Inside the Nature-Driven World of Artist Susan Swinand

Fascinated with the natural world, visual artist Susan Swinand is driven by a limitless curiosity to know about every structure, pattern, form, and force—and the details of how they all operate together. Her work contemplates the questions of chaos and order, freedom and restraint, and tries to find the proper balance between them. How much is too much, she ponders.

This approach bodes rather well for Susan. As the winner of the Sally R. Bishop Best in Show Prize at the 2019 ArtsWorcester Biennial, her recent work is presented in this solo exhibition, Nature Imagined by Susan Swinand. 

Susan Swinand in her studio.

A longtime faculty member in our studio art program, Susan’s work has been shown widely throughout central New England for many years. Recently, Erin Corrales-Diaz, assistant curator of American art, asked the artist to reflect on her work, her inspiration, and process.¹

EC-D: Throughout your long and successful career, spanning a variety of media, your work consistently engages with dichotomies: metamorphosis and stasis, form and formlessness, and organic and manmade. How does your work complicate these perceived dichotomies, and why does it continue to fascinate?

SS: The more I observe the natural world and our own human nature, the more it seems there is an ideal harmony of opposites or a balance of forces in everything. Nature is both soothing and horrifying, magnificent and disgusting, creative and destructive. If you are looking for truth, you can’t just focus on the beautiful. And you won’t be satisfied just eating the roses on the cake.

Susan Swinand, All in Together, III, 2019, watercolor and gouache on paper

EC-D: The natural world seems to be a frequent source of inspiration for you.

SS: I am obsessed with the natural world. I want to know about every structure, pattern, form, and force—and the details of how they all work together. More and more I am pondering the questions of chaos and order, freedom and restraint, and trying to find the proper balance between them. How much is TOO much?

EC-D: One aspect of your work that immediately captivated me was your radical use of materials. For instance, you use watercolors as oils or acrylics and vice versa. What prompted you to defy material expectation and how have these techniques informed your practice?

SS: I taught painting for many years and watercolor painting was always in demand. Most of the watercolor painting that I saw around seemed formulaic and very predictable—more a craft than a process of discovery. I always wanted a painting to feel like it was alive, happening, filled with the unexpected.

Throughout my career I tried to give students obstacles or problems that would force them to find a new way. I wanted watercolor to be a real painting medium and not just pretty, tinted drawings. Watercolor is a bodyless paint and lacks texture so I worked hard to make the medium more physical—scratching, glazing, mixing in dry abrasive media, collage, patterning—anything I could think of to give it presence.

A gallery view of Nature Imagined by Susan Swinand.

EC-D: You’ve mentioned that when you approach a painting you are in a “state of not knowing.” There are no preliminary drawings; rather you allow the materials and brushstrokes to guide you. This desire to tap into your imagination seems to draw a parallel with the automatic drawing of surrealism.

SS: Shapes are an important part of my work and can present themselves in the process of working with the wandering of the pen or in a puddle of water left by the shape of the brush. I am subconsciously choosing the shapes that evoke meaning. Years ago, I realized that everything in the universe was created by energy acting on matter. In my work I try to imitate nature’s creative process and put all my energy into my materials to see what they will do. Art for me is about giving FORM to emotion, ideas, or experience.

EC-D: Your paintings often reflect a sense of humor. What is the significance of play and whimsy in your work?

SS: I guess it is just in my nature to love a little laughter. We need it to balance the sadness. Sometimes a shape appears in a painting, and I laugh out loud. It astounds me that an abstract shape can do that. Painting is amazing.

Susan Swinand, Night Fishing, 2012, watercolor on paper

Discover more about Susan’s creative process, her friendship with Sally Bishop, and how both nature and imagination inspire her art in a new video, “Susan Swinand: Visual Artist.”

Join a free Virtual Artist Talk on Tuesday, November 10 at 6pm when Erin Corrales-Diaz, assistant curator of American Art, continues the conversation with Susan about her work and making art. Register in advance here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event.

Learn more about Susan and her artistic endeavors and accomplishments by visiting her website.

Nature Imagined by Susan Swinand is on view at WAM through February 7, 2021. The exhibition is organized in partnership with ArtsWorcester

—October 29, 2020 

1. This interview originally appeared in the winter/spring 2020 issue of access magazine.

Examining the Spooky Illustrations of Widdicombe Fair by Pamela Colman Smith

October in New England conjures images of colorful leaves, cozy hearths, and chilly nights, but for many it also brings to mind ghost stories, folklore, and things that go bump in the night. One such story has been passed down through the popular and whimsical folk song, “Widdicombe Fair,”¹ from Devon County in England.

First recorded in print form in the late 19th century, “Widdicombe Fair” is believed to have originated decades earlier. Some historians speculate that the names featured in the song belonged to 18th-century locals, while others believe they could refer to the Welsh tradition of the Mari Lwyd.² In 1899, the tale was published by Sabine Baring-Gould in book form and illustrated by artist Pamela Colman Smith. Each of Smith’s plates is represented in WAM’s collection of works on paper.

Fig.1: Pamela Colman Smith (American, active England, 1877–1950),
Untitled (Widdicombe Graveyard) plate 12 in Widdicombe Fair (1899),
 photomechanical relief print with and pochoir handcoloring on cream wove paper
trimmed along border, mounted on original cream wove paper sheet,
Sarah C. Garver Fund, 1997.75.12

The story told in Pamela Colman Smith’s Widdicombe Fair begins with a man named Tom Pearce lending his old mare to a group of men to assist them as they head for the fair. The names of these men include “Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney, Peter Davy, Dan’l Whiddon, Harry Hawk, Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.” They form the chorus of the folksong, which is repeated throughout. In it, they promise to bring back the poor horse, but when the time comes for their return and the troupe fails to appear, Tom begins an extensive search. Tom despairs as he finds his mare has taken ill and died, likely from the burden of carrying so many men. 

Their weary journey is immortalized in the full lyrics of the "Widdiecombe Fair" folk song: 

Tom Pearce, Tom Pearce, lend me your grey mare
All along, down along, out along lee.
For I want to go down to Widdicombe Fair
Wi’ Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan’l Whiddon, Harry Hawk,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all

And when shall I see again my old grey mare?
All along, down along, out along lee.
By Friday soon or Saturday noon
Wi’ Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan’l Whiddon, Harry Hawk,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all

 

So they harnessed and bridled the old grey mare
All along, down along, out along, lee.
And off they drove to Widdicombe fair,
Wi’ Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawk,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

 

Then Friday came and Saturday soon

All along, down along, out along lee.
Tom Pearce’s old mare hath not trotted home
Wi’ Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan’l Whiddon, Harry Hawk,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all

 

So Tom Pearce he got up to the top of the hill,
All along, down along, out along lee.
And he sees his old mare a-making her will,
Wi’ Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan’l Whiddon, Harry Hawk,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all

Tom Pearce’s old mare, her took sick and died
All along, down along, out along lee.
And Tom he sat down on a stone and he cried
Wi’ Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan’l Whiddon, Harry Hawk,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all

But this isn’t the end of this shocking affair, 

All along, down along, out along lee.

Nor though they be dead, of the horrid career

Of Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan’l Whiddon, Harry Hawk,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all

When the wind whistles cold on the moor of a night,
All along, down along, out along lee.
Tom Pearce’s old mare doth appear ghastly white
Wi’ Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan’l Whiddon, Harry Hawk,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all

 

And all the long night be heard skirling and groans,

All along, down along, out along lee.
From Tom Pearce’s old mare and her rattling bones
And from Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan’l Whiddon, Harry Hawk,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all³

Even today, on windy moonlit nights, Devon locals say you can see the white ghost and rattling bones of the overburdened horse and hear the groans of the men. Smith incorporates the oral tradition of the folksong in the final plate of the series, shown in Fig. 1, as townsfolk gather around the tombstones of the song’s chorus. A closer look at the stones shows various life dates, ranging from 1760 to 1794, over 100 years before the publication of these prints. All the principal characters have long since departed, and yet their spirits live on through the singing of “Widdicombe Fair” and Smith’s spooky illustrations.  

Widdicombe Graveyard, highlights the lyrical tale’s status as a ghost story. Originally this plate (Fig. 2) was positioned at the beginning of the book, but ultimately moved to its culmination. At first one sees a robust horse bounding over a hill; however, closer examination reveals the outline of the moon passing through the mare’s hooves. Aside from a touch of delicate yellow highlighting around the inside edge of the horse’s linework, the horse merges into the gray night sky, implying it may be an apparition not a living animal. The effect is subtle, whimsical, and a touch unsettling. 

Fig. 2: Pamela Colman Smith (American, active England, 1877–1950),
 Untitled (Ghostly Mare) plate 13 in Widdicombe Fair (1899),
 photomechanical relief print with pochoir handcoloring on cream wove paper
 trimmed along border, mounted on original cream wove paper sheet,
Sarah C. Garver Fund, 1997.75.13 

In addition to Widdicombe Fair’s haunting subject matter, people more often recognize Pamela Colman Smith for her design work on the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck. She was commissioned to make the deck by British poet Arthur Edward Waite. While he wrote the guide for interpreting the cards, the art for all 78 cards was hers alone. The tarot deck was published a decade after her Widdicombe Fair book illustrations. In both the book plates and the tarot deck she uses the same stylized initials “PCS” in the bottom-right corner. 

Smith was well known in occult circles and was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a late-19th century secret society interested in the paranormal and metaphysical. Some speculate her contribution was downplayed because she was a biracial woman of Jamaican descent. Today, the Rider-Waite-Smith deck is one of the most famous tarot sets in the world, and it is featured in media such as The Haunted Mansion, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Exorcist franchise, and even The Simpsons! 

—By Gabrielle Belisle, Fellow for Prints, Drawings, and Photographs

    October 21, 2020

__________________________________

¹ Common variant spellings include Widecome and Widdecombe.

² The Mari Lwyd is an old Welsh Christmas tradition in which a horse skull is mounted on a pole and carried by a man hiding beneath a cloth. He would be accompanied by a group of men and would travel house to house singing to request entry. If the owner of the house relented, the group would be welcomed for refreshments before moving on.

³ Taken from the version written on Wikipedia

Have 30 Minutes? See Some Cool Art via a Zip Zoom Tour!

Zip Tours are a popular offering from our WAM docents. They provide a quick-tour option where visitors learn about just a few works of art within a 30-minute period. Many visitors appreciate a shorter tour that allows them to see works they know in a new way, or to see artworks they have not viewed before. 

A fun part of our tours is the discussion that takes place between the docent and visitors and between the visitors themselves. Since the Museum was closed for several months, due to the pandemic, our docents and visitors missed these art discussions. We created a solution: FREE virtual Zip Zoom Tours!

Our first program, "John Singer Sargent's Portraits" launched live via Zoom on Wednesday, October 7.  Docent Susan Gately shared a brief background of Sargent and provided details of his stays in Worcester at the Worcester Club. During a part of the conversation, viewers saw our large Sargent portrait, Lady Warwick and Her Son, paired with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Sargent portrait of Worcester woman, Mrs. Edward L. Davis and Her Son, Livingston Davis. 

Left: John Singer Sargent, Portrait of Mrs. Edward L. Davis and Her Son,
Livingston Davis, 1890, oil on canvas, Los Angeles County Museum of Art,
Frances and Armand Hammer Purchase Fund, M.69.18 
Right: John Singer Sargent, Lady Warwick and Her Son, 1905, oil on canvas,
Museum Purchase, 1913.69

While looking at these portraits, viewers noted the differences between Sargent’s clients in Europe and America. One participant commented that she felt like Mrs. Davis was a woman who looked like she would “get down in the mud” to play with her son. Viewers sensed that Davis would be an interesting woman to converse with about her life and Worcester in the late 19th century. The textures and details of the women’s attire were also of interest to the virtual audience.

Another slide compared WAM’s Sargent 1890 portraits of Worcester women Lizzie B. Dewey in the red dress and Mrs. Alexander H. Bullock in the black outfit. The 30-minute discussion was rich with comments on the two women’s vastly different styles and depictions.

As these presentations take place on alternating Wednesdays, our next Zip Zoom will be held Wednesday, October 21 at 12:30pm. 

“Inspiration from Laocoön,” will explore how artists continue to be inspired by this famous Hellenistic sculpture. WAM docent Cathryn Oles will reflect on Nancy Graves’s 1988 sculpture, also titled Laocoön. She will reveal elements of the innovative stainless steel, bronze, and black enamel work that are reminiscent of the original sculpture. Here's an opportunity to learn about more works inspired by Laocoön and to share your thoughts on the artworks presented in this Zip Zoom Tour.

Register in advance for the October 21 virtual tour here. After enrolling, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Zip Zoom discussion.

Select a Zip Zoom Tour that matches your interests by perusing our Fall 2020 schedule below and then register here. All virtual tours begin at 12:30pm.

November 4: WAM docent Brad Barker examines Paul Revere’s print of the Boston Massacre.

Paul Revere, The Bloody Massacre Perpetuated in King-Street Boston
on March 5th 1770, Boston, 1770, engraving with hand coloring,
gift of Nathaniel Paine. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society

November 18: Explore Roman Hairstyles in the Museum’s Collection with WAM docent Mark Mancevice.

Roman, Bust of Venus, first century BCE,
white marble, Museum Purchase, 1914.57

December 2: WAM docent Deb Wallace delves into James McNeill Whistler’s elegant Arrangement in Black and Brown: The Fur Jacket, a portrait of his mistress, Maud Franklin. 

James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903), 
Arrangement in Black and Brown: The Fur Jacket (1877),
oil on canvas, Museum Purchase, 1910.5

December 16: The Etruscan Cinerary Urn up close with WAM docent Barbara Eaton.

Etruscan, Cinerary Urn, 160–140 BCE,
 terracotta with traces of polychrome,
Museum Purchase, 1926.19

December 30:  Explore American abstract expressionism with WAM docent Peter Stultz. Learn more about painter Joan Mitchell’s Blue Tree (about 1964), a member of the American abstract expressionist movement.

Joan Mitchell, Blue Tree, about 1964, oil on canvas.
 Museum purchase, 1965.392

A virtual Zip Zoom Tour is an ideal way to learn more about WAM’s extensive art collection from the comfort of your home. Find additional information on these upcoming Zoom tours here.

We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming Zip Zoom!

—By Aileen Novick, WAM Manager of Public and Education Programs 

October 16, 2020

Happy Anniversary! The WAM Docent Program Marks a 50-Year Milestone

Every year nearly 20,000 visitors—including hundreds of Worcester Public School students—experience the Worcester Art Museum on a docent-led tour. Next week, we launch our celebration of the 50th anniversary of the docent program, the cornerstone of the Museum’s education program and vital to its mission of connecting people, communities, and cultures through the experience of art. 

“These devoted volunteers are great lovers of art, whose commitment to sharing that passion comes through with every Museum conversation,” says Aileen Novick, manager of public and education programs, which includes the docents. 

Docent Cathryn Oles leads a tour with students from Worcester's
 Jacob Hiatt Magnet School  in 2016. 

The docent program began in 1970, when Richard C. Mühlberger, the then-curator of Museum Education at WAM, announced a new initiative to train a corps of volunteer gallery instructors to expand group tour services for the following year.

Women who “expressed an interest in art and an affection for WAM” were invited to participate in a 30-week training program, which began on September 28, 1970. Classes were conducted in the galleries and designed to give the volunteer guides a working knowledge of the Museum’s permanent collection.

The 82 female participants enthusiastically embraced and rose to the challenge. The first docent-led tours of the Museum were offered to college instructors and public-school principals in September 1971. By April 1972, 51 docents had conducted 445 tours. 

 Some of the Museum’s early docents are pictured here. 

With each subsequent training session, parameters changed. In the mid-1970s, classes met for 16 months, the course syllabus included an in-depth survey of the history of art and methods of visual presentation plus the study of the WAM Collection. Written applications were required, and participation was limited to the 19 most qualified candidates.

The program continued to adapt to the needs of the Museum and community. In the 1980s, trainees were especially encouraged to develop participatory activities for children. In 1981, the Docent-in-the- Schools (DIS) program provided a three-lesson experience with a specific theme for children from the Worcester Public Schools. Docents went to schools before and after they visited the Museum.

Otti Levine, a 31-year WAM docent, participated in the DIS program at Elm Park Community School. “This was a great program for the children. They were always excited to come to the Museum,” she recalls. “There was a special bond formed with the docent and the students because of these visits.”

A college student recognized Otti from the DIS program years later. “She told me she was getting a degree in art!” she recalls. This feedback inspires Otti’s role as a docent. “Because of the interaction with people, I can really make them see, engage, and appreciate art,” she explains.

In 1987 additional coursework was added to introduce the docents-in-training to the critical-thinking skills necessary to integrate information with the experience of looking at works of art. And by the 1990s—and continuing through today—docents became even more proficient in introducing art and the Museum’s collection and exhibitions to visitors of all ages. 

Ginny Powell-Brasier engages with a captivated audience
of school children on her docent tour. 

Some current docents are children of the early volunteers. Leslie Vigneau’s mother, Jean Miles, was a member of the second docent class of 1972 and a Docent Emeriti. “My mother continually told me I should become a docent because it was such a special time in her life,” Leslie explains.

Leslie eventually joined a class and has been a docent for 11 years. “My mother’s health began to decline around that time, and I would bring her to the Museum and attend classes with her. We even did a few tours together,” Leslie said. Jean continued as a WAM docent until her death in 2017.

“My mother was right,” she adds, “I love being a docent! I am a retired teacher and that really helps with tours. I am most comfortable with children.”

In 1994 men joined the ranks of WAM docents. Paul Mahon, a former science professor and longtime collector of Asian art, became a docent when he retired from academia in 2007. He relished the opportunity “to teach about magnificent art while standing in front of it, and no grading, to boot!” Becoming a docent allowed Paul to incorporate knowledge he acquired while visiting hundreds of museums in Europe and Asia.

“I enjoy sharing my love of art with visitors of all ages, from cub scouts to seniors,” he says. “I also love training fellow docents in STEAM tours where my science background is especially helpful.” 

Paul Mahon, a former science professor and longtime collector of Asian art,
 became a docent when he retired from academia in 2007. 

Jan Ewick, tour programs supervisor, has worked with WAM docents for nearly three decades. “These dedicated volunteers share their passion for art, the Museum, and discovery with visitors of all ages each year,” she said. “Their contributions of time and knowledge are immeasurable and, in keeping with the Museum’s mission of connecting people, communities, and cultures through the experience of art, our docents truly walk the walk.”

These sentiments are echoed by Director of Education and Experience Marnie Weir, "We couldn’t do what we do without our docents. They are an incredible group, whose engagement and enthusiasm tell such a special story.”

WAM docent Mary Dowling explains the significance of The Scarlet Letter VI 
during a gallery tour.  Tim Rollins and K.O.S. (founded 1982), 
The Scarlet Letter VI, 1993, oil and acrylic on book pages mounted on canvas,
Gift of Rosalie T. Rose in memory of Sidney Rose, 2012.94 

Look for more docent-related content in future WAM Updates, as the Museum pays tribute to its volunteer art ambassadors on their 50th anniversary of connecting people, communities, and cultures through the experience of art. 

—By Cynthia Allegrezza, Marketing coordinator
    September 24, 2020

Talking with the Southeast Asia Artists-in-Residency Program Alumni: Richard Streitmatter-Tran

We wrap up our special weeklong feature on the Southeast Asia Artists-in-Residency Program (SEA-AiR) with Rachel Parikh, WAM’s Assistant Curator of Asian and Middle Eastern Art, speaking with 2019 participant, Richard Streitmatter-Tran. 

Richard was born in Bien Hoa, Vietnam, during the Vietnam War. Adopted by an American family in Massachusetts, he grew up on Cape Cod. He moved to Vietnam over 15 years ago, living and working in Ho Chi Minh City. Richard established himself as an international artist with his solo and collaborative work featured throughout the world. To learn more about his artistic practice, visit http://diacritic.org

2019 SEA-AiR alumnus, Richard Streitmatter-Tran. 

Rachel Parikh (RP): Why did you want to participate in WAM’s SEA-AiR Program?

Richard Streitmatter-Tran (RS-T): Although I was born in Vietnam, I grew up on Cape Cod as an adopted child in Massachusetts and my formative memories during childhood were created there. The Northeastern accent, the particular smell of the ocean, and the history and culture of the state are all familiar to me. Except for a few years in the U.S. Army and two years of college in California, I returned and completed my BFA at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. It was there that I met David Thomas, Director of the Indochina Arts Partnership (IAP), and, through the generosity of this organization, I received a scholarship to join the MassArt study trip to Vietnam. This was my first time in Vietnam since my birth. It was such an amazing experience that, a few months after finishing at MassArt, I relocated to Vietnam in 2003.

I approached this residency as closing of a circle. My experience as a professional artist has been solely in Vietnam, although the images I grew up with and have a great affection for are painters from my childhood. I remember my grandmother had a painting in the living room that was either a copy of or a derivative painting by Winslow Homer—fishermen in yellow raincoats battling the choppy, dark waters of the Atlantic Ocean. 

I had been focusing on watercolors for the last couple of years and wanted to look at three painters in WAM's collection that evoked the images and environment of growing up in the 1970s and 1980s on Cape Cod—Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, and Edward Hopper. I hoped to learn more about their processes and techniques to determine if they might be useful to me when painting on silk or watercolor ground.

It also coincided with the end of the IAP after more than 30 years. In a sense, my career began with the opportunity afforded me to visit Vietnam through the IAP. Coming to the Museum also allowed me to mark the ending of the IAP and, by returning home, to understand the many entanglements between my life as a Vietnamese adoptee and Massachusetts citizen. 

RP: I think that is such a beautiful way to look at the residency, and such a personal one too. It must have been such a profound experience. Any highlights for you?

RS-T: I cannot say there was one highlight, the entire experience was amazing! To me, spending a lot of time in the Higgins Education Wing studio was invaluable. And that was made possible because of the amazing WAM staff, from security to the curators and the front desk who extended the hours I worked into the evening whenever feasible. Everyone was so helpful. I even created a series of  WAM staff portraits.

The residency allowed me to meet several people from the community connected to the program as sponsors, including the Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts. I highly valued my time at WAM as my wife in Vietnam was pregnant with our first child, so each day away needed to be spent well. I completed many works at WAM from painting to sculpture culminating in a public exhibition at the Worcester Pop Up and later at the Midway Artist Studios in Boston.

Oh, and I was able to taste Chinese American food and authentic clam chowder once again! You do not find that easily in Asia.

Richard at work during open studio hours at WAM. The residency holds
weekly studio hours so that visitors can meet the artists and see what
 they are working on, and artists can engage with the local community. 

RP: That is great, and congratulations on your baby boy, as well! You mentioned wanting to study New England artists. How did the residency experience impact your art?

RS-T: I have a deeper appreciation for the history of American Art predating the advent of modernism and the contemporary period. It was somewhat meditative for me to focus on this again. I came away knowing what direction I wanted to explore further. Also accessing the paper archives at WAM and seeing the actual paintings and drawings from those aforementioned artists was something I never thought was possible.


RP: What about your artistic practice? Was that influenced by your time here at WAM and studying these artists?

RS-T: Yes, I came away with a broader appreciation for art. Rather than focusing on career-oriented strategies or new techniques, I could see a longer, larger picture of the history of art. I left feeling that someday I could tap into these experiences to create future works. By being in America for an extended period, the first in 17 years, I focused on my feelings toward America, both fondly and critically. In a sense, it made my new home in Vietnam feel more like a home. I could revisit my youth, explore some deep memories, and emerge more complete as a person and as an artist. On a side note, I brought back a lot of sculpture supplies and paints that I cannot find in Southeast Asia, which will certainly be used in my new works. 

RP: I understand those sentiments completely, also having lived abroad for a while. Apart from Homer, Sargent, and Hopper, were there any other artists or works that inspired you?

RS-T: I enjoyed the sculptures in the Southeast Asian collection. I also visited with the WAM Conservation Department to see the Museum's conservators working on artworks. This was something entirely new for me—the meeting of science and creativity. During the last days of our residency, WAM opened its With Child: Otto Dix / Carmen Winant exhibition with Dix’s grandson coming from Germany to give opening remarks. This was a unique opportunity.

Head of Shiva or King, Cambodia, 12th century, stone
on  marble base. Museum Purchase, 1923.1

RP: Do you have any favorite objects at WAM?

RS-T: I was amazed by the Chapter House (1927.46). How a museum could integrate this installation into its own architecture is mind-blowing. And, upon stepping inside, you feel the history of the space. I visited it often to admire its Gothic arches.


RP: What have you been working on since your residency?

RS-T: The residency was one of the last big periods of production for me. When it ended, I flew to Japan to install a work, which was in part created at WAM, for the Setouchi Triennale. I also had to prepare for my solo exhibition in Hong Kong for January 2020, after which I planned to focus on raising my newborn son.

Shortly after my Hong Kong exhibition, the world suddenly changed because of COVID-19, and most of my planned exhibitions for 2020 were cancelled or postponed. I am currently teaching children’s art classes until my galleries can resume their normal activities. It is hard to believe that less than a year ago I was at WAM—the difference then between Vietnam and Massachusetts is now as vast as the world a year ago before the pandemic! 

This painting is part of Richard’s series,
“Bless the Beasts and Children 2020” (2019-20), 
 which is made up of eight portraits of protestors from different
parts of the world.  It was on view at De Sarthe Gallery in Hong Kong
 this past July. Image courtesy of De Sarthe Gallery. 

The Southeast Asia Artists-in-Residency Program is supported by the IAP Fund at WAM, the Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts under Ahn Vu Sawyer, The Crawford Foundation, and Robert and Minh Mailloux.


—September 11, 2020

A Conversation with the Southeast Asia Artists-in-Residency Program Alumni: Jennifer Teo

Our third special feature on the Southeast Asia Artists-in-Residency Program (SEA-AiR) focuses on 2019 participant, Jennifer Teo, from Singapore. She represented the Post-Museum, an artist collective she co-founded in 2007. The Post-Museum’s mission, as Jennifer states, is to “get people to participate, come together, and work to make a better world. It’s not just about the art, it’s the social part of the art, creating culture from the ground up.” 

Rachel Parikh, our Assistant Curator of Asian and Middle Eastern Art, caught up with Jennifer about her time at WAM and what she’s currently working on. 

2019 SEA-AiR alumna, Jennifer Teo.

Rachel Parikh (RP): Why did you want to participate in WAM’s SEA-AiR Program?

Jennifer Teo (JT): Since the Post-Museum is about community, I thought it would be a great way to connect and engage with one in the United States, particularly one with such a strong American-Southeast Asian presence.

RP: What are some highlights of your time during the residency?

JT: I really enjoyed the trips Vivian Li (former Associate Curator of Asian and Global Contemporary Art) organized, especially the day trip to MASS MoCA in North Adams. I also made some lifelong friendships during my time in Worcester.


RP: How, if so, did the residency impact your art and artistic practice?

JT: With Post-Museum, I work mainly on social practice projects and I hardly have time to make things in a studio space. This residency provided a lot of time, a big studio, and a lot of material to start thinking about making things again. I was able to work on some solo projects and generate ideas for the Post-Museum. I also had the opportunity to launch Worcester’s first Really Really Free Market. It is a temporary market system based on an alternative gift economy.

RP: Can you tell me more about the Really Really Free Market and its outcome at Worcester?

JT: The point is not to acquire goods or find a deal; it’s about challenging how we assign values to objects and services and building ties within our community. It was great to see something that the Post-Museum has executed throughout Southeast Asia take root and shape in the United States. I thought the event was successful. We had people offering all types of things—including guided meditation for 20 minutes! 

Worcester’s first Really Really Free Market in September 2019 at WAM,
organized by Jennifer on behalf of the Post-Museum.

RP: That is great, and I am sure you found it insightful, especially when comparing the experiences of the Really Really Free Market in different communities.

JT: Yes, and it was wonderful to represent the Post-Museum in this way.


RP: I know your work is more community-based, is very interactive, and is a social experience, but were there objects in WAM’s collection that inspired you or were your favorites?

JT: Honestly, I found WAM’s collection very inspiring, and I love various pieces in all the different sections. For example, Nam June Paik’s Robert Goddard, 1995 (1997.108]) Edward Hick’s The Peaceable Kingdom (1934.65), John La Farge’s Peacock Window (below), and Benjamin West’s Pharaoh and his Host Lost in the Red Sea (1960.18) by Benjamin West, and the ancient Egyptian Ibis with Priest (1947.8). 

John La Farge (American, 1835-1910), Peacock Window, 
1892-1908, stained glass (leaded and plated opalescent glass,
colorless glass, cloisonné glass, fused glass, copper coil,
copper foil, cold paint and glazes, various colored putties and resins).
 Museum Purchase, 1909.11 

RP: What have you and the Post-Museum been working on since your residency?

JT: Post-Museum participated in the 2019 Singapore Biennale with an installation of our Bukit Brown Index. Bukit Brown is a historical cemetery that has been on the brink of destruction due to the new construction of roadways. Various works, ranging from performance art to large-scale installations, addresses the cemetery from various perspectives. At the Singapore Biennale, we had a performance-based installation.

Currently. we are busy working on a new social practice project, which involves upcycling old clothes and planting rice. I've also been working on some paintings, installations, photography, video, and text-based works.



The Southeast Asia Artists-in-Residency Program is supported by the IAP Fund at WAM, the Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts under Ahn Vu Sawyer, The Crawford Foundation, and Robert and Minh Mailloux.



—September 10, 2020

Visiting with the Southeast Asia Artists-in-Residency Program Alumni: Nguyễn Kim Tố Lan

Continuing our weeklong feature on WAM’s Southeast Asia Artists-in-Residency Program (SEA-AiR), Rachel Parikh, Assistant Curator of Asian and Middle Eastern Art, talks next to Nguyễn Kim Tố Lan about her experience as a resident artist at WAM in 2018 and what she’s been working on since.

Based in Ho Chi Minh City, Lan is a multidisciplinary artist that works with various media to create enhanced interactive experiences. She helped found the Sao La Collective, an independent artist collection in the southern region of Vietnam. 

2018 SEA-AiR alumna, Nguyễn Kim Tố Lan.

Rachel Parikh (RP): Why did you want to participate in WAM’s SEA-AiR Program?

Lan: To me, WAM's SEA-AiR Program provides a great opportunity for both artists and audience participation. I was invited by Nhung Walsh who oversaw the Indochina Arts Partnership (IAP) at that time and I was thrilled to learn about this program designed for Southeast Asian artists. It means a lot for the diverse community in Worcester as well as the artists who attend. I also love that the program is organized at an art museum, where artists can learn and be inspired by the collections and history.


RP: What was a highlight of your time at WAM?

Lan: There are so many! The very warm welcome from Mr. David Thomas (founder of the IAP) and Vivian Li (former Associate Curator of Asian and Global Contemporary Art); the welcome dinner at James Welu’s (Director Emeritus at WAM) home, listening to his stories, and seeing his famous ice-cream cart; the tour of Worcester; and participating in the StART on the Street Festival.

I also appreciated Matthias Waschek’s (Jean and Myles McDonough Director of WAM) tour of the Museum, talking about the collection, and showing us the Conservation Department. 

However, my most precious memory was when my fellow resident artist, Thế Sơn, and I stayed with the immigrant Vietnamese families. I loved listening to their personal histories. I am grateful to Vivian for her help and support of my work and assisting me in finding background information for ongoing projects.

Lan’s work at the StART on the Street Festival 2018.
 The umbrella consists of cellophane panels depicting scenes reflecting,
 as Lan states, the “home inside of us."

RP: That’s so wonderful! You mentioned Vivian supporting your work. Did the residency have
an impact on your work and/or artistic practice, then?

Lan: Yes! The residency gave me a chance to discover a different cultures and environments, broaden my views, and the opportunity to concentrate on my art and visit contemporary art collections in America. The program opened new topics and directions in my artistic practice and inspired me to go deeper into history and mythology. I became more interested in immigration. I also had the chance play and work with different materials and experiment with new techniques as well.

Those are the things I was looking forward to achieving through the residency.


RP: It sounds like the residency was such a rewarding experience for you and I am thrilled to hear it! You mentioned WAM’s collection several times. Were there any objects from the collection that inspired you?

Lan: I would say the Hunt Floor Mosaic. I found it interesting in the way it connects with space and architecture through its huge body; the way it was created for the floor; and how the mosaic functioned as art itself. The forms of ancient art such as stained glass, mosaic, fresco, and their function regarding place, community, culture, and religion, have always attracted me. Besides that, I am also interested in the migration process and the story of an object moving from one place to another place, through time.

 

Worcester Hunt Floor Mosaic, Roman, Antioch, early 6th century, cubes of marble and limestone
 embedded in lime mortar. Excavation of Antioch and Vicinity funded by 
the bequests of the Reverend Dr. Austin S. Garver and Sarah C. Garver, 1936.30

RP: Any others? Or favorite objects?

Lan: I loved this small painting, Houses in Riegsee, by Gabriele Munter. I was drawn to the strong, bold colors. I also love how Münter was a passionate female artist who had a great art career and even some influence in Kandinsky’s art! She was one of the few females who dared to be an artist at that time—I find that inspiring.

Gabriele Munter (German, 1877-1962), Houses in Riegsee, 1909,
oil on pressed board. Stoddard Acquisition Fund, 2018.40

RP: What have you been working on since your residency?

Lan: When I returned to Vietnam from the residency, I felt more energetic and found more inspiration and materials for my art practice. However, I am a slow worker. I prefer to give it more time as well as looking for an appropriate time and space to fit some of the ideas. Through my artist collective, Sao La, we created a local space called "Cù Rú Bar." Last year, we moved it to Dalat, a highland city covered by nature as we want to have some distance with the mechanical urban life, and have more interaction with elements of nature. It took quite a lot of time since we had to build up everything in a new city.

I am still nurturing that project together with my fellow artists by running the space and gaining new knowledge about nature as well as exploring the human relationship and its survival concept with nature. I am also eager to learn new skills and love to experiment by switching my artist role to a farmer sometimes. To me, these experiences link with the uprising idea I worked with during my residency—examining the significance of the moon in culture and religion.


The Southeast Asia Artists-in-Residency Program is supported by the IAP Fund at WAM, the Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts under Ahn Vu Sawyer, The Crawford Foundation, and Robert and Minh Mailloux.


—September 9, 2020