Tag Archives: Postmodern

Painter’s Palette: Interview with Jacob Ouillette

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Megan M. Garwood, Assistant Contributing Editor

Interview with Jacob Ouillette who showed at Nancy Margolis Gallery from October 20th until November 26th, 2011 at 523 West 25th Street, New York, NY

Ouillette, Calliope, 2011, oil/canvas, 48"x60"

Megan M. Garwood (MMG):  What is a brushstroke to you?

Jacob Ouillette (JO): To me, it is many things.  In the first place, the brushstroke is the embodiment of an idea or feeling.  It is a voice.  The Brushstroke is also a note in a musical composition, preferably played on the harmonica.  I’ve been playing the harmonica longer than I’ve been painting, almost my whole life, and those sounds, rhythms and feelings are imprinted in me.  When the brushstroke bends, swoops, dips, swings, sings and vibrates, to me it could be blasting out of a harmonica, saxophone, or an electric guitar.  Each brushstroke is applied in one single motion, one pass, from left to right with no revisions allowed, or necessary, like the mark of a calligraphers brush.  The paintings are created almost as a live performance, one stroke, or note at a time, until the composition is complete, the song ends when the last note is played.  Unlike live music though, the painting holds that “live” moment frozen indefinitely.

Ouillette, Pico Blanco, 2010, oil/canvas, 45"x90"

MMG:  What kind of media do you prefer, i.e., paint? Do you mix your own color?

JO: Over the centuries there has been a debate about whether a painter is a craftsman or a poet.  I have come to believe, through my practice, that I must be both.  I realized that commercially prepared paints and canvases, could not give me the results I sought, therefore I began preparing my own materials from scratch, as the old masters did.  I prefer oil paint because the color is more saturated, you can pack a lot more pigment into the paint and I want to start off with colors that are as rich and as saturated as they can be.  I want to make paintings that have power and powerful colors are part of this.  My studio is almost like a workshop.  Today, a helper in the studio is called an assistant, but I call my helpers, apprentices, because that is what they are, and I do my best to pass on my knowledge about the craft of painting.  So far, I’ve avoided getting an MFA, and purposely so. I did a BFA at RISD and that was great, but I guess I would rather start my own school than join the academy.

Ouillette, Easter Painting, 2008, oil/canvas, 60"x72"

MMG:  There is an obvious reference to the grid as well as infamous color palettes. How do you choose your palette? How would you define your work as an “Ouillette?

JO: Considering the musical quality of my work, there is also a mathematical component and that translates as the grid.  I am interested in the proportions of colors used, how many times do they appear in the composition, are all the colors equal, or not? The grid is the meter of the work, keeping the rhythm and the strokes in line and carefully measuring each color in the composition.

I am not one of those painters that use a specific palette, nor do I ascribe to any color theories.  I try to use color differently in each painting and look to every experience for inspiration.  In the past, I’ve tried reading some books on color theory, but I always gave up halfway through.  My personal theory accepts and disregards all theories.  To me, any color, or combination of colors is as good as another, if you believe in it.

If you go through the titles of my paintings, you will notice three reoccurring themes, mythology, music and place (the landscape). Ellsworth Kelly is one of my favorite minimalist painters.  His paintings, as self referential as they seem, always have a source – often forms taken from nature.  Similarly, my paintings are self- contained but always have a source.  Music is a big inspiration and some paintings are titled and inspired by songs I enjoy or am moved by.  For example, I made a painting called Bold as Love, inspired by the Jimi Hendrix song, Axis: Bold as Love.  In the song, he describes certain colors as a way to explain his feelings to a lover.  I was sympathetic to this and felt moved to make a painting using colors similar to the ones Hendrix describes.  I also see a kinship with Hendrix, like him, my work is deeply rooted in a tradition, while at the same time, innovation, and personal expression remains at the forefront.

Whenever my eyes are open, I am studying the colors of the world, which provide an endless parade of inspiration.  The landscape is important to me as a theme – a place for inspiration.  Big Sur, California, is probably one of the most beautiful places on earth, and I’ve made a number of paintings inspired by trips there, including a painting titled, Pico Blanco, which is a mountain sacred to the indigenous people of that area.  I went on a hike there and I purposely studied and attempted to memorize the colors of the landscape for future use.  I made the painting about six months later, working from memory.

Vincent Van Gogh left Paris and moved to the south of France. He intended to use the quality of light there to invigorate his work with bright and exuberant colors, a world bathed in joyous light.  I have thought about his paintings often, and at the end of this last summer, I was painting out by the beach and there were some sunflowers in the house and it occurred to me to visit that theme – the sunflowers and the color yellow, both favorites of Van Gogh.  I had two canvases prepared at the time, and I went into the studio and chose every color that could be considered yellow.  This was the starting point for two paintings I titled, Sunflowers and Wit’s End.  In Sunflowers, I used only the yellow pigments I had selected, an all yellow painting in essence, but there is still quite a range, it’s not a monochrome painting at all.  In Wit’s End, I introduced small amounts of blue, red, violet and green in strategic places.  The painting has a real autumnal feel, and coincidentally, was painted on the first harvest moon.

I love the paintings of Valazquez, especially his mythology paintings, and mythology is also a special interest of mine.  Two paintings in particular, Apollo in Vulcan’s Forge and The Triumph of Bacchus, have intrigued me for years.  I made two paintings based on Vulcan’s Forge, Vulcan and Apollo.  Well, Vulcan, the blacksmith, he’s a craftsman isn’t he?  Apollo, the sun god, is also the god of logic and mathematics as well as the patron of all the arts, god of the muses. Bacchus, he wants to unravel all that logic and order and let things loose.  I was interested in capturing a glimmer of the palette Valazquez used, but I was also interested in channeling concepts of Apollo, Vulcan and Bacchus.

The paintings of mine I’ve just discussed have little or no resemblance to the source material. For me, the process of painting is almost alchemical, starting with specific materials and ending up with something entirely new.  I’ve been told many times that I have my own way of using color, and I believe that sets me apart from many other abstract painters.  I think it is my lack of prejudice against any color and my indifference towards what may or may not be considered tasteful.  I’m much more interested in how the colors feel and what kind of energy they contribute to the painting.

Ouillette, Vulcan, 2010, oil/canvas, 60"x120"

MMG:  How did you “invent” your style? How have you evolved as a painter?

JO: The brushstroke paintings came about as a solution to a problem. Throughout the development of my work, color has remained my main obsession.  In 2008, I set out to reinvent my paintings.  I wanted color to be the main focus, and I knew the work had to be abstract.  I knew I did not want to make hard-edged paintings and I did not want drawing to be an issue that distracted from the color.

Coincidentally, as I considered my next move, there was an exhibition at MoMA, which was extremely influential for me.  Anne Temkin curated, Color Chart:  Reinventing Color 1950 to Today.  The show examined color as a readymade material and its use as such in painting.  I enjoyed the show very much and thought: this is a conversation I could get into.  One problem: I was already making my own paint from scratch, not really a readymade material.

It suddenly occurred to me that the color needed a delivery system, the brushstroke, and that the brushes would be the readymade element of the painting.  The shape of each area of color would be dictated by the width of the brush used.  The brushstroke paintings were born at that moment.  I made the first brushstroke painting on Easter Sunday in 2008.  It was a coincidence to start a new series on that particular day so I titled the piece Easter Painting to mark the rebirth of myself as an artist and the reinvention of my art.

Ouillette, Bold as Love, 2011, oil/canvas, 96"x144"

MMG:  Have you faced an obstacle due to your style? If so, how did you overcome it?

JO: I don’t really spend a lot of time thinking about obstacles.  I just work from day-to-day, moment-to-moment, dealing with things as they happen.  If I have to go left, I go left, if I have to go right, I go right.  I see obstacles as an opportunity to approach something in a new way. Adapting to new and unexpected circumstances is an ideal way to work out the muscles of creativity and keep the inspirational juices flowing.

Ouillette, Parnassus, 2011, oil/canvas, 90" x 150"

MMG:  What does color mean to you?

JO: Color is amazing.  First of all, it is very specific – color can be measured scientifically.  On the other hand, it is completely subjective in the eye of the viewer.  Color means something because people choose to give it meaning and I find this very interesting.  Ad Reinhardt found the subjective interpretation of color troublesome, while I completely embrace it.  One thing that my paintings make plain is that color means something and that is a lot.

Ouillette, Triumph of Bacchus, 2011, oil/canvas, 45"x60"

MMG:  What is next? What would you like to accomplish in your next series?

JO: I don’t like to make too many statements about the future, especially my own future.  I really dislike fortune-tellers, not because I think they are fraudulent, but because I don’t see any value in knowing one’s own fate.  There is no adventure in a journey if you know how it ends. It is the not knowing that keeps me going.  When I first moved to New York, I was fortunate enough to meet Robert Rauschenberg.  He stressed how important it was to always surprise himself with his own work and I completely agree.

Fortune-tellers aside, I do have lots of ideas.  Of course, I don’t give ideas much weight until they are put into practice.  I will definitely be working with the brushstroke theme, which is open to an infinite world of color combinations.  I have been considering what greater role the grid can play in these paintings.  I also have a few ideas for some monochrome paintings and possibly some shaped canvases too. There has to be a real intention behind the motivation though, otherwise it is just a meaningless action.  I need to know why I am doing it, much more than what it will be.  Whatever I do, color will rule the day.

Ouillette, Orpheus, 2011, oil/canvas, 45"x60"

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Digging Contemporary Anthropologic Art

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Megan M. Garwood, Assistant Contributing Editor

Erik Pauhrizi’s The Poison of our Sins @ CATM chelsea, 500 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011

Erik Pauhrizi, "Gold rise," 2011, 23 karat gold, size of one grain of rice

When sovereign nations attempt to improve economies and introduce fair trade laws, they must also admit tourism as well as imported products. Autonomy and cultural identity tense a native citizen’s relationships on internal-, micro- and macro-levels. A child assimilates to a newly-introduced culture; a parent forces indigenous religious practices upon younger family members; a government official refuses aid from disparate organizations.

Pauhrizi: “Old brothers,” 2011, Embroidery on Canvas, 125x196 cm; “I know your reasons,” 2011, Embroidery on Canvas, 124x195 cm; “Lol Great stamp!” 2011, Embroidery on Canvas, 174x130 cm

Erik Pauhrizi’s works featured in the solo exhibition The Poison of our Sins juxtapose visual illuminations of his personal dissatisfaction with his own self-image against brazen depictions of South East Asia’s, particularly Indonesia’s, history.

Pauhrizi tears apart, examines and documents ideologies that have been ingrained into Southeast Asian, specifically Indonesian, culture; to do so, he exploits most central customary iconography, down to a single grain of rice. Pauhrizi nearly acts as a sociologist, analyzing history and social relationships on a macro-level. His works are comprised of empirical facts and are left for the audience to convert into any philosophical arguments. Pauhrizi obviously considers contemporary issues in Southeast Asia, while The Poison of our Sins foments public unrest.

Pauhrizi, “We could be friends,” 2011, Polyester resin painted and 23 karat gold, human real size

Interestingly, The Poison of our Sins uncovers a global phenomenon that has been linked to hegemony in Iranian art research on global comprehension of symbols and iconography. Specifically, recent studies on Orientalism unveil a pattern found in general documentations of historical events. An oppressive power receives credit for written accounts of history, in turn belittling the opposing country’s authority and even authenticity. Later histories are read and only a limited-perspective is absorbed through the written works. However, spoken narratives spread without gauge nor restrictions of flow. Since past research does not record verbal exchange, it excludes information shared between cultures during countless interactions. Consequently underlying connections among cultures may exist.

The artist tempts the viewer to attribute meaning through cultural norms. Contextual details prevalent in Pauhrizi’s works play with the canonical Eurocentric view of history as a linear trajectory. Pauhrizi derives his formal technique from “traditional” Indonesian art, natural resources and sociological practices. Although Indonesian allusions prevail, they do not fully explain composition of separate works.

Pauhrizi: “Have you seen this girl,” 2011, Embroidery on Canvas, 129x209 cm; “Lost reward,” 2011, Embroidery on canvas, 128x208 cm

Pauhrizi strives to render objective views of “third-world” countries’ struggles against hegemonic powers. His goal, in and of itself, leads Pauhrizi to expose a dichotomy between linguistic descriptivism and normative. In further explanation, The Poison of our Sins guides one to view “symbols” in the context of Pauhrizi’s ethnic background, yet his works, which have been internationally displayed, direct the viewer to decipher “symbols” by associating visual form with the viewer’s previous experience.

Pauhrizi, “I am our spices,” 2011, Polyester resin and original spice prada non gold plated and copper plating, Variable size

During times of excessive colonialism and imperialism, combinations of cultural ethos are unrepresented in written history yet evident in observation. International audience often comprehends visual forms attributed to dissimilar societies. The young artist Pauhrizi recreates historical narratives by portraying overlapping connections between contemporary global thought and South East Asian cultures. Moreover, Pauhrizi creates a self-reflexive identity by immersing his own image into art works.

Erik Pauhrizi, 2011, "14th generation" series, C-Type Print Alu Dibond, each print 90x120 cm

Open until May 8th, 2011.

Installation view of Erik Pauhrizi's "The Poison of our Sins"

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Veiling the American Female Artist

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Megan M. Garwood, Assistant Contributing Editor

“The Deconstructive Impulse: Women Artist Reconfigure the Signs of Power, 1973-1991” (referred to as “Deconstructive Impulse” for the purpose of this review) is on view at Nueberger Museum of Art, Purchase College, State University of New York, from January 15th until April 3rd, 2011. The exhibition has been funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, D.C., and also by the Friends of the Neuberger Museum of Art. “Deconstructive Impulsive,” has been coined by Craig Owens in his 1983 essay “The Discourse of Others: Feminist and Postmodernism.” This information is printed in the book that accompanies the exhibition. One learns a great deal of interesting information from reading the Front Matter or Forward and Acknowledgments of books.

Unfortunately this writer has decided to not access the remarkable collection of works on display because she feels an obligation to comment on the curatorial intention of the exhibition, which the exhibition’s book outlines with a number of essays.

In general, “Deconstructive Impulse” addresses the issue of hegemony in the history of art and analyzes the paradoxical view of Postmodernist Art and Deconstructivism Feminist Art. The discourse of “Art” is comprised by a historical “movements.” These movements are associated with “isms” that attempt to convey a similar pattern of trends. Specifically, Deconstructivism has canonically been defined as a postmodern genre of art that has reappropriated mass media signifiers and common iconography to expose the fallacy of commodification’s foundation. During this period, many male artists have received acclaim and others even have become infamous, i.e., Andy Warhol, for reconstructing formal elements of aesthetics. The creators of “Deconstructive Impulse” sincerely wish to recognize female artists who have contributed to this period of art, yet their primary goal remains unaccomplished due to simple semantics.

Many of the essayists challenge the reader to reexamine the origin of popular-culture history and reevaluate Feminist contribution to the deconstruction of visual culture during the 1970’s through the 1990’s. Unfortunately grouping the artists as “Feminists” further isolates their work; this seems to nearly patronize the artists’ roles. What may have been a revolutionary exhibition two decades ago actually appears stale or outdated, reinforcing what it hopes to eliminate. “Deconstructive Impulse” limits history to a “linear trajectory,” highlights certain institutions and denies the value of creations from individual artist.

More than one author has used the word “hindsight” in order to reveal that past art historians have neglected to include the importance of female artists in a time concentrating on gender roles and sexuality in society. Sadly, this exhibition intends to captivate an audience of the 21st Century. Today “hindsight” is a term as vapid as “Kitsch” to the mid-twenties to thirty generation. The current generation has been ingrained with the idea to think ahead not behind. The off-putting introduction only acts as an impediment. As imperative as the featured works are to the history of Deconstructivism, the importance drowns in a sea of platitudes and citations of critics, such as Roland Barthes, whose theories have been debunked years ago.

Rather than stating that discrimination “continues to plague both fields [mass media and powerful institutions of high culture],” “Deconstructive Impulse” should celebrate female artists and further explore their advancement in art and society.

To be candid, the exhibition nearly correlates with the “Western” traditionalist view of the hijab in Contemporary Iranian art. To the unfamiliar eye, a hijab may seem as though it were an imprisonment forced on the person beyond or underneath the cloth; a tool utilized to oppress those who are ruled by the laws of a more powerful sex, the man. The veil empowers a woman to choose who notices her by directing her gaze, controlling her body language, and manipulating the style. Beyond noticeable traits, the idea of the veil bestows her with an almost autonomous attribute. Dividing the individual from the world, the curtain grants her the ability to employ privacy in her favor. To further explain, it appears that “Deconstructive Impulse” does not expose an alternate view point of the female artists on exhibition.

Even as a retrospective, “Deconstructive Impulse” sustains the archaic stereotype it challenges. Diaspora exists not between two locations but between two distinct ideologies: the repression of American female artists and the immense effect of their art. Perhaps it is time to finally unveil the American female artist and allow her to gain recognition purely through artistic ability rather than first pointing out her extra X chromosome.

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Organically-Grown Business: A Much Needed Delineation of WE-ARE-FAMILIA

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Megan M. Garwood, Assistant Contributing Editor


Creative Director of WE-ARE-FAMILIA Jennifer Garcia initiated the collective by simply posting an internet listing that asked artists to contribute to her personal project. Garcia explained that she had no idea how much WE-ARE-FAMILIA would grow and that she initially hoped to create an oeuvre of ambitious, dedicated and emerging artists and companies who were willing to submit work to a very haphazardly-planned organization. Her only request was that each submission related to the idea of “family,” hence the group’s name. During the first year, Garcia recalled that she had reached out to other art organizations without much luck. Now after four years, WE-ARE-FAMILIA produced eleven keepsake boxes, was invited to multiple art fairs, threw populated exhibitions for emerging artists, and was commissioned by the Museum of Art and Design, New York, during Metal Ball. The members seemed to adhere to a Post Structuralist postulate during development; yet when it came to art, the collective chose design over chance aesthetics but always encouraged multiple viewpoints.

As a graphic designer, Garcia originally planned on producing twenty-five books cataloging contributors’ works. She was overwhelmed by and thankful for the large number of responses from not only artists but graphic and fashion designers, illustrators, composers, directors and film makers, photographers, even manufacturing companies. Finally, she decided to admit fifty of the numerous applicants. Each member donated twenty-five works of art ranging from musical compositions, photographs, drawings, video art, prints, illustrations, designed goods and more. Her tentative plan morphed into twenty-five “keepsake boxes, but even boxes (think Duchamp’s “boxes”) could not contain the various forms of art.

Ultimately, Garcia and the fifty members agreed to produce twenty-five mementos. The “boxes,” which mimic furniture, are constructed by found objects, which hold up to forty original or printed and numbered works signed by creators. The first three constructions were crafted after Garcia and members rummaged through left-over materials in Brooklyn and Queens. These three sculptures were exhibited at Colette in Paris.

The viewing at Colette, being the American boutique in Paris, might have stimulated the upcoming and tremendous recognition WE-ARE-FAMILIA began to receive in the United States. Reed Space, Open Gallery and Fountain Miami (and later New York) directly contacted WE-ARE-FAMILIA and invited the collective to exhibit. Correlating with the main objective of WE-ARE-FAMILIA, to make the art world more of a family community, the collective always made each space its home. At Open Gallery WE-ARE-FAMILIA threw an event, complete with a bus to take patrons around the city until a small dinner was hosted by the collective—always emphasizing that not only members but also patrons and art enthusiasts are part of the familia.

Realizing that the “boxes” were much more than merely boxes, the members pursued to commission architectural and design firms to facilitate production, adjoining a completely new genre of art with the project. Nevertheless each keepsake box was personally cared for by the collective from design, composition and completion. Nearly all fifty artist received credit on each box.

Moreover, WE-ARE-FAMILIA started to collaborate with real-estate companies that offered free space for pop-up exhibitions. Beginning with a store front during last year’s Brooklyn Art Walk, the makeshift gallery was offered for the full summer allowing WE-ARE-FAMILIA to exhibit, as well as, to hold toy making work shops, sculpture exhibitions, et cetera. The collective is approachable, which makes it easy to post it in up-and-coming areas and revive art scenes where lack of resources impedes artistic development.

Subsequently, big-time developers caught on to WE-ARE-FAMILIA’s success. For example, MODERN SPACES, a luxury real-estate firm, most-recently, exhibited the work of Chris Mendoza (a non-member) in a duplex penthouse in Long Island City. Not only does this benefit WE-ARE-FAMILIA, but MODERN SPACES also uses exhibitions to usher more clients into available apartments. The trade off may seem a bit counterintuitive considering the collective’s grass-root, yet it claims no distinction among “Fine Art,” “Craft” or “Architecture.”

Therefore collaborations produce additional recognition. As the group attracts more attention and takes on advanced projects, its members prosper in their specific fields: an artist has been featured in a past exhibition at Guggenheim and a director plans to release his first feature film in Paris.

Considering the collective’s recent and massive breakthroughs, Garcia has admitted that she can not predict the future. Her dream remains to finish twenty-five keepsake boxes and to finally exhibit them in a retrospective. She has promised that WE-ARE-FAMILIA plans to continue to review proposals, accept challenges and support art communities.

Four years ago fifty strangers shared one thing in common; they had replied to Jennifer Garcia’s listing. Today they, along with numerous enthusiasts, help to define the robust concept of an international “art family.” Notably, WE-ARE-FAMILIA is derived from common Postmodern ideology; the collective’s structure has been assembled by chance and appeals to Pluralism. However, WE-ARE-FAMILIA celebrates the subjectivism of art and appears to abjure detachment of artist from work. With luck, similar groups may succeed meretricious art factories as fresh artistic formations—eventually, connecting art with community.

Images courtesy of WE-ARE-FAMILIA.

For more information, check out WE-ARE-FAMILIA online.

Appendix (Listed in Order of First Appearance):

Storefront of Pop-Up Exhibition in 2010, 539 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, New York

Metal Ball Commission for Museum of Art and Design, New York, New York

Storefront of Colette Show, Paris, France

Keepsake Box No. 7/25 (entitled “This Box Rocks”), WE-ARE-FAMILIA, 2009

Invitation Cards

(Next 2 Images) Keepsake Box No. 10/25 (entitled “School Box”), WE-ARE-FAMILIA, 2010

Exhibition at 63 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City

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