Smart Art: Part One

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced the 2007 recipients of its "genius grants" earlier this week. Included among the scientists, doctors, and writers are two artists: Whitfield Lovell and Joan Snyder. They'll each get $500,00 and don't have to show anything in particular for their work during the five years over which the money is paid out. They're free to let their minds go where they may.

Today, I'll see what Lovell plans to do with his grant. Tomorrow, Snyder.

Taking inspiration from old photographs, the painter and installation artist Whitfield Lovell creates charcoal portraits of anonymous African-Americans on walls, fences, and barrels and places them among ordinary objects ranging from spinning wheels to clocks. His drawings are characterized by technical skill, and his work is interpreted as recognizing a daily existence otherwise concealed.

The artist's work is expensive to make because he uses antiques and vintage photographs. The grant could help defray these costs.

But, said Lovell, "I'm certain the money will help me realize projects I've had floating around in my head for a while."

This could mean increasing the physical scale of his pieces or collaborating with vocalists, musicians and poets, he said. He'd like to work with video projections, but he doesn't have the required technical expertise — the MacArthur could help him overcome that obstacle.

"I think [the MacArthur grant] is certainly the biggest honor that is available to visual artists in terms of the amount of money, of course, but also of the prestige, just the affirmation of your life's work," Lovell said. "As artists we don't always expect to have that kind of pat on the back."

Whitfield Lovell, Dawn to Dawn, Photo Credit: DC Moore Gallery, New York

Whitfield Lovell, Rice Barton Series, Photo Credit: DC Moore Gallery, New York

Whitfield Lovell, Servillas, Photo Credit: DC Moore Gallery, New York