Continuance opens at the Fechin
A strong friendship between two Taos artists, Izumi Yokoyama and Solange Roberdeau, is the backdrop for the latest Fechin Studio Series Exhibits at The Taos Art Museum. Continuance, featuring work by Yokoyama and Roberdeau, opens on Friday (Feb. 11) with a reception from 1 to 3 p.m. and will be on view in the Fechin Studio through March 27.
The exhibit features very recent work from both artists, and pieces they collaborated on for this show. The result is an intriguing juxtaposition of style and medium. “Black, white and a warm metallic color palette to visually link the works throughout the space.”
Tempo reached out to both artists and asked a few questions about their friendship and this exhibit. Here are the edited highlights:
WHAT WAS BEHIND THE DECISION TO HOST AN EXHIBIT WITH EACH OTHER?
ROBERDEAU: Izumi and I met in Taos in 2017 and have cultivated a strong friendship over the past five years, and both of us are excited by the idea of exhibiting together. We often work in black and white — me in abstraction and Izumi in representational imagery. We also share an attraction to ambiguity in our images; environmental context is often visually referenced and always plays a powerful role in both of our working processes. I think that what is different as much as what is similar in our drawings, will make for dynamic conversation between the works. When we approached venues, it felt important that our first two-person show be local, and we were immediately attracted to the Taos Art Museum at Fechin House because of its prominence in Taos’ art history, as well as the intimate beauty of the Fechin Studio exhibition space. We submitted a proposal in the fall of 2020 and when the museum emerged
from an exhibition hiatus because of COVID, we were so pleased to receive an invitation to exhibit there together this February 2022. We decided upon a black, white and warm metallic color palette to visually link the works throughout the space. The exhibit is a small group of our own works, as well as a new series of collaborations made for the exhibition. YOKOYAMA: Solange and I have grown strong bonds over the last five years as friends and art peers who strive to grow and challenge new projects. We were both selected for the juried exhibition, Taos Contemporary 2020, at Harwood Museum of Art. Over the years, we shared many conversations about art and life, and become familiar and fond of each other’s art practice and artworks. Our styles and techniques may differ, but we knew our works shared similar inspiration from the natural environments that influenced the concept of our works. As our show statement expresses, “the perpetual and energetic relationships between all things as continuances.”
Our mutual interest in having a show together grew organically, and we prepared for our show submission/proposal last winter. We were delighted to hear the confirmation from the museum in spring. Then, there was the thick of the pandemic period the previous year, so there was a waiting period before we knew the show date. We all have learned to stay flexible and be open to the idea of planning. But we kept our hopes up together and continued to create new works for this exhibition between the other projects and jobs. We are thrilled that the show is opening this coming month.
We both will show recent works that we have created during the last few years, and I will show new drawings that are large and medium sizes. Another exciting part of this exhibit is that we will present our collaborative works.
HOW DOES/HAS THE FECHIN STUDIO AS AN EXHIBIT SPACE INFLUENCE THE WORK YOU’LL BE SHOWING?
ROBERDEAU: I am thinking about the potential for illumination that the metallic elements in my work could have in relation to the studio. However, I think the real influence of the exhibition space, its lighting and architecture will take place once we begin installation. YOKOYAMA: It is a great honor to show in the Fechin Studio where the history of Nicolai Fechin’s mastery remains. Every time I enter the room and the main building, I am mesmerized, looking at the details of the intricate wood carving on every side and corner. My grandfather was an incredible carpenter and architect in Japan, and I grew up smelling woods in his warehouse, seeing the traditional Japanese wood carving and carpentry. I can feel the time, passion, and devotion spent in Fechin buildings.
It is also where the immigrant artist practiced his two different mediums and styles for years, and as an immigrant artist in Taos, I am more than happy that our first show this year will be held in such an inspiring space.
For more information about the Taos Art Museum at Fechin House, visit its website taosartmuseum.org/fechin-house.html.