Her Alter Ego Is Junie B. Jones And She's Taking The NYC Art World By Storm

Introducing Rebecca Lipsitch: the twenty year old curator, staunch supporter of playgrounds for adults, Wolfgang Tillmans enthusiast, and queen of the avant-garde. As an abstract painter, Rebecca distorts the shapes and forms of the human body on canvas and on hand-painted garments. As a curator, she is interested in creating playful atmospheres of interpersonal connection. Down with the upper echelon of stuffy, white-wall gallery openings! Rebecca's exhibitions draw on childlike motifs: center tables overflowing with lays chips, bagels, and fruit, piñatas filled with sour candies, confetti strewn across the floor, and art jammed on the walls like a primary school art classroom - but there is a sophisticated, intentional, mature, and above all, immersive quality to everything she produces. Coming off her last show in New York City, "Curated Cozmos," I sat down to talk with my old friend Rebecca about her curatorial and artistic practices.

GRACE MISKOVSKY: I wanted to conduct this interview not only because I think you are such a rising star in the NYC art world, but also because I see us as two sides of the same coin. Since we’ve known each other, we’ve both embarked on our own journeys within the creation and curation of contemporary art - yet our practices and aesthetic interests really seem to differ. Regardless, it takes a specific person to be interested in abstraction the way you and I are - but I also think of us as very different people interested in similar things. I want to start off by talking about abstraction  - about the representation of subjects. You have such a unique and distinct style in your painting, so walk me through the process of discovering your painting style. 

REBECCA LIPSITCH: When I was a kid, I was a really messy child. I would always have food on my face. When I was 10, I did a book-making class with my mom. There’s very specific ways to make books - it takes a lot of time and attention to detail. I was not having any of it. I ended up making the book but it was totally in this random form. My mom got really worried. But as I grew up, I realized I actually just like to experiment. In terms of painting, it's taken form in how I love chance based artwork. I’ve gotten really into Dada and thinking about how you make art in a way that isn’t pre-planned. My painting is something I do when I want to relax - I call it “play.”  

GM: Tell me about the first time your work was shown at a public exhibition. If I remember correctly, in 2019, when we were both 16, you had some clothes that you painted set up at a gallery on Orchard Street that’s no longer around. What was that process like, getting recognized by an established gallery at such a young age? 

RL: Sort of naively, I didn’t totally understand what was happening at that age. What I like about myself is that I am really able to walk into somewhere and ask for things. That’s what I did. I had walked into Orchard Gallery and I was chatting with the owners. I was like, “I’m an artist. I’ve never had a show before but I’d love to get involved.” I had never done that before so I was pretty lucky to have that be my first “yes.” It's great to have the determination to go up to people and ask for stuff, but I think you really need to build the relationship first. That is what matters in the art world, and how to get your stuff shown. 

GM: Does the prospect of getting shown at galleries change how you go about making art? Especially because you’ve been showing for a long time, does this put pressure on you to produce in a certain way?

RL: Luckily, not really. I’ve had my clothes in four or five shows now, and I’ve only curated one exhibit and then some stuff in Argentina. At the moment it’s not my main source of income so I don't feel a strong pressure to differ my style. 

GM: Because your style is so different from what most people are doing, if you were to try and cater to a certain audience it would lose what it has, which is such an authentic thing. 

RL: I occasionally do commissions. Some people are like, “I want you to paint my dog.” Well, I’m not going to do that. Ask a different artist. 

GM: You are the queen of multimedia - from painting, to making clothes, to photography, to throwing parties, you do it all. Aside from just your paintings, this distinctly “you” style shines through in all you create. Yet, I think the moods embedded in each medium varies - for example, your photography has this ability to capture the raw, unfiltered essence of humanity in this very blunt and somber way. Your abstract paintings and your clothing I see as very sophisticated but pretty playful and weird in the best way. Your group exhibitions have such a unique design to it that I haven’t seen done by others - it draws on abundance, indulgence (as seen in the table overflowing with chips and candy, and one space featuring confetti and a pinata), and almost feels like a return to childhood. Or a super mature, thoughtful take on a child’s birthday party. Tell me about the most recent exhibition at Cozmos. How did it come about, and how did you infuse your signature style into it?

RL: I’ll preface by saying that this was a very quick thing. I walked into Cozmos on October 10th and I said, “Can I propose a show to you?” They were like, “Sure, but we have a curator coming in mid October, so you have two weeks.” I called up my friend Maria who works at an art consulting firm and we decided to co-curate this space. Because it was my first exhibit, we wanted to get as many artists in as we could. They were all student artists. We want to make everyone feel like they can be a part of it. Wolfgang Tillmans did an exhibit at MOMA called “To Look Without Fear.” It was a retrospective, and all of the walls were completely filled with different photos of all different sizes and shapes, all frameless, and none of them were hung up with professional materials - it was all very naked and candid. When I walked into the space it felt like a childhood bedroom. That exhibit stuck with me for a while, and I wanted to echo the themes from it in “Connected Cozmos.” The curatorial theme was taking inspiration from that. I didn’t want each artist to exist in isolation. I really wanted them to be in dialogue with each other metaphorically on the walls. We wanted this to feel like not just an exhibit but a celebration. What makes me sad is that I love going to galleries and museums but many of my artist friends don’t. They’re like, “It’s too blue chip. I don’t belong.” I completely understand, and my main goal is to create environments that feel as accessible as possible. Our focus was on the opening event, so I created a scavenger hunt which was trying to promote both interpersonal curiosity, between visitors and artists, and curiosity about the art. 

GM: What is your take on this idea of returning to child-like and playful references while still delivering to an adult audience? What is the importance of these references? 

RL: There’s been a very large uptick on the idea of personal care and self wellness. But what people forget is that “self care” is being able to just play. When people are younger they have the ability to play and be curious. We have things that are set up for us - playdates, playgrounds, areas that are dedicated towards freedom. But as we get older, people feel like they have less time to be free and explore. It doesn’t feel like there’s any grown up play spaces, and I really think there should be. I’m pretty serious about that. My role as a curator and artist is to set up environments for people to play. A lot of the work that I do is really intentional in being multi-sensorial. When we engage all of the senses, that’s the most exciting. We can easily take a lot of inspiration from children's museums, or even playgrounds. I don't see why that isn't more common. I take a lot of inspiration from Carsten Höller who did an exhibit at the Tate, where he put up big metal slides and had people slide down them. Tomás Saraceno, a scientist and an artist who studies spiders, made an exhibit where you lie down on a trampoline-like structure, and all the lights turn off. The trampoline would vibrate, and it mimics how spiders interact with each other. Immersive art is all the hype nowadays but I truly believe that when it’s done right it's one of the best ways to engage people. What makes good immersive art is something that you can smell, something you can taste, something that makes us connect with all parts of our bodies. When you’re in sync with your body you feel the most connected to people, and that's something I want to explore more. 

Photography by Rebecca Lipsitch

GM: What’s next for Rebecca? What do you have coming up? What are you excited about? 

RL: Many things. After “Connected Cozmos,” Maria and I came up with “How Do You Play?” Our elevator pitch is, it’s going to be us curating spaces and events that offer joyful connection through immersive art experiences. This is totally random, but I’ve recently gotten interested in screenwriting. Pen15 is one of my favorite shows, and my favorite book as a child was Junie B. Jones, and I think we have a similar vibe. 

GM: You are her. You really are. 

RL: I think it would be fun to write a play based on really funny, awkward middle school experiences. That’s on the horizon. As of now, my concentration at Gallatin is called “Curating Connection,” and that’s what I’m hoping to continue to explore. Looking for environments that promote connection and dialogue. The way that that happens is through curiosity. I want to find ways in my art to intertwine the interpersonal dynamics of having good conversations with exciting art.

Rebecca Lipsitch at "Connected Cosmos"