Jessica Teckemeyer - Installation

“Reliance (sinners and saints)”, 2010

Jessica Teckemeyer

SooVac Gallery Featured Interview

"We Are Animal" - Jessica Teckemeyer

April 9, 2011 - May 22, 2011

Opening Reception: 4/9/11 6-9pm

Jessica Teckemeyer

Minneapolis, MN

Email: jessica@jteckemeyer.com

Website: http://www.jteckemeyer.com/

MNartist.org profile: http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=211861

Bio~

Jessica Teckemeyer is an emerging artist living in Minneapolis, MN. She received her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in May 2010. Her work has been exhibited in Montevideo, Uruguay; New York, NY; Chicago, IL; South Orange, NY; Cincinnati, OH; Minneapolis, MN; and Grand Forks, ND. She is a Lecturer Professor of Art & Design at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire.

Teckemeyer has worked for internationally known artist Siah Armajani. In the past four years, many cultural experiences have had lasting impact on her works. In November of 2008, Teckemeyer was a visiting artist in Montevideo, Uruguay where she gave a lecture and displayed an installation. She studied in New York City with colleagues for three weeks in 2009. Later the same year, she also visited Venice, Florence, Pisa, and Rome. The rich history of these places has made her question: what connects all humans spanning time and place?

Prior to graduate school, she worked in the sculpting, mold making, and painting departments at “Tivoli Too” a 3D design and production studio located in Mendota Heights, MN. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2004.

“Planes of Existence”, 2010

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?

Through sculpture and video, my work explores the physical world including the tangible as well as the psychological. The current series is focused on the conflicted complexity of inner existence and how human behavior reflects cultural influences. Prominent influences include a society's history, religion, media, science, and mythology, which create a false sense of domination over our internal and external existence. The human condition is domesticated; we are animals. As social creatures, we combat reason versus instinct. The work embodies a symbolic language exploring themes including inner confrontation, spirituality, vulnerability/strength, and death.

Currently, I am working on a sculpture of a life-sized mountain lion clinging to the knot at the end of a rope from its teeth. The feline conveys the idea of struggle and fear through a twisted body activated by tense muscles and extended claws. The creature has human glass eyes. Many societies in North and South America have employed feline icons as metaphors to express human qualities and symbolize human relations. Continuing this lineage, this piece represents the current political and economic climates in the world. Apart from humans, large cats are the most widespread and successful land bound predators.

How is this different from past projects?

It’s a cougar rather than a wolf form.

"What is Art?" is certainly too big of a question to ask here, but what do you hope your audience takes away from your art? What statement do you hope to make?

I approach my work with these questions in mind:

What connects all humans spanning time and place?

What does it mean to be animal?

What does it mean not to be animal?

What is the role of monster in culture?

What roles do myth, literature, film, and media play in our subconscious?

I want to create the opportunity for conversations about perspectives on difficult issues like spirituality, death, inner confrontation, and vulnerability/strength. My thesis installation titled “Planes of Existence” is about the similarities and differences of spiritual beliefs in relation to death. Are there spiritual worlds or is death the end? I had many fascinating conversations with mentors, peers, and friends during the exhibition!

“Planes of Existence”, 2010

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?

Clive Murphy was a visiting artist at the University of Minnesota during my graduate years. He advised me to make several pieces to explore an idea, rather than put everything into one piece. Research can carry me away sometimes, so this has been helpful to remember.

Tell me about your work space and your creative process?

I’m interested in commonalities between cultures. My process begins with research into the marvelous and the strange from ancient mythology to monster theory. I prefer to read a book rather than a computer screen, so the library and I are well acquainted! As my idea shapes, I think about how to best convey the content… video, sculpture, or installation.

The accuracy of the anatomy is very important, so I study and research my animal subjects in person. Trips to Milwaukee and Omaha’s zoos have proven necessary when the local options do not house the creature necessary for the piece. Internet searches are also utilized. The images gathered are printed and taped to my studio wall for reference. For making the work, I rely on techniques employed by the automotive industry and prop building studios.

On mark, art critic Jerry Saltz called me “an anal-retentive warrior princess” during a studio visit! I am drawn to materials that allow the presences of my hand to be removed. For example, after sculpting the form, I skin it with a hard coat. The “skin” is then worked with a combination of power tools and by hand (filling any unwanted dents, pits, or scratches with putty). Next, the piece is coated with a scratch-filling primer and sanded entirely by hand for surface refinement. The former step is repeated. Finally, the piece is painted.

My studio space is in St. Louis Park.

“Portal”, 2010

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?
There are so many talented artists in Minnesota. For the sake of keeping this answer brief, I am going to list a few other emerging artists using animal imagery to express content.
Areca Roe – http://www.arecaroe.com/
Mel Griffin - www.melgriffin.com
Erin Hernsberger - http://www.erinhernsberger.com/
Cheryl Wilgren Clyne - http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=11140

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?

Over a weekend, we would visit the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Institute of Art (MAEP space is a must!), Soo Visual Art Center, Franklin Art Works, the Soap Factory, and Burnett Gallery. I prefer to see a variety of media and artists. Our time together would also include eating at great restaurants to discuss the exhibitions! Art, food, and conversation… what more could you want?!

Where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise?

I read the Arts section of The New York Times , and Flavorpill.com. Flavorpill focuses on cultural happenings in NYC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, and London.

“Between Life and Death”, 2009

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?

Join me for the exhibition titled “We Are Animal” opening at the Soo Visual Art Center in Minneapolis on April 9th, 2011 from 6 – 9 pm. The show is open until May 22nd. Visit http://www.soovac.org/ for more details. Please also visit http://www.jteckemeyer.com/ to see more images, information, and upcoming events. Thanks!

Springboard for the Arts

Terrence Payne - Painter

Terrence Payne has lived and worked in the Minneapolis area for the past fifteen years, building a body of unique and thought provoking work while exhibiting at galleries and universities throughout the united states. His work can be found in private, corporate and collegiate collections throughout the world. Terrence founded Rosalux gallery eight years ago to give local emerging and mid career artists an opportunity to exhibit their work in an environment that would bring them higher visibility while nurturing their artistic callings without the limitations imposed by many commercial galleries. Serving as gallery director since its inception , he has helped over sixty local artists further their art careers through their involvement with Rosalux.

Terrence Payne

www.terrencepayne.com

terrencepayne.blogspot.com

tjpayne@comcast.net

You are currently exhibiting as part of the Minnesota Artist Exhibition Program (MAEP) at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. This seems like quite and honor and opportunity. Tell me about the work you are showing there.

I'm showing a group of eight large oil pastel drawings. My drawings are typically portraits of different archetypes defined by the figure in the piece, their costume, action, secondary objects around the figure and a sort of wallpaper pattern behind them which sets the undertone for the entire work. For this show I am using the same pattern in each individual drawing to give an underlying unity to the entire show. I'm hoping that it will read as to how different sorts of personalities react to a similar situation and how what each one brings to a scenario can affect its outcome.

You have a special place in the Minneapolis arts community in that not only are you an artist, but you are also the founder of the Rosalux Gallery, which is one of the relatively few galleries in the twin cities accessible to emerging artists to show their work. Whose work have you shown that you are proud to say you have been able to provide an opportunity for exposure?

I would have to say that I am proud to have been a part of giving any and all of our artists past and present an opportunity for exposure. When I started the gallery I had this idea of creating a space where the artists have an active roll not only in the creation of their work but also in the promotion and exhibition of it as well. By asking that they take on the financial risks of exhibiting their work that also gave them the freedom to do what they wanted to do how they wanted to do it. Specifically for emerging artists I think that this is an extremely valuable experience because they are learning how to write a press release, edit the work in a show, garner and maintain a database of individuals who are interested in their work, put together a portfolio of their work to send out to new markets and begin to build a network of peers to share information with with regards to furthering their careers.

In the time since we opened our first location we have worked with over sixty local artists as members in the group, as well as the many others who have participated in the annual open door exhibition, and through these connection I hope that we have managed to make a positive impact on the local arts scene. The main motivation for Rosalux has always been to act as a tool with which to strengthen the Minneapolis arts community with the belief that by strengthening our artists at how it will create a better impression for all abroad.

Many artists find art to be a solitary experience, where creating community can be difficult. I wonder if you might have a different experience. I referring specifically to the Pilot Arts Group. The Pilot Arts webpage says it was created to provide updates of the “collective and individual endeavors of Pilot Artists.” Can you tell me how this group came together? What advantages have you found by working as part of a collective? Do you have any advice for others who might want to go down this same path?

Pilot is something that grew out of an idea that John Alspach and I had for Rosalux several years ago as a different way of promoting our art in hopes of finding a larger audience for the work of local artists. The basic idea of it being that we would work with a smaller group of artists and buy advertising in national design magazines to promote a website for the group and do one or two shows at alternative spaces each year.

The Rosalux group wasn't ready to give it a go so we decided to work with some other artists who were further along in their careers and would be more comfortable trying some new things. The first show we had was in a vacant storefront in uptown that coincided with our first ads in Dwell magazine and it went pretty well. As time went on and newer less traditional media started to spring up which made more sense for artists to put their efforts into pursuing rather than print ads the group changed its focus to being an annual exhibition collective which seeks out one show a year outside of minnesota.

Our next show is this coming october at the Greyduck gallery in Austin, Texas. Overall I think that pilot has been a great thing for us, its seems to have evolved into more of a guild than a collective in that it is a place for a group of peers to share ideas and experiences and try new things.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?

I can't remember any specific words of wisdom that I ever received from anyone in particular, but I would like to give a shout out to M.C. Anderson of the former M.C. Gallery which used to be downtown back in the day. It was my first experience showing in a gallery and M.C. tolerated me hanging around and asking annoying questions about the art world which was really where I learned great deal about how things work in the world of art and commerce.

Which Minnesota artists do you enjoy?

eeerghh! I am terrible at remembering the names of artists but I have no problem remembering the images I see. First off, there are none better than Jen Davis, Joe Sinness, and Erica Olson Gross who are my exhibition partners this fall inthe MAEP Galleries at the MIA. I have seen a lot of awesome local art this year but these are a few that have really stuck with me: I have really enjoyed following the design work of Land Land this year, the drawings of Nick Howard, the photos of Areca Roe, and the sculpture of Amelia Biewald. These are some of the artists who have made definite impact on what I am doing right now in one way or another.

If I were to follow you around on an “art day” in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?

We would probably start our day at the MIA looking around and wandering aimlessly waiting for something to spark something for us( I usually go there and do that when I am stuck on an idea or looking for inspiration). then we might stop for lunch at Victors and head over to Andy Ducetts garage and see what kind of weirdness is going on there. next stop is the shiny robot studios in NE to see whats being made up there and probably we would end up at Jim Wrayge's studio in the Northrup King getting drunk and embellishing stories about stupid things we used to do.

What was the last local exhibit you saw and what were your impressions?

I just went to the opening for Tara Costello's new show at Rosalux this past weekend as well as the new shows at SooVac the weekend before which features work by Liz Miller, Justin Stewart, Pam Valfer and Allen Brewer. They were all top notch and the biggest impression I am usually left with after visiting most shows in the twin cities is how lucky we are to be living in a community that turns out and supports its artists as well as the quality of work happening in town on any given day.


Where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise?

I like to check out Fecal Face, Tiny Showcase, Artist a Day, and then whatever links I find on Facebook or that get sent to me by other artists.

How do you incorporate your blog, Facebook, and other social media/internet resources into your life as an artist?

I pretty much use my blog as a diary for my own purposes considering the amount of traffic it gets. Its a good place to put up new work and sketches I am working on to see how they fit in with a larger group of work. Facebook is great for sending out invites to shows and spy on what others are doing and I use my website as an online point of reference for others to get a sense of who I am as an artist.

Do you have any exhibits or any interesting things going on in your life or coming up in the near future?

I do, I will be showing in the MAEP galleries at the art institute (MIA) this month with Jen Davis, Joe Siness, and Erica Olson Gross in a show called Flourish which opens October 21st as well as another group show this month in Austin,Ttexas at the Grayduck Gallery with the Pilot Arts Group and that one opens on the fourteenth. Then its back to Rosalux which will be hosting our annual juried competition Open Door this November and I'll be spending the winter preparing new work for a show there this coming April.