The Sam & Adele Golden Foundation for the Arts
237 Bell Rd. New Berlin NY
Thursday June 15 2023 was a good day. First time back to the Golden Artist Colors campus in New Berlin since the fall of 2019, and my third art activity in all since emerging from the caution of quarantine. Had been unable to attend the big Made In Paint opening in April due to malady and needed to do this as a return to form.
Could not have asked for better conditions - Weather was perfect, vehicle eager for the road, and I even let Maps win the argument over whether to save ten minutes by pulling a Louie in Morrisville through Cow Country. May not sound like much but for this three year shut-in it was an adventure, guys in pickups roaring around me all the way. Mom rode Spiritual Shotgun, which was like taking a road trip with Yoda's Force Ghost. "Slower for the nice Chenango County sheriff you should be, hmm??"
Music choice was the glorious "Seconds Out" by Genesis from 1977, double live album of extended compositions that kicks off with my theme song "Squonk". Everybody needs a theme song. The band ate up the drive there & halfway back, loudly. Was just making sure the cows could feel the bass pedals too.
Heck yeah. Trying something new this time! Blogspot video embeds, hope it proves useful. A YouTube channel for the blog had been under consideration, but for now let's see what their Google Fu is like.
Carol's book of spells. We connected instantly, both tar gel fanatics who craft lunar craters to fill with layer upon layer upon layer of gel. Part of the visual journey is seeing the bottom. Carol spoke of how one of her most potent inspirations is the idea of seeing the Hanging Gardens of Babylon at night. I am there.
Carol Prusa
Carol Prusa, and this work stopped me in my tracks. Been terraforming little Martian crater ponds out of Golden's incredible Crackle Paste for a couple years now, filled with layers of gels and interference colors that you look into as much as at. Carol's doing it on a grander scale here than I'd ever considered, focusing only on the "crater" at something like 24x24 inches. I'll have to try it. Will be sure to name the crater Prusa and set it on Enceladus with little Saturnian brine shrimp evolving nicely at the bottom.
Carol Prusa
Carol Prusa
Carol Prusa, and that's one of the more interesting non-painted paintings I've ever seen. I want that.
Layers and layers of GAC 800, a tar gel like substance I'd not heard of before. Carol described it as behaving like my beloved Clear Tar Gel but drying with a warmer finish where the Tar Gel dries glass clear. We shall fill some overspill ponds on Mars with this and see what happens.
Will be shopping for some. Interesting!
Carol with her Hanging Gardens of Babylon at Night. I believe it!
Jamele Wright - Brought sections of canvas trimmings soaked in Georgia clay, sewn together and then bedecked with acrylics. Jemele told me his ambition is to be included in the legacy of African American abstract painters, citing Cy Twombly in particular as an influence. Jamele's work area was sparsely populated, no jars of paints or test swatches, but the four works he presented were forceful displays each possessing its own visual language of color and form.
Jamele Wright
Jamele Wright
Jamele Wright
Jamele Wright
Jamele Wright - We connected on the topic of how frames work to help viewers discern where the artwork ends and the wall begins. Jamele's work gleefully violates that rule, and the whole wall becomes part of the work. The canvas very purposefully fixed with pins in a specific manner, with shadowplay and form in mind as much as displaying the color. The work has a sculptural presence, and is very much about its (temporary) occupancy of the wall, which reverts to its prior state once the pins are pulled.
Jamele Wright
Jamele Wright
Jamele Wright, and yes I went back down to make sure that red was what I'd seen the first time through.
That's my spot! Just set us up on a milk crate with a drawing board. Thimble full of water for wash.
Barn makeover, 2009.
Susan Hoffer, who was the "Mad Scientist" of the group, my respectful term for a highly technical painter there to methodically explore the possibilities of the materials, much like a scientist might conduct an experiment. Am presuming Susan created her own swatch pads and found them as fascinating as the painted works.
"Here's what the different gels do."
Susan Hoffer. Subject is a physician and has those knowing doctor's eyes.
Susan Hoffer
Susan Hoffer
Susan Hoffer, with Jamele as her subject - Hope to get to see what comes of these!
Susan Hoffer, with a study on Carol Prussa. Interesting!
She came here to learn.
"That's what sizing grounds do."
Susan was flying that studio like an air traffic controller and had a nonstop flow of questions. That's the studio where you end up, by then having seen the other artists, any shyness abates and the ideas are flowing. Then you go back downstairs & hit up the other two with what you might have been reluctant to ask first time by.
Susan Hoffer, and I'm still not sure what we're looking at. Digital image with some sort of transfer process? The mad scientist at work!
The stacks of supplies for the residents. Anything from the arsenal of materials the Golden's plant produces. You stay there for a month making art. It's that simple, beautiful and real.
Wandering the barn pix, and I recognize at least two of these artists from the 2022 Made In Paint show at the big gallery? Blog on that next, show runs until September 1 open to the public during the facility's regular business hours.
Caught my eye in the stairwell, artist not known just yet.
My only people picture! With Emma Golden working the faithful at what was their first in-person Open Studios since what I call The Before Time. Apologies for the stealth angle, was gathering thoughts in one of the chairs below and realized we had a moment here.
Good place to gather one's thoughts after a full afternoon of art, names, places, roads. My thoughts were on the drive back, next time won't be so unfamiliar with Maps' surprise M-Ville Louie through Cow Country. Which did save time, I admit. Gorgeous every mile, some barns I mean to get reference pix of next time.
Save those dates! Next session Thursday July 20, 5pm to 7pm. And the big 2023 Made In Paint exhibit hangs at the plant's SAG Gallery until September 1, make 'em both.
Be sure to visit the Golden Foundation for info on how to apply for a 2024 residency, applications due September 6th!
Caz on the way back. Fish were biting. It was a good day.
