New Editions: Miya Ando

Miya Ando - Gingumo [silver cloud] blue blue, 2014
Acrylic and silver leaf on Arches Cover
41-⅜ in. x 29-½ in. Edition of 5
Magnolia Editions is pleased to announce the publication of a series of innovative silver leaf prints on paper by Miya Ando, currently on view at Lora Schlesinger Gallery in Santa Monica.

The Brooklyn-based Ando's meditational, minimalist approach typically uses dyes, heat, sandpaper, acid, and patinas to create subtle abstractions of light and color upon the surfaces of anodised steel or aluminum. The artist's techniques are a direct outgrowth of her heritage: raised in a temple in Okayama, Japan, she is descended from a family of sword makers turned Buddhist priests. Her recent practice finds her working at Magnolia Editions with master printer Tallulah Terryll, who invited Ando to the studio for a co-published edition that finds the artist expanding her practice to full-color works on paper.

Miya Ando - Gingumo (Orange Yellow), 2014
Acrylic and silver leaf on Arches Cover
41-⅜ in. x 29-½ in. Edition of 5
Ando presented possible imagery to Terryll at Magnolia Editions in 2013 and after discussing a number of potential editioning methods, the two decided upon the silver leaf print technique. To create each print, squares of the delicate material are individually hand-applied (with almost superhuman patience and delicacy) to a sheet of Arches cover rag paper in a grid formation; they are then gently, horizontally brushed by hand — first with a soft Chinese ink brush, then with a stiffer brush to remove the excess silver — and finally, overprinted with a precisely calculated gradient of archival acrylic color. Upon completion, a varnish is applied to each print to prevent the silver from tarnishing.

These prints are unmistakably Ando's while at the same time demonstrating a different side to the artist's visual vocabulary. Terryll recalls that while she initially presented the artist with full-bleed proofs in her typical square format, Ando instead requested a layout on the page more in keeping with the traditions of printmaking, where the image is framed and offset by the blank page. And although the silver leaf is itself a form of metal, these works do not read as overtly metallic; their brushed surfaces have a soft, subtle shimmer.

Detail from Gingumo [silver cloud] blue blue, image courtesy of Miya Ando
Three of Ando's 2013 Magnolia publications — Gingumo (Silver Cloud) Blue, Gingumo (Silver Cloud) Orange Yellow, and Gingumo (Silver Cloud) Blue Blue – are currently on view as part of her “Hamon (Cloud-like Pattern)” exhibition at the Lora Schlesinger Gallery in Santa Monica. The show runs through February 15, 2014; for more details and images of the work, please visit the gallery's website. Ando's Gingumo editions are now available for purchase either through Magnolia Editions or the gallery.

The artist is also featured in "Raising the Temperature," an upcoming show at Queens Museum in New York which examines human impact on the environment, opening this Saturday, February 2nd. A solo exhibition at Sundaram Tagore Gallery in Hong Kong opens February 12th.

Artist Miya Ando at work
More work by Miya Ando at Magnolia Editions

In memory of Richard McLean

Self-portrait by Richard McLean, 1982
We are sad to report the passing of renowned realist painter and San Francisco State Professor Emeritus of Art Richard McLean on January 3rd, 2014 at age 73.

McLean taught at SFSU for more than thirty years, having been hired to teach painting and drawing in 1965 and retiring in 1996. He was closely associated with the first generation of photorealist painters and became best known for his meticulous paintings of horses, a series he began in 1967.

Installation view of McLean's 2012 retrospective exhibition at St. Mary's College in Moraga, CA; this and all photos below by Guy Diehl

Born in 1934 in Hoquiam, Washington, McLean grew up in Idaho. Though a talented jazz trumpet player as a young man, he ultimately chose to study visual art: in 1958 he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the California College of Arts and Crafts, where he studied with Richard Diebenkorn, and then served in the military in Okinawa before finishing his Master of Fine Arts at Mills College in 1962. He first began exhibiting his work in 1957 with a solo exhibition at the Lucien Labaudt Gallery in San Francisco and two group exhibitions at the Oakland Museum.

Painting by Richard McLean

Painting by Richard McLean
Realist painter Guy Diehl numbered among the thousands of young artists who received training from McLean. “Of all the instructors I had in college, he was the most personable,” remembers Diehl. “He had a way of talking to me about my work that was very insightful — it was as if he could put how you were feeling into words. I said, ‘how do you know what I’m feeling?’ He said it was just from being a painter.” Of studying with McLean and Robert Bechtle, Diehl says, “it was a truly remarkable thing to have two first-generation photorealists talking to you about your work. They were pioneers, though they didn’t know it at the time — coming out of Abstract Expressionism and reinstating the visual object. They were both mentors and explorers.” Diehl also recalls McLean’s ever-present wit: “he was very funny; he’d always introduce some element of humor. I remember really smiling every time I heard him talk.”

Detail from painting by Richard McLean
Gallerist Jeremy Stone recalls meeting McLean in the fall of 1982, when he came into her then-fledgling gallery to see a show of Yves Klein drawings and the two immediately struck up an impassioned conversation. “I developed a great friendship with Richard and his wife Darlene,” Stone says; “He was one of the really great storytellers and big personalities – so educated and focused, and so articulate about art.” McLean loved teaching and discussing work; even when he grew discouraged with the art world, he never wavered from his dedication to his own work. “He approached everything with such integrity,” Stone says. When her gallery was mounting a show of self-portraits, she asked McLean to contribute: “I said, ‘I know you’re represented by OK Harris and I know you only paint horses, but could you possibly do a self-portrait for this show?’ He demurred at first. But eventually he called and said, ‘I’ve got it!’” The resulting painting shows a man with a furrowed brow – clearly quite serious about the craft he loved — who will be remembered not only as a technically flawless painter but for his personal levity, generosity, and warmth.

Chuck Close tapestries at US Embassy in London

Tapestry portraits of President Barack Obama by Chuck Close at the US Embassy in London. Photo by Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images

Magnolia Editions has published several editions by Chuck Close depicting President Barack Obama; two of these, Close's 2012 tapestries Obama 2012 (I) and Obama 2012 (II), were recently installed at the US Embassy in London.

Washington, D.C.'s CBS affiliate reports:

The portraits are nearly 8 feet tall and more than 6 feet wide, with the final piece looking like photos but feeling like textiles.

Close used one photo of Obama smiling and another in which he appears in a more serious, “presidential” demeanor. The artist is also an advocate for arts education in schools.

“I photographed him last week for an hour and a half,” Close told the Village Voice at the time. “And boy, did I take the opportunity to lobby him.”

Last year, a watercolor print made from the same portraits was available for purchase to benefit the Obama Victory Fund, with a few of the pieces signed by Close and Obama. The Mint Museum in North Carolina was unveiled in fall 2012 to celebrate the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. Close also designed commemorative posters of the president that were sold during the 2013 presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C.

The tapestry was one of 10 such portraits available for $100,000 apiece as part of a fundraiser also supporting the Obama Victory Fund.

For more information on Close's portraits of the president, please see these previous posts.

More art by Chuck Close from Magnolia Editions

Chuck Close at Housatonic Museum; Storer/Romanoff/Farnsworth at Yuma Fine Arts

Chuck Close with students and faculty from Roosevelt School participating in the President's Turnaround Arts Initiative at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, CT; photo by Christian Abraham.
Besides having been hand-picked to serve on President Barack Obama's Committee on the Arts and Humanities and in addition to his extensive fundraising and charity work, Chuck Close is also a force to be reckoned with in the field of arts education.

After volunteering to participate in the President's Turnaround Arts Initiative, which helps provide students in struggling schools with much-needed arts education and exposure, Close was asked to spend the past year mentoring students at the Roosevelt School in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

As one of eight high-profile creative talents who volunteered for the program, developed in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education and the White House Domestic Policy Council, the artist worked closely with Roosevelt students, faculty and surrounding communities.

In early November an exhibition opened in the Burt Chernow Galleries at Bridgeport's Housatonic Community College, showcasing work by the students mentored by Close alongside five of Close's large-scale watercolor prints published by Magnolia Editions over the last two years.

Chuck Close at the Burt Chernow Galleries at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, CT; photo by Christian Abraham.

Chuck Close addresses students and faculty in the Burt Chernow Galleries at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, CT; photo by Christian Abraham.

Portrait of Chuck Close by a Roosevelt student at the Burt Chernow Galleries at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, CT; photo by Christian Abraham.

Chuck Close's print Kara I (2012) at the Burt Chernow Galleries at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, CT; photo by Christian Abraham.

Chuck Close's 2013 print Cindy (Smile) at the Burt Chernow Galleries at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, CT; photo by Christian Abraham.
For more great photos by Christian Abraham from this event, please see this article at the Connecticut Post.

Meanwhile, "Grand Narratives," Donald and Era Farnsworth's collaborative exhibition with Inez Storer and Andrew Romanoff at the Yuma Fine Arts Association, enjoyed a successful opening this month.

Before the opening: tapestries by Donald & Era Farnsworth, prints by the Farnsworths, Storer, & Romanoff, and mixed-media works by Storer & Romanoff at the Yuma Art Center.
The show features artwork inspired by the quartet's recent trip to St. Petersburg, Russia; visitors are encouraged to learn more at the Yuma Art Center website.

Mixed-media works by Inez Storer at the Yuma Art Center
Finally, East Bay residents might notice a familiar, colorful tree appearing in newspaper kiosks around town -- Donald and Era Farnsworth's collaborative tapestry Reflection III (2004) graces the cover of the Monthly, "the East Bay's premier magazine of culture and commerce," this December. Congratulations, Farnsworths!

Donald & Era Farnsworth's 2004 tapestry Reflection III on the cover of the December 2013 East Bay Monthly
Watercolor prints by Chuck Close from Magnolia Editions

More art by Donald & Era Farnsworth from Magnolia Editions

More art by Inez Storer from Magnolia Editions

Enrique Chagoya at Fundacion Artium de Alava

Tapestries by Enrique Chagoya at Fundacion Artium de Alava; photo ℅ Artium
The staff at Fundacion Artium de Alava in Alava, Spain generously sent us these photographs of Enrique Chagoya's current exhibition, "Enrique Chagoya: Palimpsesto caníbal."

The show will remain on view through January 12, 2014 and includes prints and tapestries published by Magnolia Editions as well as drawings, mixed-media works, and codex books.

Artwork by Enrique Chagoya at Fundacion Artium de Alava; photo ℅ Artium

Artwork by Enrique Chagoya at Fundacion Artium de Alava; photo ℅ Artium

Artwork by Enrique Chagoya at Fundacion Artium de Alava; photo ℅ Artium

Artwork by Enrique Chagoya at Fundacion Artium de Alava; photo ℅ Artium
More work by Enrique Chagoya at Magnolia Editions

In memory of George Miyasaki

George Miyasaki at Magnolia in 2009
It is hard to believe and difficult to report, but our friend and teacher George Miyasaki passed away this week. He was 78 years old.

George was a role model to all who knew him – an extraordinarily humble and soft-spoken man whose grace, patience, and good humor were matched only by his incredible work ethic. Having studied painting and printmaking with Richard Diebenkorn, Leon Goldin, and Nathan Oliveira in the 1950s, George immediately began winning awards for a highly innovative body of printmaking work that continued right up until this year. His signature mix of collograph textures, expressionistic forms, and unpredictable colors made his work instantly recognizable. It would be a disservice to George to say that his work simply reflected his personality when he was so unquestionably gifted and worked so admirably at his craft – yet it is true that his prints balanced a gentle, lyrical elegance with a bold physicality in a way which mirrored the quiet strength that seemed to radiate from George himself.

A young George Miyasaki, second from right, with (from left) Harold Rosenberg, John Coplans, and Wilfrid Zogbaum
One can read all about George's storied career in the biography available from his galleries or the numerous major museums that collected his work; to list his various Guggenheim and NEA grants, to speak of his work at Atelier 17 in Paris or his decades of teaching at UC Berkeley, while extremely impressive, somehow still does not seem to do him justice. George was a lion. It is hard to put into words how generous he was with his brilliance, how dedicated he was to his work, and how fortunate we are to have learned so much from him. We love you, George.

John Mass, Era Farnsworth, George Miyasaki, and Brian Caraway at Magnolia in 2010

George Miyasaki - Composition 18, a lithograph from 1957

Miyasaki (far left) with family in the 1950s

Guy Diehl, Donald Farnsworth, George Miyasaki, Enrique Chagoya, and Dean Smith at Magnolia, 2010

Miyasaki (at right, ever the instructor) at a wedding in Hawaii, 2006

Miyasaki with family in front of a painting in progress, 2005

A 2005 drawing by Miyasaki commemorating his parents

Squeak Carnwath and George Miyasaki with collagraphs in progress at Magnolia, 2010

Miyasaki at Magnolia, 2008

Printer Rick Dula and George Miyasaki wiping a collograph plate at Magnolia, 1999

Dula and Miyasaki pull a print at Magnolia, 1999

George Miyasaki - Dog Days of Summer III (v.4), 2005
collagraph and mixed media, 31.5 x 25 in.

Miyasaki at Magnolia, 2008

The Farnsworths meet the President

The Farnsworths meet the President, February 2013. From left: Manolo Bustamante, Donald Farnsworth, Chuck Close, Sienna Shields, President Barack Obama, and Era Farnsworth.

This photo may not be manipulated, published, disseminated or broadcast without the written permission of the White House and may not be used in any commercial or political materials or promotions that suggest approval or endorsement of the President or the White House.

Readers of our blog may recall that in late 2012, Magnolia Editions published a series of print and tapestry portraits of President Barack Obama by Chuck Close. These works were then sold at a special fundraising auction, raising over two million dollars for the President's re-election campaign and Democratic Senate races.

A portion of the editions were signed by both Close and President Obama; in February of this year, Magnolia directors Donald and Era Farnsworth traveled to the White House with Close, assistant Manolo Bustamante, and artist Sienna Shields to assist the President in signing each 75 x 60 inch print. Era Farnsworth's full account of their meeting in the White House Map Room can be found in an earlier post.

Recently, the White House Photo Office was kind enough to send along a copy of the above photograph. There are many strict rules regarding photographs of the President in the White House, and while the Photo Office was kind enough to grant us permission to use it on our blog, we must ask that you please respect the restrictions stated in the caption.

That said, we are delighted and proud to share this image with you. Once again, we would like to thank you for your continued support of Magnolia Editions! It is an honor for us to be able to help Chuck Close in advancing a cause such as the President's re-election. We could never have done so without our community of creative friends and family, regardless of political affiliation and whether in Oakland, New York City, or far-flung corners of the globe.

Era Farnsworth in the White House Map Room with a tapestry portrait of President Barack Obama by Chuck Close

Chuck Close and assistant Manolo Bustamante at the White House

Donald Farnsworth and Chuck Close with Bo, the Obamas' dog

Donald Farnsworth and Chuck Close in Close's New York studio, 2010

More art by Chuck Close from Magnolia Editions