Ulrich Painters and Poets

Poets on Painters Queens Panel Discussion

2008-03-06T08:10:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, March 8th, from 1-3, I will be leading a panel discussion at the Queens Library on Poets on Painters. Panelists include: Corina Copp, Chris Patch, Kristin Prevallet, and Anna Schachte. We'll talk about the exhibition, the writing and painting process, and other exciting things. So come!

Here's how to get there:

Take the Queens-bound F Train to 169th Street, the second-to-last stop. Exit to the back of the train and back of the station to left-hand side of Hillside Avenue. Walk one block west, at gas station make left onto Merrick Boulevard. Walk two blocks south. Library will be on left-hand side, directly across from the Jamaica Bus Terminal.

Poets on Painters Opens in Queens

2008-01-21T11:13:00.000-08:00

Poets on Painters opens on February 4th at the Queen's library gallery (Central Library Gallery, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica). An opening reception will be held on Wednesday, Feb 6, from 6-8pm in the Central Library's North Hall Rotunda (2nd Floor). On March 8th, I'll moderate a panel discussion with poets and painters featured in the exhibition. Details on panel discussion forthcoming!

Kristin Prevallet Reads in Normal

2007-12-16T13:04:00.000-08:00

I saw Kristin read in Austin in the fall--it was an excellent reading. It seems the people in Normal loved her too. Read about her Poets on Painters reading in Normal, IL here.

Normal Opening

2007-11-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

Last night I attended the opening for Poets on Painters at the Illinois State University Galleries in Normal, IL. Besides a beautiful installation, the crowd was met with a truly unique and collaborative experience: ISU modern dancers moved through the galleries to the sound of ambient experimental music while ISU writing professor, Gabriel Gudding, sat on a scaffold reading his poetry.

Thanks to Barry Blinderman and the ISU gallery staff for putting the show up so nicely and to Stacie Johnson, thanks for taking me around and being my friend! Special thanks to the ISU profs and students for their interest in the exhibition.

2007-10-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

Poets on Painters will open at the University Galleries on the llinois State University, Normal campus on Tuesday, November 6th (http://www.cfa.ilstu.edu/galleries/). In preparation for the opening, Stacie Johnson's Painting II class at ISU asked Travis and I, via email, several questions about the exhibition.

What, if any, connections were you trying to make between contemporary painting and contemporary poetry?
~Neal Vandenbergh

Travis: There weren't any explicit connections we were trying to make beforehand--I think we were pretty much just interested in how setting works from the two genres side by side could work--but there were quite a few that we noticed after the show was finished. Like how both mediums in their contemporary form deal with accessibility ("narrative" in poetry's case, "figuration" in painting's, as I see it). Which is not a rejection or an embrace, but a kind of looking askance. I'm very interested in the line in poetry, so I saw many correspondences between how a poet deals with a line (is it a sentence? a phrase? a thought? a moment?) and a painter.

Which poem/painting combination do you think is the most successful and why?
~ Johanna Weichsel

Travis: It's really hard for me to say since I believe that the show is very audience dependent, so what I think is most successful could completely leave someone else cold. I love how Eric and Mequitta's work corresponds, Dorothea and Dana's, Monica and Amy's, Jeff and Monique's. I would be much more interested to know which one's you think are most successful and why, Johanna. Let me know.

Katie: That’s a hard one for me too. The combination I think works best is always changing. Right now I really love Jeff and Monique’s, doubly so because this pairing was initially the most troublesome for me (during install I was so caught up on how Jeff’s text would look on the wall that I barely registered how beautiful and completely smart and fitting it is in relation to the painting).

It seems a lot of the work in the show is rather flat. Did you intentionally choose works with this aesthetic similarity? What kinds of work did you exclude from the show?
~Jenny Jacobson

Katie: That is a good question. And I am assuming that by “flat” you don’t mean boring, but rather, that they all take on a certain style that is more flat-footed and less interested in direct slick representation. The way I chose the paintings was really not calculated at all. I basically thought to myself, “What contemporary painters would I like to put in a show?” I also considered works that I thought had truncated narratives, or had something that a writer might be able to latch on to.

I put most of the images together and sent them to Travis. And it actually was Travis who pointed out to me that they all had a similar feeling—a feeling I think that has a lot to do with contemporary painting combing elements of both representation and abstraction. Once I noticed this thread it was clear to me that Amy Sillman and Laura Owens needed to be in the exhibition as I see these artists as really the forerunners of this style.

Was your decision to include Lamar Peterson’s painting influenced by his racial or political subject matter? If not, then what was your reasoning for including this work?
~Jenny Paul

Katie: I’ve liked Peterson’s work for a long time. That’s all I was interested in. That other points of view are represented in the exhibition, of course, is important, but not something I base my criteria on. I do think, though, that while this was not at all intentional, it’s interesting that more than half of the artists in the exhibition are women.

If the exhibition was inspired by Monique Prieto’s text painting, how does Whiting Tennis’ painting of his sculpture “Bovine” fit in?
~Natasha Konstantinovic

Katie: I wish I had a more complex answer for you but really I just love Tennis’s work. He’s an incredible artist living in Seattle. I saw his work at an Art Fair with Stacie and knew immediately that I wanted him in the show. You can listen to a terrific interview with him here: http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/whiting_tennis_talks

I notice that Nina Bovasso uses the grid, but in an unconventional way. What do you think about her use of the grid?
~Janet Pulido

Katie: That’s an interesting observation. I think that Bovasso might be using the grid as a tool in creating an abstraction. A playful abstraction, that certainly does not adhere to a grid structure (just now I am thinking of all the grids in the show: Tennis’s wooded bovine, Gualdoni’s shiny building, Patch’s windows, Balincourt’s floor, Prekop’s abstracted city, and even Ahuja’s work creates another grid when hung on the wall).

In many of Sandra Scolnik’s paintings she has multiple figures depicted as her own self-portrait. Why did you choose to exhibit this painting which only has one figure? I also found out that Scolnik intentionally makes her paintings so that part of the painting will eventually flake off to reveal a new environment for her figures. Was this aspect of her work important for you decision to include it in the exhibition?
~Katie Sullivan

Katie: I saw this painting at the Kemper Museum of Art in Kansas City a couple of years ago and immediately thought it had a really strong internal narrative. I was interested in what a poet might make of this narrative.

On the art slant web site they spoke of a show that Abel Auer was having with Dorota Jurczak at the Contemporary Art Center in Long Island, New York and refer to Auer's work as being a combination of Central European iconography and the vivid color schemes of the late-1980s and early-1990s skater culture. What do you think plays a bigger role in Auer's work? The influence of pop culture or historical works of fine art?
~Dave Teichmiller

Katie: Oh, that’s an interesting way to think of his work. I hadn’t really thought of skater culture before. I think both could be applicable—I’m not sure if it is skater culture he is looking at exactly, but I do think he is thinking about flat forms and combing these forms with the mysticism of old world painting.

Do you know if any of the painters in this exhibition incorporate personal experience into their work? Do you think personal experience informs contemporary painting more or less than it has in the past?
~Amy Gajdos

Katie: I think that Mequitta Ahuja incorporates quite a bit of personal experience into her work. I think personal experience, to a degree, must always inform art. After all, it is a person making it and doesn’t that person have a history? Although, I don’t think that history is always apparent in the work, or should always be the most important part of the work.

Does the size of James Franklins’ paintings take away from or add to their impact?
~Meghann Post

Katie: I think it definitely adds. They are these amazing glossy tiny works that remind me of a reliquary or a good luck charm

Normal Talk

2007-10-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

I will be giving a talk on the opening day of the llinois State University, Normal leg of the Poets on Painters tour. My talk is at noon, the opening will be held from 5 to 7, and at 6 there will be an inter-department multi-media performance.

The University galleries are located at 110 Center for the Visual Arts on Beaufort St. between University and School streets (http://www.cfa.ilstu.edu/galleries/).

Indianapolis Opening

2007-09-06T06:37:00.000-07:00

Poets on Painters opens at the Herron Gallery in Indianapolis tomorrow, Friday, September 7th from 5 to 8pm! The gallery is located at the Herron School of Art and Design on the Indiana University campus. For more information: http://www.herron.iupui.edu/new_web/galleries/current_show.html

Travis Nichols and I will give a lecture on the exhibition on Monday, September 24, 3:30pm, in the Basile Auditorium.

Poets on Painters Catalog Now Available!

2007-06-04T12:46:00.001-07:00

The 125 page, hard-cover, all color Poets on Painters catalog can now be purchased for $15!

Catalog includes an introduction by poet Anselm Berrigan and an essay by curators Katie Geha and Travis Nichols. Also included are original poems by Eric Baus, Laura Solomon, Paul Killebrew, Hoa Nguyen, Sawako Nakayasu, Aimee Kelley, Noah Eli Gordon, Nick Moudry, Kary Wayson, Kristin Prevallet, John Olson, Sueyuen Juliette Lee, Joshua Marie Wilkinson, Jeff Clark, Sara Veglahn, Corina Copp, Dorothea Lasky, Juliana Leslie, Monica Fambrough, and Brad Flis.

Each poem sits alongside its work of art by artists Mequitta Ahuja, Abel Auer, Jules de Balincourt, Nina Bovasso, Echo Eggebrecht, James Benjamin Franklin, Joanne Greenbaum, Mark Grotjahn, Angelina Gualdoni, Laura Owens, Christopher Patch, Lamar Peterson, Sam Prekop, Monique Prieto, Christoph Ruchaberle, Anna Schachte, Dana Schutz, Sandra Scolnik, Amy Sillman, and Whiting Tennis.

How to Purchase
$15 + $3.50 each for shipping and handling, up to 5 copies.
If purchasing 6 or more copies call the Ulrich at 316.978. 3664
to get shipping rate.

Make checks payable to the Ulrich Museum of Art and send to:
Poets on Painters Catalog
Ulrich Museum of Art
1845 Fairmount St.
Wichita, KS 67260-0046

You can also order over the phone using your credit card (we accept Mastercard, Visa, American Express, and Discover). Dial: 316.978.3664.

front cover

inside

inside, Ruchaberle/Veglahn

inside, Sillman/Fambrough

back

And if you see Jeff Clark, give him a high-five for his beautiful design!

Poets on Painters Installation

2007-06-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

Traveling Venues

2007-05-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

Poets on Painters will be traveling to the following venues:

September 5--October 5, 2007
Herron Galleries, Herron School of Art and Design, Indianapolis, IN

November 6--December 16, 2007
University Galleries, College of Fine Arts, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois

February 4--March 30, 2008
Queens Library Gallery, Jamaica, New York

April 26--June 29, 2008
Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska

Thanks to David Russick, Barry Blinderman, Juliana Driever, and Dan Siedell for taking the show!

Poets on Painters Opening Night

2007-05-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

Poets on Painters weekend was April 20-22nd. On the 20th visiting poets Travis Nichols, Monica Fambrough, Noah Eli Gordon, Sara Veglahn, Juliana Leslie, Paul Killebrew, Corina Copp, and WSU graduate creative writing students Brian Evans, Chandra Dickson, and Alex Arcone gave an incredible reading at Watermark Books and Cafe (one of the best I've ever seen). At the opening on Saturday we all enjoyed wine and snacks, looked at the art, and participated in the auction (Paul Killebrew went home with the amazing Monique Prieto--always making smart investments that Paul!) Before the official event, Travis and I gave a short lecture on the exhibition to the Ulrich patrons--showing slides of growing up in Iowa and taking the Staten Island Ferry in New York, proving that our 10 plus years of friendship was all working up to this one exhibition. Thanks to all the poets who made the trip down here, adding to the fun of the weekend; the curators and scholars who traveled from Kansas City and Lawrence; and, of course, our families who drove from Iowa.

Install pics

Patron and Art Historian Mira Merriman and me

Poet Juliana Leslie reads Nick Moudry's poem

Poets Sarah Veglahn and Monica Fambrough

Ulrich friends and staff, Teresa Veazey, Mark Janzen and Aimee Geist

Poets Paul Killebrew and Corina Copp

After the opening and dinner party we all decamped to my house for

serious conversation

and cheeseburgers

In the morning it was time to say goodbye.

Poets on Painters Programs

2007-03-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

Poets on Painters Reading
6 to 8 P.M., Friday April 20
Watermark Books & Cafe, 4701 E. Douglas
Enjoy a lively poetry reading and discussion at Wichita's independent bookstore and literary gathering place. Readers include: Travis Nichols, Monica Fambrough, Noah Eli Gordon, Sara Veglahn, Juliana Leslie, Paul Killebrew, Corina Copp, and WSU graduate students and faculty.

Gallery Talk
7 to 8 P.M., Thursday, May 3
Ulrich Museum of Art, Chris Paulsen Polk and Wilson galleries
Katie Geha, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Ulrich Museum of Art, will discuss the relationship between contemporary poetry and painting and give an insider's look at the exhibition Poets on Painters.

Roundtable Discussion on Artistic Collaboration
6 to 8 P.M., Thursday, June 21
Ulrich Museum of Art, Joan S. Beren gallery
A diverse group of scholars, poets, and painters discuss the nature of artistic collaboration and how it informs their work. Roundtable participants include Wilson Baldridge, associate professor of modern and calssical languages and literature at Wichita State University, and winner of the 2006 PEN Award for Poetry in Translation; Patrick Duegaw, painter and member of the Wichita artist collectiove Fish Haus; Margaret Dawe, chair and associate professor of the department of English at Wichita State University, and author of the Charlie Parker-inspired novel Nissequott; Noah Eli Gordon, Denver-based poet whose recent book Novel Pictorial Noise was chosen by the poet John Ashbery as a 2006 National Poetry Series open-competition winner; and Mark David Bradshaw, book reviewer for the Wichita City Paper and bookseller at Watermark Books & Cafe.

Poets on Painters Members' Opening Party

2007-03-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

Saturday April, 21, 6 to 8 P.M.
Please join us for a special members'opening party with wine
and hors d'oeuvres.
Hittle Jazz, a three piece combo will play live jazz music.
Cocktail attire

RESERVATIONS
$25 for Members
$40 for Non-members

Call 316.978.3664 to make your reservation by credit card.
To pay by check, please send your payment to:
Poets on Painters
Ulrich Museum of Art
1845 Fairmount St.
Wichita, KS 67260-0046

Reservation deadline is Friday, April 13.

6 to 7 P.M.
Small Works, Hot Art: Silent Benefit Auction
Small drawings, paintings, prints, photographs, and sculptures by Christopher Patch, Monique Prieto, Lamar Peterson, Clare E. Rojas, Stacie Johnson, Anna Schachte, Melissa Scherrer, Siebren Versteeg, Yuki Nakamura, Whiting Tennis, Renee Lotenero, Sarah Anne Johnson, and Angelina Gualdoni will be auctioned off at low prices! Proceeds benefit the museum's exhibition program. Works will be on display April 16th at the museum.

Sarah Anne Johnson
Boy in Field, 2003-04
Edition 2/10
c-print
11” x 14”

Stacie Johnson
Two Inside, 2006
Watercolor and gouache on paper
9” x 12”

Poets on Painters

2006-02-17T09:06:00.000-08:00

Ulrich Museum of Art
Wichita State University
April 19--August 5, 2007

Occupying the major gallery in the museum, the collaborative exhibition Poets on Painters dynamically juxtaposes the act of painting with the act of writing. Co-curators Katie Geha, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Ulrich Museum of Art and Travis Nichols, a Seattle-based poet, have paired 20 contemporary poets with 20 contemporary painters. Each poet has responded to and commented on a single visual work, and for the exhibition the poet's commentary/poem will be displayed next to the painting as wall text.

Poets on Painters recalls collaborations between Apollinaire and Duchamp, Stein and Picasso, and O’Hara and Rivers in its playful examination of how painting and poetry converge and diverge in the 21st century. The international visual and literary artists included in the show represent a vast array of styles and approaches, both traditional and experimental. A timely survey of contemporary painting and poetry, the exhibition instigates collaboration between established and emerging artists.

The exhibition is a cross section of contemporary painting, a sampling that reflects a deeper understanding of our current painting style. From the dreamy landscapes and portraits of Leipzig artist Christoph Ruckhäberel to the absurdist figures of Dana Schutz and Lamar Peterson to the chaotic abstraction of Joanne Greenbaum and Sam Prekop, these works represent contemporary painting as it exists today: largely figurative, bizarre, electric, and lyrical. They are works that suggest truncated narratives—narratives that will be extended, complicated, and completed by the poet’s response.

Poets on Painters is accompanied by a full-color catalogue designed by Jeff Clark with essays by Geha and Nichols, and an introduction by poet Anselm Berrigan. The poet’s response to a painting will be printed alongside each image, creating a dynamic catalog that is part painting and part poetry. A complete checklist and biographical information on all the exhibiting artists is also be included.

The exhibition is available for travel to other institutions from Fall 2007 through Summer 2008 at a cost of $5000 plus incoming shipping (approx. 10 weeks). For more infromation please contact Katie Geha at katie.geha@wichita.edu or 316.978.6857.

The Works

2006-02-04T14:46:00.000-08:00

Angelina Gualdoni, Reflecting Skin, 2004
oil on canvas
with poetry by Kary Wayson

Amy Sillman, Untitled, 2005
oil on canvas, 39" x 45"
with poetry by Monica Fambrough

Laura Owens, Untitled, 2004
oil on linen, 24" x 18"
with poetry by Kristen Prevallet

Nina Bovasso, Silver Roofed Structure, 2005
acrylic and ink on paper, 27 x 40 inches
with poetry by Hoa Nguyen

Echo Eggebrecht, Barnswallow, 2006
acrylic on panel, 30" x 36"
with poetry by Sawako Nakayasu

Mequitta Ahuja, Tsunami Generation, 2005
works on paper
with poetry by Eric Baus

Christoph Ruckhaberle, Reading Lady, 2006
oil on canvas, 75" x 55"
with poetry by Sara Veglahn

James Franklin, Untitled (Yellow Couple), 2005
flashe and resin on board, 6" x 5"
with poetry by Aimee Kelley

Sam Prekop, Committees, 2004
oil on linen, 11" x 12"
with poetry by Joshua Marie Wilkinson

Lamar Peterson, Untitled, 2005
acrylic on canvas, 34 1/4" x 40"
with poetry by Sueyeun Juliette Lee

Abel Auer, Untitled, 2004
oil on canvas, 65” x 65”
with poetry by Laura Solomon

Jules de Balincourt, The Watchtower, 2005
oil, enamel, spray paint on panel, 31” x 39”
with poetry by Paul Killebrew

Joanne Greenbaum, Color System, 2005
oil on canvas 70” x 80”
with poetry by Noah Eli Gordon

Mark Grotjahn, Untitled (Black Butterfly Pink MG03), 2003
oil on linen, 36” x 28”
with poetry by Nick Moudry

Christopher Patch, Reading Room, 2004
vinyl paint on canvas, 24” x 22”
with poetry by John Olson

Monique Prieto, tide, 2005
acrylic on canvas, 72” x 60”
with poetry by Jeff Clark

Anna Schachte, Tunnel of Love, 2005
oil on canvas, 48” x 60”
with poetry by Corina Copp

Sandra Scolnik, Self-Portrait, Undeveloped, 2000
oil, enamel, spray paint on panel, 15” x 14 ¾”
with poetry by Juliana Leslie

Whiting Tennis, Bovine, 2005
acrylic, collage on canvas, 32” x 48”
with poetry by Brad Flis