July 2024 Unicorn Of The Month: Andy Cunningham

Years ago I listened to a talk between curator Helen Molesworth and artist Kerry James Marshal shortly after the premier of his "Mastry" retrospective at MOCA LA. The conversation between these two titans  really stuck with me, particularly when the subject turned to legacy. In KJM's opinion, and I happen to agree with him, an artist that truly makes an impact, finds a niche/solves a problem that ONLY their work solves and or fits into. That problem is solved in such a large, glaring fashion, that it's obvious to EVERYONE, and not just a handful of influential people. He then goes one step further; once the problem is solved, everyone is in agreement that this person solved it, and that period of time can no longer be discussed WITHOUT  mentioning that person. 

The Baroque= Caravaggio. Pop Art= Warhol. 1980s Neo Expressionism=Basquiat Modernism=Georgia O’Keeffe

You get the picture.

Andy is onto something. He's walking that line between sculpture, painting, and something else. How his work will shape and solve problems in these tumultuous times is unknown. I am very excited to see what the next few years bring. View more of his work here and on his IG.

1. Tell me about you as a person. The name in which you prefer to go by. Where are you based? What are your origins, where are you from, etc.? 

I like to go by Andy (He /Him). It feels less stuffy, Andrew is my actual name.  I'm based in Sacramento. We have been here for about 27 years. I was born in NY, and lived in Garrison, NY till I was 12.  My mother passed away when I was 8 and my father passed away when I was 12. I was attending a dyslexic boarding school at that time and after that school year I moved to Ojai Ca., to live with my aunt and uncle. I continued to attend boarding schools through high school, attending a second dyslexic school before heading to college where I got a BA in humanities, met my wife and then started my art education in the Bay Area. I attended CCAC for two years, moved to Davis with my new wife in 1990. I attended UC Davis for year and 1/2 concurrently, taking only studio classes. I was influenced by Jane Rosen and Squeek Carnwath there along with Mike Henderson and Dave Hollowell. After a trip around the world while waiting for MFA school acceptances, I did not get in anywhere, we moved back to the Bay Area, where I attended CCAC again to re-apply for an MFA. This time I was under the tutelage of Raymond Saunders, who helped me get into Hunter College in NYC where he was a visiting professor. We moved to NYC.

2. How long have you been practicing art professionally, when did you consider yourself a real artist? 

My first exhibit was in 1994? at the Dillon Gallery in Soho, NY . I was still attending Hunter. I felt like a real artist, I sold all my work in that show. Large flower drawings on paper

3. Did you go to art school? Tell me about your training, formal and informal. 

See above.

4. What is the medium(s) that you prefer to work in and tell why?

I work in acrylic paint and wood. I studied drawing, using clear acrylic to cover my drawing where I would apply oil on top of that to bring a luminosity to the life of the drawing through thin layers of color.  After living in a loft with my new baby in Oakland after grad school, I chose to switch to all acrylic. I've been there ever since.

5. Who are some of your art inspirations? What are some of your non-art inspirations?

At the moment I'm inspired by Richard Tuttle, but have always loved Dekooning, Brice Marden's "ribbon" pieces, Da Vinci, Amy Silman, Nicole Eiseman, Matt Bolinger, Donald Judd, nonart inspo- Nature, the human body, science, physics, George Saunders stories, modern design.

6. When do you know when a work is finished?

When it no longer itches.

7. Tell me about your process when working. Do you listen to music or do any rituals to get yourself ready to make art?

I listen to music when I work.  I try not to stop myself, when I feel or think I see a thing, I pursue it, if it doesn't work, I can always start again.

8. What are the meanings and the concepts behind this particular body of work?

 

This most recent body of work, recent being something like 2yrs, has to do with "Painting."  Like what are the ingredients of a painting. In the last few months I think the work is bouncing around a space where the definition is it's just a piece of fabric pulled over some wood form/frame.  Distorting that, I have distorted the 2D aspect of the frame into a 3D structure that I pull the fabric over, coating it with Gesso to give me a surface to paint on. Keeping on the minimal theme I may have referenced above, the colors are pure and directly applied with minimal stroke and gesture. Gesture is revealed in the sculptural aspect of the form.  The Meanings of the pieces...I'm not sure that they have a meaning like a story told or a narrative. They project into the space around them with shadow and a quiet presence, inviting the viewer to come in for a closer look.

9. What do you want viewers to take away from your work?

I think I want an appreciation of time and light and presence like a form in nature that can be viewed at different times of day.

10. What are your biggest goals as a visual artist? And what has been your proudest moment professionally? 

A goal would be to begin to have my work seen in larger cities and to begin to have conversations with other artists who are also working in a place that discusses aspects of what painting is.  One of my proudest moments was when I got to pull out about 27 years worth of work and fill a 9000sqft space and was able to  look at my trajectory over the years. It was a surreal experience to be in there alone and a fun experience to show people around. 

11. Has there ever been a time in your life when you doubted your abilities as an artist? To the point that you wanted to give up? If so, how did you pull yourself out of it?

The only aspect of being an artist that I have doubted myself about, is the sales side and the showing side, both of which I have not pursued as strongly as I should, maybe because of life, teaching and raising 3 boys, being the dad version of a soccer mom.  But now that we are empty nesters, other aspects of life still impede upon the time it takes to pursue the shows and hopeful sales, like my wife's cancer diagnosis. Which should be gone in about a year, but still looking for residencies/ visiting SF for networking etc. can be hard.

 

The work always pulls me out of it,  I like to think I push myself into the spaces of Art that question some of the rules of what it is made of, using those structures that build art as my art. Art about art for art reasons.  Yes that's not the hot topic of the day, but it's what catches my eye right now. It will probably change as I follow that glittering lure being pulled through the shaded cool eddys of the trout stream. But for now, I'm having fun building these structures(stretchers), pulling the "canvas" over them and painting them. And Fun and mentally stimulating to ME for ME is pretty much the most important part. I find it interesting, so I'm gonna keep doing them. This is where the wider conversation with people in other cities, part above is something I'd like...because although I like to be with myself, it does get a bit lonely.