Red, Gold, and You⯠is an outdoor installation and durational piece by artist, Rosario Varela. Installed in Guild Hallâs Minikes Garden for two weekends, cellular patterns of red paper and gold tape weave through the trees and shrubbery while a team of mindful artists alter and gradually redesign the piece, embracing the beauty of impermanence and chance.âŻâŻÂ
Varelaâs artistic curiosity stems from a passion for tactile experience, and a unique eye for pattern. From organic and gestural to precise and organized, her work in painting and ceramics reflects the patterns found in her natural surroundings, and the responsive effect of material in her hands.âŻRed, Gold, and YouâŻexpands the scope of Varelaâs work, exploring a new medium and scale for the artist; returning to her roots in graphic design and architecture, and responding to the everchanging circumstances of a global pandemic.âŻâŻÂ
Varela found herself paused in the studio when the pandemic first broke-out. Not wanting to return to her ceramics or paintings, she discovered a roll of abandoned red paper. In experimenting with the material, Varela began creating links of various diameters, connecting and interconnecting them, forming cellular patterns. At times when the paper would tear, she would rejoin the ends with gold tape; a nod to the Japanese practice, Kintsugi. The process soon became a meditative act, allowing the artist to reflect on her, and societyâs, need for connection and restoration.âŻâŻÂ
Red, Gold, and YouâŻexpands this experience by opening the process to both a trained team of artists, comprised ofâŻGuild Hallâs Teen Arts Council, and the viewing public. Artists and patrons will interact to detach, reshape, and adjoin the paper links, replicating Varelaâs experimentation and transferring the ownership and over-all design of the work from artist to community. In the best of worlds, this process involves collaboration, respect, and risk-taking, embracing the beauty of decay, appreciating the impermanence of our creation, and applauding the performance of our community.âŻâŻâŻÂ
In tandem with the installation,âŻGuild Hall will host a blood driveâŻin partnership withâŻthe New York Blood CenterâŻ(NYBC)âŻon Friday, October 23, 11:30amâ5:30pm.âŻGuild Hall has organized blood drives in East Hampton during the mostâŻthreatening ofâŻtimes,âŻresponding to the needsâŻof WorldâŻWar IIâŻin the 1940s andâŻthrough the 70sâŻduring theâŻVietnam War.âŻAccording to NYBC, blood from volunteer donors is neededâŻevery two seconds to help meet the daily transfusion needs of cancer and surgery patients, accident and burn victims, newborns and mothers delivering babies, AIDS and sickle cell anemia patients, and many more.âŻTodayâsâŻpandemic has shutteredâŻreoccurring donation drives, causing an anticipated 75% decrease in donations.âŻIn hosting a blood drive during VarelaâsâŻRed, Gold, and You,âŻGuild Hall transfers the artistâs reflection on connection and restoration towardsâŻthe civic act of blood donation; acknowledgingâŻGuild HallâsâŻfoundingâŻmission to be âa gathering place for the community where an appreciation for the arts would serve to encourage greater civic participation.ââŻâŻÂ
CURATORS
Casey Dalene, Curatorial Asst. & Lewis B. Cullman Assoc. for Museum Education
Anthony Madonna, The Patti Kenner Fellow in Arts EducationÂ
Rosario Varela is an inaugural Guild Hall Community Artist-in-Residence. The Community-Artist-in-Residence program seeks to engage and support four regional artists. Given either an indoor exhibition space or outdoor performance and/or installation site on the Guild Hall campus, the artists will work with community groups to devise, create, and develop new work to be on view through the Summer and Fall months. Artists will be chosen by the senior leadership of Guild Hall based on the community-aspect of their work and a history or interest in public practice. Other Artist-in-Residence include Monica Banks, Viv Corringham, and Lindsay Morris.Â
Red, Gold, and You is on view during regular Museum Hours. The Guild Hall Gardens are self-monitoring spaces. We ask that patrons reserve a visitation time, observe proper physical-distance, observe maximum capacity signage, and wear face-coverings on the grounds.Â