Abiquiu New Mexico / Georgia O'Keeffe

Just as Donald Judd is the seminal American minimalist artist, Georgia O'Keeffe is one of America's first abstract or modern painters. Alfred Stieglitz discovered her abstract drawings in the early twentieth century and invited her to New York. The two lived together in New York city and summered at Lake George. O'Keefe, soon discovered the beauty or the American Southwest. Abiquiu, New Mexico became her home and the surrounding landscape was her subject matter. ​

I am currently visiting Abiquiu, her home/studio and some of the locations of O'Keeffe's paintings. The  photograph depicts the adobe ruins of the Catholic church that the Spaniards built in Abiquiu in 1734. In the background, beyond the Chama River, one sees the brilliant white cliffs that O'Keeffe painted. Art and landscape as one.

Despite the aesthetic differences between Judd and O'Keeffe, both were drawn to the American Southwest and the landscape was integral to their finest work. Both Marfa and  Abiquiu are remote and allowed the artists to focus on their craft.​ Both places provide windows into the respective world of artist - well worth the visit. 

La Santa Rosa de Lima, Abiquiu NM

La Santa Rosa de Lima, Abiquiu NM

The Real Kabakov - Alnis Stakle / Photographer

Ilya Kabakov created School No.6 in 1993 as a gift to the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, TX. The work occupies an entire building and is subdivided into rooms reminiscent of an abandoned schoolhouse from the former Soviet Union. The key here is the word "reminiscent."

ex_pride_stakle_01.jpg

Alnis Stakle is a photographer that lives in Latvia, a former Republic of the Soviet Union. Stakle has created a series of work  called Ex Pride ​that presents actual abandoned spaces from the post-Soviet era. Stakle writes: 

The photographs present interiors of these factories and constitute subjective visual research about former pride. The essence of this body of work portrays the environment of the seemingly lifeless factories that have a continued inner quiet life.… Noise of dropping water, wind in broken windows, old posters and documents, books from soviet times, personal belongings of workers....

Stakle presents something new and different to western photography as we know it in the United States. He presents work that is of another place that is generally not known to many. It has its beauty despite its uncomfortable nature. Stakle's newer series presents a remarkable use of color/light and composition. 

The photographer received ​first place in the Architecture section (series Lost: Paris), Sony Wolrd Photography Award in 2011.  His work is included in many books and discussions of contemporary Latvian/Eastern European art.

Stakle is represented by inde/jacobs in Marfa TX. His work is available in digital format in various sizes and editions. More of his work can be seen at www.alnisstakle.com.

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Progess - Lights test

One small step for inde/jacobs. After spending at least 200 hours searching for lights that would be appropriate for the gallery design, I think that we've got it. Recessed halogens. So the gallery received its first strip of drywall on the ceiling and the placement of the lights began. Of course the space will have rows that meet at 90 degree angles and I wanted the rows to meet at specific lights rather than seem scattered. So we place the anchor lights and went from there. The single 48' row of 17 lights introduces differences in "gaps" from 36" - 33-5/8. These differences are not visible to the naked eye as you stand below. This was another fascinating lesson for me - the need to make slight adjustments to placement in order to achieve an overall effect. The deliberations and decisions made in this building - really necessary - but surprisingly complex (for a minimalist design).