Carolee Schneemann's Legacy in 'Re-Thinking the Trace' Exhibition

From Action Painting to Tangled Connections

 

Carolee Schneemann performing in 1971, illustration by Agnes Prygiel, 2023

Artwork produced during M. Lohrum's performance, Stone Space Gallery, 2022

  

   

    In 1952, art critic Harold Rosenberg coined the term "action painting" to describe the use of expressive bodily movement in artistic creation. This technique, pioneered by Jackson Pollock, found a distinct manifestation in the work of Carolee Schneemann—an enigmatic feminist who explored her own body within the context of cultural norms. In her performance "Up To & Including Her Limits" (1971-76), she drew disorderly lines on sheets of paper while suspended naked in a leather harness. Unable to touch the surface or maintain a position, Schneemann utilized her movements and muscle strength for an exhaustive and dedicated creative process.

 

    Schneemann's influence resonated in the "Re-Thinking the Trace" show at The Stone Space Gallery in East London on May 20th, 2022. During the preview, eight participants, meeting for the first time, drew continuous black lines on large sheets of paper. The resulting artwork, a convoluted explosion of strokes, explored the interplay and clash of lines, forming a tangled eruption of connections.

 

    Conceptual and abstract thinker M. Lohrum orchestrated this captivating show, delving into questions of ownership and authenticity. Participants, including illustrator Cherry Cheuk Hei Kwan, book artist Titus Barker, gallery volunteer Maureen, and conceptual artist Iz Elliott, contributed to the unique collaborative artwork. Responding to a social media advert, they engaged in a drawing experiment guided by specified rules.

 

    The powerful artwork created during the performance is exhibited at The Stone Space Gallery until June 12th, 2022.

 

Agnes Prygiel / 28.05.2022 / London

Multifaceted Artistry of a Young Composer

Dreamnote Unveiled

A Journey into the Multidisciplinary World of Noah Max

Noah Max

   

    I was deeply honored to receive a personal invitation to Noah Max's Dreamnote exhibition at The Tabernacle in Notting Hill. The showcase featured a compelling collection of expressive abstract paintings and emotional portraits.

    Noah, a young yet accomplished creator, primarily delves into the world of music. As a composer and conductor, he founded the Echo Ensemble Orchestra, and his debut album, "Songs of Loneliness," was published by Toccata Music Group in early 2022. His chamber opera, based on John Boyne’s "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas," explores Max’s Jewish heritage and the history of the Holocaust.

    Diving into Noah’s artistic profile proved captivating, uncovering his mastery in music, paintings, video art, and poetry. Often compared to Baroque composers for his multidisciplinary approach, Noah's talent shines through.

    Displayed at The Tabernacle, "The Candle Lagoon" panels and the portrait of British musician and conductor John Whitfield are truly captivating. The first two pieces were created during a live classical concert, responding directly to the vibrations and emotions evoked by the music. The study for John Whitfield's portrait was crafted in the composer’s final days while battling cancer.

    In a conversation with Noah, I discovered the profound significance of dreams in his life. Much like the visions of the sleeping mind, his paintings invite us into a universe of spontaneous experiences and diverse interpretations. Intuitive paint splashes and broad brush strokes connect Noah with the legacies of Edvard Munch and Keith Haring.

    Meeting this gifted creator, whose artistic exploration spans multiple genres, was truly wonderful. I eagerly anticipate his next projects.

Noah Max - https://www.noahmax.net/

Agnes Prygiel / London / 25.05.2022

Gazelli Art House Panel: Female Presence in British Pop Art

Pauline Boty: Art, Courage, Impact

    On February 22nd, 2022, Gazelli Art House hosted a panel discussion with Sue Tate and Ali Smith, centering on Pauline Boty's legacy. The presentation placed the artist within the context of 20th-century art and included her friends at the event.

    Influenced by Max Ernst, Boty used Victorian prints to convey a message anticipating cultural changes, envisioning a world where women could impact history on par with men. In her "Big Hand" collage, a godlike female palm hovers over an imposing architecture of a traditional ancient city.

    Boty's paintings evolved from her exploration of collage. Drawing inspiration from Marilyn Monroe and frequently integrating images of the iconic actress into her works, she sought to articulate her own female identity and boundaries through art.

    Sadly, she passed away at 28, diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy, choosing not to undergo chemotherapy or abortion. Her sacrifice for her daughter, who later succumbed to a drug overdose at 29, adds a poignant layer to her story.

    Examining Boty's life and art against the feminist and cultural shifts of the 60s and 70s, we recognize her as a trailblazer who challenged societal norms. Despite facing challenges in relationships and initially lacking recognition, her influence on gender issues has shaped the path for contemporary artists. Today, she stands rightfully acknowledged in history, remembered for her impactful journey and significant contributions to British Pop-Art.

Agnes Prygiel / 05.03.2022 / London

One Hundred Thousand Surfaces Collide

Sandra Beccarelli: A Symphony of Layers

Sandra Beccarelli at work

Niki de Saint Phalle - artist at work, 1961

 

    Sandra Beccarelli's "One Hundred Thousand Surfaces Collide" exhibition at The Stone Space Gallery features captivating abstract art using diverse materials and techniques. Building materials like expandable foam are intuitively pierced with power tools, creating intricate layers of surfaces, lines and color blocks. The artist's dedication, reminiscent of Niki de Saint Phalle, using tools as symbols of strength, and her canvas alterations inspired by Yves Klein, evoke weightlessness. 

 

    Explore this exhibition until March 20, 2022. 

 

    #SandraBeccarelliArt #AbstractArtExhibition #ArtisticExploration 

    #GalleryPreview #MixedMediaArt

    Agnes Prygiel / London / 01.03.2022

Pilar Corrias Gallery

Triumph of Femininity

Criticisms of Paul Gauguin in the art of a diasporic painter

Painting: Gisela McDaniel / Photograph: Agnes Prygiel

    Gisela McDaniel’s exhibition at the Pilar Corrias gallery in Savile Row in Mayfair showcases a collection of paintings of beautiful women in sexually confident poses, with pieces of jewellery attached to their faces. The artist mounts artificial flowers and small objects belonging to her sitters onto the canvas, making her works 3-dimensional, using the space on the sides as the continuation of the painting. 

Painting: Gisela McDaniel / Photograph: Agnes Prygiel

    The series of images and the accompanying sounds focus on diasporic Chamorro women, the indigenous community of the Mariana Islands in the North Pacific, who suffered sexual abuse and Colonial imposition. 

    McDaniel's strong criticisms of Paul Gauguin in her works is of significant importance. The Post-Impressionist was widely known for his fascination with the indigenous women of French Polynesia, who became the subjects of his paintings. 

    It was customary for the European colonists to take young females, often underage, as wives. Gauguin's controversial marriage to a 13-year old Teha'amana, as well as his later relationships, were not legally binding. By today's standards, his approach to young women would qualify as child abuse. As there is no legitimate record of the unions and because of their temporary nature, the artist's debatable private life is often dismissed as fiction, although he wrote about his experiences broadly in the letters to his friends. 

Gisela McDaniel's exhibition at Pilar Corrias gallery / Photograph: Agnes Prygiel

    Gisela puts beautiful women at the centre of her paintings. She also brings the attention back to the marginalised recollections of tribal minorities. Unlike Gauguin, she gives her sitters a voice, asks for their consent and makes their stories personal. She portrays her subjects in spaces that feel safe and inclusive. The pictures are linked to intimate recordings, where private confessions are being shared.

    There is a lot of sexual assertiveness and boldness in the artworks, as if in contrast to the underlying topic of exploitation. McDaniel’s luscious paintings are so suggestive, you almost want to smell the flowers mounted on top of the canvases. Pilar Corrias' gallery forms a stunning background for the elevated art experience. 

Paintings: Gisela McDaniel / Photographs: Agnes Prygiel

    In 1971 an art critic Peter Fuller wrote about Penny Slinger's first solo exhibition in Angela Flowers gallery in London: "It is a documentation of the role of one woman in a world still dominated by concepts of male superiority (...)". The comment is relevant to McDaniel's artistic work today. The difference is that this time it is not just one vulnerable female who speaks up, but many. 

    There is a sense of a collective experience of molestation and violation that women wish to be open about these days, claiming their stories and retelling them through the prism of their sensitivity, owning their physicality and eroticism. The exhibition is a triumph of femininity over the ages of misogyny in art. 

London 22.02.2022

Agnes Prygiel