Friday, March 29, 2013

Taphonomy in the Paleolithic and the Present Moment

[From the blog cognition and culture, which I recommend [Link]....this paragraph caught my eye]

Taphonomy is where the action is
The most important thing to keep in mind when discussing Paleolithic art is the dog that did not (and will not) bark, namely the overwhelming majority of artistic productions for which there is no trace whatsoever. A cardinal sin of cave art interpretation is to ignore taphonony, in other words to mistake the record for the fact - to think that what is central, important and interesting in the available record was the central, important and interesting part of the activity studied. Knowing that Cro-Magnons had the same brains as we do, and assuming that same causes produce similar effects, we can be confident that these people (who dwelt in ingeniously built shelters - emphatically not in caves) wore elaborate clothes, used make up and jewellery, danced, sang, played musical instruments and enjoyed well-crafted narratives. Of all these artistic achievements nothing survives, except a few drawings and paintings in the confines of a few deep caves. We know of rock art because caves preserved pigments - not because it was of any special importance to European Stone Age people.


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In Art Taco, I am very conscious of this, and not in the distant past, but in the present. I do want to show the spaces of art, how artists clothe, bejewel themselves, how they interact, dance, and all the other ephemeral, hard-to-categorize, describe or discuss things. The things that do not make their way into gallery or museum walls, or art books, that are generally not spoken about, are not easily or neatly tied up by non-poetic words, will not fit on pedestals or in crystal-clear plexiglass boxes and cannot be bought and sold. I do not pretend to be able to deal with this living torrent of information/history falling around us like confetti, but know I cannot let it go unnoticed. Perhaps it is frivolous to spend time and energy on such things, maybe I should be focusing on the academic, conventionally accepted definitions of what is suitable for discussing about art, but to me this matters . I am not talking about the Social History of Art, or Marxist models, or the socio-political but the micro-geography of the personal. 

(L. 2 R.), Aurelius, Clint Thomas, Reid Jenkins, Dick Patterson



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Thursday, March 28, 2013

This On the Road Weekend, Mar. 28th - 31st

It's my kind of weather, nice, cool-to-cold and sunny.

The Art Book is doing its 2013 Launch Party @ the Museum of Fine Arts in Saint Pete tonight, Thursday, Mar. 28th. Free admission. If you want to see the Museum, it's $10. 6-9 PM.









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Artist Spotlight @ Empouria -


[Straight from the press release] The Studio@620 is partnering with Empouria to present the "Artist Spotlight Series" featuring artwork by local artists on the walls of Empouria, located at 29 Third Street North in downtown St. Petersburg. Each spotlight exhibition will feature work from one artist who will be on hand during an artist reception to meet with people and talk casually about their work. Each solo spotlight show will be on display approximately one month. This partnership between The Studio and Empouria merges two visions that overlap, blending visual art and the art of beer. Join us at Empouria for this first in the spotlight series and meet the artist on Friday March 29th from 7-9 PM.

Artwork will be on display march 21-april 17, 2013 during Empouria business hours. free admission

Spotlight on Coralette Damme

Coralette Damme has a reputation around St. Petersburg as a printmaker and craftsperson but seldom do people see her paintings so this spotlight will highlight her acrylic on canvas images and give you a deeper insight to Coralette's range of work. Inspired by nature and spiced with a German Expressionist flavor her art is emotive and bold. 
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Compound Eye: Photographs of Venturesome Experiences @ Venture Compound

Compound Eye: Photographs of Venturesome Experiences.
Art Opening Friday, March 29, 2013
In the year since it came into existence, The Venture Compound has become a whole world. For Compound Eye, we collect visions of the world we have created, and of the worlds that have created us. Jim Grinaker, Jonathan Sugarman, and Gretchen Goetzman document life in Venture and lives of venture. Wayne S. Williams and Ben Barrett use the real to construct the surreal, from distorted doubles to postapocalyptic windows.
$5 cover, doors at 8pm.  This art show will run through April 21, 2013.

With Live Music from Just Satellites, Article 47, Kid Aids, The Neighbors
The Venture Compound, 2621Fairfield Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL.
Theventurecompound.com
 
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Poetry Reading & Book signing by Bob Holman @ FMoPA


                                                    FMoPA Box
 ...presents a poetry reading and book signing by:
Bob Holman
Thursday, March 28th at 7:00pm

A Couple of Ways of Doing Something
Photography by Chuck Close . Poetry by Bob Holman
 
Members FREE, Not-Yet Members $10
  
    Bob Holman  
 Bob by Chuck Close
   
Florida Museum of Photographic Arts
400 North Ashley Drive, The Cube, Tampa, FL 33602   813.221.2222 

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Florida Center for Creative Photography Meet-up - Photographers of all levels gather. Speakers, photowalk events, tech. O'Keefe's Family Tavern and Grille. 1219 Ft. Harrison Ave., Clearwater. 9-11 AM Wednesday April 3rd. Free.
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Tampa Museum of Art - The Phillips Collection. Many landmark works of American Painters from the late 1800's to the 20th century. Remember their Art on the House Program. Free admission Fridays 4-8 PM only.
Admission is $10.
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Defending What and Why?




 






Posturers and posers abound in the art world. It is almost required. When someone ridicules art, why would you feel compelled to jump in and defend it? To don armor, lance and joust with the attacker? First, the art has already won. The attacker is not indifferent to it. Instead, he is affected by it. It has entered his consciousness and memory. The art and artist have done their job, even if the viewer has not entirely succumbed to the artist's intent and thinks he is above it.


Art takes care of itself.

Then there is the question of why anyone feels self appointed to be a guardian of art. It is a political move to declare oneself a gatekeeper, an assumption of power and status. A facile move for the wanna-be dominants to grab the high ground. Old-school thinking.







When a matron standing before a Van Gogh exclaims that her precious snowflake "could have done that", it is an unwitting compliment to the painter. More so if they declare that it isn't art. They're admitting that it doesn't fit their preconceptions about art, that it is new, alien and fresh to them. Or when they gasp at how expensive something is. They are defining themselves, not the work.







Art needs no defense, nor educators, critics or bloggers for a viewer to interact with it.



This does not even address what exactly is being defended...or the need for anyone to educate you.



--- Luis

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Seen: Derek Donnelly @ Cuts for Cops

When three Saint Petersburg policemen were gunned down in the line of duty, Billy Hume, owner of Billy's Corner Barber Shop, at 2031 4th St. N.,  came up with the idea of a fundraiser for local charities.

Bill "Woo" Correira used to live paint at this event. It was just something he did out of respect for police. Who would do it this year? Derek Donnelly, of Saint Paint Gallery, stepped up to the plate for his deceased friend.





                            And he painted in Woo's honor, an hommage a Woo, a sea turtle.




                                     Note the tattoo on Derek's wrist, a memento to BC Woo.

Congratulations to all involved in this event, a props to Derek Donnelly for rising to the cause of a friend.

--- Luis

Seen: Small Robot

I photographed this in a neighboring galaxy a long time ago and forgot I had it. It is beautifully done, utilizing an extant feature of the location, integrating it with the work.  To the creator: Nicely done!



--- Luis

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Street Art: Small piece

This one sits in plain view of a busy road in somewhere. Been there for a while, and I thought you should see it.




















---- Luis

Street Art: Christian Thomas @ Urban Gallery

Urban Gallery is a multi-tasking space due to open on April 16th that will be doing Tattoos, Boudoir photos and more. It is located on the 2300 block of Central Ave. and has a huge parking lot. Local muralist Christian Thomas has been working on Urban Gallery for some time. Here are some photos...all work by Christian Thomas.


























Congratulations to Christian Thomas for a standout unconventional mural, and to Urban Gallery for having their building painted into a work of art.

--- Luis
 

Seen/Scene: Sake Bomb, March 2013

Photographs taken at the Sake Bomb recently....


Zulu Painter










John D. Carlucci

From the TV @ the Bomb

Aurelius Artist

Derek Donnelly



Evenings at the Sake Bomb with artists...

--- Luis

 

Compound Eye: Photographs of Venturesome Experiences @ Venture Compound

Compound Eye: Photographs of Venturesome Experiences.
Art Opening Friday, March 29, 2013

In the year since it came into existence, The Venture Compound has become a whole world. For Compound Eye, we collect visions of the world we have created, and of the worlds that have created us. Jim Grinaker, Jonathan Sugarman, and Gretchen Goetzman document life in Venture and lives of venture. Wayne S. Williams and Ben Barrett use the real to construct the surreal, from distorted doubles to postapocalyptic windows.

$5 cover, doors at 8pm.  This art show will run through April 21, 2013.

With Live Music from Just Satellites, Article 47, Kid Aids, The Neighbors



The Venture Compound, 2621Fairfield Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL.
Theventurecompound.com

Poetry Reading & Book signing by Bob Holman @ FMoPA


                                                    FMoPA Box
 ...presents a poetry reading and book signing by:

Bob Holman
Thursday, March 28th at 7:00pm



A Couple of Ways of Doing Something
Photography by Chuck Close . Poetry by Bob Holman
 
Members FREE, Not-Yet Members $10
  
    Bob Holman  
 Bob by Chuck Close
   
Florida Museum of Photographic Arts
400 North Ashley Drive, The Cube, Tampa, FL 33602   813.221.2222 

Friday, March 22, 2013

PCCA Alumni Exhibition @ Morean Arts Center

Morean Arts Center Facade detail.

Pinellas County Center for the Arts: Three Decades, 1984 - 2013 is on exhibit at the Morean. It is nearly impossible to review a show like this and do it justice. There are twelve faculty members, and many more alumni being shown. The work spans three decades.





The PCCA, as it is known, is a magnet school for gifted arts students. It began with Pinellas County school administrator John Blank,  who had the vision for a program to emphasize the arts within the county. Five years later, with lots more people becoming involved, grants secured, and much effort, the program was launched. Three decades and over 10,000 grads later, the PCCA is widely recognized, and a significant per cent of St. Pete's prominent artists are graduates from the program, people like Laura Spencer, Derek Donnelly, Tes One, Reid Jenkins, Jennifer Kosharek, and many, many others.


Morean gallery view.
Looking over the many works in the show, it was obvious that the PCCA trains its students very thoroughly in the craft aspects of their chosen media. From the alumni I personally know, the notions of hard work and creative daring are instilled.

For this show, each alumnus submitted one work, and it had to be no older than five years, and not made while they were a student at PCCA. These are contemporary works.

A few works that caught my attention, in no particular order....


Laurance Miller, "Before the Earth Was Round."


 "Before the Earth Was Round", a wood and forged steel sculpture by Laurance Miller, who as a teacher started the photography program for the PCCA. It is a boat, complete with three galleys of highly stylized oars in sets of threes, and on top a steel snake and seven circles of the same material. The title may refer to that time when the planet was thought to be flat, yet those who navigated it in primitive boats knew better. Why is it so tall, instead of the normal marine boat proportions? There are ten bands of dark wood and in between lighter blonde wood. The general outline is urn-like. The vertical elongation renders this monumental. What are those circles of steel on top?

Mr. Miller passed away about 2 years ago.





Work by Joyce Ely Walker

Joyce Ely Walker taught @ PCCA for 25 years. She paints landscapes en plein air in several locations in the U.S. and Costa Rica. In "Landscape #3, Brushy Creek", on the left, we do not see a conventional landscape, but what seems like more of a botanical. Click on the picture to see it bigger, and you will see that the forms are minimal, nearly abstracted. They connect with each other. This is not so much a literal reproduction of a landscape as it is about a sense of it.














(L. to R.) Joyce Ely Walker, Jennifer Kosharek

Work by Derek Donnelly


Derek Donnelly, whose work and shows have been reviewed here several times, is a painter and the owner of Saint Paint Gallery at 6 6th St. N. St. Pete. A PCCA alumnus, his piece in the show is a self-portrait in the act of painting, from the POV of the canvas. It is hard to see in the lighting in the picture @ left, but this work has a lot of three dimensional elements. The cap, the hand and the brush are built-up. The brush reaches out toward the viewer. Note the determined look in the figure's face, and its asymmetry, particularly around the mouth. This is an artist in the prime of his life, and you are his canvas.







Derek Donnelly


l    
Tes One, PCCA alumnus and well-known artist, primarily for his mural, including two in St. Pete, had this work, titled "Poppy O'Possum" in the show. It is a near-profile of a man in high contrast, giving the face a sculptural look. Behind it are colored squares, diamonds and darts. It reminds me of a Rosenquist that used to hang in the lobby of a bank in Tampa a decade ago in some ways, but far more economical in its execution.








Work by Jennifer Kosharek










Jennifer Kosharek is a high-profile PCCA alumnus, artist, and owner of Eve N Odd Gallery in the Crislip Arcade on the 600 block of Central Ave. St. Pete. This is one of her Gretchens, a recurring figure in many, but by no means all of Ms. Kosharek's work. This one began life during a live paint at a local event. The artist is not averse to multiple perspectives, surreal aspects or the inclusion of text with imagery (or viceversa). She is no stranger to Vispo (visual poetry), and in this work one can see some of that in the writing inside the ghostly koi. The effect is like that of a Greek chorus, resonating from and altering the visuals. The outline of the Gretchen figure is reminiscent of Russian Matryoshka Dolls whose origins are said to come from Japanese Daruma dolls.
Detail of above work
The artist has appropriated the form and redefined it for herself. In the Russian dolls, only the surface of the outermost can be seen. With Gretchen, viewers can see into her. She has no arms to manipulate/interact with her environment, no legs to stand or run on. She almost never smiles. This one is in the form of a hot-air balloon which floats serenely among the clouds. Note the flowers in her head/headress. Below her chin is an angelic-looking face radiating gold and yellow beams (?) onto what  appears to be three small boats precariously perched on red and white waves. In the upper corners there are pink hummingbirds hovering (as they do around flowers), in the basket below the Gretchen "balloon" are two small owls tending to the burners.

 
Congratulations to all the artists, faculty and alumni, and to the Morean, for a very good show. Special Props to the PCCA for enriching the community by training and nurturing so many strong artists!

--- Luis















Seen: Herb Snitzer's New Studio/Gallery

On the 2100 block of Central there is a warren of artists' studios and galleries on the 2nd floor (up 3 flights of stairs). I went there to see photographer Herb Snitzer's new place. There were a lot of people milling around, doing the art dance. Here are a few pictures from that first opening.

Herb Snitzer telling a story about a photo.

Herb Snitzer prints.


Boxed Herb Snitzer prints


In the gallery.


Herb Snitzer.


It was great to see Herb Snitzer, renowned ex-LIFE magazine photographer in his new space. I consider Herb one of our cultural treasures.

--- Luis

Thursday, March 21, 2013

This Spring Break Weekend, March 21st-24th


I don't know anythingabout this other than Tampa artist/architect Mishou Sanchez has something going on over there. 

March 23 & 24, 2013
10:00 - 5:00
Welcome to the 5th Annual Winthrop Arts Festival (WAF).  This year’s arts festival, located at the Winthrop Town Centre in the Riverview / Brandon area, will showcase the work of one hundred artists, in categories ranging from oil paintings to ceramics to jewelry, with musical entertainment provided by local musicians and schools.
Come join us for a delightful day at the Winthrop Arts Festival 2013!
  
      
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Over at FMOPA, a real spoken word treat: Bob Holman poetry reading....

Poetry Reading &
Book Signing

by Bob Holman
  
Thursday, March 28th
7:00pm
  
Readings from:
A Couple of Ways of Doing Something


Photo of Bob Holman by Chuck Close
Members Free, Not-Yet Me



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Also at FMoPA....CL's Visions Contest Winners....

Creative Loafing's VISIONS Photo Contest selections will be on display in the Community Gallery, and two winners (Judges' selection and Readers' choice) will be announced and awarded $300 each!

Thursday, March 21, 6 - 8 p.m.
Florida Museum of Photographic Arts
The Cube at Rivergate Plaza; 400 N. Ashley Drive; Tampa, Florida 33602; 813-221-2222
All Ages; $10 at the door (Suggested donation), complimentary beer and wine.


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Game on @ Blue Lucy -

An exhibit inspired by Arcade, Pinball and Board Games.

Artists participating: Johannah O'Donnell, Andrew Johnson, Adam T, Adriaan Mol, Dan Lasata, CyberCraft Robots, Theresa Crout, Daniel Mrgan, Lauren Rasch, Rasta, Joanna Ledingham, Roman Black, Aurailieus, Sue Woodall, John Hutcherson, Dylan Marvin, Coralette Damme, Phillip Clark, RJ Runas, W Herb Clark, Jenipher Chandley, Jennifer Kosharek, Jason Ault, Samuel South, Kristi Capone, Adam Graham, Erin Mallory, Chad Mize, Jesse Kiebzak, Koofboy Designs, and 8BIT.

Exhibit runs 03.23.13 - 04.13.13

Gallery hours: Friday 5-9PM & Saturday 4-9PM
Indie Market Hours for Saturday April 6th are 12-6PM.


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Crafty Fest @ Artpool - A market for cool stuff at Marina Williams' ARTPOOL. The cafe over there is good, too. Free admission. 2030 Central Ave, St. Pete. Open 10 AM to 5 PM Saturday Mar. 23rd and Sunday Mar 24th.
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Steampunk Modeling/Photo Event - Xanthia and her Florida Modeling Network are having a Steampunk Photo shoot.

Time: Saturday Mar. 23rd from 12pm to 6pm
TAMPA FMN "Steampunk Theme" Photo EventLocation: RBC The Natural Meeting Place The Clothing-Optional Live in Artist Community and RV Resort / Photo Video studio.
Street: 6901 Caliente Blvd
City/Town: Land O Lakes
Website or Map: http://www.NaturallyNude.com
Phone: 720 339 7502
Event Type: industrial, theme, photo, event
Organized By: XZanthia FMN Founder
Latest Activity: Jan 29, 2012

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Suzanne Figures: Photography by Suzanne Camp Crosby @ HCC Dale Mabry - A retrospective show of this esteemed photographer's work. Show opens Thursday, March 21st, 5-7 PM. artist talks @ 6:00 PM. Through May 2nd. HCC Dale Mabry, 4001 W. Tampa Bay Blvd. Above the library. Free admission. Goodies on opening night.

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  [Post in Process]


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