Renzo Ortega – Kossak Painting Program

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Grant awarded Fall 2013

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When I was a student at the National School of Fine Arts in Lima-Peru, I always went to a bookstore to look at a photography book featuring German artists from the 80s in their studios. The artists featured in the book were Fetting, Penk, Immendorf, Dahn, Salome, Baselitz among others. This was in the early 90s before the Internet. In Lima we did not have museums with modern art collections. This book was an inspiration and also my first encounter with German expressionism. Then, on my final year as an art student in Lima. I had a German teacher, and he always told me that I should go to Berlin, to study the “Die Brucke” art group, and that my brushstrokes and political approach to painting, reminded him of the work of Beckman. For this reasons, visit Berlin to connect with German Expressionism, have a better understanding of the movement’s historical context, was on the top of my places to go list. Another reason why I want to go to Berlin was that the german painters from the 80’s, had a strong connection with the Punk and the Squatter movement. Definitely Berlin was a place to go.

I never had the opportunity to make this dream possible because my legal Status in USA. Living in New York I was undocumented for 10 years. I was not able to travel overseas. After getting my Green Card, I was not able to afford a trip to Europe. Later, as an MFA Student at Hunter College, I heard about The Kossak Travel Grant, this was an opportunity that opens to me. I applied the first time with a proposal to visit Mexico to Study Mexican Muralism. A movement related with my Latino-american background, but also linked with the early XX Century German Expressionism. I did not receive the grant that time. For the following round I prepared a solid and consistent proposal to travel to Berlin. Luckily I got it. I will Always be thankful and proud, because the month I spent in Berlin was one of the best times I had in my life.

I traveled to Berlin in January 2014, fortunately was not too cold. I was able to visit almost all the museums. Every morning after having a great turkish breakfast I spent my days taking a closer look and interacting with German painting from different time periods. This experience gave me a better panorama of the reasons and foundations of the Expressionist movement. The Museums I visited had a big impact on me, specially the Die Brucke Museum. I remember to sit in front of a Kirchner painting, appreciating his work for hours in a quiet room, such a unique experience. At the Berlinische Gallery I saw the 80’s German expressionists. At the Hamburger Bahnhof an awesome exhibition with new painting proposals. And I was able to see one of the last exhibitions at the Emil Nolde museum before it closed, a nostalgic but beautiful collection of watercolor portraits of his wife. But, if there is a Museum that was very didactic it was The Bauhaus Museum. I consider the utilitarian application of art and art education necessary for our society. The successful chronological and informative museography of this institution, allowed me to learn about Bauhaus and influenced my art teaching practice.

As a non curricular activity after my day time museums journey. I went to punk shows and visited almost every Berlin’s Punk House and Anarchist D.I.Y. collectives. A friend from New York based in Berlin, told me about an Underground printed listing off all this spaces, events and the popular kitchens called “Vokus”. With the listing and a map on my pocket, I explored the city. I learned a lot from the conversations and people I met. How they have been able to survive all this years living in “utopia”, their fears towards gentrification, their opinions about immigration policies and of course punk music. I ended up being a volunteer cook at the KOPI squatter, the oldest in town, with more of 25 years of culture of resistance. I traveled with my guitar and the people I met help me to book shows. I performed 5 times in different D.I.Y. spaces.

I think that The Kossak Painting Program it is necessary at Hunter MFA, not only for the Travel Grant but also for the talks and crits. During my years as an MFA painting student, the Kossak Tuesday at 10am Session have been inspirational and crucial for my development as a painter. In times of diversity of mediums and expressions, as a painter I definitely needed a program like the Kossak Painting Program. Gracias.

Renzo Ortega