The Open Studio in Catskill, NY offers a funky twist on art and philosophy

Dina Bursztyn (left) and Julie Chase (right), of the Open Studio.

By Noah Fleisher
When you think of the Hudson River School of Art, you might not necessarily think of iconic, tribal sculptures, dizzying drawings full of play and intense collage work of varying size and texture, but Dina Bursztyn and Julie Chase might just be able to change your mind.
The minds behind Catskill, NY’s recently unveiled Open Studio, on Main Street in this resurgent little river village, have taken a somewhat circuitous route to end up in their Hudson Valley gallery, but the opening of their studio is every bit as welcome as it could be, being just a part of a rapidly growing art and antiques scene in Catskill. And Bursztyn and Chase in particular draw on the essence of the Hudson itself for their muse.
Both artists regularly trawl the banks of the Hudson not only for inspiration from its majestic vistas and incredible wildlife, but also for found objects they can incorporate into their creations, which line the wall and spread across the floors of the stark white – almost laboratorial – studio. The mix is one that adds a considerable force to the work and gives it a mystical edge.
“It is pairing tribal art with contemporary issues,” Bursztyn says, “whether political or personal. Some people have called it shamanic art.”
There is definitely a shamanic feel to the art of both Bursztyn and Chase, but there is much more to it than that. There is wry humor in there, ghosts; there is sensuality and taboo, a deliberate examination and questioning of the identities and hierarchies that exist within our everyday lives. There is much room within this art to move.
Bursztyn brings the gravitas to the studio. She is a sculptor who is very well-known in New York City. A native Argentinian, Bursztyn has been making art for public consumption for more than 25 years, and has amassed a book-like resume, with shows, awards, residencies and teaching gigs all over New York City and New York State, with a healthy dose of exposure in Florida, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic for added emphasis. She has been written up in the New York Times, Newsday and The Village Voice, to name a few, and has been featured on NPR. There is too much information to lists, but if you have spend any time in New York City, there is a good chance that you have come across one of her iconic sculptures or drawings in your travels.
The sculptural work which I do, which is iconic, let’s say,” says Bursztyn, “it’s very big into myth and iconography. I’m very big into nature.”
While Chase’s resume isn’t quite as lengthy as Bursztyn’s – few are – she brings no less of a vision and certainly no less of an energy to her work, helping to create the seamless blend of the gallery as the work of these two women mix freely and with excellent results. Her work has been seen throughout the Hudson Valley, with a strong following in Peekskill, NY. A refugee from Tennessee, and an art school dropout, Julie describes her art as follows:
“I make sculpture, collage and assemblage from found materials, including drift wood, scrap metal and found objects. I’m interested in combing these found materials in unexpected ways to create sculptural forms that engage, drawing viewers in as do dioramas, the stage and cabinets of wonder. Collectively, my work has begun to a menagerie of sorts, “peopled” by an assortment of characters, personages, and specimens culled from parts and pieces found in the slice of nature that I inhabit.”
The real question for the pair of artists is, why Catskill?
“We love the Hudson Valley,” says Julie. “We just followed the river towns up. And in Catskill the price was right.”
“We saw this building,” says Dina, “and it was perfect for what we wanted.”
According to Bursztyn, when the pair decided to migrate to the greener landscapes of the Hudson Valley, they continued on until they came to Catskill, a town most famous in modern times as the setting for the Rip Van Winkle story and as the training grounds of former heavy weight champ Mike Tyson, where the match made sense.
There is a definite slow-growing buzz in Catskill these days. Its proximity to Hudson and Albany make it a perfect fit to be the Hudson Valley’s next boomtown. Slowly the storefronts on the town’s long-dilapidated Main Street are opening up with art galleries and antique shops. Little by little the town is shifting, and Bursztyn and Chase are a part of it. It was the initial funkiness of Catskill that attracted them, the perfect mix of the urban and the natural that is such a perfect fit for their art, which draws so much energy from the Hudson itself.
“In New York City rent is so expensive and getting into shows is so hard,” says Bursztyn. “It is a closed world there. Here we have the space and we can control what we do with the artwork.”
The Open Studio, Chase quickly points out, may be a place for the pair to exhibit their own work, but there is always going to be room for the work of other visual artists on the walls.
“We always though we would do a gallery with the work of many artists,” she says. “But we also always knew our work would be a big part of it.”
To that end, The Open Studio has a show currently running which began in mid-July and is running through September 30. “Breaking the Vicious Circle and Other Invocations” features Bursztyn’s and Chase’s work, but also shares the space with three other artists; Maija Reed, Sarah Mecklem, and Kate Temple. All five share the loose influence of shamanic art and artifacts from different cultures around the world. From there, the work of the five artists diverges in ways that wander down the path of Zen, spirituality, and nostalgia. The result is one wholly synchronous with the Open Studio’s mission.
It is shows like “Breaking the Vicious Circle” that have drawn the Open Studio much praise in its first few months since opening in the late Spring, and it is the synergy of the work between Bursztyn and Chase that led the Albany Times Union to select the space the best new gallery of 2005.
Both Bursztyn and Chase are usually at the gallery, both are very sharp and approachable. The Open Studio is a place to disappear into the mythology of the modern day Hudson River School artist, to open up to new ways of viewing the traditions that inform our everyday lives and, simply, to look at some very cool art.
The Open Studio is located at 402 Main Street in Catskill.
Gallery hours are Friday through Sunday, noon to 6 p.m., or by appointment.
For more information, call (518) 943-9531.

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