“Art does not reproduce what we see. It makes us see. Art does not reproduce the visible; it makes visible.” Paul Klee
In May 2023 I was in Den Haag Netherlands celebrating my birthday, and visiting my two sons who are dual Dutch/ British nationals who live and work there.I was fortunate that my visit coincided with an exhibition at the Hok Gallery (Progressive Art Space) of Samara Kupferberg and her late father Tuli Kupferberg the artist/ poet/ activist/ musician and co-founder of the band of progressive radical troubadours The Fugs.It was a beautiful exhibition and the pairing of father and daughter was a special treat and one I wrote joyfully about on Simon Warner’s ‘Rock Music and The Beat Generation’ as well as later in International Time.(Available to read in the archive of both publications).It was the type of exhibition you perhaps only experience once in your lifetime.The intimate connection between father and daughter was a light and warmth you could almost rub your hands in the glow of.So when I saw that Samara, unquestionably a formidable artist in her own right ‘unpaired’ was holding an exhibition at the North Optical Gallery in Portland Maine, I thought the opportunity to see it and review it was too good an opportunity to miss.Unfortunately I couldn’t make it to Maine, but I was able to conjure up a picture of what it felt like to be there, and though I couldn’t be there in body, but I was with the help of the many images Samara sent me able to form a personal attachment to all I was seeing on the Gallery walls all those miles away in the United States. I wanted to share my feelings and thoughts – in an impressionistic way as opposed to an academic tract – just as I had in Den Haag two years previously. It was like turning another page and finding the page after the Hok Gallery was a continuation of a journey that Samara was making now alone – having let slip her father’s hand and was now laying before us all the wonderful artistic gifts that she had created over the years and was defining for us as the the woman, person and artist that she has become over the years.Wonderfully combined with the interview I think we have been able to bring together some of the magic of the exhibition to life despite the distance. I really hope that I have brought the exhibition closer even in a small way to the reader.Looking at the art and reading the interview it’s as if a magic key was unlocking Samara’s world for us to enter and so we could share in her hope and optimism that despite the challenging
health issues she had to face over the last couple of years so we can experience her joy and contentedness in the face of so much that would surely dim the boldest of spirits.Samara brings to us her adventure with colour, the liberation that moving from graphite brought in some works as if the colour was set free to dance.Having once been an acknowledged atheist Samara is now in touch with her ‘inner spiritual world‘ which is beautifully described in the interview – and brought to life so strikingly in her art, so we feel so many connections – we experience the optimism, hope – one might say rebirth, we feel the soft configuration of the swirling colours – pastel coloured flames and the shapes that Samara gathers up in her imagination and transports back from the shore and the nature she sees around herself daily and offers us in a generous life – giving way so bountifully.I wish I could have been there in Maine in body, but I feel with the help of the portal that Samara’s interview gives us and the images she sent me I felt very much I was there in person.
If you haven’t been to Samara’s Exhibition yet,and you still have a chance to go – please try to get along you won’t regret it.
- Samara, may I ask how are you?
I know you had a difficult year last year health wise, so I’m hoping my communication finds you well.
Yes, thanks for asking. I am doing quite well at the moment. It’s not something I typically discuss publicly, but I don’t mind talking about it. In the summer of 2022 I was diagnosed with breast cancer, while simultaneously my marriage was dissolving. It was a very challenging time, to say the least. Eventually the stars aligned and I was able to buy a condo in downtown Portland, Maine, which was perfect for my then 11 year old son and I. Unfortunately my stress levels were still quite high and the cancer came back again in the summer of 2023. While I had been determined to try to heal myself through natural means, I wasn’t able to completely cure myself the first time around, though I still fully believe it’s possible with the right regimen and mindset, along with a knowledgeable Naturopathic Dr. I had another surgery in Jan 2024 and then in March went to an amazing holistic healing center in Switzerland, nestled amongst the clouds in the Alps, on the site of an ancient Celtic spiritual center. I learned to truly embrace the present moment and still visualize the view from my little balcony as a place of utter calm and peace. I came back and did chemo that summer and have done a lot of work cleaning up my diet, taking tons of natural supplements, drinking green juice every day and learning techniques to manage stress, including meditation and qi gong. It’s an ongoing process, and drawing definitely plays a large role in my meditative practice as well. Currently I am cancer free and aiming to keep it that way!
- When did you complete most of the art on show in the present Exhibition?
The works in this show have been done between 2022 and 2024. Yes, the color drawings are the newest addition and I would agree that they represent a growing optimism and embracing of the potential for a new phase of life, one where I don’t feel as repressed and tied to the worries and struggles of the past. It’s a bit of a cliche but facing cancer really does teach you to live as much as possible in the present and to appreciate the beauty and magic of the world and those you love.
- There is so much optimism in your present work. I wonder if it is related to you feeling much better within yourself? Would this be a fair thing to say?
When I visited the Exhibition in the Hok Gallery in Den Haag in May 2023 I observed that most of your drawings were in black and white – now I notice that you have taken on colour in a big way, absolutely swirling and oscillating with the soft pastel colours you seem to love so much.
Can we look forward to lots more experiments with colour in the future?
I did say to you in January that in a way your use of colour/ shape reminded me of Sonia Delaunay and Sophie Taeber-Arp, both women and artists you would be in good company with when it came to strong personalities and vibrant artistic expression.
Yes, I am very excited to continue experimenting with color, it’s something that is a bit out of my comfort zone compared with the relative ease of using graphite. This past summer a very dear friend was teaching me to do encaustic and gave me a wood panel and the use of his colored pencil collection and I was immediately drawn to the vibrancy and immediacy of the colors. While I loved the softening effect of the wax on top, I ultimately missed the pure colored pencil on wood and wanted to delve into creating more work using color mixing to recreate the depth that I’ve been able to achieve with graphite. Thank you for the comparison to these amazing women artists! I wasn’t familiar with their work so it was wonderful to have some new inspiration. I have always felt a deep connection to Joan Miro and Paul Klee, who appear to be in a very similar vein and time period as Delaunay and Taeuber-Arp. Of course, as with many women artists of the past, they did not achieve the same level of fame. I’m hopeful this continues to change as we move forward.
- Is there any particular place where you find inspiration when it comes to how you use shape and form?
In a wood – by the shore? Do you spend much time with nature? On your own or with your family?
Do you feel happier with a more rural environment than say in a big city like New York?
I definitely do find a lot of inspiration in nature and natural forms. Living on the coast of Maine I am a huge fan of going to our many gorgeous beaches and gazing out on the horizon, considering the vastness of the ocean and what lies beyond, as well as the huge skies that provide so much innate beauty and variety. I could spend countless hours just watching the clouds morph and shift, the colors creeping in and blending into outrageous jewel tones at sunset. In Switzerland I had a little balcony that overlooked a valley in the Alps and I passed a lot of time staring directly into the clouds and mist forming and drifting up and across the tree filled and snow dusted mountains, listening to the birds reveling in the glory of that scenic wonderland. Truly a feast for all senses. At the same time I am drawn to the minuscule and microscopic forms of nature, and can spend just as much time combing the sand for the prettiest tiny ocean-worn rocks and pieces of driftwood, admiring the infinite array of variation and intricacy that mother nature achieves. I have an ever growing collection of tiny natural curios. Amongst my favorite finds are 2 sea glass marbles, their swirling colored glass worn soft and matte through the sheer force of sand and water. It’s interesting that you ask about being alone vs being with others, as I have recently developed a new love of solo adventuring, which used to scare me quite a bit, to be honest. Being alone in nature creates an opportunity for a type of deep solitude and introspection that fosters inner peace and healing on levels that are hard to achieve otherwise. Most of all though I love exploring new cities. Having grown up in downtown New York City, urban environments will always feel most like home to me. I thrive off of the bustling dynamic energy and am also an avid people watcher, getting inspired by unique fashion choices and encountering those creative individuals who stand out and choose a separate path from the norms of society. And of course I greatly enjoy wandering the many incredible art museums and staring at artworks both historical and contemporary.
- In Britain we would probably describe you as a New Age person – does this term exist in the
USA? If it means the same in both countries, would you consider yourself a New Age person?
If the answer is yes, in what way do you think your outlook on life benefits from a less conventional lifestyle – way of living and working as an artist?
I feel a similarity with the 1960s /70s when I hear young people talking about alternative ways to live, work and adopt healthier – freer, more holistic ways of living.
But I find the difference amongst many including young people I know – that there is a rejection of the use of drugs as an experimental way of ‘finding oneself’.
Unlike people like myself did in the early 1970s with LSD and other drugs – there is more emphasis on being natural and finding the path without drugs.
Do you find this with your community?
“A New Age person is someone who follows the New Age movement, which is a way of thinking that emphasizes spirituality, health, and alternative practices. New Age people believe that all reality is one, and that there is divine energy in the universe.
Beliefs
New Age people believe that there is no one true way to practice spirituality.
They believe that all parts of the universe are connected, and that harmony with the universe can restore energy.
They often believe in reincarnation.
They often reject biblical monotheism in favor of pantheism or monism. “
Haha, yes we have that term here but I would say that being “New Age-y” is maybe considered a bit of put down here, giving hints of mockery at someone’s spiritual and “woowoo” views. I do however feel that I am a part of that general crowd, for sure. To me it is mainly about realizing, or awakening to, the multitudes of interconnectedness between myself and both the natural world and other humans on subconscious levels that can be hard to comprehend. Having been raised by particularly unconventional parents, I certainly feel the many benefits of learning to veer from the popular or conventional views on various lifestyle and personal choices. From an art making perspective I think it allows me some freedom to put more emphasis on things like using time to create and daydream and exist in states of exploration and learning, rather than putting all of my focus on making money and achieving the status quo. For instance, I’ve only ever really had a full time job for short stretches, preferring to make due with less extravagant material possessions in favor of more time to just exist and evolve artistically, emotionally and spiritually. There is most definitely a growing trend, if you will, of spiritual growth, meditation, holistic health and wellness practices, mind expansion, etc. I would say that here at least, many people still use drugs to access more explorative states of mind. Micro-dosing on mushrooms as well as using ketamine to assist in mental health and healing are quite popular currently. I suppose the micro dosing part is a newer concept and maybe people are not quite as eager to go fully into a mind blowing psychedelic trip as they were in previous generations. I personally am a huge advocate of cannabis in all forms and definitely find that it expands and enhances my creative energy and focus, as well as uplifting my mood and overall general attitude.
- Would you describe yourself as a Spiritual person, if you say yes- in what way?
- In the past I may have joked about being “spiritual” and considered myself a staunch atheist. However, these days yes, I would definitely consider myself to be a spiritual person. As I mentioned above, I find myself believing more and more in the connection between all living beings and the earth itself as well as the dimensions beyond what our 5 senses show us. I’ve gone into deep meditations in my quest for self healing that have shown me how much more there is for our minds to access. I believe that we all have so much more power over our lives and the health of our bodies than many of us have ever realized. I find that I am able to overcome most thoughts of pain, jealousy, envy, dissatisfaction, etc by going into meditative states and accessing more peaceful, uplifting and blissful energy.
- Do all these various parts of – living, thinking and feeling – feed into how you create your beautiful art?
I imagine that you close your eyes and feel so many things that inspire you filtering into your art.
I think as a writer/ poet that it would be easier to write a poem or a story than pen a review, but maybe I can combine both
We will see.
- The time that I spend drawing definitely is a culmination of all of the above aspects of living an unconventional life. It is a time when my subconscious mind is allowed to go on autopilot and I myself am also surprised at what comes forward, to be honest. I don’t go into these drawings with any sense of the finished product, but just allow my mind and hand to wander and make marks that seem to represent thought patterns and the flow of mental imaginings of a world beyond what we can see in front of our eyes. What emerges mirrors the depth and expanse of those places of infinite wisdom and exploration that connect us all at the core of our beings. I enjoy watching people get drawn into my work as into the inner workings of their own extraordinary minds.
Samara, Thank you very much for your time in answering the questions in our interview. Your exhibition is still open till 1 April 2025.
I will be completing a full exhibition review to accompany the interview.
March 2025
Malcolm Paul
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