Tag Archives: Anita Rogers Gallery

Rome Art Program Interviews George Negroponte

Art, whatever it takes – RomeArtProgram has made interviews with people involved in art, living in Italy, the USA and the UK, to know their feelings during the emergency.
– George Negroponte interview:

RomeArtProgram: What is your definition of “Art” today?

-George:  I like thinking about “culture,” and more specifically, as it relates to painting: I am dedicated to the meaning of painting as a visual language: absorbed and learned over time. I write about painting a lot, and I admire Fairfield Porter as a critic and painter. He wrote intimately about it. Beautifully. Porter saw painting as a manifestation of desires, urges, and needs arising from the deepest realms of the psyche. Equally important was his belief that painting has its own terms. It is not programmed, nor can it be imposed upon.

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RAP: Art is dynamic and regenerates itself… how does it change, and how did it change us?

-George: Not sure. Your question suggests an endless supply of it (art). I don’t see it as a given; it’s earned or warranted only when our highest aspirations mysteriously come together without reason. I see it as disruptive, even chaotic. The art world I know is wildly competitive and aggressive. Noisy. But the fundamental nature of art is uncompromising. It does not tolerate manipulation.

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RAP: When (and how) did you understand that art was becoming very important in your life?

-George: When I was five or six, my father started to paint as a hobby. He was a weekend painter, wore a blue beret, and copied Cezanne. Eventually, it made him miserable because he didn’t think he was improving.
It was too bad because he poured his heart into painting.

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RAP: What role does art play today? What are the “great figures” who have recently changed it? Do you feel close to any of these figures?

-George: I’m still grappling with what Cezanne did to painting.
Pollock gave painting gravity in every sense of the word.
Brice Marden is a painter I have always admired.

Pictured above: George Negroponte. My Rothko. 2018. Mixed Media on Canvas. 8″ x 8″

Read the full interview on RomeArtProgram.org

View on AnitaRogersGallery.com

Tribute to Chris Finch: James Scott’s Films

As a tribute to the passing of Chris Finch, my films “Richard Hamilton” and “RB Kitaj”, which we worked on together, are available for viewing on Vimeo. 

Click Here to Stream the Films

I first met Chris Finch in the sixties in London. I had just made the first in a series of films on contemporary artists, a film on David Hockney, and had been commissioned to make another for the Arts Council. This was to be a film on RB Kitaj and I approached Chris to appear in the film and talk to Kitaj. A year later, I began another project on Richard Hamilton, known as the father of ‘pop art’. Again, I approached Chris and he agreed to participate, even though Hamilton’s first words were: “I don’t like films about artists.” So we began by taking a Nagra recorder and sat down with Richard Hamilton to make a series of interviews that became an integral part of the film.

Chris became a friend, but sadly I lost touch with him when he left England for a teaching job in America. Many years later, after I myself had come to live in Los Angeles, we re-united. His passing is a blow to the art world as well as family and friends. His brand of eclecticism was unique. His humour and talent in so many fields unrivaled. I am streaming the two films, RB Kitaj (1967) and Richard Hamilton (1969) for a week as a tribute to Chris.

– James Scott

Pictured above: James Scott, Still from the film Richard Hamilton (1969)

View James Scott’s Films

View on AnitaRogersGallery.com

Hinnemo and Negroponte Featured at Keyes Art

Work by Virva Hinnemo and George Negroponte is currently being shown alongside John Battle at Keyes Art in Sag Harbor. The exhibit, Eyewitness, is on view to the public October 9 – November 28, 2021.

Eyewitness is an exhibit meant to confirm that Modernism is alive and well: art-making immersed in a visual and pictorial language, aspiring to convey meaning with ancient tools. Embedded in these works is a struggle to clarify purpose and the urge to ignore the cheeky posturing of the zeitgeist of the 1960s.

~George Negroponte October 2021

Eyewitness

Opening Reception: Saturday, October 9th, 6-8pm
Open from October 9th – November 28, 2021

Keyes Art Gallery
45 Main Street
At the American Hotel
Sag Harbor, NY

Pictured above: Virva Hinnemo, View from a Tent, 2021, oil on linen.

View more on JulieKeyesArt.com

View on AnitaRogersGallery.com

Jan Cunningham in ‘150 Years of Women at Yale’

Work by Jan Cunningham is currently on view in the exhibition ‘On the Basis of Art: 150 Years of Women at Yale’ at the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven on view September 10, 2021 – January 9, 2022.

On the Basis of Art: 150 Years of Women at Yale showcases and celebrates the remarkable achievements of an impressive roster of women artists who have graduated from Yale University. Presented on the occasion of two major milestones—the 50th anniversary of coeducation at Yale College and the 150th anniversary of the first women students at the University, who came to study at the Yale School of the Fine Arts when it opened in 1869—the exhibition features works drawn entirely from the collection of the Yale University Art Gallery that span a variety of media, such as paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, photography, and video.

The title of the exhibition references the phrase used in the landmark 1972 US federal law Title IX – which declared that no one could be discriminated against “on the basis of sex” in any education program receiving federal financial assistance, and which forced the School of Art to hire full-time female faculty beginning that year. Amid the rise of feminist movements – from women’s suffrage at the turn of the 20th century, to the ERA movement of the mid-20th century, to the #MeToo movement of today – this exhibition asserts the crucial role that women have played in pushing creative boundaries at Yale, and in the art world at large.

The Gallery is open Friday 5 pm – 8 pm, and Saturday and Sunday 10 am – 6 pm. You may reserve your ticket for the day: https://artgallery.yale.edu/hours-and-directions.

Pictured above: Jan Cunningham, Via Flavia Gioia, Priano, Italy 11 November 2012. On view in On the Basis of Art: 150 Years of Women at Yale.

View more on Yale University Art Gallery

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Mark Webber at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art

Artist Mark Webber to be featured in the exhibition, Paste and Cut: Contemporary Sculpture in Plaster, on view at the Lauren Rogers Museum in Laurel, Mississippi August 31 – November 7, 2021.

Visitors to the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art are greeted in a lobby richly decorated with golden oak paneling and cork floors. They may not notice that the ornamentation continues above, with a ceiling featuring beautiful plaster work.  The design was suggested by Charles J. Watson of the Chicago interior decorating firm Watson and Walton, created by Frederick Mottas, and executed by the French-American master craftsman Léon Herman. It features low relief depictions of flora, fauna, and celestial bodies.  In honor of this enchanting adornment, and in a continuation of a series of exhibitions that celebrate how artists are breathing new life into techniques and forms found in centuries-old art and design, the Museum presents this exhibition of works in plaster by contemporary artists Amy Kann, Jedediah Morfit, and Mark Webber. Their works show the effectiveness of utilizing the medium in traditional, conceptual, and abstract forms.

Read the further details about the exhibition on AnitaRogersGallery.com

Sag Harbor Express Interviews Virva Hinnemo

By Annette Hinkle

Virva Hinnemo (b. 1976), an artist  in the Parrish exhibition “Affinities for Abstraction,” was born in Finland and now lives and works in Springs.

Q: As a female Abstract painter, did you face hurdles in what was initially a very male-dominated field?

I think this is a difficult question to answer. Yes, in some ways, the issue of being a woman painter has always been “there” for me. In school, the boys/men muscled their way. Many women students found a way to turn their womanhood into their artistic subject. I never wanted to hit the viewer over the head with that kind of a subject. I ask a lot from those who look at my work. My husband would call it “the long, slow look.”

I was always aware that I had stepped into a male-dominated world, and as a very young painter, I was conscious of not wanting to “paint like a girl.” A young painter does think some silly things: “Why can’t I paint like Guston? I don’t want my work to be pretty.”

Read the full interview on AnitaRogersGallery.com

International Women’s Day Featuring BAHS Team Members

The month of March is beautifully dedicated to Women’s History in celebrating the amazing accomplishments of ladies from the past and present. Here at British American Household Staffing for International Women’s Day on March 8th, we are thrilled to spotlight some of our team’s fabulous females who are leading the way in both their personal and professional lives, which we hope will be a positive reminder of reassurance and encouragement for all women.

 

A Word from our CEO & Founder Anita Rogers

“I am so proud to run two all-female companies [British American Household Staffing and Anita Rogers Gallery]. I believe in breaking through the glass ceiling and supporting women on their chosen journeys. Those who decide to become mothers will have job security with flexible work schedules to ensure they flourish in every aspect, at home and at work. We have such a cohesive and caring team at BAHS and I believe that to be due to us all being women who understand the stereotypes and challenges that we’ve at times previously faced within the workforce. Here at British American Household Staffing, we celebrate the continued success of a company built and led to inspire and encourage through diversity and strength within a sisterhood.”

 

Click here to read interviews with BAHS team members Catherine, Brittany and Abby. 

From Lockdown to Getaway

Let’s dream of our post-Covid travel bucket list!

As we enter the New Year with high hopes of a happier and healthier summer awaiting us, we couldn’t wait any longer to daydream and discuss our next vacation for once the pandemic is eventually under control.

So until we can feel the sand between our toes again, dust off our passports and squeeze ourselves into the swimsuits that still have the tags on from last year’s shopping spree, we decided on practicing a little preparation meets opportunity! We want to talk places, prices, and portions!

We caught up with our jet-setting Wonder Woman, British American Household Staffing CEO/Founder Anita Rogers, who was more than happy to share her travel tips and wish list resorts for 2021.

Anita, where will be the first place you will be flying off to when it’s safe to travel again?

To Greece! There is no country like it, the Aegean glitters like diamonds on a deep azure water, like the quote from Homer’s Odyssey: “There is a land called Crete, in the midst of the wine-dark sea, a fair, rich land, begirt with water, and therein are many men, past counting, and ninety cities.”

The Aman resort in Porto Heli, very close to Spetses, which is the island I go to often, is absolutely exquisite.

Which resort do you visit again and again ~ and why?

Il Sereno Lago di Como – Torno, Italy. It is pure luxury and tradition right on Lake Como. I got most of my operatic vocal training in Italy and performed there for many years so I adore Il Sereno Lago di Como. As a business owner I often fly to Lago di Como for a break to recharge my batteries and sometimes I join clients, either art collectors or those who want their villas staffed. I love Italy and Italian traditions so it’s a favourite of mine.

What travel tips do you swear by that might surprise people?

Our BAHS resident estate management consultant Kristen Reyes shared a piece of business advice and she’s never wrong! She said to only ever charter yachts and to only ever purchase a jet! Apparently, yachts depreciate in value but private jets are safer if you are in control of their maintenance.

I’ve also held on to the advice from a fashion designer friend of mine who said, roll, do not fold your clothes when packing. And he was right! It frees up so much space in your bag and it also minimises wrinkling! I was also advised once when travelling by yacht to push the furniture against my wardrobe in my suite. When you travel overnight, the waves and wind can suddenly become very high and all the wardrobe doors start swinging open which doesn’t make for a peaceful night’s sleep!

As a gallery owner (Anita Rogers Gallery is based in Soho NY and represents both primary and secondary artists), I know from personal experience that it’s always best to visit historical sites and museums etc, very early, very late, or when people eat! I always go to attractions at lunchtime as there’s less people since most tourists on city break trips head to lunch. So this way you get the most popular places all to yourself!

Another one of our wonderful clients told me that she Googles ‘where do chefs eat in…’ whatever place she is in. It’s such a great idea and the restaurants that you find are amazing because they’re the chosen ones by those Michelin star culinary chefs! That’s how I discovered Bob Bob Ricard in London and Providence in LA.

View the full interview on BAHS.com 

Mark Webber: Material Guy

Mark Webber: Material Guy

Making sculptural works from an array of mixed media

by Kelly Velocci

Mark Webber Anita Rogers Gallery Hamptons Cottages and Gardens
Mark Webber practices two very different kinds of work. His vocation: custom cabinetry fabricated for high-end Hamptons homes. His avocation: sculptures made with Hydrocal, a plaster-like material, and a mélange of found objects from construction sites and other sources. Although these two endeavors are vastly disparate, both are rooted in the art of fabrication. “There’s a craftsmanship aspect to cabinetmaking, whereas sculpture requires you to be more creative,” says Webber, a Connecticut native and longtime resident of Sag Harbor. “Sculpture does not have an inherent purpose, like a cabinet does. I have to think about different things when I’m making either one.”

Webber graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from SUNY Purchase in 1980, but soon shifted his focus to cabinetmaking to make a living. Around five years ago, however, he decided to “acknowledge my creativity again” and began experimenting with sculpture. He started working on wooden forms before transitioning to plaster and, more recently, Hydrocal, which he casts or shapes with hand tools, such as spatulas and knives. “All those years as a cabinetmaker gave me a solid base from which to start making sculpture,” Webber says. “It was like my springboard back into fine arts.” He has lately been pushing the boundaries of his pieces further, incorporating found objects— steel scraps, bricks, rubber—in order to bring a sense of tension and balance or create “an interesting compositional relationship.”

 

View PDF of full article
View on Cottages & Gardens website

William Scott: Abstracting and Appreciating the Everyday

William Scott: Abstracting and Appreciating the Everyday

by Chloë Ashby

 

William Scott: Abstracting and Appreciating the Everyday

Five Pears 1976
William Scott (1913–1989)
British Council Collection

 

Art UK:

To some art critics, the twentieth-century British artist William Scott’s kitchen-table still lifes are too timid – as Roberta Smith wrote in The New York Times, they can be seen as ‘abstract paintings for people who don’t like abstraction’. Others, myself included, find them enticingly reduced and for the most part easily readable, which is part of their charm.

Scott’s compositions are striking in their simplicity, and somehow both pleasurable and puritan, sensuous and serene. A few boiled eggs, a couple of ripe pears, fresh mackerel on a plate, pots and pans, a bunch of grapes: these are his humble subjects. As he once said, ‘I find beauty in plainness’.

Born in Scotland in 1913 and brought up in Northern Ireland, Scott’s surroundings were grey and barren, his upbringing strictly Presbyterian. The objects he painted in an often-sombre palette were, he said, ‘the symbols of the life I knew best’.

After his father died trying to save some folk from a burning building, the local council raised funds to send the 15-year-old to Belfast College of Art. From there, he won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, where he bunked up with the poet Dylan Thomas and two other Welshmen and married fellow student Mary Lucas. In the Second World War, he was a cartographer, and in its wake, he was a pioneer of British abstraction.

 

Read the full article on ArtUK.org