The art world may be on lockdown, but it certainly does not stop. During this unprecedented time, we’re checking in with art-world professionals, collectors, and artists to get a glimpse into how they are working from home.
When Maggie Kayne’s gallery, Kayne Griffin Corcoran, temporarily locked its doors, the native Angeleno decamped to her sprawling farm in Washington’s North Cascades mountains. Like the rest of us, she’s pivoted to new technologies to stay in touch with gallery artists, which include the likes of Hank Willis Thomas, James Turrell, and Mary Corse, and to connect with clients around the world.
As it turns out, Kayne feels well suited to rural life, and is just as comfortable rolling up her sleeves to deliver baby goats as she is courting high-rolling collectors (Kendall Jenner is the latest celebrity to add a James Turrell light work to her collection).
Read on to hear about the dealer’s new digs out west, and how she’s making the WFH lifestyle work for her.
Where is your new “office”?
My new office is my farm in Washington state, up in the North Cascades.
Courtesy of Kayne Griffin Corcoran.
What are you working on right now (and were any projects of yours interrupted by the lockdown)?
Everything has been interrupted, not only at the gallery, but for many of our artists who have institutional commitments over the next 12 months.
Huguette Caland had a survey show in Doha planned for mid March, as well as her first-ever US solo exhibition at the Drawing Center in May. The latter will likely be postponed until 2021. But as we wait for the dust to settle it’s afforded us a brief moment to step back and not only look for ways to improve all aspects of what we’re doing, but to reimagine new possibilities for the future. I’m feeling very hopeful.
Sam Moyer, Opine Hinge (2019). Image courtesy of the artist and Kayne Griffin Corcoran. Photo: Flying Tiger Studio.
How has your work changed now that you are doing it from home?
I’ve been embracing technology more than ever so that I can continue to work closely with current and new artists and stay engaged with clients. Just last week I did my first virtual studio visit with a new artist in Beijing, and last week we hosted a virtual studio visit with Sam Moyer for our collectors. All of these virtual tools have been invaluable and have allowed us to stay connected with our clients, but also to make sure our artists continue to feel supported, which is my priority.
New gallery coworkers. Courtesy of Kayne Griffin Corcoran.
What are you reading, both online and off?
Currently reading Beekeeping for Beginners in an attempt to avoid making painful mistakes with my new hive!
Have you taken up any new hobbies?
This period has given me an opportunity to slow down and reconnect with the world around me. Growing up in LA, nature was always a big part of my life, but we all get so busy in our daily lives that sometimes you can lose touch. I’ve really enjoyed spending the last few weeks working on the farm. We’ve recently added bee hives so I’m learning how to tend to them. And I delivered my first goat!
Mike Tajima, Negative Entropy (TAE, Neutral Beam Test, B, Full Width, Orange, Hex) (2020). Courtesy of the artist and Kayne Griffin Corcoran. Photo: Charles Benton.
What is the first place you want to travel to once this is over?
I’m overdue for a trip to New York City, but I’m very excited to head to Japan in the fall. Mika Tajima is working on an incredible site-specific project for Dazaifu Tenmangu, one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan. The shrine has a really exciting contemporary art program and Tajima’s commission will include a major, permanent work for their outdoor garden park as well as an installation of more intimately scaled works for their indoor museum. The project is scheduled to be unveiled in October and I’m really hoping to make the trip.
Courtesy of Kayne Griffin Corcoran.
If you are feeling stuck while self-isolating, what’s your best method for getting un-stuck?
Cooking or taking a walk.
What was the last TV show, movie, or YouTube video you watched?
I just started The Last Dance yesterday and couldn’t be more excited. I’ve been a major Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan fan since the 1990s so this is a real treat.
Installation view of “James Turrell” at Kayne Griffin Corcoran, 2015. Image courtesy of the artist and Kayne Griffin Corcoran, Los Angeles. Photo: Robert Wedemeyer.
If you could have one famous work of art with you, what would it be?
Anything by James Turrell. In these very unsettling times the transcendent and contemplative nature of his work speaks to me now more than ever.
What are you most looking forward to doing once social distancing has been lifted?
Visiting my artists’ studios!
What’s your favorite recipe to cook at home?
Marcella Hazan’s bolognese sauce.
Quarantine comfort food. Courtesy of creative commons.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp butter plus 1 tbsp for tossing the pasta
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ⅔ cup chopped celery
- ⅔ cup chopped carrot
- ¾ pound ground beef chuck (or you can use 1 part pork to 2 parts beef)
- Salt
- Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
- 1 cup whole milk
- Whole nutmeg
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 ½cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice
- 1 ¼ to 1 ½pounds pasta
- Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese at the table
- Put the oil, butter and chopped onion in the pot and turn the heat on to medium. Cook and stir the onion until it has become translucent, then add the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring vegetables to coat them well.
- Add ground beef, a large pinch of salt and a few grindings of pepper. Crumble the meat with a fork, stir well and cook until the beef has lost its raw, red color.
- Add milk and let it simmer gently, stirring frequently, until it has bubbled away completely. Add a tiny grating—about 1/8 teaspoon—of nutmeg, and stir.
- Add the wine, let it simmer until it has evaporated, then add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly to coat all ingredients well. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, turn the heat down so that the sauce cooks at the laziest of simmers, with just an intermittent bubble breaking through to the surface. Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours or more, stirring from time to time. While the sauce is cooking, you are likely to find that it begins to dry out and the fat separates from the meat. To keep it from sticking, add 1/2 cup of water whenever necessary. At the end, however, no water at all must be left and the fat must separate from the sauce. Taste and correct for salt.
- Toss with cooked drained pasta, adding the tablespoon of butter, and serve with freshly grated parmesan on the side.
New gallery coworkers. Courtesy Kayne Griffin Corcoran.