Emerging from isolation at Bareiss Gallery
Six artists emerge from isolation at Bareiss Gallery
ARTISTS UNDER THE INFLUENCE of a global pandemic have lots to say. What keeps them going and what they create are uniquely an expression of a time in our history where chaos and uncertainty rule the day
Six well-established Taos artists open an exhibit of their work at Bareiss Gallery, 15 State Road 150, El Prado, for two consecutive, 3-day showings ( Thursday through Saturday) Oct. 22-24 and Oct. 29-31, from 1 to 5 p.m. The title of the exhibit is “Art in This Time.” The participating artists are Jane Ellen Burke, Dora Dillistone, TJ Mabrey, Robert Parker, Jameson Wells and Barbara Zaring.
What fuels the creative fires of these artists to continue to make art is a question for the ages and one that may inspire those who find themselves in the doldrums of creative paralysis.
Tempo caught up with the artists in the show, here are the edited highlights. DORA DILLISTONE: “In Concert with Nature” builds on my relationship with the earth, wind and fire. My focus on art was briefly interrupted but I have to seize each weather event when it happens regardless of any external disruptions. Change is essential to my work as it grows and demands more of me both physically and emotionally. It is always thrilling when a moment is captured that satisfies my emotional and intellectual needs as well as being aesthetically pleasing. All artists have to find their own vision and stay true to that vision. Never be afraid to take chances. One work will give you a clue or idea of where you should go look for the next work. Art must always be about a life lived.
TJ MABREY: In three separate series of prints, I contemplate loss. One is the loss of beauty – beauty that comes naturally with innocence and youth, but which in old age must be teased from a jar that comes in a box. Then the loss of sight which sees things clearly, immediately – but not as a scintillating “scotoma” or aura which can be either positive (seeing something that is not there) or negative (not seeing something that is there.) And there is the loss of movement – not just the body’s hesitation, but loss of adventurous desire to travel on an open “ticket to ride.”
These losses are not necessarily bad. They give the gift of time to be alone, in the isolation of the studio, to ponder, to wonder and to create with a new perspective.
ROBERT PARKER: I first became aware of the pandemic the day I departed from Washington, D.C., to return to Taos in early March 2020 after attending a conference. I bought a face mask for the return flights, not realizing their benefit. I was one of the few in the airports wearing a mask. Nor at the time, did I realize how serious the virus might become.
Back home in Taos, I had just purchased four large canvases and began contemplating what I might do with them. I conceived of them as a “codex,” a themed exploration of visual expression. Whether “Codex 1” is a representation for the manifestations of the virus over the past eight months is left for the viewer to decide, but it is a storyline.
Art making has always been a sacred journey for me, and one in which the mind needs to stay focused and quiet. It is perfectly OK for an artist to feel stuck, lost or despondent during these pandemic times, or for that matter at any time. Whether we are artists or not, we all experience periods when the creative juices are stagnant, and that is often the period when we need to be silent, the period when our minds need to take a break, let go and just be still. It is a very powerful time to ride the wave through to the beach.
BARBARA ZARING: Throughout it all, I have gone into the studio for my regular hours. I have started new work, finished old work, cleaned out the place, reworked my web page, etc. Art has kept me sane. My life has gone on pretty much as usual in the studio. However, when I look at the titles, “Puzzle Pieces,” “Flight,” “Transcendent,” I see the effect of the pandemic on me. I am still drawn to the studio, although it is traumatic considering what is happening in our country. There are too many things to worry about. My artwork is a constant; it is saving me.
JANE ELLEN BURKE: The piece I am doing for this show is called “COVID-19 Memorandum.” It is a series of daily markings in remembrance of those persons in the United States that needlessly died of the novel coronavirus. For me it is an attempt to visually exhibit how the extraordinary numbers of our dead is due to the refusal of this administration to care for the citizens of the U.S. Art requires work and the discipline of showing up each day and doing something. Work is often discouraging but a daily practice gives you time to develop your ideas, it gives you time to “play” and in playing, a way to go forward. Just do it.
JAMESON WELLS: The news of coronavirus did not disrupt my art-making process. I felt excited at the idea of quarantining at home, which gave me more studio time. Art that grabs me the most is that which draws me inward and is healing in its colors and rhythms like a mantra. Just do what is in front of you, keep it simple, be quiet and listen to what wants to happen. Trust the creative process – it is a mystery.
New Mexico protocol for masks and social distancing will be followed, and a limited number of people will be permitted in the gallery at any one time. For more information, contact Jane Ellen Burke at janeburke@newmex.com and (575) 776-8989.