Paper and Threads

Jasper Johns: Recent Paintings and Works on Paper

Matthew Marks Gallery has a wonderful exhibit of Jasper Johns art until April 6th.  I like his art more with every exhibit I see, and I chose to combine some of his well known images, to remember my visit to the gallery with my friends Pat and Benedicte. 

Jacob Lawrence: We saw this exhibit at DC Moore Gallery one day before it closed.  Jacob Lawrence did 41 tempera paintings in 1938 on the Life of Toussaint L'Overture, leader of a rebellion in Haiti, followed by a campaign to draft Haiti's first democratic constitution.  Between 1986 and 1997 Lawrence made siik screen prints of 15 of the paintings and a complete set was in the exhibit.  This one depicts him opening the rebellion charge.

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This week we saw The B-Side at St. Ann's Warehouse in Dumbo, Brooklyn.  Eric Berryman, actor, was inspired by a similar show of Shaker Spirituals, and the Director of that show for the Wooster Group directed this performance.  For one hour, Eric and two back-up singers, sang Negro Folklore Work Songs by Prisoners at the Texas State Penitentiary.  The record on which this was based was produced in 1964.  We really enjoyed it, and dinner at Cecconis was excellent.

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NYC Urban Sketchers met at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church for a Juilliard Historical Presentation.  I first learned about this free concert through Urban Sketchers and now attend the performances (2 per semester) whenever possible.  These free concerts are at the church and the Juilliard masters degree students play baroque music on wonderful instruments. 

The students come out in small groups, each group for one piece of music, so I needed to sketch quickly and combine musicians or instruments in one drawing. 

This violinist was the first musician I sketched, but details were added during other performances.

I love the theorbo, which I learned about at my first concert with this group.  It is really big, and has two sets of strings.  According to my reading, it is a member of the lute family, and it is in many paintings from the time period.

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My husband and I scheduled an afternoon and an evening performance at Lincoln Center and then needed to decide how to spend the hours between the events.  The Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle is a perfect place to browse and eat, making a trip back to our apartment less inviting.  Landmarc is big, and it has a large enough menu for any time of the day.  I sketched what I saw right in front of me and added paint at home.

In the afternoon we saw a working rehearsal of the New York City Ballet.  It was fun to see the 3 principle ballerinas all in gowns, and their partners all in random class clothes.  This was obviously not only a rehearsal of "In the Night" set to a Chopin Nocturne.  The dress skirts had many, many layers and these dancers were getting used to their costumes as well.  This dancer came out to warm up for a few minutes when the lights were still on, and I tried to capture her arabesque from memory, because it was over in an instant.  In the evening we saw the Juilliard Orchestra, conducted by Barbara Hannigan, and she is the most physical conductor I've ever seen.  No sketches possible!

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