Monday, September 30, 2013

Carrie Mae Weems Wins Mac Arthur Genius Prize for 2013

The Mac Arthur Fellowships are among the most coveted. For 2013 they are $625,000 over five years in quarterly installments. This year  only one artist was amongst the winners.

Carrie Mae Weems, a 60 yr old photographer and video installation artist who has focused her work on the cultural legacy of blacks in the U.S.A.


Work by Carrie Mae Weems



Carrie Mae Weems



Congratulations to Carrie Mae Weems.

--- Luis




This Week, Sept 30th, Oct 6th, 2013

Monday, Sept 30th 2013 
_________________________________________________



Spathose Kickstarter - Hey everyone...The Kickstarter is moving along nicely! Thank you to all that continue to support us! Did you know that with Kickstarter we only receive the funds if we reach our goal! We are just over half way there! So please check out our video and contribute what you can…the $8 reward is a fun way to support our project! If we get all 500 places taken we would be almost completely funded! That is the beauty of crowdfunding…many small contributions together makes a huge difference! Stay tuned to updates as we will be adding some cool details to rewards! Again thank you so much for your support! #GRATITUDE
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spathose/sustainable-organic-wearable-sculpture-w-an-indust


 _________________________________________________________
 Translation Lost @ USF William and Nancy Oliver Gallery




an exhibition ft. new works by
ashley ortiz-diaz
monica perez
cheryl weber

in an effort to understand the world around us , we create a language of our own .

@ william & nancy oliver gallery

mon-thurs 10am-3pm
reception fri oct 4 , 7pm-9pm


_____________________________________________________________



From Sept. 30 through Oct. 11, the Centre Gallery at the University of South Florida will host I like it, I’m not gonna crack by Grace Szeja. Visitors to the gallery will encounter various pen on paper self-portraits that document Szeja’s life prior to her clinical depression diagnosis through to adjusting to life on anti-depressants.

Grace Szeja, a native Florida artist, has two Fine Arts degrees—one in Computer Animation and the other in Graphic Design—from Florida Atlantic University. The work featured in this show emphasizes the coping skills Szeja recognizes and uses. She began visual journaling as a way of keeping a creative outlet, as well as an understanding and processing her emotional struggles caused by an undiagnosed mood disorder. Putting pen to paper during panic attacks, low moods, or angry outbursts were a coping skill she used to process and come to terms with her experiences. The show’s main emphasis is Szeja’s realization how much depression was negatively affecting her environment—family, work, and school. After 13 years of struggling unknowingly with clinical depression she uses her artistic skills to raise awareness of mental disorders, in hopes of encouraging others who may also be battling with depression alone to seek help.

Szeja is currently a contributor to the independent zine, Victory, where she writes and illustrates about her experiences with cognitive disorders. In 2012, she completed her first solo graphic novel, “About a Girl”, with the themes of depression and unplanned pregnancy. She also runs the Underground Comic Club and Paint a Masterpiece classes through Tampa Free Skool. She is currently working on a second graphic novel, “Cookery Do!”, and pursuing a Master’s Degree in either Art Therapy or Social Work. Her other passions include growing orchids, tea, training for her first half marathon, and her three-year-old daughter Violet.

DessART, Centre Gallery’s opening reception for this exhibit, will be held on Sept. 30 from 12 – 1pm. The closing reception will be held from 7 – 9pm on Friday, Oct. 11, in the Centre Gallery. The Centre Gallery is located on the second floor of the Marshall Student Center in room 2700, at 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, Fla. It is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are 11am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.

For more information, please contact the Centre Gallery at 813-974-5464.
 


________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, Oct 1st 2013
______________________________________________________________________________



Cuban artists José Toirac and Meira Marrero will speak about their work in a conversation with curator Noel Smith. Toirac and Marrero work in an intensely collaborative manner, combining historical and archival research to reexamine and reposition images and events that have resonance for Cuban culture. In 'Cuba 1869-2006' the artists present portraits of the presidents of Cuba in chronological order, ending with Fidel Castro, Raúl Castro, and an empty nail, raising the question of who will govern Cuba next. Plans to exhibit the installation at the National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, in 2007 were halted by government intervention; the piece was censored.

For more info: 813-974-4133 or http://ira.usf.edu/

For reasonable accommodations, please contact Amy at 813-974-4164



3821 Holly Drive, Tampa, Florida 33620


 ____________________________________________________________________________


Wednesday, Oct 2nd 2013 
____________________________________________________________


Pulp @ HCC Ybor Maze Gallery

PULP at MAZE Gallery, HCC Ybor City Campus
Tampa – Hillsborough Community College invites you to Pulp, a visual art exhibition at MAZE Gallery in the heart of historic Ybor City.

Pulp is an exhibition of paper-based works from HCC art students working in 2D and 3D paper media. The exhibition opens on Wednesday October 2, 2013 with an opening reception from 4:30-6:30PM and runs until Monday, October 21, 2013. Artists roster pending, details to follow.

Pulp is a lignocellulosic fibrous material prepared by separating cellulose fibers from wood, fiber crops or waste paper. Pulp is one of the most abundant raw materials world wide. It is most commonly used as raw material in papermaking and bookmaking, but is also used for textiles, sculpture, clothing and many other creative and constructive projects. We most commonly encounter it ‘finished’ as: paper.

MAZE Gallery at HCC Ybor City Campus -
MAZE Gallery is the newest project from the HCC art department. The gallery will be open to the public throughout the HCC academic year, showcasing art work from HCC students, faculty, and alumni. MAZE is programmed and managed exclusively by the college's Professional Art Practices class and is student driven. As a part of the Professional Art Practices class these students curate, install, and host each event at MAZE Gallery giving each participating student experience and insight into gallery practices.

MAZE Gallery is located at: 2112 Palm Ave. on the Third floor of the Administration Building.

For more information about Pulp or MAZE Gallery visit our Facebook page or contact Tracy Midulla Reller at tmreller@hccfl.edu or 813-253-7752.

Hillsborough Community College serves more than 47,000 students annually on campuses on Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa and in Brandon, Plant City, Ruskin and Ybor City. Hillsborough Community College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

______________________________________________________________________

[This post is still in progress]  

Friday, September 27, 2013

Beautiful Beasties, a Community Stepping Stones Exhibit @ HCC Ybor

[From the Lost Files of the Summer of 2013...]

Community Stepping Stones, "Beautiful Beasties"
Community Stepping Stones (CSS) is located in one of Tampa's poorest neighborhoods in an idyllic setting by the Hillsborough River. They are dedicated to the idea that art heals, and talk about neural pathways etc., but they do not have to sell me. CSS sells itself. I only have to talk with and see the faces of the kids making art at CSS to know this. They are bright, aware and full of hope and love for the future. CSS was founded in 2004 by Ed Ross, a USF Art Instructor, and has grown and served the community ever since.

Community Stepping Stones, "Beautiful Beasties"


For "Beautiful Beasties", the participants studied and researched aspects of the local ecology. This time they studied and researched plankton, including going out into the Bay to physically gather specimens for later study. Out of these observations and intimacy with Nature came the show "Beautiful Beasties" @ HCC Ybor.

Community Stepping Stones, "Beautiful Beasties"


They used upcycled materials for the works in this show. I couldn't help but notice a leap in the quality and inventiveness of the CSS artists with this show. This show deserves to be shown again at any galllery, one of the major aquariums in the state, or in a corporate building lobby.


Community Stepping Stones, "Beautiful Beasties"

Congratulations to the entire crew at CSS, particularly Sigrid Tidmore, Kathleen McCabe, Robert Rorebeck, Ed Ross, Brenda Gregory, Anna Clemens, Joshua and Elisha Edmund, Dominic Ives, Alonzo and Daiairion Jackson, Frankie Jackson, Jonquaisha Maddox, Sarah McCartney, Oniel Mexile, Jacqueline Reyes, Yorimar Saez, Sage Vega, Heidi Boyd, Maricello Calle, Jennifer Fritz, Schemica Georges, Jessica Haferty, Hadley Hansen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Luana Panacek, Lakeema Matthew, and many others, Carolyn Kossar and HCC Ybor for a very good show.

You are not just building artists and good citizens, but forging living works of art. I salute you.



--- Luis




Arts Events Tonight, Friday, 9/27/2013

Through Our Eyes: Midtown and Beyond @ 620

The Studio@620 is proud to host the 11th Annual “Through Our Eyes: Midtown and Beyond” exhibit. On display from Sept. 27-Oct.6, the exhibit showcases 100-photos, multimedia and newspapers from journalism students at Melrose Elementary, John Hopkins Middle and Lakewood High schools. Please join us for the opening night reception on Friday Sept. 27, from 5-8 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.

I have been to these shows before and they have always been great feel-good events and proof that the camera steals, exposes and develops the photographer's soul. 
Opens @ 5:00 PM at 620 1st Ave S. St Pete.
__________________________________________________________

Southern Letterpress Studio Opening - Join The Southern Letterpress and Oma Darlin' Press as we celebrate the opening of our new Florida studio, located at the border of Saint Petersburg & Gulfport, just south of the Pinellas Trail. Check out our new digs and print your very own commemorative keepsake on one of our antique printing presses. And yes, refreshments will be served! We are located at 4903 8th Ave S, Gulfport, FL, 33707, directly behind the Landmark recording studio. See you there! 6-9 PM.
___________________________________________________________


The Robot Exchange @ Sake Bomb -


 

______________________________________________________________________   

Thursday, September 26, 2013

[Theater] David Audet's "Hannah's Whorl"



Most plays take place on a stage, real or improvised, where the performance unfolds before the audience. This one did not. David Audet wrote and produced "Hannah's Whorl" as part of his Cuban Sandwich Festival for 2013. 

Wine glasses













On the surface it is a straightforward story. A local belle, an eddy in the Hillsborough river, a canoe, lost love...then it gets surreal. I am not going to give away any spoilers because I have been informed that this play will be staged again this Fall, which means soon

Sensorial table.


The play is subtitled "A sensorial garden", which is a garden designed to stimulate the senses, something this play does. These gardens are used nowadays as a form of therapy and were used in the Montessori system at one time. The setting for this play was in a large backyard. There were several tables set around the house, with tents under which appetizers were laid out.


David Audet

 A botanist led the playgoers to a table where many sensorial plants were laid out. The audience sniffed, touched and passed these plants around. Our senses were awakened. We were lead down a trail with several stations in which the play unfolded in narrative and revelatory ways in the form of tableaux and performances. In between, there were other stations with examples of local plants whose morphology, relevance and significance our guide elucidated. One soon realized that the plants are metaphorically related to the play.



















Single file, holding our mini flashlights, we traced our way through the garden, one scene after another,  like Hanna in her whorl, in circles, outside of profane time and into mythic time. At the play's end, we partook of a culinary feast. It was an extraordinary and unique theater experience.



























This will be put on again this Fall. I cannot recommend it strongly enough.





Congratulations to David Audet, Frances Brown, Donny, Ruthie Diane, and the large number of people who made this possible.

--- Luis



Wednesday, September 25, 2013

So Hip It Hurts Heinz Hinrich Benefit Concert/Party Sept 28th 2013.

Call for Artists: "Dreams" Show @ Kawah Nov 2nd. 2013




Velva Lee Heraty (Dream Momma) and Life Improvement Radio invite you to tap into your best creative spirit and submit to a month long juried art and photography show titled "Dreams." The show will be at the popular downtown hot spot Kahwa South in St. Petersburg Florida.
We are looking for submissions that depict dreams, a dream state, or something otherworldly. This is a juried show with prizes and extensive media/marketing exposure.
On November 2nd, during the opening reception, there will be a book reading of Dream Momma's new book, "The Dream Belongs to the Dreamer." This will expose your art to the literary world.

Here's what else you need to know.

• "Dreams" will be videotaped with live artist's interviews on site opening night.
• The top three accepted submissions will be featured on the Dream Momma website, Life Improvement Radio website, YouTube, and six social media sites for the duration of the show.
• The top winner will be given an hour interview on the new Life Improvement Radio Show, "Let's Talk Life" hosted by Velva Lee Heraty, aka Dream Momma.
• Panels of other participating artists will be featured on "Let's Talk Life" through May, 2014.
• The winner will be included in any revised additions of the book "The Dream Belongs to the Dreamer."
• Ribbons for the top three art works will be given along with certificates of acceptance to the juried show.
• Free entree into a marketing seminar for all chosen entrants on how to price, promote and sell your art in a venue like Kahwa South.

Submission: (There is room for twenty 16X20 works of art on Kahwa's walls)

• To enter submit a low res (72dpi) image no larger than 1.10mg or 720X518 to dreammomma@gmail.com.
• Deadline for submission is Monday, October 14th at noon.
• Judging will begin promptly at 10:00am Tuesday, October 15th.
• Judges are professional artists and curators from out of state.
• If accepted, image(s) must be framed, unless full wrap canvas, and no larger than 16X20.

• Submissions are limited to three per artist/photographer.

Important other info:

• Upon submission(s) print your full name and e-mail for inclusion in the program.
• You MUST be at Kahwa South Friday, November 1st, at 7:00pm to hang your art or you will not be in the show. Bring your own hooks and tools.
• Your art, whether it is sold or not, must remain on the wall until 7:00pm, Friday, November 29th.
• You MUST remove your art on Friday, November 29th at 7:00pm.
• If you have any questions please reread this page. If your question still isn't answered here please e-mail dreammomma@gmail.com

Good luck everyone. It's going to be a terrific, well-attended show. We look forward to being dazzled by your talent and creativity.

_____________________________________________________________
 

[Straight from Velva Lee Heraty]

Roosevelt 2.0 Closes.

I was saddened to read in today's papers that the Roosevelt 2.0 has closed. The experimental space tried a lot of new ideas that were promising, but in the end, it didn't generate enough revenues to pay the rent.

Pioneers often have severe setbacks, in spite of pushing sound and sustainable futuristic agendas. The indoor spice garden, the natural bar, hippie ambiance, arts supplies and more will be sorely missed by the community. Good luck to all the Rooseveltians in the future!

--- Luis

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Imprisoned Pussy Riot member going on hunger strike.


Member of the female punk band ''Pussy Riot'' Nadezhda Tolokonnikova looks out from a holding cell as she attends a court hearing to appeal for parole at the Supreme Court of Mordovia in Saransk, July 26, 2013. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin
Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova


[From Reuters] Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, currently serving two years in jail for performing a "punk prayer" in a Moscow cathedral in a protest against President Vladimir Putin has announced she is going on a hunger strike against slave labor in "Correction Colony #14. 


"I will do this until the administration starts obeying the law and stops treating incarcerated women like cattle," 

That the Orthodox Church has not acted to free them is a disgrace. Thousands across the world have protested the band's incarceration, including many major reording artists.

 In solidarity with the members of Pussy Riot and all artists oppressed/imprisoned by draconian regimes everywhere,

--- Luis

Monday, September 23, 2013

This Week, Sept 23rd - 29th, 2013.

Fall has officially begun. The doldrums and dog days are behind us. Cooler days, tourist-and-art season will be upon us soon. Yay!

____________________________________________________________________

TUESDAY, SEPT 24th, 2013



Every Tuesday we have Open Figure Drawing at Soft Water Studios. 2, 5, and 20 minute poses. Easels, benches and tables are available. Bring your own paper & supplies. $7 Model Fee.
515 22nd Street South, Saint Petersburg, Florida  6:30-9:00 PM.
_____________________________________________________________

WEDNESDAY, SEPT 25TH, 2013
_____________________________________________________________




11 Obstacles and exploring Nature @ Mahaffey Gallery

Opening reception, Wednesday, September 25, from 6 to 8 p.m.

The Mahaffey Gallery and Creative Clay, Inc. present a joint exhibition featuring the works of professional artists that have participated in Creative Clay's Artlink program. The series of three exhibits featuring five artists begins with the artwork of Zach Christopher, "11 Obstacles," and Judith Salmon, "Exploring Nature."

Christopher's large photographic works are produced entirely from film, while Salmon's work explores the natural environment with a rich combination of acrylic, mixed media, and printmaking.

This event is free and open to the public. The exhibit runs through November 15, 2013.

For more information, please contact Marcy Davidson at Creative Clay Cultural Arts Center, 727 542-8345.

__________________________________________________________________



Join us for $5 Martinis, $3 Craft Beers and .35 cent Wings All Night!

It's iLovetheBurg's Fall Fling at the Hollander Boutique Hotel, this Wednesday, September 25th from 6:30-9pm.

Usher in the cooler season with us by relaxing, socializing, and networking with other St. Petersburg aficionados at this recently restored historic hotel in downtown St. Pete. For one night only, the Hollander is serving all of their week's specials in one night. Enjoy $5 martinis, $3 craft beers, and 35 cent wings.

Admission is free and open to all. Free parking is located behind the hotel.

Be sure to sign up for special giveaways, and so much more at the door. Bring yourself, invite your friends, and be ready for a good time.

See you there!

Your A-team,
the staff of iLovetheburg

___________________________________________________________________________

FRIDAY, SEPT 27th, 2013.
__________________________________________________________________________




The Studio@620 is proud to host the 11th Annual “Through Our Eyes: Midtown and Beyond” exhibit. On display from Sept. 27-Oct.6, the exhibit showcases 100-photos, multimedia and newspapers from journalism students at Melrose Elementary, John Hopkins Middle and Lakewood High schools. Please join us for the opening night reception on Friday Sept. 27, from 5-8 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
________________________________________________________________________________

 ARTOfficial Intelligence II @ Sake Bomb

Art. Music. Robots.

In 1977 earth sent into outer space a spacecraft that played a record containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth. In the late 90's intergalactic robots from a far away world sent a radio transmission to earth in response. At first, this transmission fell upon the ears of a few DJ's in south London- who turned it into a genre of electronic dance music most commonly known as " Dub Step" In 2012 Artists: Zulu Painter decoded the message just months before earth's imminent destruction. The message was clear; that earth must take one day in September to hold an epic art show and dance party to honor the superior robot race. In September of 2012 Zulu painter teamed up with Aurailieus Artist to hold such event and the earth was spared. Come join The one year anniversary of the heroes that stepped up to save planet earth - this year at ARTofficial Intelligence II: The Second Annual St. Pete ROBOT EXCHANGE

$2 dollar entry!


A live performance by Pedro El Poeta Jarquin
And LIVE FOREVER!

Intergalactic robot dance off for a $50 bar tab.

____________________________________________________________________________


SATURDAY, SEPT 28TH, 2013
_____________________________________________________________________________




Victims of Circumstance!
Electric Landlady! (Formerly known as The Stereotypes)
Four Minute Warning!
Broseph Skalin!
69 Fingers?!
The Hoverounds!
SAGANAKI BOMB SQUAD!
YugoSKAvia!
Smash The Pink!
Can't Do It!

Also, food will be provided by the delightful Luis Gonzalez!

$10
Doors at 4, first band at 5

Epic Problem
4215 E Columbus Dr
Tampa, FL
33605
______________________________________________________________




 
Come out Saturday 9/28 5pm-9pm & Sunday 9/29 11am-3pm for a fun outdoor shopping experience and support local artisans! Art, crafts, vintage, jewelry, antiques, and more.

Free to the public to attend - Sellers reserve space at http://www.artpoolgallery.com/

Setup for vendors is from 4-5pm on Saturday 9/28, and 10-11am on Sunday 9/29. Two day vendors may leave there items but ARTpool is not liable or responsible for items left as it is up to the vendor and we do not hold personal insurance for individuals or their products.

Vendors must bring their own table(s), chair, table cloth, all display items. When reserving a Full 10x10 space you are more then welcome to bring a 10x10 pop up tent. The show is outside, don't forget sunscreen.





Marc Black in concert @ Craftsman House
 Saturday, September 28th at 7pm
$15 in advance

"Marc can, and should be an international superstar." -- ABC Radio
___________________________________________________________

SUNDAY, SEPT 29TH, 2013
_____________________________________________________
 
 
 Book Box Opening Celebration - Seminole Heights...
 
Please join us to celebrate the installation of our first Book Box in Seminole Heights, with a casual cook-out and book donation event beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 23.

Look for the new, bright blue box at 1224 E. Frierson Ave. across from Giddens Park. You can park at Giddens Park and walk over. It's the Blue house on the corner!

This addition brings our total to four locations ... and growing! 



mmmm


Saturday, September 21, 2013

Spathos Kickstarter Campaign. Please help.

Spathose Wearable Sculpture! Sustainable, Organic with an Industrial Edge!
Above are fine arts wearable fashion products from Spathos, a company headed by George Medeirons and Scott Durfee, renowned artists in the area and long time friends of Art Taco.

Here is what they are striving for....

  • Expenses to cover our first trade show appearance! Yikes!  
  • Which includes: building an *SPECTACULAR* booth to showcase our  product….Lighting, display cases, large scale photography, catalogs, sales material, show fees and of course inventory!                                                                     
  • Complete rewards to our generous backers, including shipping …not an inexpensive task!
  • Pay fees and of course the Internal Revenue Service …everyone needs to get paid!
  • Purchase materials…we source only American made…harder than you think!
  • Purchase manufacturing production tools…some are just plain tuckered out!
  • Cover costs for new marketing materials…Spathose is ready for their close-up!
  • If we are fortunate to raise more than our target goal, rest assured that these funds will be put to excellent use…more materials, more tools, more marketing materials…more Spathose!

I can vouch for these guys and what they do 100%. Please throw them all the love you can.

Go here [Link]

--- Luis
 


Friday, September 20, 2013

The Condition of Music. "Wire. Paper. Steel": Dominique Laubavie @ HCC Ybor Gallery 221

Dominique Laubavie's work is in museums, collections, towns and cities all over the world. We are fortunate that he (and his wife, Master Printer Erica Greenber-Schneider) currently lives in Tampa and works out of his spacious studio and gallery on Columbus Blvd., Bleu Acier (Blue Steel). Any city benefits from its resident creatives, and this solo show is a perfect example.

Dominique Laubavie, "Magnetic Fields"


 It is a coup, yet not surprising, to have this installation at Gallery 221. Laubavie has a background in philosophy, art history and literature. Bringing this show to an audience mostly composed of Community College members is mainly about education, but also about the artist's egalitarian attitude towards art. Katherine Gibson has been steadily pushing and shaping her HCC Dale Mabry space into a first-rate venue for the arts, becoming one of the best in the area. For Laubavie, Gibson's curation brings a resonant balance between the space and his work, one that is world-class and would stand up in any of the arts capitals around the globe.

"Wire, Paper, Steel" exhibit at HCC Dale Mabry Gallery 221


 The three media in this exhibit are distinct, yet connected by Laubavie's personality and considerable philosophical background. The show consists of a Steel Sculpture titled Flying  Buttress, two large drawings, "Magnetic Fields" and "Notes de Silence", dozens of small wire sculptures, and two smaller drawings.

Dominique Laubavie, "Notes of Silence"


For this artist (as with many) drawing is one of the foundations of his work. During the now-famous talk at the opening, he remarked that drawing was like "...gestures in air....".  These precede the work to come, and guide it, almost like  a conductor does an orchestra. He talked about "a certain fragility" and the resulting elegance. and irony in taking materials (and the artist himself) to their limits.

"Notes of Silence", Detail.

[The artist has referred to the black diamonds as "hole", "grave", "tomb", etc. Here they bridge trapezoidal planes.]

The large drawings involve variations on a theme of two or three forms. Dominique draws analogies between them and music and the qualities of both. He also has a sophisticated symbolic syntax regarding the forms in the drawings that is a narrative resulting from the interaction of  carefully modulated dualities.

Dominique Laubavie, "Flying Buttress".


In "Flying Buttress", there is a narrow steel ellipsis horizontally at the top, supported by thin, ribbon-like pieces (buttresses?) that look homomorphic, as if they were dancers holding the loop en pointe, as high up as possible. Laubavie's cultivated philosophical and literary foundations enter into his sculpture. During his talk he spoke of the Virginia Woolf novel, "The Waves". He referred to an abbreviated form of this quote:

"It is Percival … who makes us aware that these attempts to say, 'I am this, I am that,' which we make, coming together, like separated parts of one body and soul, are false. Something has been left out from fear. Something has been altered, from vanity. We have tried to accentuate differences. From the desire to be separate we have laid stress upon our faults, and what is particular to us. But there is a chain whirling round, round, in a steel-blue circle beneath" (99, italics mine).

 In the sculpture "Flying Buttress", the skeletonized upper loop resembles a bicycle chain, here above the individuals, instead of below, as in the passage from The Waves. The French words for "blue steel" is the same as that of the artist's studio: Bleu Acier. The steel in this work came from the renovation of the Columbus bridge, and there may be some inner reference to this in that the upper loop forms a bridge connecting all the "buttresses".

Dominique Laubavie, Untitled.
 










The back of Gallery 221 has several white, upright Space Oddyssey-like monoliths they call "teeth" behind them are thin shelves holding the third pillar of this show, small sculptures made from the wires holding in the caps of champagne bottles. Some viewers found these problematic because of their diminutive size and humble materials. A friend of mine asked me "How can these be art?". They are art. At the opening night artists' talk, Laubavie casually remarked that they were, in part, included so as to inspire everyman to directly engage in the art of creation. In these small works, ne can see the same concerns expressed in the larger paper and steel works.


Dominique Laubavie, Untitled.




Congratulations to Dominique Laubavie, Katherine Gibson and her staff, and HCC Dale Mabry for a first-rate show.

--- Luis

(This show closes on 9/26. The gallery 221 is on the 2nd floor of the HCC Dale Mabry Library).



Dominique Laubavie, Opening Night.


Dominique Laubavie and Gregg Perkins at Artist's Talk


Dominique Laubavie on opening night.