While in NYC in January for ME: An Exhibition of Contemporary Self-Portraiture, our collaborative show with Sugarlift, we visited the New York Academy of Art to check out a beehive of artist studios, timed nicely, as two exhibitions were being held in the lobby! For Eye to Eye: Untraditional Voices, patron John L. Thomson selected works by second-year MFA students and gave them the opportunity to pair theirs with a kindred piece from his collection. Collectouples provided samples from the collecting tastes of four artistic couples.
From Left to Right: John L. Thomson, Anna Park, and Peter Saul
While working on the show, we realized that a majority of ME’s line-up comprised NYAA students, so that whet our appetites for more. While this might be serendipitous, it’s more likely the result of this institution’s intensely technical and progressive training in representational and figurative arts, which has been the mission since being founded by Andy Warhol in 1982. The results are palpable when walking through that beehive of over 100 studios occupying four floors of the historical Italianate loft building. Though familiar with art world noteworthies, we were ready to become acquainted with other young artists primed to follow their lead.
Students attending NYAA’s two-year Masters level program, which rotates approximately 50 people per year, have access to the studios. Appreciating the historical study of anatomy and the human body and considered a global leader in Figurative and Representational art, The Academy is a rigorous boot camp for drawing, painting, and sculpture. In addition to the opportunity to study at this vibrant Tribeca location, students have access to summer art residencies in places like Beijing, Mexico City, Leipzig, Connemars, Ireland and Foga Island in Nova Scotia, as well as Carrera for sculptural training with master marble carvers. The product of such a dedicated legacy is evident in each studio we visited.
Tribeca Ball 2019 Recap
Ranging from hyper-realism, to cartoon based visuals, all the way to semi-abstract creations, diverse influences are evident in each artistic rendering. Alongside Anna Park, Trey Abdella, and Ivana Štulić, some standout works include the exciting semi-sculptures of Chloe Chiasson, Young Lim Lee's colorful cartoon visual diaries, MJ Torrecampo’s refreshing social dynamics, Austin Harris’s vibrant atmospheres, Zachary Sitrin’s raw expressions of the male figure, Austin Harvey's skepticism of superhero stature, and Michael Weiss's mind-bending hyperrealist portraits. For those interested in visiting the studios and supporting the institution, Monday, April 6th’s annual benefit gala, the Tribeca Ball, honoring longtime faculty member Eric Fischl, is in full planning mode.
Photo credit by Sasha Bogojev