Issue 27 - Columbia: A Journal of Literature and Art

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IOO a sensational way. The work there seems a bit sensational, or hysterical. That might not be entirely fair. Use of materials may be a bit on the wane, there may be a return to painting now. But here, it seems a little more authentic to me, more interior. People here are in their studios working away, like in a vacuum. There's a return to painting. C: You're planning an exchange with the Linton Griffin gallery in California. How do you predict that work will be perceived on opposite coasts? BK: There's a painter I'd like to show, Daniel Manns, whose work is very Californian, in a way. It's very bright and sun-drenched. The palette in New York is pretty dark, generally. C: Will the difference be obvious here, showing Californian work? BK: There are artists who just haven't been seen here, and I want to show them. Tom LaDuke uses such mundane things, like an antenna. There's something really poetic about his work: to pick things from everyday life that you might just look at and say how Untitled, Michael Ashkin COURTESY OF BRONWYN KEENAN GALLERY, NEW YORK boring, but he has this passing through sense of things, about how everything looks the same after awhile; he just sort of isolates these things and makes them look like something else. C: How will they perceive New York work in California? BK: I think the community is so much smaller out there, in terms of galleries or number of artists who live out there full time, that they'll welcome the work, to see something new. COLUMBIA: What are the major differences between East and West? Meg Linton: After living in New York for four months, I found the only difference between the cities is density. What New York City has compacted into eight miles is spread out all over California, but I still heard the same complaints by the New York artists I visited: "There are no young galleries showing emerging artists," or "No one is willing to take the risk," or "No one is collecting contemporary art, unless it's a proven investment." That is why Keenan is such a mecca for young artists in New York and why Griffin Linton is a haven for young artists in Southern California. The biggest insight I had into New York was realizing how traditional, prejudiced (against non-New York or non-European artists) and conservative the art scene is. ... In California the art scene is very connected to the University system and people are less concerned about what something is and more concerned about the artist's intention. This is a gross generalization, but it is a strong impression I walked away with from my experience there. The New York artists we show in L.A. will receive less prejudice than will our L.A. artists exhibiting in New York. New York sees itself as the pinnacle of the art world, particularly in the marketplace. C: Tell us more about how New York artists will be received in California. What differences are notable? ML: We have had fabulous response to Michael Ashkin, Leslie Brack, Manuel Pardo and Ellen Berkenblit's work. There is a difference in the work, and it is incredibly difficult to articulate the physical or aesthetic difference, but I do believe a large factor is the difference in environment: open versus compact space, horizontal
102 structure versus vertical, harsh versus subtle weather changes, qualities of light, transportation, distance. People in L.A. exist and move through the world differently than in New York City. Having lived in other cities and countries, how one operates from day to day impacts ideas and perceptions, especially those of the creative mind. The variety of landscape on our planet is what is saving us from the monotony of the "global village." C: Is there something in particular you're after in the exhibits you arrange? ML: I look for the abstract, such as quality in form and content, integrity, and sincerity. For example, with Tom LaDuke and Daniel Manns, I have watched their work develop over ten years and what I respect most is their constant determination to keep moving forward, to keep experimenting with different media and new ideas. . . .LaDuke s present body of work is compelling for me because it is about California, and the intensity of this place. He juxtaposes our metallic blue sky with the industrial necessities of communication or in some cases industrial extinctions like the RV antenna, which we are trained not to see as interrupting the landscape. The metal structure disappears into our skyline. LaDuke points to the beauty and ominous presence of these remnants. People unfamiliar with our landscape may not understand or recognize his references, but will feel the electronic hum of the cable wires or discover the UFO at Palomar. Jacqueline Cooper, an abstract painter originally from England, has the same intensity about her work. You never know where she's going to go next with her imagery or colors. Daniel Manns uses geometric designs and forms, biomorphic shapes and collaged fabrics, photographs and found objects. His color palette is bubble gum pink, light blue, yellows and other colors found on outdated linens and ice cream wrappers. C: What is your vision as a curator? ML: My vision or my desire is to provide artists with opportunity. My role as a curator is facilitator. I have created an environment for my artists to display their explorations and to receive support. Gustave Flaubert's quote applies to my philosophy: "The author in his book must be like God in his universe, everywhere present and COURTESY OF GRIFFIN LINTON CONTEMPORARY GALLERIES, LOS ANGELES Untitled, Daniel Manns nowhere visible." I want to disappear from the process—to turn invisible. C: What do you think of the idea we put to Bronwyn Keenan, about the role of curator making you a sort of mother figure in the gallery? ML: The gallery is like a family, but I do not feel like a matriarchal figure. The artists we represent all support each other and the gallery, but remain individuals with their own visions. I am not trying to create a clan of artists with the same style or destination, but a meeting ground for diversity. But we do all socialize a lot. I get a group of artists together and go gallery hopping once a month. There is a constant exchange between us all. —Interview by AURORA WEST
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Issue 27 - Columbia: A Journal of Literature and Art

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