BE THEREBeing TherePresented by SVA - School of Visual Arts November 27, 2006- December 16, 2006Reception: November 28, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pmNivi Alroy, Sal Amendola, Jeff Crosby, Nathan Fox, Lenio Grohmann, Paul Hoppe, Andrew Hur, Shelley Jackson, Oli Kugler, Yuko Shimizu, Charice Silverman, Tomomi Tanikawa, Chadwick WhiteheadSchool of Visual Arts (SVA) presents, “Being There,” an exhibition of drawings-on-location done by current students and alumni from the MFA Illustration as Visual Essay Department. Curated by faculty member Carol Fabricatore, the exhibition will be on view from November 27 – December 16, at the Visual Arts Gallery, 601 West 26th Street, 15th floor, New York City. In 1984, Robert Weaver, the undisputed pioneer of contemporary illustration, initiated and taught a class in the newly formed MFA Illustration as Visual Essay program. He was quoted as saying, “I would like to teach illustrators to do what they do best—to show us what the world looks like.” Following this philosophy, the class was based on drawing life as it really is: in constant movement. No posed models, no frozen moments, as if in a photograph. The class drew on location, and in the winter months drew non-professional models in motion. Interviews and dialogue were encouraged as part of the storytelling process. Upon his death in 1994, Weaver named Carol Fabricatore (MFA 1992 Illustration as Visual Essay), a former graduate student and practicing illustrator, to continue his legacy within the graduate program. The exhibition highlights drawings-on-location by current students and alumni. Featured works include images of the American Museum of Natural History by Nivi Alroy, The Classic Stage Theater by Sal Amendola, places to sleep on 42nd street by Jeff Crosby, street musicians by Nathan Fox, a barber shop on the Upper West Side by Lenio Grohmann, the Queensboro Plaza subway station by Paul Hoppe, a junked-car yard by Andrew Hur, the waiting line to get into The Late Show by Shelley Jackson, a tattoo parlor by Oli Kugler, a fire department by Yuko Shimizu, cupcake cafes all over New York City by Charice Silverman, Grand Central Terminal by Tomomi Tanikawa and a glass-blowing studio in Brooklyn by Chadwick Whitehead. - more - In Fabricatore’s words, “Drawing on location is about the connections we feel, the clarity of what we see, the rush of adrenaline and the accumulation of chaos. Thinking on our feet, we are able to resolve images in a very personal way. Embracing the unpredictability of the process and tapping into the spontaneity of the moment and the energy of the movements can translate into very raw yet beautifully fluid images. Drawings created on location are images in motion containing marks not achieved in more structured setting.”
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