The Diocese joins the Whitney Museum of American Art in
a celebration of the artistic legacy of Arshile Gorky at a
special reception on the evening of the opening of the exhibit Arshile
Gorky: A Retrospective of Drawings.
Joining His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian will be Janie
C. Lee, Adjunct Curator of Drawings, Atom Egoyan, and Arsinee
Khanjian.
This special exhibit will include 140 Gorky drawings, many
on view for the first time.� These drawings demonstrate Gorky's
evolution over three decades, as he becomes one of the most
important Abstract Expressionist artists in the U.S.
Six works from the Diocese's Gorky collection are included
in the exhibition which continues through February 15, 2004.
Remarks of Dr. Sam Mikaelian, Executive Director at the
Arshile Gorky Exhibit--November 20, 2003 at the Whitney Museum
of American Art, New York City
Good evening. I'm Dr. Sam Mikaelian, the Executive Director
of the Diocese. And on behalf of the Eastern Diocese
of the Armenian Church of America, I want to extend a warm
welcome to you all. I especially want to convey our respects
to the distinguished honored guests joining us this evening.
Armenians have been recognized and honored for many things
throughout their history, as this international gathering of
our countrymen attests. But for the past seventeen centuries,
Armenians have primarily been known for their tightly-knit
community of faith. That community is something that
links us all together, across barriers of geography and time. And
it is something that has been a positive benefit to world civilization.
No less than as a community, Armenians as individuals have made
profound marks on civilization; certainly Arshile Gorky is one
of those figures. Tonight's event is a combination of these
two poles of the Armenian experience: the community as a whole
coming out to honor a remarkable individual member.
Your presence here tonight bears witness that we Armenians are a community
committed to promoting the arts at the national and international levels. And
that, too, is part of the Armenian mission of civilization.
We thank you for your presence, participation, and support. I hope
this evening will encourage us to continue to walk together as a community,
in order to promote the works of all Armenians, and to ensure that it is
respectfully embedded into the mosaic of our society.
Unique events like this require unique individuals to ensure their success. And
we were extremely lucky to have Vicki Hovhanessian, from Palos Heights,
Illinois, working tirelessly over the past weeks to make this a truly
memorable occasion. Vicki often
reminds me of the Duracell Battery advertisement that claims, "Our Batteries
Never Quit!" I want to thank her for her unfailing efforts--as demonstrated
by your personal and financial support for the cause.
Remarks of Vicki Hovhanessian at Arshile Gorky Exhibit on November
20, 2003 at
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City
Your Eminences, Distinguished Guests, and Dear Friends:
I'd like to welcome you all to this exhibit. Let me start by acknowledging
the presence of the honored guests who have joined us this evening. First,
the family of Arshile Gorky: Mogoosh, Maro and her husband, Mathew Spender,
and Natasha.
We are also thrilled to have with us this evening the much-honored filmmaker,
Atom Egoyan, and his wife, the noted actress Arsinee Khanjian.
Finally, let me mention the presence of Nouritza Matossian and Hayden
Herrera, who along with Mathew Spender are biographers of Gorky's life
and work.
We are here today to pay tribute to the genius of Arshile Gorky, one
of the most influential American artists, whose art always revealed his
ancient roots in Van and Armenia. Gorky's importance to 20th century
art is well expressed by art critic James Yood, who called Gorky "the
father of Abstract Expressionism." Yood was my professor at the
Art Institute of Chicago in the 70s, and hearing him refer to Gorky in
this way, I was filled with pride at the accomplishment of a fellow Armenian. At
the same time I was saddened, because, at the time, this assessment was
not widely held among Armenians.
Gorky himself earned the respect and the friendship of the giants of
his time--figures such as Andre Breton, Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamp, Fernand
Leger, Isamu Noguchi, Willem Dekooning, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko,
who was also a student of his. As an artist, Gorky's legacy influenced
an entire generation of American artists.
But from the beginning, there were those who did not fully appreciate
or understand his work. A major Armenian art collector once told
me of his personal meetings with Gorky. As a boy, he would hold
his father's hand and ride the train to visit Gorky at his studio. Gorky,
thrilled to be visited by his friend, would send his guest away with
a gift: one of his drawings. On their train ride home, the father
would examine the artwork, and turn to his son saying, " And he considers
this art?"--tearing up the drawing as he spoke.
If only he had had a crystal ball to see this month's ArtNews Magazine,
where Gorky's works are listed as among the most coveted items on the
wish lists of art collectors around the world!
Whatever the reaction in his own lifetime, this exhibit surely testifies
to the fact that the contemporary world acknowledges Gorky's creative
genius, and accords him the respect he deserves. We would like
to congratulate the Whitney Museum of American Art, and Janie C. Lee,
the curator of this retrospective, who have chosen to pay Gorky this
tribute. Indeed, it is fitting that the exhibition should take
place at this museum,
because the Whitney had the foresight to acquire and exhibit Gorky's works
throughout his lifetime--a distinction of which they are extremely proud, I
am sure.
Before closing, let me make a few other acknowledgements of gratitude. First
and foremost, I'd like to congratulate His Eminence Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian for having initiated this private reception and viewing. We
are also grateful to the Whitney Museum for designating a special evening
for the Armenian community to pay private to the genius of a fellow countryman.
This beautiful evening could not have happened without an outpouring
of generosity from Armenians literally around the world--many of whom
are here with us tonight. I am also very appreciative of the efforts
of several individuals who contributed to the success of this evening;
their names are listed in the booklet. To all of you, your willingness
to support this event is a testament to the love and pride our community
holds for Arshile Gorky.
Let me make one brief comment about the gift item we've presented you
for coming tonight. These ceramic pomegranates represent one of
the most ancient symbols of our homeland; they were specially made and
imported from Armenia. We hope it will serve to remind you of this
evening; and remind you, too, that one can't think about the spirit of
Gorky without thinking of the spirit of Armenia.
Finally, I'd like to leave you with this thought. The past influences
the present, which in turn impacts the future. Certainly this is
true in the case of Arshile Gorky, who drew on his sometimes bitter past
memories to create an artistic legacy that still affects us, decades
after his passing. By the same token, I feel that all of us, as
Armenians and as civilized people, should be on the lookout for the potential
Arshile Gorky's of our own era. We should make an effort to seek
out the young talent our community is blessed with, and lend them our
support--not just our financial support, but our moral support, our enthusiasm,
our excitement at their creativity. Not only would this be a great
blessing for our community, but it will also be an especially beautiful
way to honor Gorky's memory, and pass on his legacy to posterity. Thank
you. |
