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Think OutWord
Emily Hassell Project update
Art and Anthroposophy Grant 2009
Upon receiving the 2009 Art and Anthroposophy Grant, Emily retorted with a sculptural installation performance at the 345 Collective Art Gallery* space, in Hudson NY. Her awarded project was to focus throughout the year on “The Space in between” as both her muse and creative subject matter, culminating in an exhibition in October.
Hassell’s social motivation behind the first piece “1050 ˚ Fahrenheit” came into existence as she was testing out materials in order to create large scale figurative wax and cloth sculpture. As an instinctive and immediate reaction to the winter conflict of 08/09 of Palestine and Israel, Hassell created ‘Death masks’ replicating the media images of perished infants wrapped in cloth. Hassell describes the process saying “I had to be sure first myself I wasn’t giving more power to the power in doing this installation; that I had the ability to transform it. I did a test video of myself wrapping the wax children, and saw that I did it as though they were my own- with firmness and tenderness- that was my confirmation. I also needed to be sure that the prevalent sense of respect and homage would dominate the installation. I also needed to portray my horror of the events, without loosing the sense of love and connection I felt to it as a mother. I heated wax onto cloth at 1050˚F and applied it to my own face, and a life sized baby doll to create the masks. Yes it burned, but also almost more importantly, suffocated me during each of the repeated applications. The effect it created was right on. I noted silence would fall over the roomful of people watching as I did so. As a creative and transformative artistic action something hit home.”
Photographer Barry Butterfield documented the sculpture performance, which was then made into a small archival booklet to give to private viewings at Hassell’s studio 444 ( her summer workplace under a studio and materials grant awarded by Hudson River Art Projects). A large version of the booklet of this sculpture performance will also be archived with Think OutWord as a gift and document of the artists work at Studio 444.
At 444, Hassell continued to work with intensively with the space in between, finding that often the space in between showed itself at times in the physical, as well as for example between two thought processes, feelings, emotions, activities, stillness, decay, conversation, people, movement, and through focusing on this as a constant course of development was able to penetrate the subject matter thoroughly. With little under three months available to her (her own goal), she created sculptures, a series of 27 paintings, two installations, as well as the sculpture performance piece in January. Though her material processes lead her to continue working in mostly mixed- media rather than singularly sculpture, Hassell was able to find a core idea nonetheless.
In the aftermath of 1050˚F, Hassell began tracing the lines of children of war, and questions of what it is to be a woman as well. “I was trying to find one pictorial thing or root image that would represent my findings. I have worked for many years out of chance and circumstance, with basic to no resources to materials, and that in many ways has also made my work what it is. If you don’t have brown- use dirt” laughs Hassell. “I often have a given boundary to begin with and then work within that contained space; which asks in way more of me. Recognizing the fact that so much of my work has to do with the chance and circumstance was also a key factor in its success.” The work brought such guests as Gerard Malanga, poet and photographer renown for his work with Andy Warhol ; legenday gallerist Annina Nosei; Art critic, poet, artist, and art historian, Robert C. Morgan; Martin Miller, UN Ambassador for Peace; and the Goetheanum’s own Joseph Beuys friends, Ulrich Roche and his wife Cornelia, to name a few. Hassell also did two open studio weekends, a formal invitation opening, two weekends during the CCCA’s Hudson Arts Walk, and a special day to present the work under and as the Think Outword grantee.
“The dialogue about the art and its content, with the people who visited was such an important part of the process. In working side by side with a mentor, friend, and sculptor Peter Barton, (executive director of Architecture Omi (Art Omi International)), I expanded and shared rich and amazing conversation with visitors. It had an exceptional two-way effect in collective knowledge, and moved the work to the height of my dreams for it. I have also been doing landscape design and gardening at the same time, over the past two summers with local sculptor and designer Ruth Dufault, and my fantasy is to be integrating the idea of publicly owned outdoor sculptures locally during 2010. Applying the hands on experience I have acquired both out-doors, as well as the intense summer studio time, as a continuation of the same project I originally proposed to the grant committee. I feel like I couldn’t have completed this any other way, and I am grateful for the time and experience of working toward these goals.”
Emily is also planning to present new paintings, sculpture and installations this coming year as well as submit her three finished children’s’ books, and poetry for publication in 2010.
“May my gratitude for the grant reflect back to you a thousand fold. May it confirm the trust and encouragement you have given me; to accomplish artistic deeds that render laudable of your credence (pun intended!)” Emily E Hassell.
Henriette Reiss Award May 29, 2004, at Red Mills in Claverack, NY
Emily Hassell was presented with the award and Benjamin Dalton received Honorable Mention at a gala arts celebration at the Red Mill (Merchant & Ivory Foundation) in Claverack.
David Anderson, Ragnar Freidank, and Fern Sloan of The Actors' Ensemble gave the audience insight into how they work with a play, in this case Michel Tremblay's For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again.
The Red Mill lent itself well to the art exhibition which featured works by current and former Award recipients as well as by area artists, and also paintings by Henriette Reiss. Delightful food catered by Klara & Roseanne made it very inviting to linger and enjoy the celebration.
