Forces Bound to Coexist

When artists collaborate, it is like a world of creative possibilities. But what is a remarkable task in this process is the ability to work well together while developing ideas that will spark something new individually, and then collectively. For artists Nikki Brugnoli and Anne C. Smith, this task has become part of their professional lives, and though each artist individually showcases work, when the two collaborate, it becomes second nature to their overall process.

Brugnoli remarks on the close relationship the two of them share:

“It has always been a part of the widening conversations about our practices, our lives, our families, and our friendship - to connect in this way. [The past] 10 years have been fruitful and we've evolved from initially an academic mentorship to be very close friends; sisters,” she says.

The two first met at George Mason University in 2012, when Smith was a graduate student in the MFA program and Brugnoli was teaching and advising. Over time, they developed a bond discussing art, poetry, motherhood, and academia. They formed a deep friendship that would eventually evolve into that of collaborative creators.

Inspired Thoughts

Nikki Brugnoli, Horizon Lost, 2020.

When you look at Brugnoli and Smith’s works, you can’t help to notice the differences in their styles. Brugnoli works with screen printing, layers, mylar, and figurative aesthetics to her imagery, while Smith’s work tends to be more abstract in context. Both artists merge well from their distinct perspectives thanks to their deeper understanding of their inner visions and each other. They both produce beautiful work that converges to show similarities in subtle ways but still remains solely that one artist’s voice. 

Brugnoli’s work touches on metaphorical layers of depth, as one finds when viewing it, it is like uncovering pages upon pages of a bigger work, and when you find the gist, it is even more perplexing. As for Smith, her work is highly detailed as she plays with scale and ensures you take your time with every part of her art pieces; a fascinating way to appreciate the work itself. Both artists have a strong approach to their work, and it is that intentionality in technique and detail that allows for a beautiful coexistence when presenting their work together.

Brugnoli speaks on how important it is for her and Smith to get in touch with the physical aspects of their practices, and how this serves a greater purpose. “I think what stands out for us the most is our approach to materials. We are both very physical "makers" and we like drawing, as a practice, but also discuss drawing as a metaphor to larger ideas about our lives - like memory and ritual,” she says.

The differences in aesthetics between the two artists allow each to voice their opinions, consider new viewpoints and possibly take those in and implement them. They see this practice as essential to their collaboration style, which is open and communicative, and in turn, allows them to broaden their perspective, technique, and process.

Smith remarks on this experience, “Nikki always asked questions that took me aback because they were so direct and challenging! I really valued that, and our conversations helped sharpen my focus in the studio. I was also inspired by Nikki's resourcefulness and that she provided a sort of model for incorporating family and studio practice.”

Process Matters

Anne C. Smith, Sift, 2018. Artwork from the Forces Fleeting exhibit.

The behind-the-scenes collaboration between Brugnoli and Smith is what makes their work even more compelling. It takes time, effort, and communication to be able to work well with someone, but that’s not all. There also needs to be a sense of understanding of one another’s styles and a support system that holds space for creative freedom, where both artists feel comfortable creating and being expressive. In Forces Fleeting, their recent exhibit at the Athenaeum Gallery in Old Town Alexandria, Brugnoli and Smith both showcased dark color pieces that were contrasted by the materials each artist used, with Brugnoli using mylar, and Smith using ink-stained linen. Both sets of works allowed for the artistic elements in every piece to show the artist’s style and skillful technique in her own way.

For Brugnoli, the creative process can be transformative and helpful in accomplishing goals:

My practice is geared more toward process - a very clear process of incubation, ideation, and transformation that tends to be very immediate and intense. I tend to procrastinate and wait until only a small window of time remains to actually do the physical work, while months and months, even years, can go into the preparation and writing. 

 Anne and I decided in the beginning that we would document, via text message, email, etc our emerging conversations, specifically about Forces Fleeting, and use that as a springboard. All of the planning was very intentional. I think we both benefit from clear deadlines and the high expectations we have for one another to create our best and strongest work. There was never any question that the outcome of Forces Fleeting would only deepen our respect for one another as artists and friends. 

Nikki Brugnoli, Copper and Gold, 2021. Artwork from the Forces Fleeting exhibit.

In Forces Fleeting, both artists played into their differences and bond at the same time. They intermixed their personal process and individual experiences into an expanding universe, where their work created insight into one another in its own way. Brugnoli touched on thoughts of personal moments, time, and loss, in her layered technique, where dark and shimmering shades complemented her screenprinting. While Smith allowed for specific places and spaces to serve as a platform for her stance on how we live our lives as we move, drive, and explore from one place to another, and how all this adds to one individual, complex experience.

Smith remarks on this:

In our work, we've found connections between what we think about: landscape, place, and home. And also in our practices that fuel: walking, silkscreening, and drawing, for example. We've wanted to collaborate on a show for a long time, and we finally get to do that with this show, Forces Fleeting, at the Athenaeum. The work in that show touches on those overlapping themes, each with our own perspective and experience brought to the work. We're both working mostly monochromatically in these pieces, with areas of deep, dense black ink -- I think we both find poetry in those shadowed areas. By showing together, our work can have some of those conversations visually that Nikki and I have had in the studio over the years. 

Concluding Musings

Anne C. Smith, Point of Longing, 2020.

Successful collaboration is a fascinating thing, and in art even more so. What we see in Brugnoli and Smith’s work is the interconnectedness of two distinct forces in the art field that allow for growth and support in one another’s voices, own challenges, and sense of direction. 

Brugnoli points out, “For me, what reveals the strength of a successful collaboration is the shape of trust exchanged and created between two makers.” It’s true that this aspect can really build on the momentum of making things happen in a positive direction, and these two artists know exactly how to make that dynamic work for their individual and collective styles.

For Smith, there is an added intuitive exercise that allows for the creative success of their work together. She says, “There's a shared goal of wanting to see the other person realize their most gut-felt vision in a way that sings. With that kind of foundation, the outcome of the work grows naturally into something we're both proud of.”

Collaborative creativity can only flourish in places where it’s fostered. These places are found where even a challenge is seen as an opportunity to learn more about the process and how to better create together. That level of understanding is what Brugnoli and Smith share, and that synchronicity allows for a successful collaboration that can stand the test of time.

Today’s poem reflects on the blossoming collaboration between these two artists:

FROM THE SUN AND HER FLOWERS BY RUPI KAUR

it isn’t blood that makes you my sister

it’s how you understand my heart

as though you carry it

in your body

The Unraveling of Passions

When art explores the vastness of the human condition, it is often the story and intention behind the work that support a piece’s success. Artist Eric Uhlir shares strong perspectives within one canvas when it comes to this stance. The Washington D.C. artist conveys his thoughts on humanity with such depth that it triggers an inner exploration of life, environment, history, and human action and interaction.

He explains, “The world a lot of my paintings inhabit is a reflection of our own. Human beings are incredibly bad at recognizing change over time, especially when it comes to our impact on the natural world. Growing up in LA, I was always fascinated by the city's sprawl, especially out toward the desert. It felt like people wanted to create their own little Arcadias, with these water attentive pools and lawns spreading as far as the eye could see. ”

An expandable technique

Uhlir’s work captivates through bold colors and movement. There is a dance between both techniques that almost distracts you from observing anything else much further, which is a good thing. It’s almost mesmerizing because this movement tends to cover the entire canvas in a swift manner. Even though there is a great amount of density underneath because of his technique, it is the movement that provides that hypnotic effect through seemingly repetitious curves that open up an entire landscape little by little, making it more intriguing. 

He shares:

“I think the palette is entirely due to my childhood in 1980s Los Angeles. The mix of pop culture, advertising, and the California sun imprinted a kind of high-key, full saturation view of the world. The mark-making and energy in each canvas are like a reward for the act of looking. The work I'm making now is very reference-driven, but the actual act of making each painting is highly spontaneous and intuitive. My inner vision is a constant conversation with both external references and the constant experimental studies I make.”

The work isn’t purely figurative, it plays with abstraction. It uses elements like almost abstract figures, transformative forms, gestural strokes, and infinite color blending for each shape represented. Uhlir’s work collectively achieves a magnified effect that persuades you to come face to face with what the painting may be saying to you at that moment. The vibrancy of color also captures what it is like to feel alive during specific moments. Each instance portrayed seems as important as the next. It is because, in Uhlir’s work, these moments are presented in a laser-focused manner through color and view, which then leads to the unraveling of deeper emotions and thoughts for the viewer.

He explains:

“Works on paper, water-based media, and drawings all float around the studio and settle into my subconscious, but the process is very much about the physical muscle memory learned from making marks. It's all very active and purposeful, I don't leave a lot of things hanging around as pure decoration in the paintings. My hope is to give the viewer so much visual information that they are compelled to come back to the work over and over to explore each mark and passage in the painting. I think this active, multi-session commitment to viewing is vital, and it's something we lose in the digital world. It's actually why I don't really make digital work, I want to give you an antidote for all the screens you have to stare at every day.”

On human vision

The way Uhlir uses the canvas has a strong sense of freedom, which stems from intuitive vision and skill. The need to fill up the entire space says something about the way he’s presenting the work to us. The space where his narrative exists feels big and all-encompassing within that frame, regardless of canvas size. You can find people, animals, nature, and scenarios that engulf everything depicted. When you look deeper, you see living beings portrayed through time and space so you can appreciate the complexities of our existence throughout history, and how far we’ve come from certain aspects or not.

This vision also showcases his view of life through a sense of energy and force, and perhaps that is where the movement comes into play. He is showing us that these living beings have their own force, their own agenda, and actions, and how they act upon these passions is up to each and every one of them. Yet the result of these forces affects the other beings, things, or places, which they encounter. Like the phrase, “every action has a reaction,” that is a fraction of the wholeness you encounter in Uhlir’s work, where this sentiment flows beautifully. 

He states:

“Art history forms the core references on which I build these almost history painting-esque tableaus. The world is kinetic and abstracted because that's much how we experience our own world, right?  More recent works, like "Unity and Division" based on Benjamin West's "Death of General Wolfe", take these structures and examine our own history through the lens of American art history, especially from the colonial era. Remixing paintings by West and others, like John Trumbull, helps me explore how our own experience intersects with these origin myths. It's why so many of the nature works involve references to painters like Gericault, Delacroix, and even Michelangelo. Despite hundreds of years of artists making work about the world, we still seem unable to adequately address systemic racism, environmental disaster, and conflict. Why is that? Do we take all of these images for granted? Can remixing and recontextualizing those original marks through my own lens render something meaningful? These are a lot of the questions I'm investigating through my main body of work.”

Concluding musings

Uhlir has a way of constructing complex narratives through his paintings so that they come alive, metaphorically speaking. They have so much to say when it comes to our reality and our humanistic way of acting. It is through the artwork that we face ourselves as humans, not just in the contemporary reality but from a lineage of humans who since the beginning of time have brought joyful moments into existence just as much as tragic ones. His work shows the human factor range so that we know who we are, where we come from, and taking all that into consideration, maybe we can figure out where we’re going individually and collectively. All while honoring the good and acknowledging the bad and learning from it all. While remembering that it is still magnificent to be alive and to explore existence in the best way possible. The artworks are a representation of our own humanity in a fantastical form. By stepping back we get a glimpse of how our actions and reactions can create waves of emotion, action, and change, and that is a power we shouldn’t ignore.

For more on Eric’s work, please visit his website.

Today’s poem aligns with the theme of human complexity, a concept found in Eric’s work:

The Fascination of What’s Difficult

BY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS

The fascination of what's difficult

Has dried the sap out of my veins, and rent

Spontaneous joy and natural content

Out of my heart. There's something ails our colt

That must, as if it had not holy blood

Nor on Olympus leaped from cloud to cloud,

Shiver under the lash, strain, sweat and jolt

As though it dragged road metal. My curse on plays

That have to be set up in fifty ways,

On the day's war with every knave and dolt,

Theatre business, management of men.

I swear before the dawn comes round again

I'll find the stable and pull out the bolt.

Art Spaces that Captivate

While easy enough to forget, the art experience really begins before we view any artworks. From the architecture and exterior of a museum, gallery or other art space, to the way we interact with the people working there, and how we are affected by the spaces that surround the artworks themselves. There are exhibitions that stand out in our mind as memorable, but have you asked yourself why? Beyond the works themselves, art spaces serve as the backbone for the exhibition. One of these great exhibition spaces is Glenstone Museum in Potomac, Maryland.

Water Court at the Pavilions Photo: Iwan Baan Courtesy: Glenstone Museum

Glenstone is an example of what can be achieved when there’s an ability and flexibility to create an art space from scratch. Yet in this case, the interior and exterior building and landscape design matters just as much as the curated works found in its galleries. Planning the architectural design can be challenging on its own, as the space would not have the flexibility of changing like the artworks do.

Valentina Nahon, Sr. Director of Public Engagement at Glenstone, spoke with me about the importance of creating an impactful art space experience for all visitors. The Glenstone experience begins outdoors, the entry point to its sprawling 230 acre footprint. A natural growing field with small hills and distant trees reveals paths, each leading to the galleries or to outdoor sculptures, like Jeff Koons’ Split-Rocker or Tony Smith’s Smug. The sculptures are part of nature itself, where they fit seamlessly each adapted to their  own unique natural setting. You won’t find more than one together, unlike a typical sculpture garden. 

Jeff Koons, Split-Rocker, 2000 stainless steel, soil, geotextile fabric, internal irrigation system, and live flowering plants 37 x 39 x 36 feet © Jeff Koons Courtesy: Glenstone Museum

These outdoor spaces invite you to be curious about your surroundings, the sights and sounds, and even through the steps you may take, where small stones make sound as you walk. All these components cause you to be more present in the experience. Nature holds a space for each work you come across outdoors. One of my personal favorites is Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller FOREST (for a thousand years…), where you are taken back in time through sound to reflect on humanity.

Nahon explains the purpose behind these art spaces:

Our mission at Glenstone is to be a place that seamlessly integrates art, architecture, and nature. The minimal design approach to both indoor and outdoor spaces is intended to facilitate meaningful encounters between our visitors and the artworks displayed, free of any distractions. The site design includes restored meadows, woodlands and streams to enhance the natural backdrop for outdoor sculptures, while the neutral building material palette complements the artworks on display.

When entering the galleries, the nature element persists, recalling the outdoor setting first experienced. The neutral wall colors, the large glass panels, and the water elements all embrace the landscape existing outdoors. The outdoor and indoor spaces interact heavily throughout the galleries, known as Pavilions. Beautiful natural light and high ceilings allow for this immersive effect in most spaces. There is a peace of mind from the mood-evoking surroundings that allow the visitor to explore at their own pace.

Installation View: Faith Ringgold From left: Faith Ringgold Jazz Stories: Mama Can Sing Papa Can Blow #1: Somebody Stole My Broken Heart, 2004 acrylic on canvas with painted and pieced border 81 in x 67 in ACA Galleries, New York Dah #3, 1983 acrylic on canvas 74 in x 58 in ACA Galleries, New York Dah #4, 1983 acrylic on canvas 74 in x 58 in ACA Galleries, New York California Dah #5, 1983 acrylic on canvas 110 in x 48 in ACA Galleries, New York California Dah #4, 1983 acrylic on canvas © 2021 Faith Ringgold / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, Courtesy ACA Galleries, New York Photo: Ron Amstutz Courtesy: Glenstone Museum

At times, some spaces open up fully as you walk in, like a surprise effect to expose the artwork within. It is almost like an unveiling of Glenstone’s most valuable assets, the art itself. That is in a way what galleries and museums are, they hold a space that reveals creativity in the form of Faith Ringgold, Cy Twombly, or Robert Gober, as something precious and frozen in time for the visitors to see. 

Nahon tells us about Glenstone’s creative team collaboration, responsible for this entire experience:

At Glenstone, we have a series of galleries that host changing exhibitions, while others are purpose-built to house a particular artist’s work. Planning a new exhibition is a collaborative effort that begins with the artist’s vision. We have a group of talented associates with varying backgrounds and experiences that contribute to the realization of a new installation at Glenstone.

Rendering of the boardwalk approach to the new building at Glenstone Museum, conceived to house a large-scale Richard Serra work and designed in collaboration between the artist and Thomas Phifer of Thomas Phifer and Partners. Located on Glenstone’s Woodland Trail, with landscape design by Adam Greenspan/PWP. Image: The Boundary Courtesy: Glenstone Museum

This collaborative vision is necessary in all art spaces. It allows for an immersive experience that starts from the outside all the way to the core, the artwork. Spaces can adapt to the artists and their artworks, but I think it really has to be the other way around for it to create balance among the space that has already been created and what the artworks have to offer. Then, it is when the art is placed that the footprint of the space transforms to become one with the space according to its message, how interactive it is, and how the viewers respond to it.