Miriam Pickens
Ginger Alberti of Sew Cranky helps Nila using hand crank machines to put together a quilt
The Eagle Harbor Fair has a wonderful lineup of artists, plus the large tent where members of the Copper Country Associated Artists gather and share music, conversation and crafts with guests in a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere August 12 and 13.
This summer Dolly Luoma, Millie Little, and Jeanne Rosemurgy, all fiber artists, share the Featured Artist position.
Art in the Park in Copper Harbor has features artists and crafters, plus a main stage featuring regional musicians as well as grilled corn, brats and more.
The whole town is in celebration mode the weekend of August 19.
Miriam Pickens
Stacy Lay Coax in front of her booth at the Hancock Tori and Farmers Market.
Closer to home, I’ve been admiring the Public Art Walking Tour in Hancock, a collaboration of the City of Hancock with the Copper Country Community Arts Center.
This is a collection of 13 pieces from the Permanent Collection at the CCCAC of pieces donated by notable local artists. Pieces are reproduced onto weatherproof display boards placed around the city.
At Porvoo Park on the Portage Canal, you can see “Shift Change” by Kevin Breyfogle, a depiction of Copper Miners going to work in the snowy weather, and “The Cliff” by Alice Reynolds.
Nancy McCabe, whose painting “Flowers for Mimi” is at the Ryan Street Garden, used to tell me about her friend Alice Reynolds who was locally famous in the 50’s and 60’s for her painting on ceramics. Breyfogle is known for his large, vibrant precisely painted scenes, some of which are currently for sale at the CCCAC.
I love to check out the art at the Tori Market on Thursdays on the Quincy Green in front of the Hirvonen building.
Finnish American Folk School
Dishtowels now displayed at the Finnish American Folk School held up by John Gale.
Besides the fresh veggies and baked goods, I enjoy browsing the artist booths, including one where you can find cool tye-dyed clothes and jewelry by Stacey Lay Coax from Elo, between Tapiola and Pelkie.
Joyce Kosenmaki’s “Bear and Stars” and John Haro’s “The Construction Workers” are displayed on Quincy Green.
Kosenmaki taught art at Finlandia for many years. Her paintings and sculptures depict the spiritual connection with nature. I enjoy checking out her work at the Gallery on 5th in Calumet and the CCCAC.
Haro was a local architect who designed some beautiful local church buildings including the Finlandia Chapel and the Range Apostolic Church in South Range, as well as many buildings in Ann Arbor on the University of Michigan Campus.
Haro passed away at the age of 91 in 2020.
You can find a map of the Public Art Walking Tour at the CCCAC or City Hall in Hancock. You can get pretty close to most of them by car, but some will require a little exercise.
I stopped by Sew Cranky on Quincy St. in Hancock where Ginger Alberti was working with Nila on a quilt, which will be a gift for her mom. Besides her group classes where customers of all ages learn to use the hand cranked sewing machines to create an assortment of goods, Ginger also works with private students on larger projects.
There are some really cool art events coming up in August and September.
The Finnish American Folk School is getting geared up again to bring us the Bark & Willow Symposium from September 8 through 13. This will include workshops and demonstrations by Karen Tembreull and Poppy Hatinger, on the art of basketry, beadmaking, cordage and bookbinding. This symposium is sponsored in part by the Michigan Arts & Culture Council and the CCCAC.
Registration is required, and you can find more information at https://www.finlandia.edu/fahc/finnish-american-folk-school/.
If you get a chance, check out the display of works from the Finnish American Folk School that were completed in the 2022/23 season. One display of interest is the collection of handwoven dish towels.
Five expert weavers from the folk school set up warps on five looms, and each weaver wove at least one towel on each warp; a sort of round-robin. There are more than twenty-five towels displayed on this clothesline, and each is unique and beautiful. In addition, there are examples of cotton rugs, ceramic wall flowers, Nuno felting and Birchbark art.
“Finns Love Alliteration” is the title of the new show opening today at the CCCAC Gallery featuring Duluth artist Lenore Lampi.
Lampi is well known for her ceramic work depicting intricate birchbark designs on functional ware as well as wall hangings. The opening reception and gallery talk will be this evening from 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Finally, there is an upcoming project which is dear to my heart.
Art for Peace is a collaboration of Keweenaw Faiths United with Keweenaw CAPE, the Community Alliance for Progressive Education. Children around our community at summer programs and Faith Communities have been listening to stories about Peacemaking, and have been encouraged to think about what Peace means to them. They are drawing pictures about Peace, and the pictures will be displayed in the Youth Gallery at the CCCAC in September.
On Thursday, August 17 from 5:30-7:30, Trinity Episcopal at 205 East Montezuma Ave. in Houghton will host a free supper and a Peacemaking session open to the community.
For more information call Reverend Sarah Diener-Schlitt at 906-482-2010 or email the church at trinityepiscopalhoughton@gmail.com.
Inspiring Talks: Laurie Lewis Photography
Thu, 3 Aug 2023 18:00 – 20:00
Camden Collective
5-7 Buck Street
London
NW1 8NJ
Join us at Camden Collective for an evening with the legendary Camden based photographer, Laurie Lewis and CLASH editor Robin Murray. Known for his evocative music and stage photography as well as his extensive career as a photojournalist traveling around the world capturing legendary artists like David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Vivienne Westwood, Diana Ross, Def Leppard, The Rolling Stones and more. As arts correspondent his work has appeared in The Sunday Times, Sunday Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent, Rolling Stone, Time and Life Books and magazines, focusing on classical / modern music, and dance.
The portraits, made in the studio and more often on location, appear in private collections, including The V&A & The National Portrait Gallery and exhibitions held at The Royal Academy, The Photographers Gallery and at The Hankyu Gallery in Japan.
Lewis made documentary films in the USA covering the Chicago Democratic Convention riots and on Gun Control and in the UK, he did a feature on the camera makers Gandolfi and concert films with Frank Zappa, The Rolling Stones and Ian Dury.
As a photojournalist he has worked in disaster zones covering earthquakes in Kashmir, volcanic eruptions in Iceland, and shot magazine features in Nicaragua, South Africa, Russia, Indonesia, The Himalayas, and the USA. This evening is part of a wider series of events taking place across Camden and Euston under the Camden Inspire Summer Series Program. To find out more visit https://www.camdeninspire.com/summerseries
©2023 Laurie Lewis
Art Plugged is a contemporary platform inspired by a relationship with the broader arts communities. We provide our audience with curated insight into the world of art, from exhibitions to artist interviews and more.
Royal Jewels, fiber on gourd by Shirley Eichten Albrecht (Courtesy/ Rowe Fine Art Gallery)
Artists get asked a lot of questions, but one of the most common just might be: What inspires you to create? In preparation for In the Mood, Rowe Fine Art Gallery’s latest show, which opens with a reception on Friday, Aug. 4, at 4 p.m., the gallery posed that very question to its own family of painters, sculptors and jewelers. As it turns out, inspiration can result in either a specific artwork or just the drive to spend time in the studio.
Navajo stone sculptor Alvin Marshall gets in the mood to create by waking up early, a practice his ancestors taught him. “As a Native American, I was told to rise before the sun, to welcome the sunrise and give the evening light blessings that you might awake in the morning and start all over,” says Alvin. “In my tradition, my work reflects the songs and the prayers that were set by my ancestors’ grandfathers’ grandmothers. I turn those songs and prayers into sculptures – living stones, living stories.”
Painter Julie T. Chapman, whose work has gone through a dramatic transformation over the past few years, says she used to be inspired by nature and wildlife, too. But sometimes inspiration changes as artists evolve. “Back when I was doing more representational work, I could point to the weather as inspiration,” Julie says, “but nowadays I’d be hard-pressed to do that, given the disruption in what I do. Now, it’s more like the chaos in the world/politics/our relationships to one another and the natural world that drive my work.”
Other artists point to specific moments – happy and sad – that inspired artwork. For sculptor Liam Herbert, the passing of his mother-in-law completely changed the course of his life. “As an artist, I have explored many mediums to express the entire gamut of life’s emotions,” reflects Liam. “Originally, my sculptural mediums included wood, mixed-media and bronze. That expanded when my wife’s mother passed away unexpectedly. Overwhelmed with grief, Sylvia and I attended a bereavement group for six weeks. I mentioned to the group that by the time I finished the course, I would create a wearable sculpture expressing what we were experiencing.”
Sculptor Ken Rowe also treasures the opportunity to get close to the animals he sculpts. “There’s an amazing array of animals I’ve had the absolute honor of working with, from wolves to grizzlies to mountain lions to rhinos,” he says. “In many cases, I’ve been able to handle the animal and then sculpt as I observe it right in front of me. It’s hard to describe how amazing it is to handle an animal like a grizzly, to feel its strength, see the texture of its hair, to feel the power of its breath on you.”
Come meet some of the gallery’s artists and see their latest works during In the Mood. The show runs through August. It’s the continuation of a year-long celebration of the art of storytelling. When you come right down to it, artists are storytellers, using paint, clay and precious metals the same way a writer uses words. There’s a story behind each of the paintings, sculptures and pieces of jewelry in the gallery – stay tuned as some of those stories are told throughout the year.
Rowe Fine Art Gallery represents traditional and contemporary southwestern artists. The gallery, located under the bell tower in Patio de las Campanas at Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village, is open Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 928-282-8877, visit RoweGallery.com, or find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
CASPER, Wyo. – Suzette McIntyre will hold a signing for two of her books she has reissued during this month’s 1st Thursday ArtWalk on Aug. 3.
According to a release from the artist, the books “Reflections of Casper – An Artistic Interpretation from Past to Present” and “The Art of Being Alive – Wisdom on Living a More Vibrant Life” will be featured during the signing at ART 321 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Both book focus on Casper history and changing times.
McIntyre grew up in Casper and began her artistic career while attending Casper College, where she “developed and honed her artistic skills before establishing her renowned photography business and book series,” according to her bio. “McIntyre, an internationally acclaimed photographer and author, has received widespread recognition for her signature style of photography.”
Copies of her books, along with keepsakes, cards and artwork of classic Casper landmarks, will be available for purchase during the event.
The full release follows:
Uncover the rich heritage of Casper, Wyoming and embrace the essence of vibrant living as Suzette McIntyre re-releases her two books, relevant to Casper’s changing times. – “Reflections of Casper” And “The Art of Being Alive”. This remarkable book signing event at ART 321 during the 1st Thursday ArtWalk on August 3 not only offers profound insights into vibrant living but also draws awareness to the fading icons and landmarks of Casper.
· Book 1:”Reflections of Casper” – An Artistic Interpretation from Past to Present
Returning to her hometown of Casper, Wyoming, Suzette McIntyre presents a new perspective on the beloved town through her artistic lens. “Reflections of Casper” is an exquisite portrayal of the Milestones, Landmarks, and Heritage that have shaped the city’s vibrant history. With historic photos accompanying each piece, the book captures the essence of Casper’s transformation from its colorful past to its remarkable present. As Casper evolves and three major icons face disappearance, “Reflections of Casper” becomes a poignant tribute to the Natrona County’s past and an urgent call to protect the memory of its unique heritage. This book stands as a cherished keepsake and collector’s item, preserving the town’s legacy for generations to come.
· Book 2: “The Art of Being Alive” – Wisdom on Living a More Vibrant Life
In this inspiring photo essay, Suzette McIntyre offers profound insights gained from decades of exploration, journaling, and freewriting. Through words and captivating images, she unveils the significance of the Universal Power within each of us and its transformative impact on our lives. “The Art of Being Alive” guides readers on an exhilarating 7-step journey inward, embracing the art of living vibrantly amidst life’s challenges. This book was recently honored in Chicago by the International Indie Book Awards as the Best Gift Book of 2023, further cementing its place as a must-read for those seeking a deeper connection to existence.
About the Author:
Suzette McIntyre grew up in Casper, Wyoming. Her artistic journey began at Casper College, where she developed and honed her artistic skills before establishing her renowned photography business and book series. McIntyre, an internationally acclaimed photographer and author, has received widespread recognition for her signature style of photography. With a passion for the western wilderness, her coffee table books, canvases, and photographs grace galleries throughout Colorado and Wyoming.
Join Suzette McIntyre at ART 321, located at 321 West Midwest in Casper, during the 1st Thursday ArtWalk on August 3rd from 5-8 pm. Be captivated by these timely books and meet the visionary artist in person. Signed copies of both books will be available for purchase, along with keepsakes, cards, and artwork of classic Casper landmarks.
For more information about the author and her works, contact her at 937-885-9766 or visit her website at www.photographybysuzette.com
As the death of Angus Cloud sent a shockwave through the entertainment industry, fans and critics wrote heartbreaking testimonials about the 25-year-old “Euphoria” actor, saying he could have been a great “unconventional leading man” and a global fashion icon whose beauty was both unusual and “transcendent.”
For those in Cloud’s hometown of Oakland, the loss was felt much more personally and profoundly. From staff and students at the Oakland School for the Arts, from which he graduated, to other local artists, people remembered him as one of the phenomenally gifted Oakland natives to make it big, as well as someone always happy to return home and support the community that nurtured his talent.
“The first time we met him this past Friday, at our record release celebration, he gave us our support,” said D.Bledsoe, a member of the rap collective MacArthur Maze, about Cloud’s last public appearance last week. Cloud attended the release party for the collective’s new album, “Blvck Saturday,” at the Torch Lounge on San Pablo Avenue.
“He wasn’t making the night about him, but he came there to show his love, which was really admirable,” D.Bledsoe said. “It was a blessing that someone of his status came out to celebrate our new work.”
Members of MacArthur Maze also appreciated that Cloud gave them a shout-out on his Instagram on July 18, directing his 7.3 million followers to watch a video of their track, “Thank You Have a Nice Day.” Cloud got to know the collective’s music through his childhood friend, Josh Kennedy, who serves as their photographer.
At the party, Kennedy shot multiple photos of his friend at the party, smiling and looking like he was in good spirits. He told The Sun that he was stunned to receive a call on Monday, learning that his friend was dead.
Oakland police, who are investigating Cloud’s death Monday morning, have not released information on how he may have died. In a 911 call at 11:30 a.m. Monday, a woman believed to be Cloud’s mother reported a “possible overdose” and said her son didn’t have a pulse, TMZ reported. Oakland police said Cloud was pronounced dead at the scene.
Cloud’s family said in a statement Monday that he had had long been open about his mental health struggles, while Cloud’s former manager, in a since-deleted Twitter thread, alleged that he was was battling “a severe” drug addiction that led to a stint in rehab, as well as relapses, a prior overdose and struggles to stay sober.
Cloud’s family also revealed that he had been in despair over the loss of his father, Conor Hickey, who died from cancer in May. Cloud recently returned from his father’s native Ireland, where he, his mother and two younger sisters traveled to hold several memorial ceremonies to spread Hickey’s ashes, the Daily Mail reported. However, a family friend told the Daily Mail that Cloud was “too traumatized” and in “too fragile” a state of mind to join his family for one of the ceremonies that took place at a family farm.
Kennedy acknowledged his friend’s addiction in an interview with The Sun and said “he’s been through a lot,” suggesting that some of his issues predated him becoming a star playing the kind-hearted drug dealer Fez on the hit teen series “Euphoria.” Kennedy also suggested that his friend liked coming back to Oakland as much as possible, in large part because people didn’t treat him like a celebrity.
On its Facebook page, the Oakland School for the Arts offered its “deepest condolences” to Cloud’s family and friends. The school remembered him “as a multifaceted and talented artist in instrumental music, digital media and production design who had a huge presence at OSA.” The school’s post is noteworthy in that Cloud told the New York Times in 2022 that he didn’t act at all while in high school school, but instead focused on building sets and doing lighting and sound for its theater productions.
Acting suddenly became a possibility when he was discovered in 2018, while working as a waiter in New York City, he told the Times. A Hollywood talent Scott spotted him walking down the street in Greenwich Village and brought him to the attention of “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson. Cloud’s talent and appear stood out enough that Levinson made him a co-star in the series, alongside future Emmy Award winner Zendaya, who also grew up in Oakland and attended the Oakland School for the Arts.
The school also praised Cloud for his skateboarding. Two weeks before his death, Cloud shared a nostalgic photo of when he spent time as a boy in the skateboard community at historic DeFremery Park in West Oakland. In his Instagram post, Cloud tagged local artist and arts educator Keith “K-Dub” Williams, who is known as the “godfather” of the Oakland skateboarding community for transforming the space, known as Town Park, into destination for youth and adults of all ages and skill levels, Huck magazine reported in 2015.
In his post, Cloud referred to Williams as his “godfather” and “Oakland royalty.” Following Cloud’s death, Williams paid tribute to his young friend, sharing a photo on Instagram of Cloud as a boy in a Town Park hoodie. He wrote, “You are loved by many.”
Cloud recently celebrated his hometown in another way, by working on the upcoming film, “Freaky Tales,” which is based on the childhood memories of “Captain Marvel” co-director Ryan Fleck, who was born in Berkeley and grew up in Berkeley and Oakland, according to Deadline. The film is set in Oakland in 1987 and is comprised of four interconnected stories, each featuring real-life locations and some historical events. Cloud co-stars in the film with Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn and Jack Champion, while Grammy-winning Oakland native Raphael Saadiq oversees the film’s music.
Fleck, who co-wrote and -directed “Freaky Tales” with his regular collaborator Anna Boden, took time to remember Cloud on Monday. On his Instagram, he shared a photo of the young actor, laughing on the set with Pascal.
🥺💔
📸 | Novo registro de Angus Cloud e Pedro Pascal no set de filmagens do filme “Freaky Tales”, em 2022. A foto foi compartilhada pelo diretor Ryan Fleck em seu Instagram. pic.twitter.com/rokRPezozS
— Pedro Pascal News Brasil (@PedroPascalNews) August 1, 2023
Fleck captioned the photo: “Despite the smiles, this was actually one of the most intense days I’ve ever had on a movie set. Angus was breath of fresh air and always down to try anything. A true joy to work with. I didn’t know him long but I’ll miss him dearly.”
The art prankster Xu Zhen—who gained notoriety for trademarking his name as a brand and is sometimes hailed as “China’s Maurizio Cattelan”—has, after a period of focusing on facilitating other artists’ careers, made a comeback with a new solo show, this time enthralling audiences at the G Museum in Nanjing with paintings of social media screenshots.
Situated on the 52nd floor, the museum space extends across all three skyscraper towers of Golden Eagle World, which also houses a colossal shopping mall and a luxurious hotel. The venue also provides a fitting backdrop to Xu Zhen’s exhibition. While Xu’s earlier works embraced politics and provocation—exemplified by his 2005 piece 12’91, a sculpture of a military tank with an exterior imprinted with hand and footprints—his focus has shifted towards critiquing China’s consumerist frenzy within the context of globalization. Combining diverse mediums like installation, photography, video, and performance, Xu delivers a playful synthesis of humor and subtle sarcasm.
Transforming the high-ceilinged galleries into a stunning display of both wall-scale and densely packed, smartphone-sized “social media screenshots,” Xu believes this series, titled “Passion,” encapsulates the essence of our present moment. “The pandemic and the resulting lockdowns have intensified our reliance on smartphones and social media,” Xu explained. This was especially apparent in the artist’s native Shanghai, which weathered strict lockdowns in pursuit of China’s zero-Covid policy. To produce the paintings, he extracts snippets of text from WeChat conversations and applies abstract brushstrokes to suggest the underlying sentiments and emotions of the text bubbles. Despite the smudged nature of the paintings, the familiar interface of messenger apps establishes an instant connection with viewers.
Installation view of Xu Zhen’s “Passion” paintings at G Museum, Nanjing.
Installation view of Xu Zhen’s “Passion” paintings at G Museum, Nanjing.
Seen as the leading and the most representative artist among his post-1970s peers (a Chinese term that refers to individuals born in or after the 1970s), Xu Zhen rose to fame in his early 20s, becoming the youngest Chinese artist to participate in the 49th Venice Biennale in 2001 (and later returning for the 2005 edition). Xu has also made notable waves in the art market. In 2018, his artwork Xuzhen Supermarket (2016)—a storefront full of empty products—fetched HK$2 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, marking the first piece of conceptual art to be auctioned in Asia. Notably, this piece was sold under the brand XU ZHEN®, a deliberate move to subsume his own identity within his art-making company, MadeIn Company.
Xu also acts as his own gallerist while also collaborating with mega-gallery Perrotin. His entrepreneurial bent dates back at least to 1998, when he co-founded Shanghai’s first independent nonprofit organization, the BizArt Center. In 2006, together with fellow Shanghai artists, he founded Art-Ba-Ba (www.art-ba-ba.com), which remains one of China’s most vibrant online art publications. In 2014, he established MadeIn Gallery and launched the first “Xu Zhen Store.” Xu’s unconventional path to becoming a generalist did not stop there. His latest venture is the MadeIn Art Museum, located on Chongming Island near Shanghai. The museum repurposes abandoned buildings from the 1970s, deliberately rejecting white-cube interiors and challenging the process of gentrification that is a hallmark of China’s private art museum landscape.
We caught up with Xu Zhen prior to his G Museum opening and talked about his new paintings, his various ventures, and the distinctive experience of making them in China.
Xu Zhen has been giving away small paintings from “Passion” for the past year.
Your work is often playful and conceptual. How have your newest “Passion” paintings become a vehicle for circulation in your conceptual practices?
This series may appear as mere paintings at first glance, but it represents one of the most ubiquitous interfaces in our lives: the various social media platforms that fill our existence, much like the iconic Campbell’s Soup cans in Warhol’s era. I believe these “messenger screenshots” embody a highly representative image of our time. Our emotions and thoughts today often stem from this interface. Toward the end of 2021, amidst the pandemic, I started exploring the realm of painting in relation to these images. Since the “Passion” series revolves around gesture and expression, I channeled the emotions I experienced as a “readymade” while personally painting each of them. Over the course of the pandemic, whether due to strict measures or not, our reliance on social media seems to have intensified. Shanghai, for instance, underwent a three-month lockdown last year, significantly affecting our sensitivity toward various forms of information.
During that period, individuals were bombarded with a constant influx of information, resulting in an atmosphere of anxiety across social media. This series of works encapsulates my perception of modern communication and information dissemination. The left side of the artwork is depicted in shades of gray that stand for the messages one receives, while the right side is represented by a vibrant green as a sign of the messages one sends, embodying the mood of a conversation. In many ways, our need for emotional support, as manifested in our reliance on social media, resonates with the emotions we observe in Abstract Expressionist paintings. That’s why I characterize this series with an impassioned, benevolent, and authentic sentiment.
I’m interested in the idea of omnimedia, which means that multiple ideas can be conveyed through different media, and these various media, in turn, contribute to the subject matter or the idea itself. In the case of the “Passion” series, I placed approximately 1,200 to 1,300 small paintings on the gallery walls, akin to the notion of the data cloud. A dialogue can be observed between shades of gray and green, reflecting the diverse range of emotions we encounter on our screens. As the quantity of these paintings reaches a certain threshold, they form a collective cloud. Whereas a data cloud is typically associated with intangible and virtual elements, the medium of painting enables us to perceive and touch this virtual concept. Here lies the uniqueness of the pictorial language that other mediums may struggle to replicate or replace.
MadeIn Gallery, front view.
You were the very first artist in China to form a company to sell artwork under your brand rather than your name. Later you became a gallerist and a museum founder. How did you become such a generalist in the art world?
I began my artistic career at a relatively young age, around 19 or 20 years old. Back then there was a period of “China fever” in the global art world that lasted until around 2007, during which time I found young artists like myself participating in exhibitions abroad almost every year. It seemed that the international community had a certain perception about China, and as an artist in the industry, I felt a certain obligation to cater to that perception. After actively working in the field for five or six years, I felt like I was becoming a representative of contemporary young Chinese artists—a label that was difficult to shake off. This led me to believe that contemporary art should not be so simplistic or full of routines.
I was also involved in running a nonprofit organization, BizArt Center, in Shanghai. For ten years, my colleagues and I curated numerous exhibitions and engaged in art media operations. The exposure to a wide range of practices gave me a deeper understanding of the constraints and limitations imposed on artists within the industry. I was prompted to rethink whether there were more possibilities for artists to explore. That’s when we decided to establish a brand and company model. Our primary motivation was to create a platform that provided freedom for artistic expression and enhanced efficiency. Subsequently, we established MadeIn Gallery in 2014, which has to date presented 50 to 60 exhibitions and supported 30 to 40 young artists. I like the efficiency. And this is a truly creative approach that is well suited to contemporary Chinese society in the context of globalization.
Xu Zhen, Xuzhen Supermarket (2016), in Shanghai’s Yu Yuan Lu.
Courtesy of Xu Zhen®.
Company and brand operation is essentially a business. So how does this business perform so far? How do you manage the gallery business as an artist yourself?
For the transaction—the artist’s price or market positioning—our approach is based on the premise that artistic creation should be interesting, of academic value, and sustainable for the artist and the market. We want a relatively benign market. We won’t have artists that are priced like a roller coaster.
As an artist myself, I have a clear understanding of how to select them. We look for artists who possess a distinct artistic style, innovative language, and the possibility of epochal significance. Sustainability is the main concern here. One of my roles as the owner is to ensure that the artists are truly “contemporary.” My experience in running a nonprofit organization helped me to work closely alongside artists with greater empathy. It also helped me to initiate or engage in conversations with them on art-making. I hope to spare young artists from some of the difficulties I have gone through. On the other hand, my team tends to work more on lending resources and focusing on the market aspects.
Installation view, “XU ZHEN®: Embracing Chaos 1.0,” at the MadeIn Art Museum, 2022.
In the last two years, you established MadeIn Art Museum on an island quite remote from the epicenter of Shanghai’s art scene, and it also has an “anti-gentrification” hipster aesthetic. Were you deliberately breaking the systematic ecology of the Chinese art world?
MadeIn Art Museum has been one of my slowest endeavors. I had been engaged in various art projects on Chongming Island before, collaborating with the local government on land art festivals. Around four years ago, by a stroke of luck, I was introduced to this former chicken farm and was so impressed as to think about how to repurpose it. I knew there was a typical notion of what an art museum should be, but for me, art museums today are almost “living in the media.” Due to personal reasons, I have not traveled abroad since 2005 and have mostly stayed in Shanghai. The internet has become my primary source of information. Additionally, there is a growing presence of art online. The internet has also led to many painters adopting a color scheme suitable for screens. Then there is also the influence of fast, TikTok-like video clips. The contemporaneity in contemporary art today is fragmented, fluid, and characterized by sudden shifts. That’s why I’d say that at least half of today’s art museums exist within the realm of such media. I no longer feel entirely comfortable with gentrified aesthetics or museum architecture that is overly focused on design. I found it challenging to identify an architectural style that aligns with the contemporary nature I envisioned. After much deliberation, I decided to work with the existing site—a dilapidated factory building from the collectivist era, nestled amidst a primitive yet ever-changing vegetation system.
Considering China’s unique environment and social situation, is making art museums the most complicated thing you have done? What is your vision for the museum?
It’s fine for me now. In today’s China, you need a big heart to stay in business in this political and social context—you have to have resiliency. When it comes to the MadeIn Art Museum, our goal is never popularity, but to create something enjoyable for ourselves and for those who believe in or share our vision. This, I am confident, we can achieve. We also work to maintain a positive and constructive relationship with the public, abandoning the paternalistic and the overly politically correct. We don’t need more unsettling and authoritative art institutions. People live with their misunderstandings and prejudices, and art provides exactly such a space for pluralism and diverse perspectives.
There is no doubt that you have witnessed the Chinese contemporary art world’s ups and downs. How would you see the current situation of its art world and its artists?
At the age of 46, and through observing my artist friends of all ages, I have come to realize that truly capable artists have long-term sustainability in their practice. However, for most individuals and organizations, there seems to be a three-to-five year cycle. From 2013 until now, I have witnessed a lack of accumulation [of experiences and practices] during the rise of the Chinese art museum system. Research programs and critique systems are lacking. Mere persistence is inadequate in terms of aesthetics, artistic language, and public engagement. Everything is focused on exhibiting as many works as possible. I’m not criticizing, but rather highlighting the current first phase of development of China’s art museum system.
What I’ve noticed is that young artists increasingly work like politicians or public servants—they recognize the power of discourse, values, and also acknowledge the various viewpoints of institutions, curators, media, critics, and collectors. They create art within the confines of this framework. One direct consequence is that they tend to avoid pursuing things that are outside the scope of those interests. But this phenomenon is not unique to China—it applies to young artists all around the world.
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Photographers make mistakes; it is part of the hobby of photography. They happen from not knowing how to use the camera adequately, to forgetting to change a setting, to post-processing errors. This video covers seven landscape photography mistakes you can easily correct, whether you are a pro or a beginner.
Nigel Danson looks at seven things that can cause you to make mistakes in your photography and how to avoid them. In this video, Danson looks at mistakes from the technical side of camera settings to compositional mistakes one might make when taking photos.
Danson notes these are all mistakes that beginner photographers can make or even professional photographers, with several examples from his own experiences and portfolio serving as supporting examples throughout the video. Many of the mistakes in the video can be corrected with a little more attention while out in the field or preparation ahead of time to understand your camera gear and features before you head out.
I firmly believe in getting out there and making those mistakes so you can learn from them. It was refreshing to see that even professional landscape photographers like Danson still make errors out in the field. He did not express frustration from those mistakes, but instead, learned to be better prepared and minimize their occurrence in the future.
