Artist Fact Sheet
ArtBreak Tour: “Labels; Do We Need Them?”
Artist’s Name: Ken Aptekar
Nationality: American
Title of Work: Charlotte’s Charlotte Date: 2009
Background:
Ken Aptekar was born in Detroit, Michigan, 1950. He completed his BFA at the University of Michigan and an MFA at the Pratt Institute. Currently he is based in New York and Paris. He recreates historical paintings to give viewers new insights into the subject of his paintings. His exhibitions have been featured at major and national museums throughout the world:
Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
Centro de Cultura, Judaica, Sao Paolo, Brazil
Comtemporain Camille Lambert, Juvisy, France (and many others)
The Mint Museum commissioned Aptekar to recreate Allen Ramsay’s “Portrait of Queen Charlotte” 2009-2010.
What influenced the artist’s work?
Aptekar uses history and historical context for inspiration. The artist believes that viewers create meaning and interpret paintings by creating a new narrative. While he uses traditional painting techniques, he adds a layer of text, thus adding commentary based on his focus group discussions. His new interpretations provoke new understandings and relevant insights. Aptekar spent time in Charlotte, holding focus group sessions with diverse groups to gain a better understanding of the community’s perceptions of and relationship to Queen Charlotte. These discussions are a central part of his process.
Materials Used:
Oil on canvas, glass panels
Creative Process:
Chooses the subject, usually a historic painting
Produces digital images of the original painting to use as models
Paints a new version based on historic and current perceptions
Analyses his research to capture and create new understandings
Creates text based on a new narrative
Installs glass panels (imprinted with text) over the paintings
How does this piece tie to the theme: “Labels; Do we need them?”
The text panels add a significant amount of information for viewers. These “phrases” are labels.
Questions to engage tour participants:
How are the text panels helpful?
Do they elevate the status of the subject? How?
Are the labels relevant to Charlotte today?
Do the labels encourage you to “view” Charlotte differently?
What historical or contemporary person would you “label” in this fashion?
Additional thoughts:
How do Aptekar’s processes and his paintings continue to provoke thought and dialogue?
Helpful resources:
“Reinterpretation of Queen Charlotte by Ken Aptekar”, Martha Rucker, 2010
Ken Aptekar, http://www.kenaptekar.net/biography.html
Mint Docent Handbook – Artist Fact Sheet, Mint Wiki
