Dan's Papers - June 22, 2007 - Art Commentary With Marion Wolberg Weiss

Part 1: The Artist's Studio
The artist in his studio has been mainly celebrated through pretty pictures and little else, commonly published as "coffee-table" books. A few photographers are known for their series of artists' studios, which goes beyond the superficial. John Gruen is one photographer who comes to mind. Dan Budnik is another.

Budnik's current exhibition at the Pollock-Krasner House honors those artists who are associated somehow with the area, including de Kooning and Lichtenstein. Other subjects are surprises like Stuart Davis (who is buried in Green River Cemetary) and Mark Rothko, who had a studio in Amagansett.

The other surprise is the fact that Budnik does not focus on the relationship between a particular artist and his workspace except in a few cases. Quite frankly, this critic doesn't know if this is a negative or positive aspect. It depends probably on how strongly the photographer feels that the studio has strongly influenced his subject's work.

In some instances, that relationship is very strong. For example, Chuck Close's workspace on Spring Street in SoHo was cluttered and seemingly disorganized when yours truly paid a visit several years ago. This observation was quite intriguing considering that Close does detailed and organized paintings that belie his physical environment. On second thought, perhaps the crowded setting resembled Close's aesthetics after all.

However, Budnik's photographs often make statements about other kinds of relationships. Consider Roy Lichtenstein with his two sons who are sitting on the floor reading a comic book. This photo may be dealing with the relationship between the artist and his subject matter, which apparently transcends generations.

A picture of Calder establishes the relationship between the artist and his subject matter as well, showing the clutter of his material that surrounds him. Likewise, Marisol is shown with her sculptures, a surreal setting that positions her as one of her figures.

Conversely, Helen Frankenthaler's photo indicates her separation from her painting, its largeness pervading and overwhelming the entire space.

In another photograph featuring de Kooning, there's a juxtaposition between the studio's interior and the exterior setting seen through a window - a frame within a frame prevails, suggesting for this critic the idea of closure and boundaries. Yet another de Kooning photo taken outside his studio evokes the opposite feeling with its openness. Was Budnik suggesting the contradictory nature of the artist himself?

Budnik's work will be on view at the Pollock-Krasner House until July 28.