Bio

Born in New Jersey in 1961, The Starn Twins Doug and Mike moved to Brooklyn in the 1980s were they worked in the industrial neighborhood Red Hook. They worked with silver gelatin papers and toning and bleaching methods. They then started work on the series Attracted to Light which moved them into the new century and new technology.

They are most well known for their conceptual work with photography. The themes they explore are chaos, interconnection and interdependence, time, and physics. Not only do they work with photography but also sculpture, architecture and site-specific projects.

http://www.starnstudio.com/media/pdf/DM%20Starn%20career%20narrative%202012.pdf

The Whitney

As the preeminent institution devoted to the art of the United States, the Whitney Museum of American Art presents the full range of twentieth-century and contemporary American art, with a special focus on works by living artists. The Whitney is dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting, and exhibiting American art, and its collection—arguably the finest holding of twentieth-century American art in the world—is the Museum’s key resource. The Museum’s signature exhibition, the Biennial, is the country’s leading survey of the most recent developments in American art.

Innovation has been a hallmark of the Whitney since its beginnings. It was the first museum dedicated to the work of living American artists and the first New York museum to present a major exhibition of a video artist (Nam June Paik in 1982). Such figures as Jasper Johns, Cy Twombly, and Cindy Sherman were given their first museum retrospectives by the Whitney. The Museum has consistently purchased works within the year they were created, often well before the artists became broadly recognized. The Whitney was the first museum to take its exhibitions and programming beyond its walls by establishing corporate-funded branch facilities, and the first museum to undertake a program of collection-sharing (with the San Jose Museum of Art) in order to increase access to its renowned collection.

Their Home Town, Abescon, NJ

Absecon City Government is comprised of a number of departments organized to most efficiently provide city services.

Because of its hometown flavor and the varied activities and lifestyles offered, our community remains unique in many ways. Absecon’s strength and vitality revolves around its citizens, who provide the foundation needed to make us a stronger and more binding community. In the same way, the rich tradition of our past will serve as a prelude to the shared excitement and pride that the future holds for all of us.

Abescon, NJ

Artists of New Jersey

The Sculptors

The Garden State has been a source of inspiration for famous artists for centuries. Wax sculpture, landscape painting, watercolor, and modern art are among the many styles that artists with New Jersey roots have used through the years.In fact, the first American sculptor was from New Jersey. Born in 1725, Patience Lovell Wright of Bordentown began wax sculpting as a child. As she got older, Wright put her work together in an exhibit. Her sculptures of famous public figures were amazing in their likenesses.

Wright moved to England in 1772. There she created new wax models of famous people, including the king and queen. People loved her work. Her sculpture of British political leader William Pitt was displayed in Westminster Abbey.

In addition to her artwork, Wright was an American patriot. During the Revolutionary War, she welcomed American war prisoners in her London home. Legend says she sent British military secrets back to America hidden in wax figures, but there is no proof of this.

Patience wasn’t the only one in the Wright family with artistic talent. Her son Joseph was a wax sculptor, too. He was also a painter and a die maker. Her son-in-law John Hoppner was a painter.

A few decades later, another New Jersey sculptor became well known. In 1824 John Frazee of Rahway became the first Native American marble sculptor. Frazee was never formally taught art. He learned to sculpt marble on his own, starting out as a tombstone cutter. You can view some of Frazee’s work online. Check out his busts ofJohn Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice John Marshall, andNathaniel Bowditch, a famous navigator.

 

Landscape Artists

In colonial times artists in New Jersey mostly painted portraits, following the artistic trends of the time. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, however, a New Jerseyan found himself at the forefront of a new style of painting.Asher Brown Durand of Maplewood was considered a leader of the Hudson River School of artists. These artists focused on landscape painting. Their goal was to paint nature the way it really looks.

Durand was one of the first American artists to leave the studio and work outdoors. He went to the Adirondack, Catskill, and White Mountains in the summer to sketch his landscapes and then did his oil paintings in the studio, basing them on his sketches.

After working as an engraver for a Newark firm, Durand began painting portraits in the late 1820s. His love of nature and his friendship with Thomas Cole, the original leader of the Hudson River School, soon caused him to switch his focus to landscape art. Durand closely studied the rocks, trees, and plants that he would later use in his paintings. In addition to his artwork, he served as president of the National Academy of Design from 1845 to 1861.

The year before Durand became president, a young Newark resident exhibited his work for the first time at the National Academy of Design. George Inness would become the next prominent landscape painter with New Jersey ties.

Inness was born in Newburgh, New York, but his family moved to Newark when he was four. Like Durand, George started out as an engraver. He had a couple of months instruction in painting and then started producing his own works. Inness studied the works of Durand and Thomas Cole. His early work is detailed and realistic, like the Hudson River School art.

In 1853, Inness traveled to France. There he was influenced by the Barbizon painters. A decade later he returned live in Eagleswood. Reflecting the French influence, his work strayed from the Hudson River School. Inness now portrayed nature in a larger sense, with less focus on detail. He wanted to show the spirituality of nature.

After some time in New York City and Italy, Inness settled in Montclair, which provided the setting for many of his paintings throughout the rest of his life. Take a look at some of Inness’ paintings, including some pictures of Montclair.

 

Watercolor

Although he never called New Jersey home, world-renowned artist Winslow Homersaw the Jersey shore as an inspiration for his work. Homer, a master of watercolor, added the human element to landscape painting, showing humans interacting with nature.Homer began painting in watercolor in the 1870s. Before that, he had worked as an illustrator, gaining fame for his paintings of Civil War soldiers. Homer shifted his focus to man in nature and saw the seashore as an excellent subject. From 1883 to 1892, Homer made frequent stops in Atlantic City and other shore destinations. Homer’s works are considered among the greatest watercolors of all time.

While Homer is often considered the first great watercolorist, John Marin was the leader of his generation. Born in Rutherford and raised by his grandparents inWeehawken, Marin sketched from the time he was a child. He first began using watercolor as a teenager. Marin’s work resembled Impressionist paintings because it was not clearly delineated, but he was never labeled an Impressionist. The coast of Maine served as the primary subject for his work, but he did some early work inspired by New York City.

In 1950, Marin was honored with an exhibition at the State Museum in Trenton. He was called a “recognized master in his own time” in a scroll signed by the governor. Here are some more of Marin’s paintings.

Today’s Art

Roy Lichtenstein is one of the most famous modern artists. His distinct, comic book style makes his work amongst the most recognizable in pop art. In 1960, Lichtenstein became an assistant professor at Douglas College at Rutgers University. It was at this time that he began his work in pop art.Living close to New York City, Lichtenstein had many opportunities to meet with the top pop artists. However, it was a challenge from his son that so drastically focused his career. Roy’s son showed him a Mickey Mouse comic book and told him, “I bet you can’t paint as good as that.” In 1961, Lichtenstein painted six works featuring comic book characters, lettering, and speech balloons that would become the hallmark of his style. Take a look at some of Lichtenstein’s paintings.

Wendell Brooks, a professor at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, is one of New Jersey’s great artists. Brooks works in printmaking. His work has been exhibited at the Smithsonian, the National Museum of Art, and the African-American Fine Arts Collection. “Return the Buffalo” is one of his famous prints.

In addition to these artists who have gained international recognition, thousands of other talented artists also call New Jersey home. It’s just a matter of time before another New Jersey artist revolutionizes the American art scene once more. To keep in touch with today’s art scene, visit the NJ Arts Council and Discover Jersey Arts.

Short History of New Jersey

Delaware Indians

 The first people to live on the land now known as New Jersey were the Delaware Indians. They lived here starting at least 10,000 years ago. Anywhere from 8,000 to 20,000 Delaware Indians lived in the area when the first Europeans arrived. Their name means “original people” or “genuine people.” They spoke an Algonquian dialect.

Though they were considered one tribe, the Delaware Indians didn’t act as one unified group. Instead, they lived in small communities made up mostly of extended family members. The men would hunt or fish during the day. Depending on the season they might search for clams off the Jersey shore or hunt in the woods. The women worked in the gardens. They grew squash, beans, sweet potatoes, and corn.

When the first explorers came, the Delaware Indians lived in parts of Delaware, New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania. Europeans called them the Delaware Indians.

Colonial Times

Around 1524, Giovanni de Verrazano became the first European to explore New Jersey. He sailed along the coast and anchored off Sandy Hook. The colonial history of New Jersey started after Henry Hudson sailed through Newark Bay in 1609. Although Hudson was British, he worked for the Netherlands, so he claimed the land for the Dutch. It was called New Netherlands.

Small trading colonies sprang up where the present towns of Hoboken and Jersey City are located. The Dutch, Swedes, and Finns were the first European settlers in New Jersey. Bergen, founded in 1660, was New Jersey’s first permanent European settlement.

In 1664 the Dutch lost New Netherlands when the British took control of the land and added it to their colonies. They divided the land in half and gave control to two proprietors: Sir George Carteret (who was in charge of the east side) and Lord John Berkley (who was in charge of the west side). The land was officially named New Jersey after the Isle of Jersey in the English Channel. Carteret had been governor of the Isle of Jersey.

Berkeley and Carteret sold the land at low prices and allowed the settlers to have political and religious freedom. As a result, New Jersey was more ethnically diverse than many other colonies. Primarily a rural society, the colony grew to have about 100,000 people.

Eventually, governing power was transferred back to England. For many years, New Jersey shared a royal governor with New York. The governorship was finally split in 1738 when New Jersey got its own governor, Lewis Morris.

 

Revolution

 In the years before the Revolution, anti-British feelings spread throughout the state. About one-third of the people living here supported the rebels, one-third supported England, and one-third remained neutral. In 1776 New Jersey declared itself an independent state and joined the colonial side in the Revolutionary War.

New Jersey was an important state during the Revolutionary War because of its location near the center of the thirteen colonies and between New York City and Philadelphia. Because of this, more battles were fought in New Jersey than in any other state. The Americans and British fought 100 battles, both large and small, here.

Many people consider the Battle of Trenton to be the turning point of the Revolution. Immediately after winning Trenton, General George Washington won the battle of Princeton. Having lost two battles in a matter of hours, the British fled New Jersey for New York. Washington and his troops spent the rest of the winter in Morristown, and the United States was well on its way to victory.

Battle of Trenton

 In November of 1776 the British gained control of New Jersey and forced Washington to flee into Pennsylvania. They thought no one would fight during winter, so the British and Hessian soldiers in New Jersey divided into camps to stay until spring. Trenton was considered the most desirable post, and it went to the Hessian soldiers as a reward for their good service. The Hessians used the Old Barracks in Trenton as a headquarters.

The British didn’t chase Washington across the Delaware River because it was full of blocks of ice that made it dangerous to cross. The Hessians didn’t patrol along the river because they thought Washington couldn’t cross back. But in December, Washington and his men decided to cross. Washington’s men had to push away blocks of ice from the boat’s path while paddling hard to fight the strong current.

Once across, Washington decided to separate and surprise the Hessians in Trenton from two sides. The plan worked, and the patriots captured 900 prisoners while only four American soldiers were wounded.

Early Statehood

 In 1787, New Jersey became the third state to ratify the U.S. Constitution and the first state to sign the Bill of Rights. In 1790, Trenton officially became the state capital of New Jersey. William Livingston became New Jersey’s first state governor.

New Jersey grew and prospered during the early 1800s. New factories sprung up throughout the state. Paterson became a textile center and later became known for producing trains and silk. Trenton produced clay products, iron, and steel. Camden, Elizabeth, Jersey City, Newark, and Passaic all became major manufacturing centers in the 1800s.

New canals and railroads helped industry grow. Europeans came by the thousands to New Jersey to work in the factories.

South Jersey remained rural for the most part, growing the crops to feed the urban areas nearby. Railroads were important in helping the South Jersey seashore areas expand. In 1850, New Jersey’s population of nearly half a million and the industries in which most of those people worked were concentrated in the north.

During the Civil War, New Jersey provided 31 regiments (groups of soldiers), including cavalry (soldiers on horseback) and infantry (soldiers on foot). Over 25,000 New Jersey men fought for the Union, and New Jersey soldiers participated in almost every major Eastern battle.

 

Industry, Immigrants and Innovation

 After the Civil War, the industrial revolution was under way, and New Jersey continued to grow. More factories opened, and cities like Trenton, Newark, Paterson, and Camden got bigger as immigrants from Europe came to work in them. Railroads were laid to connect the cities and to transport materials.

At first, most immigrants came from Ireland and Germany. Later, people came from Italy and from countries throughout Eastern Europe. In 1910 half the state’s population was born or had parents who were born outside the United States. As city populations grew, farm populations shrank.

With so many people working in factories, issues like child labor and protection for workers became important. The popularity of these reforms brought Woodrow Wilson to power as governor in 1910. He left office in 1913 to become President of the United States and is the only New Jersey governor to become president. As both governor and president Wilson supported welfare reforms to protect workers and to keep companies from becoming too big.

The state’s economic expansion had a lot to do with the genius of its inventors. Thomas Edison is probably most famous. Among his thousands of inventions, including the light bulb, Edison helped develop the motion picture while working in New Jersey. Fort Lee became the motion picture capital of the world in the early 1900s. There, Fatty Arbuckle, Mary Pickford, Pearl White, and other stars revolutionized entertainment with their movies.

 

The 1900s

 Between 1900 and 1930, New Jersey’s population more than doubled, and manufacturing became a $4 billion industry. Unfortunately, the Great Depression of the 1930s hit New Jersey hard, bringing massive unemployment. The state rebounded during World War II in the 1940s as New Jersey’s electronics and chemical industries began large-scale operations.

In the mid-1900s, people began moving back into the rural areas from the overcrowded cities. A number of transportation projects helped better connect New Jersey. The New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway opened in the 1950s.

The history of air travel has close ties to New Jersey. On May 3, 1919, the first passenger flight in American history was flown from New York to Atlantic City. Today, New Jersey is home to two international airports, Newark and Atlantic City. Newark Airport expanded its passenger and cargo services in 1963. In the 1980s, it became one of the world’s busiest airports.

Today New Jersey is recognized for its present as well as its past. While remembering its proud history, New Jersey will continue to be the setting for many of the great events of the future.

 

Taken from: http://www.state.nj.us/nj/about/history/short_history.html 

New Jersey

 

The Starn Twins were born in New Jersey in 1961

The School of The Museum of Fine Arts Boston

Founded in 1876, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts is a division of the world-renowned Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The School is led by Christopher Bratton, who serves as both the President of SMFA and as the Deputy Director of the MFA, as well as the Museum School Board of Governors, made up of experienced administrators and trustees.

The Museum is led by Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA).

Mission
The mission of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is to provide an education in the fine arts—for artists of all levels—that is interdisciplinary and self-directed. This education values cultural, artistic and intellectual diversity; it embraces a wide range of media; it stresses the development of individual vision and its relation to culture in general; it values equally the knowledge gained by thinking and doing; it is deeply engaged with the world as a whole. If the mission is constant, its practice is always transforming.

http://www.smfa.edu/