7/29/2019 Joan Semmel Show Opens in at the Bronx Museum, Bronx, NY

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Harlem News Group B R O N XHARLEM . QUEENS . BROOKLYN . BRONX

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On Saturday J anuary 26th,the Bronx Museum had anopen house, as well as a

celebration of their new exhibition,Joan Semmel, a Lucid Eye, includ-ing 27 self-portraits. The world-

jazz singer Issa Cabrera performed.It marked the start of a new excit-ing season of events and art. JoanSemmel is an emeritus professor atRutgers University and grew up inthe Bronx. Currently she lives in

the Soho area of New York.The Semmel paintings are

very appealing with their stark real-ism, such as a close-up of the artistin the light of her computer close tothe screen. Semmel is well-knownfor her feminism and feels isolationas a female painter. In an inter-view, Semmel explained that in thepast art dealt with idealization forportrait of the person. She decidedto use herself as a specific personthat is not idealized-meant to be asshe is, not as you would want her to

be.Self-portraits for her gave

her a convenient model. "Yes, I ama feminist and also a painter. I

think that what I have done is triedto capture the actuality of how oneexperiences oneself moment bymoment," says Semmel in a recentvideo at www.artforum.com. Someof the works are more abstract, inthat they have a blurred picture,like a digital camera shot done bysomeone in motion. The goal is toshow a blur, like a camera blur, tobe not static. This goes into theidea of aging and the changes in

face and body over time, like aseries of photographs placedagainst one another. Semmel isinterested in the work having a rela-tionship to social problems, thoughnot in an agitprop way. "Paintingfor me is very natural, it engagesyou on all levels, physically andmentally." It deals with reasoningand the intellect, an intellectualunderstanding of how the artistdecides to frame the picture. Paint-ing is not something automatic forSemmel, she has to step back and

make decisions on light and empha-sis.

Semmel has a good feelingabout having this exhibition at the

Bronx Museum, continuing untilJune 9th. "I grew up about 6 blocksaway" from the Bronx Museum,and walked on the Grand Con-course with my mother. "It's kind ofexhilarating in a way." It's alsoimportant for the viewers at theBronx Museum. She recalls howshe was popular in the 80s and 90s,but then the Expressionists came inand that is all the art world wanted,and she was an outsider for a long

time. Also, painters were mostlymen. She thinks now youngerwomen have more opportunity thanshe had.

A fun part of the event forchildren and their parents was to goupstairs and draw self-portraitprints from looking in the mirror.

The children and parents deeplyetched thick printing paper. Thenthey covered the prints with paint,and pressed down, forming instantprints. For future Bronx Museumevents, please see www.bronxmu-

seum.org, or call 718-681-6000.

Joan Semmel Show Opens at the Bronx MuseumBy Howard Giske

Photos Above:1. Singer Issa Cabrera

2. Joan Semmel

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tially sensitive topic in polite con-

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This Valentine's Day, takethe opportunity to strengthenyour relationship by understand-ing what drives your partner'sfinancial decisions. While expertssay it may not always be possibleto agree on everything, knowingeach other's perspective can help

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"We all bring our own feel-ings and experiences to the tableand that can have a big impact onhow we invest and spend money,"

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In time for Valentine's Day,here are some ways couples cansmooth over their differences:

PrioritizeList your financial priori-

ties and savings goals and deter-

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Communicate

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be participating fully in the finan-cial planning process.

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Don't let miscommunica-tion stand in the way of a healthyfinancial future. By taking stepsto understand your partner's per-spective, you can develop a jointsolution that makes everyonehappy.

This Valentines Day - Can Improving Your

Finances Improve Your Romance