Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward Portrait Society Gallery opens a new exhibit on Friday, November 13: “The Intimate Page.” Director Debra Brehmer stands over hundreds of loose sketch book pages in her gallery, labeling and categorizing the drawings, curating the work from approximately 61 artists. She's trying to decide how to mount all these pages, sketches, drawings, the inner artistic thoughts from these individuals who make art for a living. Completely fascinated by these very personal images that preceed an artist's finished paintings, installations or sculptures, her co-curator that is helping her, Natanya Blanck, believes “It's like the artists showing their skivies.” Brehmer smiles, and agrees, while she speaks to her own process in imagining, developing and now preparing for this unique show at the Portrait Society Gallery that will continue into January.
Q: How did you come up with the idea for “The Intimate Page?”
A: When I taught in Italy for two years, I kept a sketchbook. I also spent time in a silent monastery, a Benedictine Monastery, where I painted everyday, the canonical hours. So I really wanted to put together a show that featured some of these ideas.
Q: And you and Blanck decided this was the best way?
A: We taught in Florence together and kept sketchbooks while we were there. Also in my art history classes (Brehmer teaches at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design), my students record the semester visually and texturally through sketchbooks. The sketchbooks were always remarkable. Some of the students even created pockets, to put things in that were inspiring or reminded them of paintings we were studying. By incorporating visual sketches, because I give the student's moleskin sketchbooks as part of the class at the beginning of the course, the students end up with something special at the end of the semester.
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Q: And all this led to organizing this particular show?
A: I put out a request to many artists, called them. Some were reluctant to show these very ‘intimate,' rough drawings. And they are all for sale, which some artists had a difficult time letting go of their work. All of this work has never been seen or shown. But we're creating an installation, a community that shares an underlying common dialogue about art. The big conversation between artists making art, the process. How they [the artists] think daily about art.
Q: And could you mention several artists in the show?
A: We have several preparatory drawings by a jeweler, sculptor, and a Buell Motorcycle and engine designer. Paul O'Diehl draws out his ideas for installations as does Colin Matthes, which are very interesting to see. And Jason Yi uses a random process of spraying yellow foam on paper, then cutting it off. A way to court chance. And then sands [the image on paper] the whole thing. It's a privilege to see all these thoughts on paper. We're also launching a new space where Fred Bell will paint nine pictures for every exhibition and show them in the hallway gallery. He's a real painter's painter.
Q: Will these ideas influence future shows at The Portrait Society Gallery?
A: I am beginning to think about what kind of community generates a show. And there's invitations at this show to participate in “The Real Photo Post Card Project.” A special show scheduled for July in 2010. J. Shimon and J. Lindemann [nationally known photographers] from Manitowoc are accepting portrait commissions for the exhibition, which will be the palladium process negatives of these portraits that will be hung all on one wall in the gallery. Anyone can participate, individually or as a family, you just have to have it all fit on a postcard. It's about participating in a project. A community between the artist, viewer and the participants. An installation with historic underpinnings.
(For information about "The Real Photo Postcard Project" check realphotopostcardsurveyproject.blogspot.com)
