BIOGRAPHY

I was born and raised in New York City in a wonderful neighborhood in Queens called Sunnyside. I lived in Sunnyside until I was a young adult and I was fortunate to have many positive experiences growing up in a community where I felt I belonged and felt safe. We lived in an apartment building filled with young families and lots of children. Our neighbors, along with families from our block, became our extended family and a permanent part of our lives. I made many lasting friendships with classmates from elementary school and several of these friendships continue into the present. Many of us, growing up in Sunnyside in the 1940’s and 50’s, had similar experiences and were nourished by the special quality of the Sunnyside community.

My early experiences in art involved making all kinds of things that involved braiding, weaving, sewing, knitting, crochet, embroidery, needlepoint, macrame, and bargello. Many of the women in my family, my mother and the mothers of my friends, were involved in these activities and were wonderful role models and resources for me as my skills evolved. Eventually, I would incorporate these interests with painting as I developed as an artist.

In the late 1950’s, I met Phoebe Hellman, my first real painting teacher. I have always admired Hellman’s work. From the time I was a teenager, I studied with her in her Manhattan studio, along with a few other friends, all of whom are artists today. She inspired us. Phoebe Hellman introduced me to abstraction and non-objective painting along with the work of many of the great artists of the 50’s and 60’s.  Often, after painting class, we ate at the automat and went to MOMA or the Whitney Museum.

I attended Queens College and the Yale School of Art and, as a student, I was influenced by the Abstract Expressionists, many of whom were showing in the galleries and museums in New York City at this time. I studied with several remarkable teachers including Louis Finkelstein, Al Held, Jack Tworkov, Bernard Chaet, Elias Friedensohn, John Ferren, and Phoebe Hellman. In 1967, I married Robert Schecter, an artist, now my husband of 56 years.  We met at Queens College and both of us attended the Yale School of Art.

In 1969, we left Yale and New Haven and returned to New York City, renting a small loft in Tribeca. It was difficult for two artists to live and work in this space.  In 1972, we moved to an oversized loft on Greene Street in SoHo where I have spent the last 50 years painting in my studio.  The loft was raw space and took quite a while to set up for living and working with two artist studios.  In SoHo, this was called Joint Living Work Quarters for Artists (JLWQA) and living here required Artist Certification by the City of New York. We were some of the original loft pioneers in SoHo before loft living became popular. I have been politically active in the SoHo community for many years. Throughout this entire period, I have worked both as an artist and an art educator. I supported myself by teaching and working with students on all levels. As computer technology became available, I developed new skills, later taking courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

During the 1960’s when I was at Yale , my work was connected to Action Painting. I loved the freedom of making broad gestures, painting wet into wet, and generally relating to the physical activity of painting. I used oil paint to build up surfaces that created spaces that one might describe as push-pull. The structures of these early works were tied to themes involving figures, interiors, and landscapes. In the early 70’s, when I moved to my loft on Greene Street, I gave up oil paint for acrylic paint which has the unique property of drying in layers. That decision changed my work forever. Rejecting “performance based” art, I used systems to organize the drips and gestural activity of action painting with horizontal and vertical bands. I was influenced by my early involvement in knitting, crocheting, and bargello, all of which worked with systems that led to specific choices and logical conclusions.

Eventually, the grid became the underlying vehicle for my work. The paintings became systemic, more minimal, reflecting my interest in pattern, color, symmetry, and repetition. In many pieces, the diamond shape is central. Using acrylic paint to build up layers, I develop a surface that appears to be carved and sculptural. This constructivist approach creates a physical presence that is characteristic of my work. I have painted steadily throughout my life creating a large body of work some of which can be seen on this website. I have exhibited in group shows and solo exhibitions. I have always believed that my work is a part of the larger dialogue reflecting the possibilities in painting.