Judith Schaechter Is Doin' Time in Philly

Judith Schaechter’s killer new series, The Battle of Carnival and Lent, are being exhibited at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA.  It consists of 17 stained glass windows - inspired by the prison’s dark past and installed in historic skylights throughout Cellblocks 8, 11, and 14. 

The Battle of Carnival and Lent responds to the penitentiary’s narrow skylights and arched windows. The imagery, which Ms. Schaechter describes as “addressing in a non-religious way the psychological border territory between ‘spiritual aspiration’ and human suffering,” is evocative of theology but secular in purpose. The figures depicted are literally confined by the unnaturally tall and skinny apertures of the window frames – squished, cropped, straining, and reaching – as a representation of the types of incarceration that are basic to the human experience. Ms. Schaechter balances them with more traditional, cathedral-esque stained glass windows. Her intention is to draw an association between the prison’s original purpose – to provide an environment conducive to self-reflection and, ultimately, penance – and the harsh realities of solitary confinement.

Ms. Schaechter’s past work has almost entirely been installed in museums and galleries as panels over lightboxes. The Battle of Carnival and Lent is unique for both its response to a specific environment as well as for its use of full-spectrum light to illuminate the windows. 

Ms. Schaechter is often asked which architectural setting she sees as ideal for her work, and her response is always the same… Eastern State Penitentiary. Explains Ms. Schaechter, “ESP is precious to me. It’s my hometown. It’s my place.”

The installation will be on view from April 1st through November 30, 2012, with a reception on May 11th. We sure wish we go!

For Judith's site click here.

For another Eclectix post on Judith visit here.

For the Eclectix interview with her click here.

Artist Interview With Master Glass Mistress, Judith Schaechter

Just posted a new Eclectix interview with the ever so profound and edgy Judith. So glad to have her fantastic art and commentary in the soup.

"What IS inspiration anyway?  A lightning bolt?  A “vision”? Does it exist in time or space?  Is it in my head?  Is it a force of energy, is it a reason? Is it a synonym for “desire” or “will”?  Is it even important?  

Sometimes I think the asker wants to know “What is the process of manifesting a physical reality in the material world, when previously it was imprisoned in your head?”  Or “how does something go from a formless state into reality?....”  

For the entire interview, click here. 

Previous post, exhibit review here.

Best of New York Art, June 2010 - Judith Schaechter's "Beauty and the Beef"

This show tied with Greg Simkin's show, ranking top-of-the-mark on recent NYC art offerings. Seeing Judith's work in person, after viewing it on a computer all these years, was a revelation. Most art is always better in person but glass works benefit especially from the glistening light and the bare eye. Judith's art is vividly saturated with the glorious colors only stained glass can emit. Juxtapose that with it's subject matter and you get killer art. No typical church art here, just pure beastly beauty. Painterly and dripping, scratched and rubbed - the glass becomes layered worlds upon worlds under her labors. Darkly human, innovative, emotive and lustrous.
Way too many beautiful images to post them all here, so just a select few, some cropped and some showing just the devil in the wondrous details.

The exhibit was at the Claire Oliver Gallery which is a nice space, however the peeps there were full of attitude. Refused to let my tired kid lie down for a second on their un-upholstered bench. I mean, come on... it's not like we were setting up a homeless encampment or even taking a nap. The snotty ambiance in some galleries really goes a bit too far, showing a little humanity sometimes can be a good thing. Judith's art made the rudeness all worthwhile.

"Another major reason I stick with stained glass is because I think the raw material is pretty. The uncut sheets of colored glass are really seductive, awesome, and unarguably lovely things. Naturally, the temptation to cut and damage all that pristine beauty is too much for me to resist."- Judith Schaechter, excerpt from a great statement, well worth a read, to be found here.

Schaechter's "Late Breaking Noose" here.