shape of those movements by drawing the lines and then gently merging them into the field. Once drawn, the lines cannot be altered, making her process at once meditative and filled with risk.   

 Photos from the installation:

Jaanika Peerna installing Withheld.

Tamar Zinn and Jaanika Peerna (photo by Harry Wilks)