A Way of Looking at Dusenbury, Johann, Kessler, & MacMillan

The postcard for “The Way of Looking at Things” immediately caught my eye with the intriguing photograph of a poppy bud and a list of artists with familiar names. Anyone who’s been into the Bulletin or the Tryon Fine Arts Center has seen one of the clever, whimsical paper-mâché and plaster sculptures of Philip Dusenbury. Susan Johann’s portrait photography of prize winning playwrights can be seen in the Smithsonian, but here was a chance to see some of her photographic art with still life. I wasn’t familiar with Terry MacMillan or Penny Kessler and their work, but I’d heard their names mentioned by other artists and was interested to see their work for myself. As it turned out, my schedule and timing were off to catch the reception, but Susan was kind enough to set up a chance for me to meet with all four artists and view the show after work one day.
Upon entering Bravo Interiors realized that being a interior design space rather than a gallery or “furniture store” created this very intimate and natural place for the work to be shown. It was like a little adventure walking through the space and discovering the artwork. Even though the artists’ pieces were spread out rather that grouped together, I found I quickly could identify each artist by their particular style. Penny’s landscapes pulled me into faraway places, Terry’s portraits hummed with clear emotion, Susan’s Dogwood print on canvas was simply stunning, and I couldn’t help checking on Philip’s Windy Day sculpture with it’s swirling coat that from the corner of my eye seemed to be moving.
Sitting down to coffee with the four of them I found myself scrambling to keep up as they joked, praised, and celebrated each other for the fabulous opening they had pulled off the week before.

Is this the first time for an art show in this space?
Philip: This space was once the Upstairs Gallery, before they moved to their new space.

How did this particular show come together?
Penny: Dan Ferebee brought us together. Terry worked for him and knew she was an artist, and I kept coming in to visit my friend Terry. Susan also stopped in to visit. And after hearing us talk about art Dan said “We should have an art show!”
Terry: It’s a unique setting for a show because it’s like the art is in a home or office space where it would naturally fit in rather than a bare room with blank walls.
Penny: But, we needed someone “well known” to bring people in here and Terry contacted Philip who was born and raised in Tryon.
Susan: Who shows not only in Tryon, Hendersonville, and Asheville, but also Atlanta and Martha’s Vineyard.
Philip: Years and years ago I pounded the pavement up in Manhattan right out of college thinking I’d immediately get a gallery interested in me, but my work hadn’t really matured at that point. It was an interesting experience, and rather degrading. I returned from my visit and I kept doing the work, but I had to get a regular job. I bartended and then worked at a daycare center for a while. After a time I decided that it was finally time to just focus on the artwork. Mary Schweder had the old Trade Street Gallery and was kind enough to show some of my work.
Susan: But his pieces are so fun and whimsical and sophisticated at the same time.
Terry: I was in here earlier and just spent some time just looking at the detail of the clown and the pig.
Susan: There’s such a sense of feeling behind it.
Philip: A lot of the characters I do I can empathize with.
Terry: My cousin Mary tried to wrangle a piece of yours from the first buyer Saturday night at the opening, and finally she talked him into selling it to her the next morning.

What about the rest of you?
Susan: I started out in the theatre, and began doing portraits. Since 1989 I have done about 20 major playwrights, mostly Pulitzer Prize winners and such. After I had set up my studio I began experimenting with flowers and such things that didn’t move around for a bit of variety. I had already been selling quite a bit of the portrait work and brought in some of my flowers to a gallery asking “what should I do with these?” John Stevenson encouraged me to show them and to get into platinum printing. I really enjoy the more hand crafted feel of working with gum dichromate prints, and digital prints on water color paper and canvas. In 2006 some of my playwright portraits were acquired for the Smithsonian portrait gallery. They’re very large prints and of “big personalities” like August Wilson, Susan Lori Parks, and Tony Kushner. They’re considering another seven. I might leave them the rest of them in my will. I’ve been working on a book project with them and the Dramatist Guild has expressed some interest in helping me with it. It’s always interesting capturing such personalities on film. I found Sam Shepherd backstage at the Public Theatre in New York. Marsha was busy flirting with him, but when Beverly De’Angelo saw me coming, she found the light and just sat there waiting beautifully. I’ve now one hundred major playwrights photographed.

Terry: How did you find your way here?
Susan: My aunt was living here 30 years ago and her best friend was still living here when we were looking to move. We originally were interested in Asheville and came down here to visit and ended up staying.

Penny: I sold your aunt her house!
Susan: See how small the world is!

Penny: I came here almost exactly 30 years ago from the Chicago area. I sold real estate here for thirty years. Before retiring I decided I wanted something that I was physically able to do and enjoy. I had done ceramics and fabric art so it was a natural transition to painting. I started taking classes about 6 or 7 years ago, began with water colors, then pastels and oil. I have always been an observer of people so that is my favorite subject matter; people in a landscape or in a situation or people’s emotional reactions to other people or situations. I want the viewer to feel a commonality with the subject that they’ve experienced that moment before.
Since I love to travel my second favorite subject is landscapes or photographs from my travels. For instance, Ireland, Alhambra in Spain, and Charleston are across from us on the wall.

Terry: Well I’ve been drawing and painting since I was small and when I went to college I chose Skidmore in New York for its art department. I studied photography and graphic design American University, and then commercial art, fashion and advertising in San Francisco at the Academy of Art.

Susan: When did the portrait work start?

Terry: Way back. I did a portrait of a prince in Thailand that’s in Thailand. I’ve done several commissions. The woman up front is Rose Resnick a blind concert pianist from San Francisco that was never able to see the portrait for herself. The little girl in the front is my grand niece is and she was here to see it.
Susan: Her mother’s eyes just filled up with tears to see it.
Terry: But my niece was wondering where the painting of her brother was. I love children. I have started doing portraits of the children in my family. That’s the most special thing in the world to me. But, I also paint landscapes and still life.

What I see in your work a clarity, how would you describe what you like to bring out in your paintings?

Terry: I like your word “clarity,” and even though it is representational painting, I like it to have an abstract quality. I like to bring out the character or essence of the person and have the painting come alive for the view. I like the feeling to come out. So, having the mother cry meant that I captured the feeling of my niece.
When I started doing acrylic I studied with a wonderful painter Guy Diehl in San Francisco who really helped me with that medium. I spent my summers in Black Mountain. I’ve been coming to Black Mountain’s “In the Oaks” since I was an infant. My great-aunt who is my name-sake was from the Cape Fear area and summered in Black Mountain. I grew up in New York, spent 30 years in San Francisco, but I have roots in North Carolina, so I haven’t just dropped in. I’m here because I have a lot of family here and I love it.

The unique setting of Bravo Interior Design will showcase the work through October 12th, as it would appear in ones home or office.

Bravo Interior Design is located at 285 N Trade St in Tryon, North Carolina. Hours are 10AM to 4PM or by appointment. For more information call 828-859-3123.