Featured artist: Connie Goldman

Featured artist, Connie Goldman

A brief introduction

I was born in El Paso, TX, a city on the Mexican border. I’ve lived in California for most of my adult life. Currently I live in Petaluma which is in Sonoma County, wine country. I earned my BA in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. My family held education to be of utmost importance. Art was not undervalued; in fact, my parents loved art. However, art-making wasn’t on the menu of career choices. It never dawned on me that I might be an artist. This, even though I took art classes (mostly drawing and ceramics) in high school and college. I came to serious art-making on the later side. I had graduated, married, had a child, and to my great chagrin, started graduate school seven times in various disciplines. Being someone who had a lot of interests, I tried them all, but nothing held me.

At the end of the 80’s having been admitted into a master’s program in creative writing at the University of Texas, I made the “fatal” move of signing up for a painting class. Painting snagged my attention and my psyche, challenged me like nothing ever had. I kept taking painting classes, and no writing classes whatsoever. Finally one of my advisors asked if I was ever going to take a writing course, and I said no. That was it.

Painting was something that fit my disposition, was expressive, and was something I couldn’t master in a short amount of time. In retrospect I realize that I had to go through that struggle, the search for my calling. I don’t doubt myself as much as I might have if I had gone straight to painting. Given that it wasn’t a straight shot for me, my life as an artist feels “earned”.

We moved to the Bay Area in 1990. Having not had an art education, I felt a pressing need to get a grounding in art and art history. I began taking painting classes at the San Francisco Art Institute. I studied with Bruce McGaw and Julius Hatofsky (among others), both painters’ painters, people who weren’t concerned with trends or conceptual art. Along the way, of course, I got all that, too, but I was fortunate to have learned from teachers who had a strong belief in pure painting. It was a fantastic education.

When I felt confident in my abilities and knowledge I applied for graduate school there, and was admitted. I had a good experience in graduate school. Being so completely immersed in the making of art, my work underwent big changes, and where I had started as a figurative painter who had moved into organic abstraction, I made a successful and very gratifying leap into . Again, I understand now that I had to move through different painting approaches to land in a place that felt true to me. That seems to be a recurring theme in my life. If one looks at my early figurative work and compares it to my current work it doesn’t seem possible that the same artist made the works. But the fact is, I still paint about the exact same things now as I did then. I’m just not putting the content into picture form that overtly references the visible world.

To support my art habit I teach painting, drawing, and design at the college level. I’ve taught all around the Bay Area, at San Francisco State, the San Francisco Art Institute, and the California College of the Arts, but I’ve landed a teaching position near where I live at the Santa Rosa Junior College. I’ve taught there for eight years.


About my work


Connie Goldman, Arena XIV, 2010, Oil on Panel, 24 x 24 x 2”


I work in a variety of media, but predominantly in oil on panel. From the beginning I was interested in the notion of interconnectedness. Duality, oppositional forces, relationships, equilibrium, rhythm…. These are states and phenomena that fascinate me and spur my artistic exploration.


Connie Goldman, Arena XIV, 2010, Oil on Panel, 26.5 x 25.5 x 2"


While I frequently have a narrative going in my head about what is going on in the work I want to keep interpretation open and available to the viewer. With a slow unfolding the viewer can internalize the dynamics of the work through his/her own emotional or intellectual filters. Thus, while the extreme abstraction leaves my work very open to interpretation, the interpretation can become very intimate.


Connie Goldman, Brook VI, 2009, Oil on Panel, 30 x 14 x 3"


I utilize the language of minimalism or reductive painting, but rather than emptying my work of meaning, I want it to trigger associations for the viewer. What I like about leaving open the possibilities for interpretation is that the story or meaning can change and re-adapt, never become static or fixed.


Connie Goldman, Treble III, 2008, Oil on Panel, 24 x 17.5 x 2"


My work falls somewhere between painting and sculpture, an area that is now becoming a popular avenue of exploration. I’ve been there for quite awhile because I needed more than the two dimensions available to painting. To better express the dynamics of power and flux I felt I needed to have available the third dimension. But I still think of myself as a painter. I’m very concerned with paint, surface, and color. These are the aspects of my work where I can work most intuitively.


Connie Goldman, Treble V, 2010, Oil on Panel, 48 x 38 x 2"


This brings me to the artists I like to look at. I admire those who can successfully strip form down to its most essential state while still maintaining gravity and poetry. Martin Puryear does this. Anne Truitt, Agnes Martin, Eva Hesse, Brice Marden, Ellsworth Kelly, Robert Mangold, Piet Mondrian, Malevich, Brancusi – all of these artists I find inspiring. There are many younger artists whose work I admire greatly, but most of those are progeny of the afore mentioned artists, too.


Shows


Connie Goldman, Brook II, 2008, Oil on Panel, 21 x 30 x 3"


As far as exhibitions, I’m currently in a group show at Lora Schlesinger Gallery in Santa Monica entitled, “Shades of Blue”. This show is on display through August 28th. Please follow this LINK for more information.


Connie Goldman, Treble IV, 2009, Oil on Panel, 48 x 37 x 2"

Connie Goldman, Detail of Treble IV, 2009, Oil on Panel, 48 x 37 x 2"


I was just in a three-person show at ParisCONCRET in Paris, France, entitled “Popular Mechanics”.


Left: Connie Goldman
Right: Jason Hoelscher


Connie Goldman, Treble I, 2008, Oil on Panel, 25 x 17 x 2"


I ’ll have a solo show at OK Harris in New York City next year where they’ll feature a body of my work entitled “Arena”.



Connie Goldman, Arena IV, 2007, Oil on Panel, 13.5 x 13 x 2"


Connie Goldman, Arena XV, 2010, Oil on Panel, 26 x 24 x 2"


In 2012 I’ll have a solo exhibition at University of California Berkeley which will be a mini-retrospective. And there are several group shows coming up as well, including one at the Indianapolis Museum of Art which will feature works on paper.

Currently I have no formal gallery representation.


Advice to artists that are just starting out


Connie Goldman, Brook VIII, 2010, Oil on Panel, 40 x 28 x 3"

Number one is to be humble. We all have a lot to learn. Then try to honestly ascertain what your goals are for your work. If you want fame and fortune, you’ll have quite a different journey from the artist who is less concerned with those things. To gain fame and fortune you’ll have to be concerned with making a living, making the right connections, following and/or being aware of trends, being in the right place at the right time. Go to New York, to LA, to Berlin.

For those who want to allow their work to evolve in an organic way, without regard to market and money, you’ll also have to find a way to support your art. You’ll watch a lot of artists come and go.

Above all, keep your focus on your work, don’t worry about art world trends, work a lot, stay connected to other artists whose opinions and aesthetics you respect, and show your work. After all, you’re using a visual language. It’s very gratifying and instructional to put your work up in a nice space, and to witness the fruits of your labor.

And last, be flexible. Your goals may change. Recognize that, and do what you need to do to reach those goals.


Contact


Connie Goldman, Brook V, 2009, Oil on Panel, 30 x 14 x 4"


I will do commissions on a selective and limited basis. You can see my work at flickr.com/photos/conniegoldman. My e-mail is conniegoldman@sbcglobal.net.



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Image Credit: All images courtesy of Kim Harrington in Emeryville, CA.

Featured Artist: Erdem Kucukkoroglu

Erdem Kucukkoroglu, the artist

Introduction

I was born in Istanbul, Turkey where I currently living and working. I have never seen my art making as a hobby, and have always considered myself a painter. I have been drawing since my childhood, imitating toys and cartoon film characters.

I took some painting and drawing courses during my high school years. During that time, I kept drawing and painting peysages (landscapes) and naturmorte (still life) replicas from Turkish and European artists. I made my very first oil painting when I was 14.

I don’t know why, but I never pursued art study at university level in those years. I was reading science magazines and interested in science at that time in my life.

After I gained a bachelor of science in Mathematics from Istanbul University, I taught Mathematics in a high school for a short term. It was obligatory for students who wanted to become Mathematics teacher. After that training period, I gave private Mathematics lessons at student's house or at my house to earn a living.

Later on, I decided to take art course at Mehmet Güleryüz Studio work in abstract paintings. That art course lasted for four years, from 2000 to 2004, which in duration paralleled my mathematics study at the University.

Erdem Kucukkoroglu, Untitled, 2004, 40 x 30cm, charcoal on paper. This work was shown at the 'IV International Biennial of Drawing 2004' in Pilsen, Czech Republic.

Mehmet Güleryüz is one of the leading Turkish artists. Studying under Mehmet Güleryüz was an important experience for me. I learned much from him on what makes a work of art. He was able to help me work out the problems of form and color. Combining the great influence from my studies with Mehmet Güleryüz and my passion for Mathematics, I decided to work on geometric abstraction.

Erdem Kucukkoroglu, Untitled, 2001, 
150 x 100 cm, acrylic on paper

I currently work as a freelancer graphics designer. I found that painting and graphics are different disciplines, but the two have something in common, and that is the design element which I am always fascinated with. Giving private mathematics lessons is now my second occupation.


About my work

Generally speaking, I have two working styles. First is a body of work that I make only using black lines on a white surface. These pieces have a strong reference to calligraphy. The other body of work consists of colored forms on canvas, the forms dependent on mathematical ratios.

Erdem Kucukkoroglu, Untitled, 2006, 
24 x 18 cm, charcoal on paper

Erdem Kucukkoroglu, Geometric composition, 2009, 
80 x 60cm, acrylic on canvas

I like to refer my work as geometric abstract paintings. I use the Golden Ratio of proportions for compositions and canvas sizes. I compose my works using visual aesthetics and rhythms of calligraphy. Besides Mathematics, my work is influenced by traditional Turkish, Chinese and Japanese calligraphy.

Erdem Kucukkoroglu, Geometric construction series, 
2008, 44 x 33cm, charcoal on paper

I visited a great exhibition on eastern and western calligraphy that included Japanese Calligraphy Master Harada Kampo Soshi’s works in May 2010 in Istanbul. It was truly fascinating and inspiring to see Kampo’s work in person.

Related links: Kampo Cultural Center in Kyoto, Japan

As for my art making process, I normally start by drawing compositions in my notebooks. I then re-render the drawings and paint them on large-sized canvas or paper. Drawing sketches is very important for me, as I usually draw and erase repeatedly, until I embody the form in my mind onto my drawings.

Erdem Kucukkoroglu, Geometric construction series, 
2009, 24 x 18cm, charcoal on paper

For paintings on canvas, I prefer using acrylic colors. However, sometimes I do use other materials such as oil color, inks and charcoals, calligraphy papers and textured papers for collages.

Erdem Kucukkoroglu, Geometric construction series, 
2008, 27 x 20 cm, collage on paper

Current and upcoming shows

I am showing three drawings in the World Gallery of Drawings Competition in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. The organizer of the this Drawings competition is Osten Gallery, the exhibition is on displayed through December 10, 2010. I feel honored that my drawings were selected by international jury to participate in this show with many talented artists from other countries with different styles and techniques. The ceremony of the opening and announcing of the winners of prizes will be held on 16th September 2010 in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. All are welcome to attend.

From L to R: Erdem Kucukkoroglu, Composition no.3, no.6 and no.2, 
2003, 235 x 145cm, acrylic on canvas.

Currently, I am planning a solo exhibition of my latest work to be installed in 2011, at the same time looking for other exhibition opportunities. I do not have a gallery representation, but I am seeking one, which could be an international venue.


Contact

Please visit my website: geometrivesanat.com

Erdem Kucukkoroglu, Untitled, 2005, 32 x 24 cm, charcoal on paper

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Image credit: All images courtesy of Erdem Kucukkoroglu, Istanbul, Turkey.

Featured Artist: Ken Greenleaf

Ken Greenleaf, the artist
The painting behind Ken is entitled 'Salient'

Personal

I come originally from mid-coast Maine, where I now live. Most of my adult life has been spent in either New York City, where I lived for about twenty years, or in Maine, with a few years in Boston and Cambridge in the mid-1960’s.

My experience outside of art has included working in a shop making harpsichords, commercial fishing, boatbuilding, newspaper reporting and some public television production. I have written art reviews on and off since the late 1970’s.

I currently work at art full time, and write reviews for the Phoenix and for Art New England.

I am married to the painter Dozier Bell, and we live in Waldoboro, Maine.


About my work


Ken Greenleaf, Edge Space, 2010, Acrylic on raw canvas on shaped support, 18” x 19”


My work, over the years, has followed an evolutionary path that is easier to see in retrospect than it was at the time. While my work has always been embedded in philosophical and theoretical framework, my method has been intuitive and based in a sensory reaction to shapes and materials.



Ken Greenleaf, Kiev, 2010, Acrylic on raw canvas on shaped support, 17” x 19”


The sculptures I first showed in New York in the early 1970’s were arrangements of welded steel plates forming structures that had a somewhat complex ground plan and a strong physical presence. These were well received critically and found their way into good collections and museums. Only later did it become clear to me that I was working from the empiric toward the transcendental, making sensory artistic resonance from industrial materials.



Ken Greenleaf, Alea, 2010, Acrylic on raw canvas on shaped support, 24” x 23”


My work evolved from steel plates to more complex structures with two or more materials: steel and marble, wood and aluminum, steel and wood, and other combinations. In the 1980’s I made works which had a distinct ‘inside’ and ‘outside,’ both of which were visible. These pieces also had a feeling that they had a past and that random, deconstructive effects were at work on their appearance. As theoretical as these were, they were still made using free improvisation.



Ken Greenleaf, Salient, 2010, Acrylic on raw canvas on shaped support, 23” x 25”


I often used steel as a visible structural support for other materials like stones or, very often, logs. They were simple pieces that used their connections and support functions as a syntactical vocabulary, reflecting an action - logs would be gripped by steel rings and sometimes suspended by chains or turnbuckles. These were often imposingly large and depended for much of their content on the distinctions between materials. The wood, for instance, was soft and round, the steel sharp and angular.



Current work


Ken Greenleaf, Sagaris, 2010, Acrylic on raw canvas on shaped support, 24” x 23.5”

In recent years I have turned away from large structures and toward a subtler, and I think more direct, mode. As my understanding of my own concerns and my artistic interests have evolved, I find it possible to do more with less. My original engagement with relations between shapes and materials has become the central focus of my work. The edges of the shaped support, the color of the raw canvas and the borders of the painted areas are direct essays in understanding how we apprehend what we see, and how we recognize what is real.



Ken Greenleaf, Higgs, 2010, Acrylic on raw canvas on shaped support, 25” x 24”


My intention is simply to make the best work I can, with the most thorough economy of means. I seek an art without narrative, rhetoric or illusion. Art is, by its nature, an abstraction, and I wish to go directly to its nature.


Shows and contact


Ken Greenleaf, Trajectory, 2010, Acrylic on raw canvas on shaped support, 23” x 25”


I will be having a solo show of new work at the Caldbeck Gallery in Rockland, Maine from August 18 to September 18, 2010. Opening reception has been scheduled for Wednesday, August 18, 2010. For more information see www.caldbeck.com.



Ken Greenleaf, Schema, 2010, Acrylic on raw canvas on shaped support, 22” x 24”


Pictures of my work, my resume, and some examples of my work through the years can be found at www.kengreenleaf.com. I can be reached at ken.greenleaf@gmail.com


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Image Credit: All images courtesy of Ken Greenleaf, Waldoboro, Maine.