Zola Marcus: Kinetic Origins at BMCM+AC

Press release from Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center:

Zola Marcus: Kinetic Origins

Curated by Connie Bostic and Alice Sebrell
Opening reception: Friday, January 13, 5:30 – 8:00 p.m., FREE
56 Broadway, Asheville, NC 28801
Gallery talk with Julie Feinsilver at 6:45 p.m.

Zola Marcus (1915 – 1998), a long-time resident of New York and abstract painter, attended the 1953 Summer Institute at Black Mountain College where he studied painting with Joe Fiore and Esteban Vicente, and ceramics with Peter Voulkos, Daniel Rhodes, and Warren MacKenzie. Prior to studying at Black Mountain College, Marcus studied under the artists Hans Hofmann and Fernand Léger.

After Zola was drafted into the military, he continued to paint and make collages, including murals painted for the War Department at a New Jersey military base. He worked in watercolor, oil paints, collage, and woodcut printing, and he pursued an education not only in studio art but also in art theory, philosophy, theatre, and dance. Like many other artists and faculty at Black Mountain College, Zola Marcus’ work reflects his interdisciplinary education, even though his time at the college spanned only one summer.

Like many of his contemporaries, some of Zola’s works can be stylistically likened to the Abstract Expressionist and Cubist movements. One of the defining features of his art amid these movements is a true consideration of the interaction between artist and materials, and materials with the work itself. He is known to have read John Dewey’s work, and was enrolled at Black Mountain College while John Cage taught music. Cage and Dewey’s theories are exemplified in Marcus’ pieces by his use of chance in the compositional process — in the dripping, blending, and bleeding of colors, as well as in his consideration of aesthetic value and form. He was persistent in his own artistic education, and began teaching around 1954, after his time at Black Mountain College.

This exhibition includes early representational and Cubist works as well as later paintings that are purely abstract and distinctly original. A 48-page catalogue accompanies this exhibition, including images of all works in the exhibition and writings by Garry L. Hagberg, James H. Ottaway Professor of Philosophy and Aesthetics at Bard College, and Julie Feinsilver (the niece of Zola Marcus). The following public programs will accompany this exhibition.

CONVERSATION
Saturday, January 14, 2:00 p.m.
Zola Marcus
Join us for a discussion between Dr. Eva Bares, Lecturer of Art History at UNC Asheville, Julie Feinsilver, niece of painter Zola Marcus, and Garry L. Hagberg, James H. Ottaway Professor of Philosophy and Aesthetics, Bard College.
FREE for BMCM+AC members + students w/ID / $5 for non-members

PERFORMANCE: Nick Millevoi’s Desertion Trio
Saturday February 4, 8:00 p.m.
This is the newest project from Philadelphia-based guitarist/composer Nick Millevoi, exploring the sonic space between Neil Young’s expansive work with Crazy Horse, late 60s free jazz, and the NY Downtown scene. Millevoi’s Desertion Trio features Johnny DeBlase of Many Arms and Zevious on bass and Kevin Shea, best known for his work with jazz assassins Mostly Other People Do The Killing, and Talibam!, on drums.
$5 for BMCM+AC members + students w/ID / $10 for non-members

LISTENING SESSION: Williams Mix by John Cage
Thursday, March 9, 7:00 p.m.
Introducing Listening Sessions at BMCM+AC! This is a new forum led by Executive Director Jeff Arnal created to examine the evolving culture of listening and to investigate the larger lineage of music and how a plethora of styles are interconnected. This first session will focus on John Cage’s Williams Mix, a revolutionary piece for magnetic tape composed between 1951-53 and funded by architect, and former Black Mountain College student, Paul Williams.
FREE for BMCM+AC members + students w/ID / $5 for non-members

CONVERSATION: AnthroPolis: Black Mountain College and the Teaching of Culture, Citizenship, and Community
Thursday, April 20, 7:00 p.m.
Dr. Renato Rosaldo, the second Black Mountain College Legacy Research Fellow at UNC Asheville, anthropologist, and practitioner of antropoesía (anthro-poetry) will discuss cultural citizenship and the possibilities for social healing with UNC Asheville Professor of Political Science Dr. Ken Betsalel and Professor of Anthropology Dr. Heidi Kelley.
Free for BMCM+AC members + students w/ID / $5 non-members

CONVERSATION: A living museum with George Scheer
Thursday, May 4, 7:00 p.m.
A conversation with George Scheer about hidden histories in art and his work fostering creative communities at the intersection of aesthetics and social change. Scheer is co-founder and Director of Elsewhere, a living museum and artist residency set in a former thrift store in Greensboro, NC.
FREE for BMCM+AC members + students w/ID / $5 for non-members

This project would not be possible without the dedication and support of Julie Feinsilver and Alan Feinsilver, niece and nephew of Zola Marcus. Special thanks to Garry L. Hagberg, Susan Rhew Design, and to Brian E. Butler and UNC Asheville.

 

The Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center (BMCM+AC) preserves and continues the legacy of educational and artistic innovation of Black Mountain College. We achieve our mission through collection, conservation, and educational activities including exhibitions, publications, and public programs. The museum is open Monday and Wednesday through Saturday, 11:00–5:00 p.m. Admission is by donation. www.blackmountaincollege.org.