Cover: Self-portrait Day 38, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
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NYC April 24, 2020
Ever since Jan van Eyck painted one of the early self portraits in 1433, the exercise oflooking at oneself has become a genre of painting. Jan van Eyck and Albrecht Duerer, who also is one of the earlier adaptors of the practice, (self portrait at 28 in 1500) concentrated on the presentation of themselves, in some way also advertising their ability as magnificent craftsmen to the world.
There established the beginning notion of the independent artist in this period of the Renaissance, and both artists are looking out in an unflinching and almost confrontational way, not allowing the viewer a glimpse of their emotions.
This had become an accepted view by mid 17th century and artists were creating their individual interpretations of reality including religious and mythological themes.
Rembrandt van Rijn, was the first true “modern artist”, who not only created his own interpretations and iconography, but also found a distinct personal way of painting. His self portrait had become more than just a self-presentation of the artist, but a much deeper exercise in self observation and reflection. Rembrandt created more than 40 self portraits over a period of around 40 years, creating a record of his own aging, showing his state of mind and emotions at certain points in his life. Given the heavy price tag canvas, resin, oil and pigments had, the sheer number of these works is astonishing and points to the tremendous importance these portraits had for the artist.
Spending so much time and money on an exercise of self-reflection and discovery, rather than to paint for the market or accept commissions shows Rembrandt’s spirit of exploration and discovery regarding the human condition.
In the 350 years after his death in 1669, Rembrandt has become the artist’s artist and to me he became a lifelong role model in his independence and interest in the human figure and human condition. I started doing self portraits at an early ageabout 22-24, even before I had found my artistic voice, and have continuously done it ever since. There were periods when I painted just one self-portrait per year and others when I made a self portrait drawing every day for one year. For the longest time I used a mirror, trying to faithfully record my features and own emotions. Since about 1999, I mostly paint and draw self-portraits as a barometer of my own condition out of - (of course daily subconsciously collected) - memory.
At certain moments I felt the need to record my own condition more than in others, trying to connect the outside reality to my being. I recorded one 13 day stay in Cologne Germany as a visual diary consisting of one large self- portrait on paper with pigments and acrylics -‘the Cologne Diary’; I did one large ink drawing per day for a year and called the exercise ‘the daily drawing project’.
This crisis, has confined me to my apartment, as it did to millions of other New Yorkers, the daily commute to the studio seems too risky and although I do not employ anyone, I feel too uneasy to go there and create durng these trying times. So I resorted to draw a self-portrait per day, small, as the conditions in my study don’t allow me to create larger works. These are 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 inches created only with Japanese and fountain pen ink, applied with fountain pen, toothpicks and brushes. My ‘pandemic portraits, as a friend of mine calls them appropriately. I find it helpful to do these, to keep my sanity and connect myself to the horrific news, we receive every day already for almost 2 months. I am currently on day 39 of my self imposed quarantine, and that’s the number of drawings I have done so far.
Day 1, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 2, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 3, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 5, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 6, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 8, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 10, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 11, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 12, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 13, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 15, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 16, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 17, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 18, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 19, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 20, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 21, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Self-portrait Day 26, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 27, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 28, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
31, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 33, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 34, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
35, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
36, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 37, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 38, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 40, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
42, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 43, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 44, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 45, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 47, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 48, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
49, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
50, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 51, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 52, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 53, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 54, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 55, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 56, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
57, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 58, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
Day 60, 2020, Ink on paper, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.
2011 David Stern: Five Paintings, Messineo Art Projects/Wyman Contemporary, New York, January 27 – March 13
2010 David Stern: The American Years (1995-2008)
national traveling exhibition curated by Karen Wilkin, The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, Charleston, SC, August 26-October 8, 2010
2009 Cold Cuts – The American Years, Galerie Brennecke, Berlin, October 24- December 3, 2009
Selections from “One Hundred Simple Things,” Messineo Art Projects/Wyman Contemporary, New York, May 14 – July 16
2008-09 David Stern: The American Years (1995-2008), national traveling exhibition curated by Karen Wilkin, Yeshiva University Museum, New York, September 18, 2008-February 8, 2009
Alexander Hogue Gallery, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, October 30-November 28
2005-06
David Stern at The Starrett-Leihigh (project 1740), NYC presented by Claudia Carr, November 15-December 20
2004 David Stern: Braces and Shadows, Rosenberg + Kaufman Fine Art, NYC, April 28-June 3
2002 David Stern: The Gatherings, Rosenberg + Kaufman Fine Art, NYC, October 10-November 16
2001 David Stern: Common Ground, Rosenberg + Kaufman Fine Art, NYC, April 25-May 26
2000 David Stern: Recent Paintings, Louis Stern Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, April 27-June 3
1999 David Stern: Random Cycles, Rosenberg + Kaufman Fine Art, NYC, October 12-November 13
David Stern: Recent Work, William Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, College of Charleston, SC, September 2-25
1998 David Stern: New Paintings, Rosenberg + Kaufman Fine Art, NYC, April 28-May 30
1997 David Stern, Galerie Joachim Blüher, Cologne, Germany
1996 David Stern: Skypieces and Portraits, Rosenberg + Kaufman Fine Art, NYC, September 11-October 19
1995 David Stern: Drawings and Paintings, Synagogue for the Arts, NYC, May 10-June 11 Galerie Brennecke, Berlin, Germany
1994 David Stern, Kunstverein, Gütersloh, Germany, November 20 – December 11
Identity and Relationship: Recent Paintings by David Stern, National Jewish Museum, Washington, DC, December 15 - January
David Stern: Bilder, Galerie Brennecke, Berlin, Germany, October 14 – November 19
David Stern: Malerei, Galerie X Sadie Bierl, Munich, Germany
1993 David Stern: Malerei, Galerie Brennecke, Berlin, Germany, January 23 – March 6
1992-93 David Stern: Tanulmányok egy útról (Study for a Way), Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest, Hungary, November 26, 1992 – January 7, 1993
David Stern: Malerei, Kunstsammlung der Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany, March 15 – April 26
1992 David Stern: Malerei, Galerie Welz, Salzburg, Austria, September 4 – September 29
David Stern: Paintings, Martin Ainscough Gallery, Liverpool, England, October 3
November 2
angelica@ellipsis-art.com
Angelica is a Private Art Advisor working with a variety of artists and consulting private clients. She is a member of the NYU Alumni Council and ArtTable, the leadership organization for professional women in the visual arts.
2005 - 2014
Director of Mimi Ferzt Gallery in New York City, which specialized in Russian Non-Conformist and Contemporary Art. Organized important curatorial exhibitions of prominent Russian artists, and successfully placed them in important private and public art collections around the world.
2004, NYU Masters Degree, Visual Arts Administration
Published graduate thesis focused on building a sustainable global market for Russian Contemporary Art, tracing Russian art through its various historical movements, from Soviet era to the Russian Non-Conformist Movement, to discussion of today’s contemporary art in Russia.
Catalog Design: Lisa Meta Griff, Metamorfize.com