Student Spotlight: Annalise Fegan

"Adikia" by Annalise Fegan, pencil, digital, 8.5x11in, 2017, NFS

God created man (human) kind in His own image - that’s Christian belief. Whatever else you believe, it is difficult to argue that the Greeks invented gods in humankind’s image; a parade of richly drawn characters that reflect the nobility and indignity of humanity. The best of us and the worst us, for the gods were just as capable of petty jealousy and recrimination as their human creators, and it could be argued that the Greeks were explaining away their own frailty by imaging that even a deity might have feet of clay.

Annalise Fegan is a fine art student in the midst of creating a series of drawings that do the same thing for contemporary American society:

“This particular body of work combines my drawing style with my interest in mythology, as well as bringing in a critique of the modern world. These drawings are part of a series where I reimagined the Classic Greek pantheon, replacing figures like Zeus and Aphrodite with lesser mythological figures, such as Adikia, the goddess of injustice, and Phthonos, who represents jealousy. The purpose of this work was to create a pantheon of deities that represent what is really ‘worshipped’ in America. There is Plutus, god of wealth, Aergia, goddess of laziness, Eris, goddess of discord, among others. These figures are less well known, though clues to their characters have been incorporated into their design. Color was also chosen based on association with respective traits.”

"Phthonos" by Annalise Fegan, pencil, digital, 8.5x11in, 2017, NFS

Fegan is inspired by illustrations from children’s literature. “I was particularly fascinated with myths and fairy tales. One of my favorite painters is John William Waterhouse, an English Romantic painter, because his work features mythological figures. Several children’s book illustrators, including Jan Brett, Maurice Sendak, and Doris Burn have influenced my drawing style.”

The mix of English Romanticism and Classical Mythology that Fegan mines from Waterhouse is a curious but potentially intoxicating aesthetic with which to frame social commentary in the 21st century. It is unique for this moment, to say the least, so perhaps Fegan has already passed the first crucial hurdle in maturing as an artist.

Hometown: Stanford, Kentucky
Education: 2014 – current, BFA candidate, Drawing and Painting with a concentration in Illustration, Kentucky College of Art + Design at Spalding University, Louisville KY

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"Aergia" by Annalise Fegan, pencil, digital, 8.5x11in, 2017, NFS

"Aergia" by Annalise Fegan, pencil, digital, 8.5x11in, 2017, NFS

"Plutus" by Annalise Fegan, pencil, digital, 8.5x11in, 2017, NFS

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Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Feature: Remembering Mary Ann Currier (1927-2017)

Mary Ann Currier in 2016. Photo by Mo Neal.

In days darkened by terrible loss, and so many calls to be kind to one another in the face of violent tragedy, to then to be reminded of this great Kentucky artist and teacher who so exemplified kindness and decency; seems to suggest that her departure needs be measured beyond the commonly experienced parameters of grief and sorrow. Mary Ann Currier originated in an age of a greater civility certainly than we can manage today, and brought compassion and humanity to her life that touched countless many.

When approached to give a lecture about her life and work for Louisville Visual Art a few years back, she responded with typical humility, “Oh, I’m no good at public speaking, and besides, I can’t imagine people would be that interested.” No amount of reassurance could convince her that her soft spoken manner would be a perfect fit for the intimate and relaxed luncheon format, or that people would be eager to share her company.

But I suppose, having been such a meaningful influence on so many Louisville artists over twenty years of teaching at the Louisville School of Art, and being recognized as one of the great American still life artists of the 20th century, she had earned her privacy and solitude.

In 1945, Mary Ann studied at the Chicago School of Fine Art alongside GI’s returning from World War II, often the only woman in the classroom, worked for W.K. Stewarts illustrating furniture ads, and eventually came to take classes at the Louisville School of Art, and became a member of their faculty in 1962. Among the names that came under her tutelage were Suzanne Adams, Gayle Cerlan, Denise Furnish, Lida Gordon, Rebecca Graves, Ed Hamilton, Jacque Parsley, Martin Rollins, Cathy Shepherd, and Neisja Yenawine.

Currier in the Louisville School of Art Life Drawing classroom late 1970's. Photography by Phil Wakeman

News of her passing among the community of artists began with a message from one of her former students, Martin Rollins. Rollins, and several others had become friends with Mary Ann and visited with her often. Rollins observed: “Of her accomplishments, I know firsthand her tenure at the Louisville School of Art was one of her most treasured and one she felt most keenly. Mary Ann worked tirelessly on the development and implementation of the Foundations program at LSA as she knew it was both good for the students as well as the school, researching similar programs at other schools in the US.”

"East Palatka Onions" by Mary Ann Currier, 1983, 35x59in, Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The claim of being one of the great American still life artists of the 20th century may seem quaint and old-fashioned in 2017, but to see one of Mary Ann’s exquisitely rendered oil pastels was intoxicating. The impressive command of the medium could leave one dumbstruck, and she became renowned for her vegetables, particularly onions, which she chose for their durability among organic subjects. She captures the shiny surface and translucent, peeling layers with an almost preternatural observational skill. For an artist, it was daunting to measure your own meager skills against hers, but also inspiring in the way of all great artists, to know that human hand could achieve such verisimilitude with a sophisticated crayon. Whatever the hard work behind the image, the grace contained in each one served as a reminder that art is always about touching the divine.

"Pears in Plastic" by Mary Ann Currier, Oil pastel 20x34in , 1991, Private collection

That notion is even more powerfully realized in the prosaic choice of subject matter. That she turned her attention so often to flowers is not unexpected, and they are masterpieces, but it is the fruits and vegetables: the pears, onions, peppers, and the like, where she achieves that transcendence that comes from sublime technique, technique in the service of communicating the organic forms of nature with great humility. Once artists celebrated the divine through depictions of stories from various mythologies. Vaulted ceilings and church alter pieces were testaments to the Judeo-Christian god, and statues abound for the Roman deities and various pagan religions. Mary Ann Currier’s drawings are testament to the gentle, humanist spirituality of modern society.

"Apples Cezanne" by Mary Ann Currier, Oil pastel 26x31in, 1989, Private collection

Click on image to view the KET documentary on Mary Ann Currier

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This Feature article was written by Keith Waits.
In addition to his work at the LVA, Keith is also the Managing Editor of a website, www.Arts-Louisville.com, which covers local visual arts, theatre, and music in Louisville.

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Vignette: Shayne Hull

Taking Inspiration From William Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus 

"Donald Andronicus, Jr." by Shayne Hull, pastel on board, 2017, $575

When Shayne Hull turns his sardonic eye to public figures, he joins a great tradition of political satirists, such as the legendary Hugh Haynie. Republican Strategist Karl Rove, and President Barack Obama, have all been subjects, and now, partially inspired by the plot of William Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus, Hull offers portraits of “Mobin Andronicus, Sr.,” “Eric Andronicus,” and “Donald Andronicus, Jr.,” wickedly funny caricatures that strike at both sides of the political aisle and require no pithy caption for their pointed understanding.

Hull’s human heads are often misshapen, so the knack for satire fits him like a second skin, but he also turns his misanthropic perspective on himself, and those whom he holds dear. Self-flagellation in portraiture was not invented by Hull, but few have exposed themselves so ruthlessly on a gallery wall. Barbed wire is a most unforgiving material to wrap a human head, and his own children model adhesive tape and play with wooden rods that are can be suggestive of something more sinister.

On another level, the portraits reveal the malleable plasticity of human form applied absurdly to the skull. Our brains are encased and protected in these rounded shields of bone, and that they are here so easily distorted suggests an awareness of the arrogance by which we take our bodies for granted; a cautionary reminder of our own fragility and the preciousness of life.

Such dark humor may invite squeamishness in the viewer, yet even the most disturbing of Hull’s images (a wooden rod tucked under a boy’s chin) contain a deeply felt humanity; a playfulness that pushes boundaries with what often feels like a child-like sensibility. That quality may come, in part, from his work with young patients at the Kosair Children’s Outpatient Hospital (Louisville, KY) where Hull and his students created a 10′ x 20′ ceramic tile mural.

"Eric Andronicus" by Shayne Hull, pastel on board, 2017, $575

Hull studied painting at Texas A&M and the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), and earned a Master in art education from the University of Louisville. The Kentucky Arts Council has honored Hull with the Kentucky Visions 2004 Purchase Award, an Individual Art Professional Development Grant, and the 1998 Al Smith Artist Fellowship. He also won the Frank F. Weisberg Excellence in Painting Award at the 2003 Water Tower Annual (Louisville, KY).

Shaynicus Andronicus, a solo exhibit of Shayne Hull’s work, will be on view at LVA during the performances of Titus Andronicus by Kentucky Shakespeare that runs October 4 – 31 (Thur-Sat 8:00pm), or by appointment through Louisville Visual Art.

Hometown: East Moline, Illinois
Age: 56
Education: BFA in Painting, Texas A&M @ Corpus Christi; MFA in Painting, Maryland Institute College of Art; and MAT in Art Education, University of Louisville
Website: http://www.shaynehull.com/
Gallery Representative: Swanson Contemporary

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"Mobin Andronicus" by Shayne Hull, pastel & oil on panel, 18x24in, 2017, $575

"Are We Not Men?" by Shayne Hull, pastel on board, 18x24in, 2014, $575

"Bad at Pool" by Shayne Hull, pastel on board, 18x24in, 2014, $575

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Feature: Studio 2000 - Making It Count

Studio 2000 students at the start of the program.

On a hot and humid July afternoon at the Shawnee Arts and Cultural Center, the gym is alive with the sounds of basketball - the hard, sharp squeak of shoes on the wood floor and the pounding dribble of the ball up and down the court. But adjacent to the gym, 14 young high school students are working diligently, focused and oblivious to the soundtrack of frenetic activity only a few feet away. They are earning money over the summer - by making art.

Studio 2000 was for several years an initiative of Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation to foster young artists by paying them to create. It was, in effect, a summer job. After a time, it was suspended, but it was resurrected in 2015 as an ongoing partnership between Metro Parks and Louisville Visual Art (LVA). Studio 2000 pairs high school students who aspire to be visual artists with professional artists to work in clay, fiber and mixed media. Each participant receives a $500 stipend at the end of the eight-week session.

The program culminates with a public exhibition and sale on August 3 at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Proceeds from this sale are recycled through Studio 2000 to support future programming.

Instructors Ehren Reed & Simon Gallo

Managing the program for LVA is Outreach Coordinator Ehren Reed, who reviews the applications and supervises the classes. She is also one of three teachers, along with Simon Gallo and J.D. Schall. Reed works with fibre arts, while Gallo, a printmaker, handles 2-D mixed media and Schall focuses on ceramics. Reed and Schall have participated since LVA became involved three years ago, and this is Gallo’s second year.

Carol Watson, a student at Presentation Academy, applies hot wax with a brush to fabric, part of the Batik process of dying cloth that is a staple of visual arts education. She explains that she is very active in arts in school, and will be the President of Presentation’s chapter of the National Art Honor Society (NAHS) in the coming school year. Next to her, Jenee’ Whitt uses one of two sewing machines to hem a small piece of Shibori-dyed fabric that will become a table decoration. A student at Butler Traditional High School, her ambition is to be a fashion designer, and normally she fills sketchbooks with her ideas, but she has no other access to a sewing machine, so this constitutes a rare opportunity for hands-on fabrication.

Joseph Falcon & Lilah Pudio

Also in the fiber group is Lilah Pudio, who is felting, patiently but steadily working a 6” x 8” field of alpaca with a small tool so that it becomes a handmade piece of fabric. Although she is anxious to make progress, the tool contains several very sharp, barbed needles, so the work demands caution. Only moments after Pudio demonstrates the process, Reed, who is working with the same tool, shouts out after catching her fingertip on a needle, dancing around the room sucking on her wounded digit. Despite the pain, it is a lighthearted moment, and Reed laughs as she explains: “We’re definitely the most dangerous area down here: needles, sewing machines, hot wax!”  

Joachim Uy

There doesn’t appear to be any such risk at the 2-D station, where Simon Gallo oversees a variety of techniques. Ella Gorstein is happily painting multiple images of a corgi that will be sold at the upcoming sale, while DuPont Manual HS student Braeden Helby concentrates on painting an original design on a skateboard deck, although he’s not happy with it right now. “But it’ll get there,” he assures me. “I’ll make it work.” Across the table from him Joachim Uy is sketching a design in a sketchbook. This is the Male Traditional Senior’s second year in Studio 2000, and he understands that he is fortunate to have had the experience. Working now in the final days of the 2017 iteration, he is intent to complete more work. “Make it count,” he says in a low, soft voice.

TaneJa Eden with Instructor J.D. Schall

At the back of the room, four young women are industriously producing work in clay. TaneJa Eden from duPont Manual takes a break to eat a plate of homemade food delivered by her younger sister. Another artist returning for a second year, Eden worked in the 2-D section last year. “But we feel it is important to mix it up for returning students,” explains Clay Instructor Schall. “Give them different experiences.” Interestingly, a common motif in this summer’s ceramics work is the octopus. Elizabeth Hill (Corydon Central HS) is attaching octopus tentacle legs to her box project, while Andrea Priddy (Academy @ Shawnee) is in the last stages of an octopus teapot that is somewhat astonishing. “We all came up with the octopus idea on our own,” Priddy claims shyly. “We all had octopus sketches in our notebooks.” She seems appreciative when I note the suppleness in the shapes that wrap around her form so that the handle and the spout emerge as tentacles.

Braeden Helby  & Justina Grossman

Elizabeth Hill & Andrea Priddy

Fiber Group
Joseph Falcon - Academy @ Shawnee
Donielle Panky - Butler Traditional HS
Lilah Pudio - duPont Manual HS
Carol Watson - Presentation Academy
Jenee’ Whitt - Butler Traditional HS

2-D Mixed Media Group
Ella Gorstein - duPont Manual HS
Justina Gossman - Academy @ Shawnee
Braeden Helby - duPont Manual HS
Synclaire Thomas - duPont Manual HS
Joachim Uy - Male HS

Ceramics Group
TaneJa Eden  - duPont Manual HS
Elizabeth Hill - Corydon Central HS
HaYoung Oh - duPont Manual HS
Andrea Priddy - Academy @ Shawnee

Getting Out Of The Studio

This year the program was expanded to encompass public art in the form of a mural executed under the guidance of artist Casey McKinney. A wall on the side of Christ Way Missionary Baptist Church facing Floyd Street had been the target of random graffiti that necessitated costly clean-up, and when the church administrators reached out to LVA because of their MAPped Out program, Ehren Reed thought of beginning a new track for Studio 2000 that covered murals. “I was able to reconfigure the budget to introduce this new element that is so in line with our mission.”

Christ Way Missionary Church Mural

Filming underway at the Christ Way Missionary Church Mural.

The Studio 2000 mural was conceived and executed by these students:

Grady Gartland - duPont Manual HS
Nina O’Brien - Atherton HS
Milo Quinn - Fern Creek HS
Zavier Stewart - Eastern HS
Olivia Tierney - duPont Manual HS

McKinney gave his young charges a crash course in community murals with visits around town to some of the many mural projects completed in recent years, and the design concept was developed by the students themselves. Their first choices for inspirational message were a bit wordy for a large-scale mural on a schedule, so McKinney encouraged them to search a bit more, and the Robert Ingersoll quote “We Rise By Lifting Others” was selected.

Braeden Helby

Details of the mural will be reproduced as notecards and available for purchase as part of the sale on August 3.

Studio 2000 Exhibit and Sale
Thursday, August 3, 5:00-7:00pm
Actors Theatre of Louisville, 316 West Main Street
Sale Preview: 5:00-5:30 p.m. Sale 5:30-7:00 p.m.

Studio 2000 Mural Unveiling
Sunday, August 6, 12:00-2:00pm
Christ Way Missionary Baptist Church, 237 E. Breckinridge Street

Ceramic pieces waiting to be fired.

Andrea Priddy working on her octopus teapot.

HaYoung Oh

Donielle Panky & Carol Watson at the sewing table.

Written by Keith Waits. Photos taken by LVA staff members. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Vignette: Patricia Watson

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“All my art is in some way about other art, even if the other art is cartoons.” — Roy Lichtenstein

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Patricia Watson is a highly motivated educator with a successful track record for teaching art to elementary, middle, high school, and undergraduate students. She is also experienced in coordinating and managing arts programs. As an artist, she has most recently concentrated on illustrations of famous faces.

“I have always enjoyed portraiture drawing and painting. I decided to try high contrast portraits using sharpie markers as my choice of medium. It is permanent - with no margin for error.”

The technique invests even the most ordinary pictures with an iconic sensibility. Some of the subjects lend themselves very easily to this quality – it is arguable that ANY picture of Muhammad Ali or Salvador Dali is inherently iconic and, the portrait of 1970’s songwriter and musician Leon Russell, represents the moment he transitioned from session musician to Pop Star. Watson is affecting a deliberate layer of affectionate kitsch on images of individuals who have risen to a certain status in the Pop Culture firmament, harkening back to a period in which illustration dominated the media. In an age when such things seem all but forgotten, it would not be at all difficult to imagine these images on magazine or album covers. Ask your parents.

"Ali" by Patricia Watson, 11x14in, sharpie on paper

Watson also paints traditionally, and has recently been experimenting with abstract painting, but these sharpie portraits are popular with the public, and she is often asked to do commissions using the technique.

Watson is currently teaching at Meyzeek Middle School in Louisville, and she is a former Elementary and Middle Grades Art Instructor, Louisville Visual Art’s Children’s Fine Art Classes (CFAC).

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Education: BA with a major in visual communications, Kean University, New Jersey; MAT - Teaching Art K-12, University of Louisville
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artchikdiva/

"Chris" by Patricia Watson, 11x14in, sharpie on paper

"Dali" by Patricia Watson, 11x14in, sharpie on paper

"Gregg" by Patricia Watson, 11x14in, sharpie on paper

"Leon" by Patricia Watson, 11x14in, sharpie on paper

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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