Artist Interview: Sabine Tress | Space Oddities

Words of the day: gesture. vulnerability. consciousness. Zero gravity.

For this episode Sabine Tress returns to the podcast, from her studio in Cologne, Germany, to discuss the work in her solo show Space Oddities. 

This conversation acts mostly as a virtual tour of Sabine’s exhibition. It details the relationships between the actual exhibition space, the paintings, the viewer, and the painter herself. Somehow I make my way into the mix as well. 

I did not know this interview would journey in the direction it did, it wasn’t until editing did I realized how these states were apparent. This recording creates a virtual venue where the show takes place for those who can’t make it to the brick and mortar space, and yet helps make it a show not to miss in person. Listen below...

Blizzard

180 x 140cm/70 x 55in

acrylic on canvas

2021

Teddy

180 x 140cm/70 x 55in

acrylic on canvas

2022

Ma Vie Sous Marine

180 x 140cm/70 x 55in 

spray and acrylic on canvas

2022

 

Audio interview with the artist:

Ahtcast · Sabine Tress | the Space Oddities interview

 

 

The artist's website: Sabine Tress

 

  Space Oddities runs through February 12th 2022

at Esther Verhaeghe Art Concepts

Brussles, Belgium

 

More info on the show: Esther Verhaeghe Art Concepts

 

  Esther Verhaeghe and Sabine Tress!

instagram: 

@sabtress

@esthersartytrail

She's vague

180 x 140cm/70 x 55in

acrylic and spray on canvas

2021

Sabine Tress,...congrats and thanks for the conversation!

 

 

(Original intro song by David T Miller and Phillip J. Mellen)

Artist Interview: Douglas Witmer

Words of the day: elemental. aspire. ambient. place. context.

Philadelphia based painter Douglas Witmer joins me for a conversation on this episode. The interview starts of with Douglas sharing some of his early experiences with art and what feeds his work most. Then the conversation focuses on his ambient album FORTY, FOR YOU, a forty track album where each track is paired up with a painting. We talk about the relationship between the music and the paintings and what Douglas' process was like changing up the format a bit within his studio practice. The paintings, as well as the music, are an invitation for contemplation... Listen below for more! 

FORTY, FOR YOU

Day 9

10 inches square 

acrylic on paper

FORTY, FOR YOU

Day 23

10 inches square 

acrylic on paper

 

 

FORTY, FOR YOU 

installation view of entire set of paintings

Douglas Witmer in his Philadelphia studio

More work by Douglas:

 

 

 Conqueror 

35 x 28 inches

Acrylic on canvas

2020

Audio interview with the artist:

Ahtcast · Douglas Witmer Interview

Mentioned in the interview:

 Agnes Martin

Franz Kline

Matisse

Rothko Chapel

Morton Feldman

Tantra paintings

Tibetan prayer flags

Jane Rohrer 

Warren Rohrer

 

 Link to the digital album FORTY, FOR YOU on bandcamp: FORTY, FOR YOU

 Douglas Witmer's website: Douglas Witmer

Instagram: @dgelless

Current virtual show at: Gallerie Biesenbach

 .

Submitted questions for this interview by previous ahtcast guest Cat Balco.

Thank you Cat!

Below is a work from the series School Papers by Douglas that Cat Balco asks about directly

 

 

School Papers

Dimensions variable. approx 9 x 6 inches

Mixed media on found paper

2010
 

 

 

 

Thank you for listening! 

 

 

(Original intro song by David T Miller and Phillip J. Mellen)

 

 

Artist Interview: Brigid Watson

Words of the day: drawing. color. cement. time. view-finder.

Boston based painter Brigid Watson is ahtcast's guest this time around. You may remember Brigid from The Mixed-Media Tapes recordings where she spoke in depth about color, and metaphysics. I have invited her back for a full length interview here on the podcast. 
Brigid answers my questions about drawing, how long it takes to finish her thick impasto paintings, and where her titles may or may not come from. She also returns to the topic of color, and composition, plus more about her process. Listen below for more...

Drawing

Pastel on paper

26 x 20 inches

2014

Untitled drawing

Chalk pastel on Twin Rocker paper

10 x 14 inches

2018

Cement 1

9 x 9 inches

Oil on canvas

2013

24 x 24 inches

Oil on canvas

2018

Petite Mr. Pink

6 x 6 inches

Oil on canvas

2018

Audio interview with the artist:

 

The artist's website: Brigid Watson

Atists etc. mentioned in the interview:

Joan Mitchell

Elizabeth Murray

Titian

Monet

Philip Guston

Mark Bradford

 Joe Bradley

Howard Hodgkin

Cecily Brown

Per Kirkeby

Judith Farr

Jamey Hart

Joseph Campbell

Rachel Eastman

Bob Siegelman

and David Bowie 

Brigid Watson has a solo show titled: "mountain, thunder" opening: January 4th 2019

Hidell Brooks Gallery

Charlotte, NC

The opening reception is January 4th 6 - 8 pm. 

For more info, please visit the gallery's website: Hidell Brooks Gallery

Congratulations Brigid! 

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I invite you to listen to a few outtakes from the interview, please visit this link on this blog: Brigid Watson Interview outtakes

Thank you for listening! 

(Original intro song by David T Miller and Phillip J. Mellen) 

 

 

The aht [EP]: Peter Shear meets Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

A little about the inspiration behind the aht [EP]: 

While preparing for artist interviews I'll often hear a song, now where I don't necessarily consider myself a synaesthete but my brain goes there from time to time while looking at the art of others. The aht [EP] is where you'll find musical comparisons to the work of a previous interview guest. So please keep an ear out for the occasional appearance of these musical posts on this blog.

Here is the second installment of the series: Peter Shear meets Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

For this post I chose two of the three paintings that Peter sent along for the post. Mr. Shear's work has a certain spirit throughout. It's hard to describe but I'll attempt in a song comparison....

The song I chose is "Little Moments" by CYHSY. Based in both Philly and Brooklyn, I heard that Alec Ounsworth, the band's singer, writes mostly while commuting to and from Brooklyn, most likely to meet up with his band-mates. Anyway, the song is off the Only Run album that came out in 2014. 

Back to what I hear in Peter's work, and the song: 

Right from the track's opening we have somewhat of a drive...then the muffled, yet gentle beat moves in, almost motionless to a contrast with other instrumentation. Perhaps we could dance? Perhaps we just watch? And maybe we are taken into an 8-bit environment? Peter's paintings seem to move in a similar fashion(s). They could very well act as a soundtrack to a certain kind of video game. Fun, simple, yet sophisticated. Hypnotic, and charging no tokens in order to operate them.

Some people describe the space between notes in songs. I feel/see space in Peter's paintings in the right measure. The space vibrates, yet allows the viewer in enough to interact. One could feasibly take this invitation to move elements around, even though they are fine without us, the painted surface (if only in dreams). Perhaps what I am getting at is that the work tends to be kinetic, with a humorous delivery and destination. And let's not forget the space in-between elements. Did I mention that yet?

Also, something about the title of the song also strikes me being placed along side of the paintings. The works tend to be still shots of things that move so fast. The moments in-between what makes sense and the things that cant be defined. 

Let's be present. Let's not waste time...

Thank you for coming to check out the post. Both CYHSY's music, and Peter Shear's work have stuck with me as pals since I first interviewed Peter some time ago. I hope you enjoy this pairing. Take a look and listen below...   

Two paintings by Peter Shear:

Little Moments by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah:

For more of Peter Shear's work, please visit his website here: Peter Shear

The previously released audio interview with Peter can be found on this blog here: Peter Shear interview  

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah website: CYHSY 

Thank you for looking and listening! 

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