Global Sketchbook Project Day @ Eve N Odd Gallery - Artist and gallerist Jennifer Kosharek celebrates the Arthouse Coop's Global Sketchbook day as only she can, with sketchbooks, live demos, snacks and sketchbooks for you to participate in! All that plus the vibrant energies of that tiny gallery. All in the Crislip Arcade, # 11. On the 600 block of Central. Sunday, June 3rd, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM.
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The Secret Paris of the 1930's: Brassai @ Florida Museum of Photographic Arts - I've already advertised this in a post of its own, but again, what should be a great exhibit from a photographic legend: Brassai. Opens tonight, Thursday, May 31st. at 6 to 8 PM. All at 400 Ashley in the Cube. Admission $10.00
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Art On's Art On the Bay @ St Pete History Museum Grounds - Art On brings out fifty artists, music by Fowler's Bluff and Cosmic Chameleon & kids activities, all for an art fest on the approach to The Pier by the History Museum. Free admission. All by the St. Pete Museum of History 335 2nd Ave NE. St Pete. Saturday, May 2nd, 10:30 AM till...?
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A Trifecta of Exhibits @ Dunedin Fine Arts Center - Bill Mc Carthy's Three Islands, Aydelette Kelsey's Others Elsewhere and a student show as well. Three shows at the Dunedin Fine Arts Center, 1143 Michigan Blvd. Dunedin. Free admission. Saturday, May 2nd 10 AM - 2 PM, Sunday 1-4 PM.
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Art on 19th St. - Singing Stone Gallery has its monthly event, held on 19th st. in Ybor. Music and Fine arts, 1903 N. 19th St. Ybor City. Saturday, May 2nd, 10 AM - 4 PM. Free admission.
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Gyotaku Fish Rubbing @ Florida Gulfcoast Fishing Center - Learn this ancient art of inking fish and pressing them to make printed imagery. Class taught by Greg Aragon. Fee is $75.00. 12211 Walsingham Road, Largo. 9-1 PM Saturday, May 2nd.
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Spec Performance Series, Identity @ The Roosevelt, Ybor City - Be the critic at the Roosevelt! Artists interact with viewers directly. The Roosevelt 2.0, 1812 N. 15th St. Ybor City. Admission $10.00 Starts @ 8 PM Saturday, May 2nd..
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Sitting Pretty Mix and Match Art Sale @ The Pier/St Pete - 10% off sale at this art exhibit. Choose from over 70 works. The Pier, 800 2nd ave. NE, St Pete. 1-5 PM, Saturday/Sunday, May 2nd - 3rd.
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First Saturday Indie Market - Although they never send me any press releases nor take advantage of free ads in local media, there should be an Indie Market this Saturday on the 600 block of Central in St. Pete. Starts around 11:00 AM Saturday, May 2nd.
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No U Turn @ HCC Ybor - Theo Wujcik's exhibit, already reviewed here, remains open. Take advantage of this opportunity to see one of the best shows in Tampa this year.
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Sacred Folk @ HCC Dale Mabry - A fascinating Folk Art show I'll be reviewing here probably tonight or Friday. Beautifully curated, this show explores the possibilities of Southern Folk Art. See at HCC Dale Mabry, 4001 W Tampa Bay Blvd, at Gallery 221 (2nd floor of library).
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Thursday, May 31, 2012
Warehouse Distric Murals in Peril?
In today's Creative Loafing there's an article by Arielle Stevenson about how the St. Pete Grafitti Management Program was not notified (a definite oversight, apparently) about the WAD murals and how they have reacted by deeming they have to be covered up.
These murals aren't scrawled signatures, but commissioned pieces. They are the biggest public attraction to the WAD for newcomers driving in to the District. Everything has been done in good faith. Surely the city can find a way for the Graffiti Management Program GMP) to save face and retain its power, and for the murals to stay up. Why not a wrist-slap fine to those who commissioned them, an apology, and a promise to check with the GMP from now on?
Cover up these murals and it will set back the WAD considerably. In San Francisco, there's an alley that runs for blocks with walls on both sides covered by murals/graffiti. Every time I've visited it was crawling with tourists. Look at how graffiti has brought life and foot traffic to the Wyndwood district in Miami. It can work the same here, but that requires visionaries at City Hall who want the WAD to succeed and blossom through its own product: Art. Let these murals live, and make it possible for dozens more to follow. Yes, people should abide by the GMP's rules and get permits, but the First Amendment should be the overriding rule. The WAD is presently a nascent area. Help it thrive.
--- Luis
These murals aren't scrawled signatures, but commissioned pieces. They are the biggest public attraction to the WAD for newcomers driving in to the District. Everything has been done in good faith. Surely the city can find a way for the Graffiti Management Program GMP) to save face and retain its power, and for the murals to stay up. Why not a wrist-slap fine to those who commissioned them, an apology, and a promise to check with the GMP from now on?
Cover up these murals and it will set back the WAD considerably. In San Francisco, there's an alley that runs for blocks with walls on both sides covered by murals/graffiti. Every time I've visited it was crawling with tourists. Look at how graffiti has brought life and foot traffic to the Wyndwood district in Miami. It can work the same here, but that requires visionaries at City Hall who want the WAD to succeed and blossom through its own product: Art. Let these murals live, and make it possible for dozens more to follow. Yes, people should abide by the GMP's rules and get permits, but the First Amendment should be the overriding rule. The WAD is presently a nascent area. Help it thrive.
--- Luis
One of Our Own: Sarah Thee Campagna Robots on a Billboard
Sarah Thee Campagna, of Cybercraft Robots [Link] has been reviewed here several times. Her work has been evolving rapidly in the past two years in terms of quality and concept. Her work was chosen to be on a digital billboard advertising the Orlando Mini Maker Faire [Link]. Those are images of Cybercraft Robots on the right and left of the sign. Congratulations to Sarah.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
The Secret Paris of the 1930's: Brassai @ FMoPA
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| Photo by Brassai |
The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts is showing "The Secret Paris of the 1930's: Vintage Photographs by Brassai", opening Thursday, May 31st, 6-8 PM. The show will include five prints of his rare "Transmutations" series. Brassai's night-time forays into the Parisian demimonde are legendary in the world of photography.
400 N. Ashley Drive, Cube 200.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Reflections, GCAA members show @ Arts Lofts.
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| Arts Lofts 5th St. Entrance |
The Gulf Coast Artists' Alliance is a non-profit that brings together artists from many different disciplines and fill gaps in communications. They opened a group show at the Arts Lofts a couple of weeks ago. Here are some highlights...
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| Work by David Canary |
On the left is a mixed-media piece made of what appears to be leather and brass titled "Aquarius". It is about a meter tall, with layered scales of leather, with bits of brass peeping out in three places. There is a sense of history and ascendancy in this piece. The gaps between the brass bits seem to be in a Fibonacci series of steps. On the right is a close-up of the brass (?) bits.
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| Nancy Martis, "Cake" |
Nancy Martis's acrylic painting "Cake", is of an XXL piece with two strawberries and forks suggests intimacy and culinary communion between two people (the viewer and...?) that are invisible but everpresent. The piece is somewhat reminiscent of Wayne Thiebaud.
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| Work by Judy Vienneau |
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| Work by Judy Vienneau |
Judy Vienneau's wire sculpture of angels is a cute, overtly sentimental, uplifting and decorative piece. On the right is a close-up of the angels.
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| Work by Carole Shelton |
Carole Shelton showed this attractive "Silver Rose" bracelet made of cotton and sterling silver.
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| Work by Suzanne Johnson |
Suzanne Johnson's traditional-looking Sumi-e ink painting was small and beautiful.
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| Arts Lofts Gallery |
I want to congratulate all the GCAA artists and the Arts Lofts for a memorable show.
--- Luis
Monday, May 28, 2012
48 hrs: Boom, pow, Surprise!! @ The Emerald Bar
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| Emerald Bar interior, front to back view. |
Derek Donnelly owns and runs Saint Paint [Link] Arts and Apparel [Link]. The "Boom, pow, Surprise!!" art show at the Emerald Bar was put together on short notice, less than two days. Unsurprisingly, many of the artists are the same that Donnelly has on the walls of his gallery. The show is well-curated considering the brief amount of time involved. The Emerald has classic bar lighting, a bit on the dim side, meant to imaginarily enhance the patron's looks. This gives the artwork a look reminiscent of cave wall art. Viewers walk right up to the works to get a better idea of what they're looking at. While doing that, one makes friends with the patrons sitting at tables that one is leaning over. If one goes during the shift change from the day to the night crew the odds of pressing strange flesh are reduced. Be careful not to step on the everpresent small dog while taking the show in. In the picture above left, you can see that the show is on one wall, in a linear fashion on the right. The closest image is by Clint Thomas, a somewhat abstracted figure of a woman, broken up into pseudo-Cubist squares.
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| Derek Donnelly, "My Rabbit" |
There were paintings by Derek Donnelly in the show, some his celeb portraits. The one on the right, titled "My Rabbit", of a child clutching a rabbit to her lower torso and warding off prospective rabbit robbers with a well-aimed revolver loaded with hollow points. She looks and is dressed like Natalie Portman in the movie "The Professional". The rabbit could be interpreted as her childhood, among other things. In this show, representations of girls/women range widely. From the abstracted to glamorized, and there's more than a few who seem at war (in a cultural sense). This is a theme I am seeing recurring with some frequency in the St. Pete area. On the upper right is Donnelly's "Monroe's Smile", which is simultaneously seductive, natural, forced and a frozen scream. Note she also has her middle finger held up to the viewer. |
| Aurelius Artist, "Musik" |
In "Musik", Aurelius Artist (talk about a nome de guerre!) writes (in the sense of Graffiti) the word "Music" in a very stylized and strangely familiar way. There are words written in two places within the frame, one repeats the word, the other I couldn't make out at the show or in the pictures. There are drip/washes in the image. One of the things that give this strength are the colors in the background, which looks almost like an aqueous reflection. On the right is Aurelius' "Art is War", themed around graffiti writing/sig on a brick wall, with big black drips below it. Note in the upper right hand corner is a little 5.99 c sign. The artist at war in the now pervasive commercialized space. At war with dehumanization, the generic, authority, convention...at war... |
| Christian Thomas, "Good Times" |
Scott Hillis' work in this show related to power, its inequities and distribution both at the local and global level. On the right, in "To Protect & To Serve", we see a nightclub floating above blood spatters. A mean-looking pig also dripping blood, below which a green dollar sign is juxtaposed to a bit of graffiti. On the upper right, a can of spray paint with a smile on its face dripping pink onto a donut. There's a bit of reverse power flow there.
On the left is Hillis' Imperialism V 2.0". On a background of money an old white suit with devil's horns and colored blue grins sadistically, gloating in his own power holding a briefcase from which a gas hose emerges and goes to the nozzle in his right hand. These are icons of the flow of power and the inhumane distortions that happen when it is concentrated in too few hands. |
| Jenipher Chandley, "Untitled" |
Jen Chandley is revising and redefining the models available to women in terms of the available range of being. Chandley brings a controlled graphic style to her mythopoetic concepts. The mix is work of rare clarity. I chose two small works, apparently untitled. They both show beautiful women who are far from helpless and secure in who they are. Like all of Chandley's women, they are beautiful. These appear to be denizens of the zombie apocalypse era (today). Feminine in their own way, individuated, open and invulnerable. On the left, an attractive being left after The Rapture holds her 12-gauge pump pistol-gripped shotgunat the ready, but not aiming it at you. On the right, another woman, this time in profile, holds her semi-auto pistol in a defensive position. Don't make the wrong move...Congratulations to all the artists, Derek Donnelly for putting the show together beautifully on short notice, and to the Emerald for hosting.
See it at 550 Central Avenue, St. Pete. Time for best viewing (fewest people), around 4:00 PM.
--- Luis
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Cast of Characters @ Duncan McClellan Glass
The figurative has been the mainstay of art for millenia, though apparent abstractions surfaced early. In this show, titled "Cast of Characters", this broad theme is exemplified in a variety of media.
Alexis Silk is a young sculptress who worked first with bronze, cast iron, then became a glass blower. Her works in this show combine the last two media, iron and glass. Iron's toughness juxtaposed with the fluid ephemerality of glass make for a formally seductive combination. Coupled with the human figure, female torsos in this show have a very human quality of strength and a delicate, beautiful form. The torsos have the luminosity of glass, sensuous, flowing, reflective and translucent simultaneously. In "Hung Up", all these factors are coupled with an orange-red color and a realistic (non-idealized) figure imbued with the curves and volumes of a real person.
Silk's "Skin Deep" emphasizes the cast iron part of the work. Suspended horizontally from what looks like meathooks. The glass looks "stretched", as if from its own weight from the hooks. Again, the colors here are exquisite, but the piece is more opaque, and looks more susceptible to gravity, implying the elasticity of the flesh.
Christine Peloquin is a mixed-media artist currently residing in Mount Dora. In the image on the left, we see what appears to be the same woman in a canoe, rowing in opposite directions. The space is broken up by long, rectangular "pixels" that partially overlay the stylized figures, water and canoe. It is also tiled in independent panels.
This segmentation of space is also evident in Peloquin's "Time to Think". A pensive woman's face peers at the viewer with a slight smile on one side of her face. Note how the right-hand panel with the eye in it is in monochrome. Again, we see the tiled panels, each a sub-framed painting of its own, and the further subdivisions of the space into smaller frames.
Philip Nolley's glass pieces at first glance look like ceramics. They're diamond carved blown glass and sand. A little observation and their glassiness comes through.
Look at Nolley's "Ritual Vessel". It is an exquisite form. Its crust reminds me of the pictures of the Cosmic Background Radiation, the echoes of the origin of the universe. Why is this sacred item broken? The first thing that comes to mind: In the Gnostic Gospels the creation event happened when God became aware of Himself and he shattered into pieces. It is literally called the Breaking of the Vessels. The shards became you and me and everyone and everything there is. Our largely forgotten mission is to reunite with all the other pieces. This piece could be a metaphor for the Divine. I could be completely off, but what is true beyond a doubt is that it is an inspiring piece.
Chris Ahalt's whales are simply beautiful, exquisite objects in the form of popular and endangered critters make stunning decorative objects. Made of flame-worked borosilicates,
both blue and sperm whales look happy and benign
Congratulations to all the artists, Duncan McClellan, Jorge Vidal, Tracy Kennard and the rest of his crew for a memorable show.
PS. The Museum of Fine Arts has a glass show currently, and among several international, national and local glass artists, I noticed Duncan McClellan and Massimiliano Schiavone there. One of the Duncan pieces was "Man of the World", which I reviewed here months ago.
Cast of Characters @ Duncan McClellan Glass - Figurative artists featured in this exhibit at DMG. 2342 E. Emerson Ave St Pete.
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| Alexis Silk,"Hung Up" |
Alexis Silk is a young sculptress who worked first with bronze, cast iron, then became a glass blower. Her works in this show combine the last two media, iron and glass. Iron's toughness juxtaposed with the fluid ephemerality of glass make for a formally seductive combination. Coupled with the human figure, female torsos in this show have a very human quality of strength and a delicate, beautiful form. The torsos have the luminosity of glass, sensuous, flowing, reflective and translucent simultaneously. In "Hung Up", all these factors are coupled with an orange-red color and a realistic (non-idealized) figure imbued with the curves and volumes of a real person.
 |
| Alexis Silk, "Skin Deep" |
Silk's "Skin Deep" emphasizes the cast iron part of the work. Suspended horizontally from what looks like meathooks. The glass looks "stretched", as if from its own weight from the hooks. Again, the colors here are exquisite, but the piece is more opaque, and looks more susceptible to gravity, implying the elasticity of the flesh.
 |
| Christine Peloquin, "Nowhere Fast" |
Christine Peloquin is a mixed-media artist currently residing in Mount Dora. In the image on the left, we see what appears to be the same woman in a canoe, rowing in opposite directions. The space is broken up by long, rectangular "pixels" that partially overlay the stylized figures, water and canoe. It is also tiled in independent panels.
 |
| Christine Peloquin, "Time to Think" |
This segmentation of space is also evident in Peloquin's "Time to Think". A pensive woman's face peers at the viewer with a slight smile on one side of her face. Note how the right-hand panel with the eye in it is in monochrome. Again, we see the tiled panels, each a sub-framed painting of its own, and the further subdivisions of the space into smaller frames.
 |
| Philip Nolley, "Ritual Vessel" |
Philip Nolley's glass pieces at first glance look like ceramics. They're diamond carved blown glass and sand. A little observation and their glassiness comes through.
Look at Nolley's "Ritual Vessel". It is an exquisite form. Its crust reminds me of the pictures of the Cosmic Background Radiation, the echoes of the origin of the universe. Why is this sacred item broken? The first thing that comes to mind: In the Gnostic Gospels the creation event happened when God became aware of Himself and he shattered into pieces. It is literally called the Breaking of the Vessels. The shards became you and me and everyone and everything there is. Our largely forgotten mission is to reunite with all the other pieces. This piece could be a metaphor for the Divine. I could be completely off, but what is true beyond a doubt is that it is an inspiring piece.
 |
| Chris Ahalt, "Blue Whale" & "Sperm Whale" |
Chris Ahalt's whales are simply beautiful, exquisite objects in the form of popular and endangered critters make stunning decorative objects. Made of flame-worked borosilicates,
both blue and sperm whales look happy and benign
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| Seen at Duncan McClellan Glass |
Congratulations to all the artists, Duncan McClellan, Jorge Vidal, Tracy Kennard and the rest of his crew for a memorable show.
PS. The Museum of Fine Arts has a glass show currently, and among several international, national and local glass artists, I noticed Duncan McClellan and Massimiliano Schiavone there. One of the Duncan pieces was "Man of the World", which I reviewed here months ago.
Cast of Characters @ Duncan McClellan Glass - Figurative artists featured in this exhibit at DMG. 2342 E. Emerson Ave St Pete.
Friday, May 25, 2012
The Tipping Point - Theo Wujcik: No U Turn @ HCC Ybor
Theo Wujcik needs no introduction locally. He is one of Tampa's premier artists and has been for decades. For those not familiar with the him, this article by Megan Voeller in Creative Loafing provides a great primer: [Link].On the left is a photo of a group just outside the building at HCC where the gallery sits. Theo is in black, James Rosenquist, with whom I had a chance to speak, is on the right.
The theme of "No U Turn" is global warming, a hot topic that has become a political signifier for some time. The issue has deepened the great divide between people in the United States, with plenty of name-calling and accusations. From the works in this show, you know where Theo stands, but his is not a histrionic viewpoint. It's not just about the warming itself, but the state of the situation. The warming and tipping point are also metaphors for other things in the artist's and possibly the viewer's life. You might find yourself in one of these paintings.
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| Theo Wujcik, "Deadly Cocktail" |
In his artists' statement, Theo explains that in media, pixilation is used to visually neutralize things that are unlawful, inappropriate and/or disturbing to view. The pixels in these paintings are not the usual kind of human shield. It's not concealing industry or melting glaciers. In "DeadlyCocktail", the allusion to a lethal mixed drink is related to people's attitudes, complacency in particular, to global warming.
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| Theo Wujcik, ""Weeping Willow" |
In "Weeping Willow" Theo uses his well-developed comic-book style to great effect. In this monochromatic acrylic painting, violence in the form of unleashed forces of nature abound. Death, chaos and an apocalyptic tone are dominant. It transcends the literal. It's also an inner apocalypse, the outcomes of our denials, delusions, and apathy.
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| Theo Wujcik, "No U Turn" |
A yellow circle. No pixels here. To the left, an abstraction that to this viewer looks like a string threading through human skulls. To the right, an abstracted, sketchy figure holding on to a (steering) wheel, looking alarmed. On the surface, this is about the dreaded tipping-point, that moment when global warming becomes irreversible, and the outcome proceeds unabated. This is also about an inner, personal tipping point. Where does our apathy, denial, and opinion become fixed? Our position one of rigor mortis? These paintings are like dreams. The landscape seems odd, distant, and alien, yet everything in them is you.
This is a show not to be missed. It ends on June 7th, so make plans and time to see it. HCC Ybor Arts Gallery, 2204 N. 15th St.
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| Theo Wujcik |
Congratulations to Theo Wucjik and Carolyn Kossar for one of the outstanding shows of this arts season.
P.S. There is one painting, of Robert Rauschenberg, titled "Direct Hit", referring to hurricane Charley passing through Captiva and stranding Rauschenberg in his home/studio. The frequency and strength of these storms is tied to global warming, making this portrait very much part of the theme of the exhibit. Rauschenberg was a friend of Theo's. He passed away in 2008. Note how the face is "pixilated", though Theo also showed one of the preliminary smaller versions leading up to the finished work. It was done far back, with the fragmenting into squares having nothing to do with pixels. That came later.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Street Art: BASK
Perhaps it is a self- promotional piece of street art for the upcoming Street Art show at the Morean. Or maybe it's a tribute to BASK, one of our best-known artists. Either way, it's silver paint on a blacked-out building wall, and it was done at great peril of being caught in an often-patrolled area by Tampa Police and on a major road. The letters are about 4-5 ft. high.
Another view...
Bonus Graffiti...I saw this on the same afternoon, a few miles away. This one is less than 2 ft. tall.
--- Luis
This Men In Black Weekend, May 25th-27th.
Detailed Information @ Mindy Solomon Gallery - Mark Burckhardt, Kate Mc Dowell, John Byrd, and Carrie Ann Baade will be shown. The theme of the show is in the details. Opens Saturday, May 26th, 6:00 - 8:30 PM. Sunday, a talk with artist Carrie Ann Baade will be held, from 1-2 PM. 124 2nd Ave NE. , St. Peterburg. Free admission.
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Boxphoto iPhone Class @ Lowry Park Zoo - An intensive one-day workshop from the press release:
One day class on the basics of the iPhone, how to use a few of our favorite apps and how to post to your favorite social media sites. Open to anyone that likes to use their iPhone as a camera. Learn creative techniques to make your iPhone photos more creative.
Smithsonian Journey @ Plant City Photo Archives - A Smithsonian photographic exhibit going around the US stops in Plant City. This quality how starts Friday, May 25th, and runs through Thursday. It covers from the era of colonial immigration to the abolition of slavery. Closed Sunday. Otherwise, 10 AM - 7 PM. Plant City Photo Archives & Historical Center, 106 S. Evers St., Plant City. Free admission.
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Artbook Tampa Bay 2, Electric Boogaloo - The second Artbook will be debuted this weekend on Friday, March 25th 7 PM - 12 AM at Johnny Reno's @ The Pier in St. Pete. Free admission.
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Philosophy - Recent Works by Mishou Sanchez @ Hoffman Porges - The first of a quarterly series run by the Shiver & Shiver Production Company (Moira and Jason). This one is a one-woman show by architect and artist Mishou Sanchez with three series of paintings shown. Opens Friday, May 25th 6-11 PM. Through June 17th. 1907 E. Seventh Avenue, Ybor City.
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Boxphoto iPhone Class @ Lowry Park Zoo - An intensive one-day workshop from the press release:
One day class on the basics of the iPhone, how to use a few of our favorite apps and how to post to your favorite social media sites. Open to anyone that likes to use their iPhone as a camera. Learn creative techniques to make your iPhone photos more creative.
The day includes:
* Assistance from 2 instructors
* Admission to the zoo
* Limited to 6 students (beginners to advanced)
* Tour of the Boxfotos Airstream
* Box lunch at the Boxfotos Airstream
* Photo safari inside the zoo
Class fee includes all the above!
* Admission to the zoo
* Limited to 6 students (beginners to advanced)
* Tour of the Boxfotos Airstream
* Box lunch at the Boxfotos Airstream
* Photo safari inside the zoo
Class fee includes all the above!
DATE: Sunday, May 27th
TIME: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
COST: $200
TIME: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
COST: $200
RESERVE A SPOT, CALL : (813) 629-2211
QUESTIONS: matt.larson@mac.com
QUESTIONS: matt.larson@mac.com
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Smithsonian Journey @ Plant City Photo Archives - A Smithsonian photographic exhibit going around the US stops in Plant City. This quality how starts Friday, May 25th, and runs through Thursday. It covers from the era of colonial immigration to the abolition of slavery. Closed Sunday. Otherwise, 10 AM - 7 PM. Plant City Photo Archives & Historical Center, 106 S. Evers St., Plant City. Free admission.
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Artbook Tampa Bay 2, Electric Boogaloo - The second Artbook will be debuted this weekend on Friday, March 25th 7 PM - 12 AM at Johnny Reno's @ The Pier in St. Pete. Free admission.
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Philosophy - Recent Works by Mishou Sanchez @ Hoffman Porges - The first of a quarterly series run by the Shiver & Shiver Production Company (Moira and Jason). This one is a one-woman show by architect and artist Mishou Sanchez with three series of paintings shown. Opens Friday, May 25th 6-11 PM. Through June 17th. 1907 E. Seventh Avenue, Ybor City.
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Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Street Art: Two Stencils, a Merman and a Mermaid
First, the two stencils...
A botanical base with the words "Astral Exploration" efflorescing from the top.This is about 3 feet tall.
The second one is a peace sign of sorts with an appeal for living in the present, with an addendum in black to touch up a problem. Messy, but to the point.
This Merman may look familiar. Painted in a folk style, he was one of the decorations for Tropical Heatwave at the Cuban Club.
This blonde mermaid also graced the Cuban Club for Tropical Heatwave. She and the Merman were lying on the sidewalk outside, perhaps being saved from the dumpster.
A botanical base with the words "Astral Exploration" efflorescing from the top.This is about 3 feet tall.
The second one is a peace sign of sorts with an appeal for living in the present, with an addendum in black to touch up a problem. Messy, but to the point.
This Merman may look familiar. Painted in a folk style, he was one of the decorations for Tropical Heatwave at the Cuban Club.
This blonde mermaid also graced the Cuban Club for Tropical Heatwave. She and the Merman were lying on the sidewalk outside, perhaps being saved from the dumpster.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Things to do during your Summer Vacation
Here's a little set of suggestions for art exhibitions to see this summer (2012) in many popular vacation destinations. Just the thing to get your art fix for an "easy day" indoors, in AC. Where are you going this summer?
Austin, TX - At the Austin Museum of Art (AMOA) Selections from the Barrett Collection, through August 12th. [Link].Directions [Link].
The Blanton Museum of Art, at the University of Texas @ Austin has two shows on display: Go West, Representations of the American Frontier, through Sept 23rd and Paul Villinski, Passage Installation, through Dec 2012.
There are several galleries around Austin which has a vibrant arts community. Here is a link to a site that covers the area's galleries and public arts works very well. [Link].
Chicago, IL - First, make sure you participate in at least one of the Summerdance sessions this summer. These are spectacular in a way that makes one feel as if in an ultra-romantic foreign movie. [Link] June 19th through Sept 12th. Trust me on this.
Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) [Link]. The Art Institute of Chicago [Link] (Eat lunch out on the courtyard). The Museum of Contemporary Photography [Link]. Here's a good gallery guide to Chicago [Link].
Washington, D.C. - Too Much to list here. A good place to start: [Link]. For Galleries, [Link]
Las Vegas, NV - Yes, there is art in Vegas, Besides the Bellagio Museum. [Link].
Los Angeles, CA - Museums galore, some of the best in the US. [Link]. Lots of galleries, too [Link]
Miami/Miami Beach - Miami Museums [Link]. Miami Galleries [Link]
New York, NY - This site sill help you to make your picks [Link]. Galleries by neighborhoods [Link]. Also, [Link]
New Orleans - For Museums [Link]. Galleries [Link]
Orlando, FL -Museums [Link] The Morse in Winter Park has Louis Tiffany treasures well worth the short drive from the Disney area. Galleries: [Link]
San Diego, CA - Museums [Link], [Link]. Galleries [Link]
San Francisco, CA - Museums [Link]. Galleries [Link], [Link]
Savannah, GA - Museums & galleries [Link].
Seattle, WA - Museums [Link]. Galleries [Link], [Link]
Yellowstone, CA - Jackson Hole Wyoming has many fine arts galleries [Link], [Link]
--- Luis
Austin, TX - At the Austin Museum of Art (AMOA) Selections from the Barrett Collection, through August 12th. [Link].Directions [Link].
The Blanton Museum of Art, at the University of Texas @ Austin has two shows on display: Go West, Representations of the American Frontier, through Sept 23rd and Paul Villinski, Passage Installation, through Dec 2012.
There are several galleries around Austin which has a vibrant arts community. Here is a link to a site that covers the area's galleries and public arts works very well. [Link].
Chicago, IL - First, make sure you participate in at least one of the Summerdance sessions this summer. These are spectacular in a way that makes one feel as if in an ultra-romantic foreign movie. [Link] June 19th through Sept 12th. Trust me on this.
Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) [Link]. The Art Institute of Chicago [Link] (Eat lunch out on the courtyard). The Museum of Contemporary Photography [Link]. Here's a good gallery guide to Chicago [Link].
Washington, D.C. - Too Much to list here. A good place to start: [Link]. For Galleries, [Link]
Las Vegas, NV - Yes, there is art in Vegas, Besides the Bellagio Museum. [Link].
Los Angeles, CA - Museums galore, some of the best in the US. [Link]. Lots of galleries, too [Link]
Miami/Miami Beach - Miami Museums [Link]. Miami Galleries [Link]
New York, NY - This site sill help you to make your picks [Link]. Galleries by neighborhoods [Link]. Also, [Link]
New Orleans - For Museums [Link]. Galleries [Link]
Orlando, FL -Museums [Link] The Morse in Winter Park has Louis Tiffany treasures well worth the short drive from the Disney area. Galleries: [Link]
San Diego, CA - Museums [Link], [Link]. Galleries [Link]
San Francisco, CA - Museums [Link]. Galleries [Link], [Link]
Savannah, GA - Museums & galleries [Link].
Seattle, WA - Museums [Link]. Galleries [Link], [Link]
Yellowstone, CA - Jackson Hole Wyoming has many fine arts galleries [Link], [Link]
--- Luis
Monday, May 21, 2012
Sixth Annual Invitational Teapot Show @ Craftsman House Gallery
Craftsman House Gallery, as its name implies, is housed in a gorgeous Arts and Crafts style bungalow dating to 1918. This space multitasks as a gallery with an endearing, airy and light cafe on the side, and as an intimate concert venue. It is run beautifully by Jeff and Steph Schorr and their crew.
The Annual Invitational Teapot Show is themed around functional hand made teapots from some of the best potters in the US and the area. Teapots, perhaps because of the design requirements imposed by their function, liberate their makers in every other way.
Martha Grover is an award-winning potter with an extensive academic and practical background in the field, including many residencies at some of the top locations in the U.S. In her artists' statement she says the forms are inspired by the female body and the movement of dancers. She works with thrown and altered porcelain. This can be seen here specially around the lip of the top of the teapot, but there are beautifully subtle shadings that are barely visible in the photo. That S-shaped crease along the body and the way it is integrated with the top imparts a fluidity to the form.
On the left is a photo of Elaine Coleman's Dragonfly, Leaf, and Lizard tea bowls. Often referred to as the "Celadon Queen" for her mastery with those glazes, her style is noted for fine carving and adding clay to the forms. Her husband, Tom Coleman, is also a renowned potter. They held a well-attended workshop at Craftsman House last year. Ms. Coleman's glazes seem to catch light and hold it.
Charlie Parker, a St Pete potter whose new studio opening was covered here, has this striped Chino teapot in the show. Rich with watery textures and lines to emphasize them, this teapot, in part due to the angled heavier lines in the design, is almost asking the user to pour.
In the foreground are two works by Marty Fielding, titled "Green Teapot", and "Square Teapot.". The latter is an over-the-top geometric design. It can be seen on the foreground right in the picture at left, but its stately and faceted, jewel-like symmetry is clearer on an overhead view, as seen on the right..
Stephanie Schorr is a St. Pete Potter who is one of the owners of Craftsman House and has a studio on the premises. This Raku teapot is very different from most of the others in the show. Note the cracks in the surface coming up from the base, and the two triads of triangular indents on the surface. Although functional, this one is very sculptural in feel. Purposeful, elegant and austere in an Oriental way
.Eileen Braun's "Matchstick Teapot" subverts the functional theme, at least the teapot part. This thing is the Battlestar Galactica equivalent of the teapots at the show, in an outrageous two-tone green glaze, bristling with scores of color-matched matches sprouting out of every orifice.
Congratulations to all the artists, Craftsman House, and Jeff and Steph Schorr for a memorable show.
Craftsman House is located at 2955 Central Avenue, St. Pete. This show runs through June 30th, but don't wait until the last minute. And when there, try out the cafe.
--- Luis
The Annual Invitational Teapot Show is themed around functional hand made teapots from some of the best potters in the US and the area. Teapots, perhaps because of the design requirements imposed by their function, liberate their makers in every other way.
 |
| Martha Grover "Sky Porcelain Teapot" |
Martha Grover is an award-winning potter with an extensive academic and practical background in the field, including many residencies at some of the top locations in the U.S. In her artists' statement she says the forms are inspired by the female body and the movement of dancers. She works with thrown and altered porcelain. This can be seen here specially around the lip of the top of the teapot, but there are beautifully subtle shadings that are barely visible in the photo. That S-shaped crease along the body and the way it is integrated with the top imparts a fluidity to the form.
 |
| Work by Elaine Coleman |
On the left is a photo of Elaine Coleman's Dragonfly, Leaf, and Lizard tea bowls. Often referred to as the "Celadon Queen" for her mastery with those glazes, her style is noted for fine carving and adding clay to the forms. Her husband, Tom Coleman, is also a renowned potter. They held a well-attended workshop at Craftsman House last year. Ms. Coleman's glazes seem to catch light and hold it.
 |
| Work by Charlie Parker |
Charlie Parker, a St Pete potter whose new studio opening was covered here, has this striped Chino teapot in the show. Rich with watery textures and lines to emphasize them, this teapot, in part due to the angled heavier lines in the design, is almost asking the user to pour.
 |
| Works by Marty Fielding |
 |
| Work by Marty Fielding |
 |
| Work by Stephanie Schorr |
Stephanie Schorr is a St. Pete Potter who is one of the owners of Craftsman House and has a studio on the premises. This Raku teapot is very different from most of the others in the show. Note the cracks in the surface coming up from the base, and the two triads of triangular indents on the surface. Although functional, this one is very sculptural in feel. Purposeful, elegant and austere in an Oriental way
 | |
| Elieen Braun, "Matchstick Teapot" |
Congratulations to all the artists, Craftsman House, and Jeff and Steph Schorr for a memorable show.
Craftsman House is located at 2955 Central Avenue, St. Pete. This show runs through June 30th, but don't wait until the last minute. And when there, try out the cafe.
--- Luis
Third Warehouse District Mural Finished
The third Warehouse District Art Mural is finished. The collaboration between two great muralists in our state, BASK and Tess One consists of oily-looking dinosaurs, one with an x-ray view showing oil pumps, and scrubbing bubbles about cleaning up the mess we've made, of particular relevance in this state, given the Gulf BP Oil spill, and our economic reliance on tourism/oil.
Here's a few close-ups of BASK's half...
A graphically rendered brass spigot with a frozen drop of oil dangling from it, about to drop. Is that a reference to a leak, or about the end of our reliance on oil? The two small circles below are ventilation fans for the Zen Glass workstations inside. BASK's signature can be seen on the lower left. To give a sense of scale, they are about five feet off the ground.
Here at the juncture of the two muralist's work, we can see the drips from the washes of white that BASK threw against the wall and allowed to drip down it. This adds a feeling of the scrubbing bubbles' wash/cleansing. Washes are also found in many of BASK's current paintings. In Eden magazine BASK described dripping these translucent washes onto canvases paid out on his driveway. Here it was done on a vertical wall,
A view of BASK's half of the finished mural. Both Tess One and BASK are curating an upcoming show in June at The Morean Arts Center themed around Street Art.
Here's a few close-ups of BASK's half...
A graphically rendered brass spigot with a frozen drop of oil dangling from it, about to drop. Is that a reference to a leak, or about the end of our reliance on oil? The two small circles below are ventilation fans for the Zen Glass workstations inside. BASK's signature can be seen on the lower left. To give a sense of scale, they are about five feet off the ground.
Here at the juncture of the two muralist's work, we can see the drips from the washes of white that BASK threw against the wall and allowed to drip down it. This adds a feeling of the scrubbing bubbles' wash/cleansing. Washes are also found in many of BASK's current paintings. In Eden magazine BASK described dripping these translucent washes onto canvases paid out on his driveway. Here it was done on a vertical wall,
A view of BASK's half of the finished mural. Both Tess One and BASK are curating an upcoming show in June at The Morean Arts Center themed around Street Art.