Edition 3
Creative Quar-Routines
Issue 3 of the OG zine started to come together at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown in Summer of 2020. Throughout August and September, we collected interviews to survey the creative output generated by members of the community. Makers, thinkers and organizers throughout the art, design and music industry demonstrated their acumen and resourcefulness as they built new and inspiring modes of support, fostering esprit de corps during truly exceptional times. A year later, as we continue to face new and unprecedented challenges, these stories of ingenuity and resilience are as relevant as ever, and we are pleased to share them in this special interviews edition of the OG.
Front & Back Cover Artwork By: Patrick Church
FEATURED
FEATURED
Mason
Eve
The third issue of The OG opens with a beautiful poem by artist and writer Mason Eve. These words were written back in April 2020 after she was released from the hospital for being treated for Covid19. We wanted to set the tone for the issue right from the start, and Mason’s poem transports the reader back to the moment in time when all of the following interviews were recorded.
Steven
Abraham
& Lisa
Young
Emerging art collectors Steven and Lisa talk about their love for collecting art and how they decided to start showcasing and highlighting artists from their collection through their new website. Starting from there, they share the many ways they found to further invest in artists beyond acquisitions.
Asif Hoque
& Sanié
Bokhari
New York based artist Asif Hoque sits down with artist and friend Sanié Bokhari in her native country Pakistan. As they discuss the shared themes in their work their conversation reveals differences in how they managed their studio practices and life throughout the pandemic in the opposite ends of the world.
Jonathan
Travis
Real estate agent and avid art collector Jonathan Travis found a way to bring his work and passion for art together when he pioneered New York’s newest buzzing art district. We sat down with him to discuss this journey, as well as his online exhibition “Life Still,” which raised approximately $40,000 for various charities at the height of the pandemic.
Biana
Nemelc &
Victor
Roman
Artists and longtime couple Bianca Nemelc & Victor Roman have been used to sharing personal space for years. Here they discuss their relationship and how sharing a workspace throughout the pandemic brought both their professional and personal lives closer than ever before.
Makayla
Wray
When independent fashion designer Makayla Wray took a break from her day job as a seamstress for the luxury brand Bode, she didn’t put the sewing needle down. Instead, she decided to share her skills with the public by converting an old peanut cart into an active, on-the-go atelier in the streets of New York City.
Rich Tu &
Antonia
Baker
When the 2020 VMAs were canceled at the last minute due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. MTV executives Rich and Antonia were stuck with finding a solution to an abundance of unusable MTA ad-space. Their impromptu response resulted in a unique art show that highlighted various talents from the New York City LBGTQ community. Also resulting in the first public art show to open in the city since the lockdown.
Jon Key &
Wael
Marcos
Artists and graphic designers Jon Key & Wael Morcos got married six years ago and started their design studio Morcos/Key in half that time. They share how they harnessed their partnership to build a graphic design studio with an impressive global client roster. While also juggling their independent artistic endeavors.
Patrick
Church
Patrick Church talks about how his painting practice organically led him into high fashion, and how his down time during the pandemic gave him the space to create a new series of paintings in the form of autobiographical portraits that also became a form of a creative confessional outlet for the artist.
Patty
Horing &
Deborah
Brown
Patty Horring and Deborah Brown planned an impressive group show of portraits for the summer of 2020 at Anna Zorina Gallery. What they didn’t plan for was a global pandemic that would put the whole city on pause. They discuss how in spite of the hardships, they still managed to install a physical exhibition and open New York’s first in-person gallery show since the lockdown started.
Ebony l.
Haynes
Ebony L. Haynes made waves in 2020 with the announcement of her new role as a director at David Zwirner where she will be opening a new gallery with an all Black staff. We caught up with Ebony shortly after the launch of her public educational initiative called Black Art Sessions (B.A.S.), which offers free talks to Black students who are interested in the inner workings of a commercial art gallery. In May of this year (2021), The B.A.S. launched their first exhibition: www.straightlick.com.
Talia
Levitt &
Amanda
Brown
New York based artist Talia Levitt sits down with friend and artist Amanda Brown to discuss how being studio mates before the pandemic helped them translate their practices as they learned to critique and encourage one another through the filter of digital communication.
Will Leung
Will Leung's part in the art industry started as a hobby, and grew larger than he ever imagined when he opened ATM gallery with Bill Brady. At the height of the pandemic, the unexpected transition from "collector" to "art dealer" turned his full-time obsession into his full-time profession.
Ella
Barnes
In this artist video spotlight, artist Ella Barnes shares some insights with us about her practice and how she collaborates with nature to use sunlight as a major medium in bringing her artwork to life.