I had the chance to catch up with Aaron Andrews and Sylvia Birns-Swindlehurst, two recent graduates of art programs at MCLA who worked all summer on the Sol Lewitt project at MASS MoCA. Both reported having an outstanding experience, along with their MCLA colleague Caitlin Healy who recorded numerous photos of the art fabrication teams’ work.
Sylvia started in February, Aaron in June – what a fantastic opportunity. Welcome to the A-list of the art world! We discussed how work at the top is just like work anywhere: great successes are frequent, elbow-grease and intelligent problem-solving at all levels, revisions and repairs sometimes necessary, and of course teamwork always an essential. Sol Lewitt was widely regarded as one of the most generous contemporary artists who went to great lengths to warrant that those who worked for him got a good deal, including decent pay and sometimes new art opportunities. His studio and assistants are widely regarded as some of the best in the world, profoundly conscientious of their craft. Sylvia worked on numerous artworks on the second floor, involving hundreds of layers of precisely calibrated ink washes, whereas Aaron worked on inking and painting artworks throughout the exhibit. On Friday when I visited, which was also both Aaron’s and Sylvia’s last day on the job, everyone was performing some basic grunt work such as removing protective mats from the floor and finishing repairs here and there. A few people are staying on to complete the remaining murals in the third floor gallery. Some photos from my cell phone:
Two dynamic murals near the entry.
Two of the more complex gridworks that Aaron and Sylvia worked on.
A work table and hangout during breaks
A minor repair taped and in progress = a careful finishing touch.
Sylvia and Aaron explaining how to measure, prep, sand, layout, and paint a Sol LeWitt.
Indeed one of the truly great things about MASS MoCA is the way that the museum allows the entire creative process of artmaking to be laid bare for all to see – doing so helps explain and demystify the complex machinations of the contemporary. Where else in the country can students attend a public college, study art, and gain access to how creativity really works in the modern museum setting? Indeed the entire community is waiting anxiously for the Sol LeWitt retrospective to open around Thanksgiving.
Both Sylvia and Aaron are also talented artists in their own right. Currently they are exhibiting in downtown North Adams in the show Primary Secondary volume III, at the annex. After making more money on an art job in New York, Sylvia plans to move to Oregon where she hopes to apply for graduate school. Aaron is working on other upcoming exhibits, and also has a speaking engagement and part-time teaching gig at Mt. Greylock Regional High School. Congratulations to everyone involved in the project, and to Sylvia and Aaron. – G. Scheckler
