Video artist Lisa Marie Patzer and I met back in 2009 where she was completing her MFA in Film and Media Arts at Temple University with a friend of mine. She was living in South Philly and had been creating video art and new media pieces since 2001. In fact, I starred in her video “BLOW: Bubbles.”
After moving away in 2011, we had lost touch, when I visited Heron Crest Studios in Aston. Researching local communal arts spaces, I poked my head into studios along the second floor corridor and stumbled across a closed door with a familiar name. I was surprised to learn Patzer had since relocated to Heron Crest.
I spoke with her recently to catch up and ask about her new digs, new projects, and what it is that brought her out of Philadelphia and into unincorporated art territory, so to speak. Since moving out to a small farm in Media, she’s started beekeeping which informs her work. Patzer’s video art is vibrant, humming, and focuses on the intersection of the personal and political, and the role of technology as a liaison between private and public life.
She’s currently working on a couple of new projects, the first in which she’s using a recording of bees in her apiary. Patzer explains she “is building an AP monitor which can block out certain frequencies of the bees and hone in on the frequency right before they swarm as well as recording thermal imaging to find where the clusters are." The second project is a site specific video installation touching on the historical impact technology has had on the interpretation of the 4th Amendment, aptly titled, “A Reasonable Expectation of Privacy”. For those of us a little rusty, the fourth amendment is “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures..."
Heron Crest serves as editing suite and landing pad for digital computing. Patzers’ art life blends nicely with her career as director of digital communications for the Wharton School with University of Pennsylvania. When she needs to work on her editing, she takes the short drive over to Heron Crest. “It’s really nice to have a dedicated space where you can go and just focus,” Patzer explained. Although she doesn’t create the bulk of her video work in Heron Crest, she attributes the inspired and bustling arts community of Heron Crest for motivating her to consistently focus on her creations.
I couldn’t agree more. As an artist myself, I have witnessed the magic that occurs between the hours of 2 and 6 a.m. in a building with like-minded night owls burning the candle at both ends. I’m unabashedly using the platform of this article to emphasize the importance of affordable spaces for suburban arts communities. Can you tell?
Patzer has an impressive resume that expands beyond just the U.S. She recently contributed to a robotics festival in Vancouver. Last spring, she exhibited work in the 11th juried exhibition at Goggleworks another amazing communal artists space in Reading, PA which really requires an article of its own. She describes the work shown above as "the hard drive contains a trove of images sourced from various social media platforms and the AI analyzes the images using various automated algorithmic processes."
Last spring, her piece, Profile Bot, was featured in the Philadelphia Museum of Arts’ Final Fridays. Most recently, Patzer received the 2018 artist residency for the Icebox Project Space at the Crane Arts Center in Philadelphia for “A Reasonable Expectation of Privacy”. Learn more about the project at http://www.cranearts.com/icebox/ and more about Patzer on her website http://lisamariepatzer.com/.
What a pleasure to write about the migration of Philly based artists into our neck of the woods, and to see the positive impact of our unique artists spaces, and more rural influences on previously predominantly city-based artists.
Speaking of our neck of the woods, don’t forget to check out Ivystone Studio in Downingtown before the holidays. From December 18 to 23, they will extend their shopping hours to Monday through Friday, 4 to 9 p.m., Saturday, 12-6 p.m & Sunday (Christmas Eve), 2 to 5 p.m. Also benefit from their holiday discount.
Tune into Art Watch Radio 1520AM this Wednesday December 13 at 1 p.m. when John Chambless hosts Brandywine Art Museum and next week December 20 when local artist Rhoda Kahler hosts a segment on “Living With Art”.
About Caroline Roosevelt
Caroline Roosevelt is a writer and artist based in Kennett Square, PA. She received her B.A. in Art History from Connecticut College and a Post Baccalaureate certificate from Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She has previously written art coverage in Seattle, WA and Philadelphia, PA. She currently co-hosts Art Watch radio on 1520 WCHE.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...
Comments