Judith Modrak is a Washington, D.C. born, New York City based sculptor and installation artist. The forms and concepts in her work often bridge art and science by exploring areas that increase our understanding of psychological and physiological landscapes. She is fascinated by what goes on inside and outside of us — from brain cells, to the Earth’s bubbling magma, to the ways in which memories are processed and stored. Her free-standing sculptures and participatory installations manifest different aspects of our internal makeup, highlighting the reciprocity between inner impressions and the external world. These two sides, taken together, unmask how our personal and collective experiences develop and evolve in the context of the larger environment. Her work has been exhibited at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, the Trenton Art Museum, Point Park University, the Palm Beach Art Armory, the Woodstock Museum, Art New York, Monmouth Museum, Strathmore Mansion, the Hartnett Gallery, Pen + Brush Gallery, and the New Arts Program, among others. Her public participatory artwork “Our Memories” was installed on Governors Island, and in Central Park and Thomas Paine Park as part of the NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks Program. The documentary about “Our Memories” won Best Science and Education Documentary at the Madrid International Film Festival and Best Short Documentary at the Amsterdam International Film Festival in 2018. Modrak’s is very excited that her most recent eco-inspired public artwork, “Endangered Fossils”, is on view in Santa Clarita, CA. “Nurturing Tree”, a permanent public sculptural work, will be unveiled in WI in 2024. In 2019, “Caminos Fluidos / Fluid Pathways”, a site-specific installation, came to life in Murcia, Spain. She is the recipient of numerous awards, notably Creative Engagement Grants from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, two Gold Medals in Sculpture from the National Association of Women Artists, and the Nicholas Buhalis Award. Her work has been featured in various publications in print, online and TV, including SantaClaritaTV, The Science Channel, Curbed NY, Untapped Cities, Scientific American, The Tribeca Trib, The Seaside Times, The Queens Gazette, Sino Vision, BCTV, The Reading Eagle, SciArt, Sculpture Magazine, and The Pittsburgh Tribune. Modrak holds degrees from the University of Rochester and the San Francisco Art Institute.
Contact/Website Info: https://judithmodrak.com/
Presenting: From studio art to public art
“From Studio Art to Public Art” invites you on a journey revealing the steps involved in transitioning from a studio art practice to one in the public domain. Modrak will describe the process of identifying opportunities, responding to Request for Proposals (RFPs), and locating funding sources – not to mention taking the initial leap of faith into this exciting world of art connection! Her presentation will highlight a number of specific public artworks from inception to installation, with all of the twists and turns in between. Modrak will time travel with the audience to Spain, New York City, Wisconsin, and California as she shares the evolution of “Our Memories”, “Endangered Fossils”, “Fluid Pathways”, and “Nurturing Tree”. “Our Memories” is informed by the nature of neurons and dendrites and investigates how our brains react to experiences and how memory functions. The work manifests as an audience participatory outdoor installation of translucent sculptures that contain cavities for participants to place color-coded memory stones. The “Our Memories” project is both a collective memorial piece, made complete by thousands of individual memories from people all over the world, and an experience that connects us to our core and to one another. “Fluid Pathways”, a site-specific permanent installation, is a reflection on the earth’s internal composition (inner core, outer core, mantle and crust) and how that is mirrored in our cellular constitution. The sculpture springs from the Calle de Castillo, reclaiming an abandoned, decomposing ancient route to the former Castle of Blanca as a large (25’x15’x3′) biomorphic shape filled with hundreds of organic and anthropomorphic forms, sculpted in plaster and then painted. It is both an ode to Mother Earth in a time of distress and fosters a dialogue with nature, the surrounding community and ourselves. “Endangered Fossils” represent an imagined archaeological excavation and the discovery of a new organism. The sculpture was inspired by fossilized trilobites, brachiopods and crinoids, which bear a strong resemblance to modern crabs, clams and starfish. The artwork reflects both the past and the present, a reminder of what existed but is now gone. “Endangered Fossils” pay homage to our beloved mother earth at this critical time of global change requiring the involvement of everyone. “Nurturing Tree”, to be installed in 2024, is a permanent public artwork which explores connections to our families, communities, and the environment. The sculpture engages the public in considering the cycle of regeneration and healing, on a personal and environmental level, in a welcoming and nurturing way.