Access Art featuring Keith Morant
"Lullaby for Broadway," Keith Morant
We spoke to Cariya Breemen of Access Art, a space that is designed to expose art in all its different forms. Cariya and her partner Sharon Goldberg, organize two exhibitions a month and feature many talented international artists but also showcase sub events at the exhibit, such as wine tastings, trunk shows, fashion collectives, concerts, etc. Their mission is to fuse the senses in one space and they are taking this concept from their established space in New York to Bombay, Hong Kong and Venice.
This week they are presenting artist Keith Morant from New Zealand who has won the "Lorenzo IlMagnifico" award, and "PremioallaCarriera" ( Lifetime achievement award in art) at the 6thBiennale Internationale dell'arteContemporanea. His paintings will be on display until May 7th, and the opening reception will be this Thursday April 24th, we hope to see you there.
Interview with Keith Morant-
Your favorite city and why?
For me every city has different merits-
“London is mans town
With power in the air,
Paris is a woman
With a flower in her hair”.
But at the end of the day, for sheer combustion of energy and the zenith of human evolution compressed into one spot, it has to be New York.
Your inspirations?
Inspiration is not one of my favorite terms. As a compulsive creator, I believe in perspiration. However, my work does carry the essences of what I feel to be important in life. I suppose my first concern is a sort of compassion. When I say ‘sort of’ I mean the compassion that may reach through time as well as space. Having studied Zen Buddhism for some years, this affects my work deeply; I am enthralled with the power of music as a universal spiritual force, so this too will always have a place in my work. Then there is quantum physics, while I cannot say that I am left-brained enough to comprehend it all, it is an ongoing fascination and inspiration. Then there is the simple fact, but greatest of miracles; I exist!
Favorite galleries in New York?
In the end it is more about the exhibition than the gallery. However, as a mere enthusiastic visitor, I suppose it has to be the Guggenheim. But then I ask myself, where else can you find such glorious achievements in the name of art than the MET or MOMA? The plethora of dealer galleries is a phenomenon in its own right. In one little lifetime it would be impossible to see them all – so how can one choose?
Favorite artists?
On my studio wall I have a wonderful autographed poster from Keith Haring. He sent it to me in 1985, inscribed ‘From Keith to Keith’. I loved that crazy guy’s work. He, like Warhol (also on my wall with Basquiat) were the real jolt to my awareness of the NY art scene. Since those days it has been an ongoing inspiration to observe what or who comes up next. At the moment it is apart from revisiting old favorites like Rauschenberg, Johns, etal, it is (still) Schnabel (especially the map paintings)
Artists who have caught my eye recently and I hope to view soon are Gary Brandy, Ciao Fonseca, Red Grooms, Brian Rutenberg and an unending list of hitherto unknowns.
Best NY neighbourhoods and why?
Once again, as a visitor to New York I am not too well educated in the deeper virtues of the five boroughs. I suppose I can only say that I love the visuals of Battery Park as much as I do of Prospect Park.
