Our recently released film on Jamian Juliano-Villani seems to have struck a chord. Students identify with Jamian’s anxiety about deadlines, and artists have shared their mutual feelings of self doubt. Above all, it’s the artist’s honesty that stands out–there is no final epiphany moment nor final project. Instead, Jamian tirelessly puts in the work, exemplifying a dedication that inspires us all.
Art21 films like Jamian’s are on view all month here in New York at the Ace Hotel, in a special Art21 exhibition entitled Documenting the Creative Process. We’re also participating in the 2017 Nitehawk Shorts Festival, with a screening event next month featuring New York Close Up artist Meriem Bennani. Please join us!
New Video Featuring Jamian Juliano-Villani
Jamian Juliano-Villani Gets to Work
Premiered October 6, as part of the Art21 digital series New York Close Up
Under near constant deadlines for the last four years, painter Jamian Juliano-Villani grapples with the demands of consistently producing new and better work. Her paintings have received widespread attention, including gallery and museum exhibitions, adding to the stresses of growing as an artist.
“The main pressure is maintaining integrity and making work that you feel good about,” says the artist, “even under pressure, which is really difficult.”
Art21 Celebrates a Decade of Filming with Julie Mehretu
Last month’s film featuring Julie Mehretu’s SFMOMA-commissioned paintings marked a momentous milestone for our relationship with the artist. We first filmed with the artist nearly ten years ago for the fifth season of our Art in the Twenty-First Century series. Since the premiere of that episode, we have produced five additional films delving into different aspects of the artist’s work.
“Mehretu’s work is a staple of our film and education programming especially as it applies to conversations about contemporary painting,” said our executive director and chief curator Tina Kukielski. “She truly is a visionary artist.”
Watch all of Mehretu’s Art21 films.
Art21 Events: Nitehawk Shorts Festival & Ace Hotel Gallery
Join Art21 this fall for two events in New York City. Through November 1, our films are on view at the Gallery at Ace Hotel, as part of the special Art21 exhibition Documenting the Creative Process.
And on November 8, Art21 is participating in a special public program at the 2017 Nitehawk Shorts Festival. We’ll be screening the New York Close Up film “Meriem Bennani’s Exploded Visions” along with a selection of shorts curated by Bennani, followed by a Q&A with the artist.
Wednesday, November 8 at 7:30pm
Nitehawk Cinema, Williamsburg
Get tickets.
New Playlist by Marela Zacarías
Playing with Tension
New York Close Up artist Marela Zacarías has curated a new Art21 playlist featuring eight films in which artists find balance amongst the contrasting elements in their work.
“In art, like in poetry, there are moments of many opposite forces converging all in one place,” says the artist. “There are no easy answers to these moments of tension. It is in all the contradictions existing at once that artists find an activated space to create.”
Highlights from the Art21 Magazine
From the September / October “Invention” issue:
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s chief digital officer Loic Tallon sits down with NEW INC director Julia Kaganskiy to discuss the future of museums’ digital presence and influence.
- In Stephanie Syjuco’s CITIZENS, textiles and cloth become signifiers of the battles over patriotism and identity.
Image: Stephanie Syjuco. Installation view of CITIZENS, 2017. Courtesy of the artist and RYAN LEE Gallery, New York. © Stephanie Syjuco.
Film Festival Screenings at DOC NYC & Around the World
Art21 is proud to share that our first New York Close Up series film to feature artist Jordan Casteel has been accepted to this year’s DOC NYC film festival. The film will be screening as part of the “Shorts: City Lights” event, on Tuesday November 14 at Cinepolis Chelsea.
Art21 films were also accepted to five other festivals so far this year, including the NYC Independent Film Festival, Krafta Doc international in Scotland, and the Sunderland Short Film Festival in England.
Featured Video from the Art21 Library
Abigail DeVille’s Harlem Stories
From the Art21 digital series New York Close Up
Artist Abigail DeVille stalks the streets of Harlem with a trash-laden push cart, creating temporary sculptural interventions along the way. Over Super 8mm film footage of contemporary Harlem, DeVille describes a landscape under the constant pressure of development and gentrification.
“It feels like the earth is shifting,” says the artist. “New groups of people are moving in and old groups of people are being pushed out. So it’s almost like migratory patterns of birds.”
Join Art21 on a Day Trip
Take a day trip with Art21 on Saturday, November 4 to visit two incomparable artistic sites north of the city: the private collection of Sherry and Joel Mallin and Buckhorn Sculpture Park; and the Glass House.
Saturday, November 4
8:00am – 5:30pm
Tickets $195 per person*; admission is free for Art21 members and Contemporary Council. Registration includes transportation to and from New York City and between sites, admission fee, and a box lunch.
*Join as a member today and use your ticket purchase towards your annual membership at any level! Art21 members enjoy inimitable access to some of today’s greatest artists through special events, studio visits, collection tours, and more, all while supporting the production of Art21’s award-winning films.
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