Point-and-Shoot Yourself @ Pale Horse - Participate by becoming part of the exhibit at Pale Horse Design by posing with scary figures and joining in the show. Artists Aziritt, Casy Paquet, Chase Donald, Allen Leper Hampton and Chris Parks have pooled their talents for an unusual event. Self-portraits, pictures of a road trip, and more.
Saturday, Oct 30th, 7 PM - 11 PM. Pale Horse Gallery, 611 Central Ave, St Pete, Free. 727.823.6702
palehorsedesign.com
[I am going to be unable to attend this event and others due to a prior party commitment and need someone going there to volunteer to guest blog it. You will get credit. If interested, please let me know (and send me your email address, please) ASAP]
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Glow Show @ Blue Lucy - Glowing work by Chad Mize and Philip Clark.
Oct 30th, 7PM - 11PM 653 Central Avenue St. Petersburg. Costumes welcome. Free.
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Pipe Dreams @ Collective Gallery - Glass "tobacco-only" pipes show. Glass blowing exhibition.
Saturday, Oct 30th, Collective Gallery, 601 Central Ave. St Petersburg. 727.851.6767 Free.
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Under The Bed @ Artful Living - Find out what lies down there among the dust bunnies and missing undies.
Friday, Oct Artful Living, 1100 1st Ave N. St Petersburg. Free. 727.827.1888
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Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
2011 TED Prize goes to Guerrilla Artist J R
His work is illegal. The street is his canvas, but he is a photographer guerrilla artist. He is fiercely independent and has no sponsors. His helpers are all volunteers, and he is the 2011 winner of the TED Prize.
"I see that joy is coming to the world"
--- One of J R's subjects upon seeing the completed work.
The TED conference and lectures announced last week its $100,000 USD prize for 2011 will go to the French Guerrilla Street Photographer J R, whose work consists of installations of very large prints of portraits taken of people living in impoverished communities en situ.
J R, who first photographed graffiti artists in France, held that fire and has worked in Kenya, where he showed the faces of the poor using as a canvas the places where they live. He's done the same in the favelas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Joined Israeli and Palestinian faces on the Wall. He remains anonymous because, as he's said: “I’ve been arrested, deported and that’s why I stay anonymous behind my initials. For me the action needs to be illegal”.
You can see a documentary about him at work in Kenya here.
The winner gets to "make a wish" and devote the money to a humanitarian project, which usually end up eliciting other donations from TED's sponsors and supporters.
Bravo to J R for his work and the courage it has taken to make it happen, and Bravo to TED for this year's choice.
--- Luis
PS. J R is currently working in Shanghai, putting up pictures of people living in neighborhoods about to be torn down to make way for the current prosperity there.
"I see that joy is coming to the world"
--- One of J R's subjects upon seeing the completed work.
The TED conference and lectures announced last week its $100,000 USD prize for 2011 will go to the French Guerrilla Street Photographer J R, whose work consists of installations of very large prints of portraits taken of people living in impoverished communities en situ.
J R, who first photographed graffiti artists in France, held that fire and has worked in Kenya, where he showed the faces of the poor using as a canvas the places where they live. He's done the same in the favelas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Joined Israeli and Palestinian faces on the Wall. He remains anonymous because, as he's said: “I’ve been arrested, deported and that’s why I stay anonymous behind my initials. For me the action needs to be illegal”.
You can see a documentary about him at work in Kenya here.
The winner gets to "make a wish" and devote the money to a humanitarian project, which usually end up eliciting other donations from TED's sponsors and supporters.
Bravo to J R for his work and the courage it has taken to make it happen, and Bravo to TED for this year's choice.
--- Luis
PS. J R is currently working in Shanghai, putting up pictures of people living in neighborhoods about to be torn down to make way for the current prosperity there.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Two American Impressionist Shows: A Golden Opportunity.
According to surveys, Impressionism is the favorite art movement of 80% of American museum-goers. Coincidentally, we have two shows of American Impressionists, one on either side of the Bay. The Tampa Museum (TMA) has "American Impressionists In The Garden", The Museum of Fine Arts in St Pete (MFA) has "American Impressionists".
The name of the movement comes from a particular painting by Claude Monet titled "Impression, Soleil Levant" (Impression Sunrise) from 1872. See here. For a little background on the movement, click here. From painting, it spread into sculpture and literature. In part, it was a reaction against the art of the day and to the then-infant juggernaut of photography.
After the Civil War, wealthy Americans, including many who had made fortunes from the conflict, traveled to Europe and returned with the requisite signifiers of European Art and sophistication. They encountered Impressionism and reacted with the same disgust the European establishment did. Eventually American painter Mary Cassat went to Europe, recognized its value, was accepted into the ranks, and the rest is history.
The show at the St. Pete Museum of Fine Arts is about an earlier part of the movement, when Impresionists were painting plein air in the wilderness, or more to the point, on the edge of it. One can see signs of man creeping into the landscapes shown. There's a number of works by the Taos painters well worth seeing. That show has only one or two paintings of gardens.
It is at this junction in time that you can cross the Bay and go to the Tampa Museum and see what happened next: American Impressionists in the Garden.
A rare and wonderful opportunity to see a wide range of American Impresionists over a good span of time.
Perhaps one reason why the Impressionist style is so popular is that neuroscientists have discovered that fuzzy images not only require more processing for the eye to interpret, but they take a different neural path, initially sending the signal into the amygdala and the lower brain, directly into the seat of the emotions.
This pair of shows is best seen sequentially, on the same day, or a day apart. Tampa Museum,
Museum hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, and Fri from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Thurs from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; and Sat and Sun from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Museum location: The new Tampa Museum of Art is located in downtown Tampa on the Hillsborough river at 120 W. Gasparilla Plaza.
Museum of Fine Arts, Last entry admission sold 45 minutes prior to Museum closing
Tuesday through Saturday - 10am to 5pm
Sunday - 1pm to 5pm
Monday - CLOSED
Address
255 Beach Dr. N.E.
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
--- Luis
The name of the movement comes from a particular painting by Claude Monet titled "Impression, Soleil Levant" (Impression Sunrise) from 1872. See here. For a little background on the movement, click here. From painting, it spread into sculpture and literature. In part, it was a reaction against the art of the day and to the then-infant juggernaut of photography.
After the Civil War, wealthy Americans, including many who had made fortunes from the conflict, traveled to Europe and returned with the requisite signifiers of European Art and sophistication. They encountered Impressionism and reacted with the same disgust the European establishment did. Eventually American painter Mary Cassat went to Europe, recognized its value, was accepted into the ranks, and the rest is history.
The show at the St. Pete Museum of Fine Arts is about an earlier part of the movement, when Impresionists were painting plein air in the wilderness, or more to the point, on the edge of it. One can see signs of man creeping into the landscapes shown. There's a number of works by the Taos painters well worth seeing. That show has only one or two paintings of gardens.
It is at this junction in time that you can cross the Bay and go to the Tampa Museum and see what happened next: American Impressionists in the Garden.
A rare and wonderful opportunity to see a wide range of American Impresionists over a good span of time.
Perhaps one reason why the Impressionist style is so popular is that neuroscientists have discovered that fuzzy images not only require more processing for the eye to interpret, but they take a different neural path, initially sending the signal into the amygdala and the lower brain, directly into the seat of the emotions.
This pair of shows is best seen sequentially, on the same day, or a day apart. Tampa Museum,
Museum hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, and Fri from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Thurs from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; and Sat and Sun from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Museum location: The new Tampa Museum of Art is located in downtown Tampa on the Hillsborough river at 120 W. Gasparilla Plaza.
Museum of Fine Arts, Last entry admission sold 45 minutes prior to Museum closing
Tuesday through Saturday - 10am to 5pm
Sunday - 1pm to 5pm
Monday - CLOSED
Address
255 Beach Dr. N.E.
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
--- Luis
This Weekend, Oct 22nd - 24th
Spoken Word/Open Mic @ Cafe Bohemia and Cafe Hey - Cafe Bohemia's laid-back open mic night is Thursday, Oct 21st, at 937 Central Ave, St Petersburg Starts around 8-8:30. Cafe Hey also has its open Mic Thursday,Oct 21st, and it is quite a spirited group. Starts at 7PM goes to 9PM at Cafe Hey, 1540 N. Franklin (just on the N. side of the interstate) Tampa.
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Art After Dark @ Tampa Museum - This is one of Tampa's great mixers/Art parties, and this one is titled "Dios Mio" (My God) themed around El Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). There will be salsa music, ofrendas, a community altar, parade, giant puppets and more.
8 PM Friday, Oct 22nd, Tampa Museum, 120 Gasparilla Drive, Tampa. $10 for non-members, free for museum members.
tampamuseum.org
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Body Cavity @ Centre Gallery - Paintings by Kallie LaFave and Heather Mahoney, on the female body.
Opening reception Friday Oct 22nd, 7-9 PM @ Phyllis P. Marshall Center, USF Tampa. 4202 Fowler Ave. 813.974.5464. Parking is $5. Runs through Oct 29.
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Members Show @ Salt Creek Artworks - The many talented members of Salt Creek Artworks, hopefully including our own Louis Girard, will be exhibiting at this vast space.
Exhibit runs from Friday Oct 22nd to Nov. 13th. 1600 4th St. South, St Petersburg. 727.894.2653
_____________________
Faculty Show @ Scarfone/Martley Gallery - 30 major works by UT faculty in several media.
Opening reception Fri, Oct 22, 7-9 PM. R.K. Bailey Art Studios, University of Tampa, 310 N. Boulevard, Tampa.
utampa.edu
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Upcycle Art Series I @ Singing Stone Gallery - Solo show by Leigh Robinson. Opening on Sat, Oct 23rd, 10 AM-2PM 1903 N 19th St. Tampa.
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St Pete Festival of Reading - Plenty of authors, readings, and much more. Saturday, Oct 23rd, USF ST Petersburg Campus. Free.
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Cuban Artist Ernesto Piloto @ Ybor HCC Art Gallery - Mixed media drawings. Gallery at Corner of Palm Ave. & Republica de Cuba (AKA 14th st) Ybor City, Tampa.Hrs 10AM-4PM Mon & Wed-Friday. 12 noon - 7PM on Tuesdays.
_______________________
Clay Games IV - Clay potters compete to be crowned "Clay Champion of the World" (no less). Sunday at high noon. Free Craftsman House, 2955 Central Ave St. Pete.
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___________________________
Art After Dark @ Tampa Museum - This is one of Tampa's great mixers/Art parties, and this one is titled "Dios Mio" (My God) themed around El Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). There will be salsa music, ofrendas, a community altar, parade, giant puppets and more.
8 PM Friday, Oct 22nd, Tampa Museum, 120 Gasparilla Drive, Tampa. $10 for non-members, free for museum members.
tampamuseum.org
______________________
Body Cavity @ Centre Gallery - Paintings by Kallie LaFave and Heather Mahoney, on the female body.
Opening reception Friday Oct 22nd, 7-9 PM @ Phyllis P. Marshall Center, USF Tampa. 4202 Fowler Ave. 813.974.5464. Parking is $5. Runs through Oct 29.
______________________
Members Show @ Salt Creek Artworks - The many talented members of Salt Creek Artworks, hopefully including our own Louis Girard, will be exhibiting at this vast space.
Exhibit runs from Friday Oct 22nd to Nov. 13th. 1600 4th St. South, St Petersburg. 727.894.2653
_____________________
Faculty Show @ Scarfone/Martley Gallery - 30 major works by UT faculty in several media.
Opening reception Fri, Oct 22, 7-9 PM. R.K. Bailey Art Studios, University of Tampa, 310 N. Boulevard, Tampa.
utampa.edu
_____________________
Upcycle Art Series I @ Singing Stone Gallery - Solo show by Leigh Robinson. Opening on Sat, Oct 23rd, 10 AM-2PM 1903 N 19th St. Tampa.
_____________________
St Pete Festival of Reading - Plenty of authors, readings, and much more. Saturday, Oct 23rd, USF ST Petersburg Campus. Free.
_______________________
Cuban Artist Ernesto Piloto @ Ybor HCC Art Gallery - Mixed media drawings. Gallery at Corner of Palm Ave. & Republica de Cuba (AKA 14th st) Ybor City, Tampa.Hrs 10AM-4PM Mon & Wed-Friday. 12 noon - 7PM on Tuesdays.
_______________________
Clay Games IV - Clay potters compete to be crowned "Clay Champion of the World" (no less). Sunday at high noon. Free Craftsman House, 2955 Central Ave St. Pete.
_________________________
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Imperial Tectonics: Transformations I & II @ Mindy Solomon Gallery and The Morean Arts Center. Part III.
Transformations I consists of work by Theo Wujcik and Wanxin Zhang at the Morean Arts Center on the same complex theme as that previously addressed hanging in the Mindy Solomon Gallery in Parts I & II.
The first thing that strikes the viewer of the Transformations I at the Morean Arts Center is how well this show is curated by Mindy Solomon. The sequencing and spacing of the works is first-rate -- and major-museum quality. Having the extra floorspace to work with gave her a chance to show her considerable creativity.
Theo Wujcik's "Imperial Jade Quarter Pounder With Cheese", seen here. It's the all-too-familiar greasy burger US icon, appropriated and transformed by depicting it in Imperial Jade, a mineral that is or was more prized than gold in China. This is fusion between Chinese and US icons -- and values. Wujcik's work incisively explores the fault lines of art between these two Empires on many levels. He talks about a shift from NYC to Shanghai, China as the arts capital of the world.
Theo mentions an essay by Richard Vine, the Asian editor for Art in America, who has been writing about Chinese art for over a decade, illuminating Western arts consciousness via his articles and reviews. Rather than focus continually on some of the significant problems in the Chinese art scene, like lack of infrastructure in a fast-growing economy, and that galleries pay writers to write positive articles on their artists, Vine has emphasized the art and artists there.
Theo does too, in this show with portraits of Zhang Huan and Cai Cuo Qiang. This is something Theo has done before in one of his earliest series, "Mentors" (referenced in this article in Part I) and "Breaking with the Past" (2004) series. There are three portraits of iconic Chinese artist Zhang Huan in this show. One of them is "Berlin Buddha", a large painting, referring to an aluminum mold/sculpture in which the figure of the Buddha is dry-cast using ashes. In the installation, the two are placed facing each other. See here. The ashen one quickly erodes away, while the metal mold remains unchanged. Theo shows the ashen Buddha eroded, and Zhang's head is to the viewer's left, looking out the 4th wall. There is another painting of Mr. Huan, a portrait of his head titled "Zhang Huan 2010", in which he looks a little monk-ish. The third, is from a performance piece where Mr. Huan wore a (real) meat suit, and looking like a grotesque super-hero, ran down the streets of Manhattan, ending the performance by releasing white doves. Symbols of spiritual and physical strength? Theo emphasizes the superhuman aspects (brings to mind the inverse of a lucha libre wrestler) through a comic-book aesthetic. There is a very personal painting in this show titled "Artist/Artist's studio" of tendrils of smoke coming from a lit cigarette.
Wanxin Zhang has several clay sculptures in this show. One is titked "Wind Mark (Masked Man)" in which one of his warriors wears a jacket and a scarf (?) and what looks like striped prison pants. There is a disembodied ghostly white hand over the statue's head, on his right side, and it has placed an amorphous white mask over his face. Whiteface in a new context? Cultural identity pressure?
"Poet of the Battlefield" is a bespectacled warrior, this one in an peachy-orange glaze, head tilted back, mouth open, as if reciting a poem, his hands clasped around his abdomen, wearing a tie over his armor.
Wanxin has a clear self-portrait here. He is wearing a denim jacket on the back of which it reads in orange-red: "California Artist Too".
Identity, humans and art caught in the tectonics of empires and ensuing cultural diffusion. The exchanges between East and West are generating a fusion of styles and aesthetics.
New York or Shanghai? Zhang Huan isn't waiting, he has a studio in each city.
Congratulations to Mindy Solomon and the Morean for a memorable collaboration on this show (or shows).
--- Luis
The first thing that strikes the viewer of the Transformations I at the Morean Arts Center is how well this show is curated by Mindy Solomon. The sequencing and spacing of the works is first-rate -- and major-museum quality. Having the extra floorspace to work with gave her a chance to show her considerable creativity.
Theo Wujcik's "Imperial Jade Quarter Pounder With Cheese", seen here. It's the all-too-familiar greasy burger US icon, appropriated and transformed by depicting it in Imperial Jade, a mineral that is or was more prized than gold in China. This is fusion between Chinese and US icons -- and values. Wujcik's work incisively explores the fault lines of art between these two Empires on many levels. He talks about a shift from NYC to Shanghai, China as the arts capital of the world.
Theo mentions an essay by Richard Vine, the Asian editor for Art in America, who has been writing about Chinese art for over a decade, illuminating Western arts consciousness via his articles and reviews. Rather than focus continually on some of the significant problems in the Chinese art scene, like lack of infrastructure in a fast-growing economy, and that galleries pay writers to write positive articles on their artists, Vine has emphasized the art and artists there.
Theo does too, in this show with portraits of Zhang Huan and Cai Cuo Qiang. This is something Theo has done before in one of his earliest series, "Mentors" (referenced in this article in Part I) and "Breaking with the Past" (2004) series. There are three portraits of iconic Chinese artist Zhang Huan in this show. One of them is "Berlin Buddha", a large painting, referring to an aluminum mold/sculpture in which the figure of the Buddha is dry-cast using ashes. In the installation, the two are placed facing each other. See here. The ashen one quickly erodes away, while the metal mold remains unchanged. Theo shows the ashen Buddha eroded, and Zhang's head is to the viewer's left, looking out the 4th wall. There is another painting of Mr. Huan, a portrait of his head titled "Zhang Huan 2010", in which he looks a little monk-ish. The third, is from a performance piece where Mr. Huan wore a (real) meat suit, and looking like a grotesque super-hero, ran down the streets of Manhattan, ending the performance by releasing white doves. Symbols of spiritual and physical strength? Theo emphasizes the superhuman aspects (brings to mind the inverse of a lucha libre wrestler) through a comic-book aesthetic. There is a very personal painting in this show titled "Artist/Artist's studio" of tendrils of smoke coming from a lit cigarette.
Wanxin Zhang has several clay sculptures in this show. One is titked "Wind Mark (Masked Man)" in which one of his warriors wears a jacket and a scarf (?) and what looks like striped prison pants. There is a disembodied ghostly white hand over the statue's head, on his right side, and it has placed an amorphous white mask over his face. Whiteface in a new context? Cultural identity pressure?
"Poet of the Battlefield" is a bespectacled warrior, this one in an peachy-orange glaze, head tilted back, mouth open, as if reciting a poem, his hands clasped around his abdomen, wearing a tie over his armor.
Wanxin has a clear self-portrait here. He is wearing a denim jacket on the back of which it reads in orange-red: "California Artist Too".
Identity, humans and art caught in the tectonics of empires and ensuing cultural diffusion. The exchanges between East and West are generating a fusion of styles and aesthetics.
New York or Shanghai? Zhang Huan isn't waiting, he has a studio in each city.
Congratulations to Mindy Solomon and the Morean for a memorable collaboration on this show (or shows).
--- Luis
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Imperial Tectonics: Transformations I & II @ Mindy Solomon Gallery and The Morean Arts Center. Part I (of Three).
On Sept 4th, 476, Germanic tribes toppled the Roman Empire. They conquered the weakened prize, beating the once-greatest army in the Western World. They did not simply impose their culture on the Romans, but mostly adopted the language, laws, garb, and technology of the people they defeated. Defeat in the material sense doesn't always result in the culture of the defeated vanishing or being superseded.
The cultural tectonics of clashing empires have complex, interleaving dynamics. This is happening today as the Chinese, whose communist government is keeping American capitalism afloat, economically colonize the US. This is one of the central themes of Transformation II at the Mindy Solomon Gallery (MSG), and its accompanying show, Transformation I, also curated by Ms. Solomon, at the Morean Arts Center. They're close enough that they could be considered aspects of a binary show.
Theo Wujcik is an influential artist and local legend who has consistently grown and evolved during his four decade-long career. He was a Master Printer at Tamarind, Detroit Lithography Workshop, became shop manager for USF's Graphicstudio, then a professor there. Portraits of artists he admired done in silverpoint, which is an exacting technique, brought him national attention. Some can be seen here and here. In 1979, after a divorce and immersion in the local punk culture, he co-founded Mododado with several local artists, which used painted constructions of found objects, often combined with performance art. This lasted a few years, after which, inspired by the ubiquitous chain-link fencing found in the area at the time, in 1984 Theo incorporated this into a seminal painting called Tampa Tornado that would prove to be the first of many with this motif. There were paintings influenced by Art History, a later return to the chainlink style, personal and contemporary themes, like global warming. which can be seen here. Theo told me he began the Asian Invasion series, which comprises most of his work shown in Transformations I&II about two years ago.
In the show at the MSG, there are three paintings with circles and abstractions within their circumference. Two are singlets, one, titled Chinese Love Poem is a double set. See it here. Theo told me he was getting ready to paint, looked down into the open cans of paint and saw figures in the paint. This is remarkable. It reminds me of Michaelangelo saying: "I saw the angel in the marble".
There is a method of divination called scrying, in which one 'sees' by looking into different media, including liquids. The Chinese practiced this by looking into round crystal balls.
There's another painting in the MSG, along the wall opposite the windows facing the street [name?]. It is one of those non-hierarchical space pieces of Theo's that has the overall shape of a figure in stacked compositional elements. There's a large hand reaching in from the bottom, grabbing the figure by the genital area. A wry comment on the position Americans find themselves with China?
The First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang (259-210BC) defeated all the feudal kingdoms, fusing them into a unified China. He also built the Great Wall of China, burned books, and once buried alive an army of 460 scholars whose crime it was to have owned forbidden books. Qin spent much time and money seeking immortality, unintentionally settling Japan, but he hedged his bets by building a city-sized mausoleum, still largely unexcavated to this day, complete with representations of heaven and earth, 100 rivers filled with mercury, and to protect it all, 8,000 slightly larger than life-size soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, all in ceramic, constructed modularly, with individual facial features. See here.
Wanxin Zhang had already graduated from the Art School in Jilin, in China when he first saw the terra cotta army en situ, in 1983. There were four pits excavated at the time, and he titled his recontextualization of these figures "Pit #5", giving his work its own sense of identity. In 1992, Wanxin and his family migrated to San Francisco. There he studied with Peter Voulkos, who along with James Melchert, and Harold Paris sparked Funk Art. This art movement is characterized by its concerns for social responsibility via bringing together of disparate elements, conffrontationally, often with humor and irony.
There are four Warriors facing the windows at the MSG. See here. Starting from the viewer's left, is "Wintergreen", a warrior who is also a seasoned traveler, complete with his backpack and bedroll on top. He is at ease, and brings back the boon learned on his journeys. If you look closely (bring the reading glasses) it is written all over him. Next to him stands "Fatherhood", a warrior carrying a Mickey-Mouse ear-wearing baby on his chest. To his left is "Expert", a learned man, intensely focused. At the end is a Warrior titled "Trinoculars", wearing binoculars with a third lens, perhaps for the Third Eye? Is this the Wise Man?
There are also smaller versions of these soldiers. One that caught my eye was that of Mao, holding a Chinese Red baby up towards heaven.
Wanxin has brought out the warriors into the present and the rigors of peacetime and living a fully human life in today's world. The effect is that of a dual typology, of simultaneously seeing the juxtaposition of the militaristic rigidity of the originals with the complex and fluid dynamics of living in the present.
--- Luis
PS. Last, but not least, Art Taco would like to wish the Mindy Solomon Gallery a very Happy First Birthday. Wishing you many more and may all your birthday wishes come true. It's been a stellar year.
The cultural tectonics of clashing empires have complex, interleaving dynamics. This is happening today as the Chinese, whose communist government is keeping American capitalism afloat, economically colonize the US. This is one of the central themes of Transformation II at the Mindy Solomon Gallery (MSG), and its accompanying show, Transformation I, also curated by Ms. Solomon, at the Morean Arts Center. They're close enough that they could be considered aspects of a binary show.
Theo Wujcik is an influential artist and local legend who has consistently grown and evolved during his four decade-long career. He was a Master Printer at Tamarind, Detroit Lithography Workshop, became shop manager for USF's Graphicstudio, then a professor there. Portraits of artists he admired done in silverpoint, which is an exacting technique, brought him national attention. Some can be seen here and here. In 1979, after a divorce and immersion in the local punk culture, he co-founded Mododado with several local artists, which used painted constructions of found objects, often combined with performance art. This lasted a few years, after which, inspired by the ubiquitous chain-link fencing found in the area at the time, in 1984 Theo incorporated this into a seminal painting called Tampa Tornado that would prove to be the first of many with this motif. There were paintings influenced by Art History, a later return to the chainlink style, personal and contemporary themes, like global warming. which can be seen here. Theo told me he began the Asian Invasion series, which comprises most of his work shown in Transformations I&II about two years ago.
In the show at the MSG, there are three paintings with circles and abstractions within their circumference. Two are singlets, one, titled Chinese Love Poem is a double set. See it here. Theo told me he was getting ready to paint, looked down into the open cans of paint and saw figures in the paint. This is remarkable. It reminds me of Michaelangelo saying: "I saw the angel in the marble".
There is a method of divination called scrying, in which one 'sees' by looking into different media, including liquids. The Chinese practiced this by looking into round crystal balls.
There's another painting in the MSG, along the wall opposite the windows facing the street [name?]. It is one of those non-hierarchical space pieces of Theo's that has the overall shape of a figure in stacked compositional elements. There's a large hand reaching in from the bottom, grabbing the figure by the genital area. A wry comment on the position Americans find themselves with China?
The First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang (259-210BC) defeated all the feudal kingdoms, fusing them into a unified China. He also built the Great Wall of China, burned books, and once buried alive an army of 460 scholars whose crime it was to have owned forbidden books. Qin spent much time and money seeking immortality, unintentionally settling Japan, but he hedged his bets by building a city-sized mausoleum, still largely unexcavated to this day, complete with representations of heaven and earth, 100 rivers filled with mercury, and to protect it all, 8,000 slightly larger than life-size soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, all in ceramic, constructed modularly, with individual facial features. See here.
Wanxin Zhang had already graduated from the Art School in Jilin, in China when he first saw the terra cotta army en situ, in 1983. There were four pits excavated at the time, and he titled his recontextualization of these figures "Pit #5", giving his work its own sense of identity. In 1992, Wanxin and his family migrated to San Francisco. There he studied with Peter Voulkos, who along with James Melchert, and Harold Paris sparked Funk Art. This art movement is characterized by its concerns for social responsibility via bringing together of disparate elements, conffrontationally, often with humor and irony.
There are four Warriors facing the windows at the MSG. See here. Starting from the viewer's left, is "Wintergreen", a warrior who is also a seasoned traveler, complete with his backpack and bedroll on top. He is at ease, and brings back the boon learned on his journeys. If you look closely (bring the reading glasses) it is written all over him. Next to him stands "Fatherhood", a warrior carrying a Mickey-Mouse ear-wearing baby on his chest. To his left is "Expert", a learned man, intensely focused. At the end is a Warrior titled "Trinoculars", wearing binoculars with a third lens, perhaps for the Third Eye? Is this the Wise Man?
There are also smaller versions of these soldiers. One that caught my eye was that of Mao, holding a Chinese Red baby up towards heaven.
Wanxin has brought out the warriors into the present and the rigors of peacetime and living a fully human life in today's world. The effect is that of a dual typology, of simultaneously seeing the juxtaposition of the militaristic rigidity of the originals with the complex and fluid dynamics of living in the present.
--- Luis
PS. Last, but not least, Art Taco would like to wish the Mindy Solomon Gallery a very Happy First Birthday. Wishing you many more and may all your birthday wishes come true. It's been a stellar year.
Refractory @ Tampa Armature Works
The Old Trolley Barn, where Tampa trolleys were maintained is on the banks of the Hillsbrough River, across from Blake High School. It's a huge space, divided into three long rectangular spaces. Saturday Oct. 15th, the Refractory, a collaborative of well known Tampa Bay cultural activists including Ken Cowart, Joe Griffith, and T. Hampton Dohrman with assistance from Adam Kitzerow, Gregory Green and Ellen Mueller, put on a spectacular multi-media art exhibition and party there which I attended.
There must have been around a dozen or more projected video loops going on simultaneously. The effect was sensory overload of the best kind, defying analysis, loosening a torrent of emotions. People, myself included, walked around entranced in a space walled by moving imagery from artists like Robert Chambers, Genesis P. Orridge, Negativland, Spanky and Maureen Hudas, Richard Kern, Gerhardt Gruen, James Johnson, Clem Crowder, FaFa, Gean Moreno, Michael LeMieux, Kurt Piazza, Robb Fladry + Aaron Hutcheson, Brian Taylor, Noelle Mason and Ellen Mueller.
There was also music, some sound installations by John Russell and Yousef Danak. Genesis P. Orridge and other musicians played intense performances. One large and 2-3 small Dream Machine Installations (originally designed as a stroboscopic meditative device by the late, Bryon Gysin) were set up. The large one was about 7-8' high, a revolving cylinder with cut-outs emitting light.
An interesting short performance/mystery play with guys wearing black hoods over their heads involving a smoky chain saw, music, and dancing took place in an adjacent room. No one got too close to the performers!
It was a dynamic art happening and a great party, the kind we need more of in the Tampa Bay area. Congratulations to the Refractory, and we hope you will be doing more things like this, and soon.
A special note of thanks to Kim and Danielle.
--- Luis
There must have been around a dozen or more projected video loops going on simultaneously. The effect was sensory overload of the best kind, defying analysis, loosening a torrent of emotions. People, myself included, walked around entranced in a space walled by moving imagery from artists like Robert Chambers, Genesis P. Orridge, Negativland, Spanky and Maureen Hudas, Richard Kern, Gerhardt Gruen, James Johnson, Clem Crowder, FaFa, Gean Moreno, Michael LeMieux, Kurt Piazza, Robb Fladry + Aaron Hutcheson, Brian Taylor, Noelle Mason and Ellen Mueller.
There was also music, some sound installations by John Russell and Yousef Danak. Genesis P. Orridge and other musicians played intense performances. One large and 2-3 small Dream Machine Installations (originally designed as a stroboscopic meditative device by the late, Bryon Gysin) were set up. The large one was about 7-8' high, a revolving cylinder with cut-outs emitting light.
An interesting short performance/mystery play with guys wearing black hoods over their heads involving a smoky chain saw, music, and dancing took place in an adjacent room. No one got too close to the performers!
It was a dynamic art happening and a great party, the kind we need more of in the Tampa Bay area. Congratulations to the Refractory, and we hope you will be doing more things like this, and soon.
A special note of thanks to Kim and Danielle.
--- Luis
Friday, October 15, 2010
Imperial Tectonics: Transformations I & II @ Mindy Solomon Gallery and The Morean Arts Center. Part II (of three).
There is a suite of four exquisite paintings in the Mindy Solomon Gallery by Diane Ding. In three of the four paintings (I will treat the other separately), there are two figures. The one to the viewer's right is Caucasian/male and the one on the left Asian/female. They wear brightly colored clothing that denote class, social standing, and culture. In these three paintings, the Western male figure looks back at the viewer, apparently unaware of the other figure. The look is overconfident, if not arrogant -- or imperial. The feminine Asian figures look disturbed, ill-at-ease, almost in disbelief. The juxtapositions partially seem to reflect Imperial Tectonics. Ms. Ding includes birds in these paintings, plants and fans as well. The tension between the two figures is exacerbated by the way the very air between the two is drawn, with strong, nervous lines or paint that looks like bruises.
The 4th painting shows a baby tightly hugging (or wrestling) a carp. The baby's face looks much older than it should. He holds on to the carp as if holding onto a prize. Ms. Ding told me that if one looks carefully, the scales on the carp are in the form of ancient Chinese money. This is a parable on growing up Chinese, and the pressures children are under to be successful, even from an early age.
The 4th painting shows a baby tightly hugging (or wrestling) a carp. The baby's face looks much older than it should. He holds on to the carp as if holding onto a prize. Ms. Ding told me that if one looks carefully, the scales on the carp are in the form of ancient Chinese money. This is a parable on growing up Chinese, and the pressures children are under to be successful, even from an early age.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
This Weekend: Oct 15th - 17th
The Refractory Show - A one-of-a-kind multimedia Art Party. With Kurt Piazza, Robert Chambers, Michael Lemieux, Genesis Orridge, Bryan Taylor and many others.
The Refractory Show, 8-11 PM Friday, Oct. 15th, @ 1910 N. Ola Avenue (the old Tampa Armature Works and Trolley Barn), where the Barkin Hearts party was held. Tampa. $5.
hamptonartsmanagement.org
____________________________
Gifts for Glitter - Alaine Bernat, a roller derby girl aka Glitter Head Splitter photographer and area artist was recently injured in a scooter vs. truck accident. Her friends are having a fundraiser event for her. The Sleepy Vikings, Neglected Superheroes, Florida Night Heat, Battlestar and others will be in concert. The Tampa Bay Darlins will be having a bake sale. Arts, services, crafts and more will be auctioned for this worthy cause.
8PM Friday, Oct 15th. 1327 Seventh Ave. Ybor City, Tampa. Free admission. 813.810.0814
____________________________
Artslofts @ Florida Craftsmen: American Monsters - American Monsters, by photographer Johnny Rosenbloom, a Halloween themed exhibition.
Runs through Oct 31. 10 Fifth St. North, second floor. St Petersburg.
____________________________
Free Pops Concerts in The Park - Friday, Oct 15th, at River Tower Park, Tampa, 7 PM. Sat. Oct 16th, at Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg. Get there early, bring a groundcloth and folding chairs, and make a picnic out of the evening. Free.
____________________________
Fabricated, multimedia clothing art by Giannina Coppiano Dwin, @ Florida Craftsmen Gallery, throughNov 6th. Hrs. 10 AM to 5:30 PM. Monday through Saturday Free, at 501 Central Ave. St Petersburg. 727.821.7391
_____________________________
--- Luis
The Refractory Show, 8-11 PM Friday, Oct. 15th, @ 1910 N. Ola Avenue (the old Tampa Armature Works and Trolley Barn), where the Barkin Hearts party was held. Tampa. $5.
hamptonartsmanagement.org
____________________________
Gifts for Glitter - Alaine Bernat, a roller derby girl aka Glitter Head Splitter photographer and area artist was recently injured in a scooter vs. truck accident. Her friends are having a fundraiser event for her. The Sleepy Vikings, Neglected Superheroes, Florida Night Heat, Battlestar and others will be in concert. The Tampa Bay Darlins will be having a bake sale. Arts, services, crafts and more will be auctioned for this worthy cause.
8PM Friday, Oct 15th. 1327 Seventh Ave. Ybor City, Tampa. Free admission. 813.810.0814
____________________________
Artslofts @ Florida Craftsmen: American Monsters - American Monsters, by photographer Johnny Rosenbloom, a Halloween themed exhibition.
Runs through Oct 31. 10 Fifth St. North, second floor. St Petersburg.
____________________________
Free Pops Concerts in The Park - Friday, Oct 15th, at River Tower Park, Tampa, 7 PM. Sat. Oct 16th, at Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg. Get there early, bring a groundcloth and folding chairs, and make a picnic out of the evening. Free.
____________________________
Fabricated, multimedia clothing art by Giannina Coppiano Dwin, @ Florida Craftsmen Gallery, throughNov 6th. Hrs. 10 AM to 5:30 PM. Monday through Saturday Free, at 501 Central Ave. St Petersburg. 727.821.7391
_____________________________
--- Luis
Monday, October 11, 2010
Midtown Through Our Eyes: Journeys In Journalism.
[Normally, Journalism is not the province of Art Taco, but in this case, I'm making an exception. The Journeys in Journalism Program summer camp in Midtown is doing something extraordinary.]
Midtown is a 5 and-a-half square-mile area. Forgotten by the city for years, it languished with minimal services of the kind that other St. Petersburg neighborhoods fully enjoyed. Mayor Baker decided to bring change and there has been some and development in the area in the last five years. There were many snags, such as when the USPS refused to locate a Post Office in MidTown. They relented a year and a half later. New businesses, development and even an art gallery, Station Number Three, are now part of the scene in Midtown.
The Journeys in Journalism Program summer camp in Midtown brought together 44 students from three schools, Melrose Elementary, John Hopkins Middle School, and Lakewood High Schools. The camp runs for about three weeks at each school. The students learn photography, writing, and basic journalistic skills, and it's not just theory, but hands-on practice, and lots of it. The result is the professional-caliber Midtown Magazine, a traveling exhibit of over 100 photographs, and poetry the Journalists have written. Studio @ 620 last Thursday is where I saw their exhibit and poetry reading.
I go to a lot of poetry readings, but this one was different. There were beautiful, brilliant happy poems from these youthful poets, and some about things no child should have to experience anywhere, things that happen every day throughout the world, sometimes in faraway places, and sometimes nearby. No matter how heart-breaking some of them were, these kids have admirable strength and instill in us hope for a better future. Bravo.
There's way too many photographs to review here, but a few that linger in my mind are: "Tender Kiss", by Maria Coletti. A mother and three children sitting on the porch of a house. The Mom leans over to kiss her baby girl and she leans towards her, being held by a slightly older brother. Leaning against the wall of the house are recently-used fishing rods, and on the other side of the porch a small barbecue. Three colorful poolside photographs by Paris Williams, two of Andrew Hodges, one diving, and the other swimming, and one of Zauria Mixon and Jordan Herring are as much about art as they are about reportage.
Remember the struggle of this community for a Post Office? Cyle Watts' pictures of mailman Herman Edwards as a towering figure, photographed from a low point-of-view and a close-up narrative portrait of this mailman's face embed this into the record of Midtown. A man who says "This job is perfect for me".
Journalism does much more than that which it does best: report life. It is also current local history, being laid down, a record of a time, place, and people. In this case, by those living it, telling their story as no one else can. Congratulations to Journeys in Journalism, for the excellent training, alighting on imaginations and hearts, with positive consequences reaching far into the future.
The show is traveling around town, will be at Kahwah Cafe the 2nd week of December.
Midtown is a 5 and-a-half square-mile area. Forgotten by the city for years, it languished with minimal services of the kind that other St. Petersburg neighborhoods fully enjoyed. Mayor Baker decided to bring change and there has been some and development in the area in the last five years. There were many snags, such as when the USPS refused to locate a Post Office in MidTown. They relented a year and a half later. New businesses, development and even an art gallery, Station Number Three, are now part of the scene in Midtown.
The Journeys in Journalism Program summer camp in Midtown brought together 44 students from three schools, Melrose Elementary, John Hopkins Middle School, and Lakewood High Schools. The camp runs for about three weeks at each school. The students learn photography, writing, and basic journalistic skills, and it's not just theory, but hands-on practice, and lots of it. The result is the professional-caliber Midtown Magazine, a traveling exhibit of over 100 photographs, and poetry the Journalists have written. Studio @ 620 last Thursday is where I saw their exhibit and poetry reading.
I go to a lot of poetry readings, but this one was different. There were beautiful, brilliant happy poems from these youthful poets, and some about things no child should have to experience anywhere, things that happen every day throughout the world, sometimes in faraway places, and sometimes nearby. No matter how heart-breaking some of them were, these kids have admirable strength and instill in us hope for a better future. Bravo.
There's way too many photographs to review here, but a few that linger in my mind are: "Tender Kiss", by Maria Coletti. A mother and three children sitting on the porch of a house. The Mom leans over to kiss her baby girl and she leans towards her, being held by a slightly older brother. Leaning against the wall of the house are recently-used fishing rods, and on the other side of the porch a small barbecue. Three colorful poolside photographs by Paris Williams, two of Andrew Hodges, one diving, and the other swimming, and one of Zauria Mixon and Jordan Herring are as much about art as they are about reportage.
Remember the struggle of this community for a Post Office? Cyle Watts' pictures of mailman Herman Edwards as a towering figure, photographed from a low point-of-view and a close-up narrative portrait of this mailman's face embed this into the record of Midtown. A man who says "This job is perfect for me".
Journalism does much more than that which it does best: report life. It is also current local history, being laid down, a record of a time, place, and people. In this case, by those living it, telling their story as no one else can. Congratulations to Journeys in Journalism, for the excellent training, alighting on imaginations and hearts, with positive consequences reaching far into the future.
The show is traveling around town, will be at Kahwah Cafe the 2nd week of December.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Sapience @ C. Emerson Fine Arts
Sapience, the theme and title of the current show at C. Emerson Fine Arts (CEFA) gallery, means wisdom/intelligence. Consequently, wisdom means "...the ability of an organism or entity to act with appropriate judgment. Judgment is a mental faculty which is a component of intelligence or alternatively may be considered an additional faculty, apart from intelligence, with its own properties." Wisdom, like intelligence, is a process or journey, not a discrete state or destination.
There are six artists in this show (in alphabetical order): Kyan Bishop, Neverne Covington, Francesco Lo Castro, Sally Mankus, Kim Radatz, and Mara Rivet.
When one enters the gallery, the first thing one sees is a work by Kim Radatz, a studio artist who lives in Tampa Florida and Lewiston, Minnesota. She is the artist who had a memorable piece in CEFA's bicycle show titled "Melanie (Some People Say I Done Alright for a Girl)" which you can see here. In Sapience, Ms. Radatz exhibits a ghostly white paper boat buoyed up by a small crystalline mound of rock salt around its perimeter. She describes the salt as that "... from shedded tears, both happy and sad, that keep the vessel buoyant for the journey ahead.". Written over every bit of the boat are the words "Wishful Thinking". The interior of the boat is filled with small origami-like paper fortune tellers, the kind children play with. It should be noted that photographing a white object is difficult, and the picture provided doesn't do it justice. In person, the whole thing glows. To take a three-dimensional work like this in, I make it a practice to walk 360 degrees around it to acquire a fuller, holographic image of the piece.
There is no ferryman, nor oar locks or oars on this conceptual boat. It doesn't need any. The waters it crosses are inside us, and the power that drives it is written all over it. It ferries scores of fortune tellers, each having within it a plurality of potential fortunes, not just one. The words, fortune tellers, boat, salt, the entire gestalt of it key into one's personal experience, unlock and release intense thoughts, memories and feelings, and suddenly you realize where this boat is taking you.
Kyan Bishop is a Korean-born, Minnesota-raised artist who has worked in many media. Some of her ceramics installations are wall-sized, but in Sapience, her works consist of personal narrative, organic-looking, complex, folded ceramic planes lying on bamboo shelves. She refers to these as poetic-emotional landscapes. What gives these a real twist are the small arched mirrors bordering on the bamboo shelves at the bottom, on the walls behind each work, reflecting the other side of the work to viewers. This apparently simple device amps up the complexity of these works considerably. It raises questions about these landscapes being read forwards and backwards and reversed. One thing we soon learn is that the forms are not symmetrically commutative. I read in a recent New Scientist magazine that understanding mirror images is one of the signs of intelligence.
"Minerva", by Francesco lo Castro, compete with God-beams emanating from her forehead and temporal areas (reminiscent of her birth?), and Ben-Day dots gathering into sheer radiant whiteness around her face, is a multi-media work on wood. The image wraps around the edge of the work in a rainbow. The Goddess looks up in an apparently fervent & ecstatic moment. Minerva had many avatars, each presiding over one of her many aspects, though here she is represented in a singular manner. She was the Roman Goddess of commerce, poetry, weaving, crafts, medicine, magic, inventor of music, and Goddess of wisdom. She is sometimes shown with an owl for that reason.
Sally Mankus' work is on distressed, burnt-looking, rusty metal surfaces, some of them on serving-tray like forms. One has an image of two hands on them. Older hands, in an imploring gesture. Asking the viewer a question. My answer was compassion and empathy. Other Mankus pieces have female figures that are neither in or on the metal, but emerging from or disappearing into it. In one half of a diptych, a woman looks doubtful and /or lost. In the other, an older version looks more relaxed, confident and knowing.
Raw, passionate drawings on collaged, wrinkled with topographic map intensity pieces of paper with text on them. Mara Rivet's complex pieces are a combination of unbridled, and simultaneously controlled emotion and intelligence at different levels. A heart lies bare, superimposed on the text, its familiar, intimate form seizing our attention. But viewers should take the time and energy to immerse themselves into the work. The text is not mere background or purely formal context. It is an integral part of her work. Being in pieces of paper, it is more like hypertext than linear text.
"Sapience" is a theme one might initially think too broad or diffuse, but Lori Johns has curated a show with a multiplicity of incisive approaches to it.
http://ht.ly/2yLTU
--- Luis
There are six artists in this show (in alphabetical order): Kyan Bishop, Neverne Covington, Francesco Lo Castro, Sally Mankus, Kim Radatz, and Mara Rivet.
When one enters the gallery, the first thing one sees is a work by Kim Radatz, a studio artist who lives in Tampa Florida and Lewiston, Minnesota. She is the artist who had a memorable piece in CEFA's bicycle show titled "Melanie (Some People Say I Done Alright for a Girl)" which you can see here. In Sapience, Ms. Radatz exhibits a ghostly white paper boat buoyed up by a small crystalline mound of rock salt around its perimeter. She describes the salt as that "... from shedded tears, both happy and sad, that keep the vessel buoyant for the journey ahead.". Written over every bit of the boat are the words "Wishful Thinking". The interior of the boat is filled with small origami-like paper fortune tellers, the kind children play with. It should be noted that photographing a white object is difficult, and the picture provided doesn't do it justice. In person, the whole thing glows. To take a three-dimensional work like this in, I make it a practice to walk 360 degrees around it to acquire a fuller, holographic image of the piece.
There is no ferryman, nor oar locks or oars on this conceptual boat. It doesn't need any. The waters it crosses are inside us, and the power that drives it is written all over it. It ferries scores of fortune tellers, each having within it a plurality of potential fortunes, not just one. The words, fortune tellers, boat, salt, the entire gestalt of it key into one's personal experience, unlock and release intense thoughts, memories and feelings, and suddenly you realize where this boat is taking you.
Kyan Bishop is a Korean-born, Minnesota-raised artist who has worked in many media. Some of her ceramics installations are wall-sized, but in Sapience, her works consist of personal narrative, organic-looking, complex, folded ceramic planes lying on bamboo shelves. She refers to these as poetic-emotional landscapes. What gives these a real twist are the small arched mirrors bordering on the bamboo shelves at the bottom, on the walls behind each work, reflecting the other side of the work to viewers. This apparently simple device amps up the complexity of these works considerably. It raises questions about these landscapes being read forwards and backwards and reversed. One thing we soon learn is that the forms are not symmetrically commutative. I read in a recent New Scientist magazine that understanding mirror images is one of the signs of intelligence.
"Minerva", by Francesco lo Castro, compete with God-beams emanating from her forehead and temporal areas (reminiscent of her birth?), and Ben-Day dots gathering into sheer radiant whiteness around her face, is a multi-media work on wood. The image wraps around the edge of the work in a rainbow. The Goddess looks up in an apparently fervent & ecstatic moment. Minerva had many avatars, each presiding over one of her many aspects, though here she is represented in a singular manner. She was the Roman Goddess of commerce, poetry, weaving, crafts, medicine, magic, inventor of music, and Goddess of wisdom. She is sometimes shown with an owl for that reason.
Sally Mankus' work is on distressed, burnt-looking, rusty metal surfaces, some of them on serving-tray like forms. One has an image of two hands on them. Older hands, in an imploring gesture. Asking the viewer a question. My answer was compassion and empathy. Other Mankus pieces have female figures that are neither in or on the metal, but emerging from or disappearing into it. In one half of a diptych, a woman looks doubtful and /or lost. In the other, an older version looks more relaxed, confident and knowing.
Raw, passionate drawings on collaged, wrinkled with topographic map intensity pieces of paper with text on them. Mara Rivet's complex pieces are a combination of unbridled, and simultaneously controlled emotion and intelligence at different levels. A heart lies bare, superimposed on the text, its familiar, intimate form seizing our attention. But viewers should take the time and energy to immerse themselves into the work. The text is not mere background or purely formal context. It is an integral part of her work. Being in pieces of paper, it is more like hypertext than linear text.
"Sapience" is a theme one might initially think too broad or diffuse, but Lori Johns has curated a show with a multiplicity of incisive approaches to it.
"Sapience" will be up through Nov. 13, according to the CEFA site, but I've heard that it may run longer. C.Emerson Fine Arts
909 Central Avenue
Saint Petersburg, Florida
727-898-6068
Hours: Tuesday - Friday 11-4, Sat 11-5 (be aware that the gallery will be closed this friday, Oct. 15th)http://ht.ly/2yLTU
--- Luis
Thursday, October 7, 2010
This Weekend: Oct. 8th - 10th
Transformations, Part II @ The Morean Arts Center - Mindy Solomon is the guest curator at the Morean for this show, which is tied to the show at her own gallery with the same two artists, Theo Wucjik and Wanxin Zhang. Opens Friday, Oct 8th, 5:30-8 PM. Artist's talk and Members Preview. 719 Central Avenue, St Petersburg.
___________________________
Studio @ 620 - Last day of "Midtown Through Our Eyes", a photographic exhibit by children from elementary. middle and high-school ages in Midtown, and Taste of Midtown Friday October 8, 5:00 - 8:00 PM 620 1st Ave S. Great home-cooked food.
_____________________________
2010 Graphics Studio Art Sale - Graphic Studio's annual sale takes place Friday, Oct. 8th, with artists like Rosenquist, Ruscha, Rauschenberg, Wegman, Los Carpinteros, Chuck Close, Alex Katz, Vik Muniz, Mapplethorpe, Pearlstein and many others. This is a great chance to acquire lesser works from first-rate artists at decent prices. Friday, Oct 8th, @ Graphic Studio, 3702 Spectrum Blvd. Suite 100, on the USF Campus. 10 AM to 9 PM. Expect prices to start at $250, and they go into the tens of thousands.
graphistudio.usf.edu
_________________________
Downtown Arts Walk, St. Pete - Many galleries are open from 5:30 PM Saturday Oct. 9th. Download a map at: stpetearts.org
____________________
Fringe @ Tampa Museum - Member of FOTA, the Tampa Museum of Art (TMA) volunteers, Avant Garde and The Exhibitionists talk about the work of Roger Chamieh, Mernet Larsen, Lisa Scholder, and Kendra Frorup, and with the artists. Music, prizes & cash bar.
Friday, Oct 8th @ 8 PM. $5 foe Museum Members, $10 for non-members. TMA 120 Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa. 813.274.8130
________________________
Dunedin Studio Waltz - Eleven artists' studios, including plein-air artists who will be outside on Main Street Dunedin where it intersects the Pinellas Trail, are open to the public.
9 AM - 5 PM Saturday, Oct 9th. Venues:
Stirling Art Studios & Gallery: A group of artists working in various media. 730 Broadway, Suite 200, Dunedin. (727) 733-1688; stirlingartstudios.com
Luane Kane and Lead Lines Stained Glass Studio: 730 Broadway, Suite 2, Dunedin. (727) 733-8750
Plein Air Artists: Melissa Miller Nece, Jenna Star Friedman, Donald Eaton and Jana Withers. Main Street and Pinellas Trail in Dunedin
Debra Weible: Watercolor paintings. 421 Grant St., Dunedin. (727) 410-4246
Carol Sackman and Blake White: Mosaics, painted objects and furniture, art dolls and mixed media. 1524 Alamo Lane, Dunedin. (727) 736-4036; carolblakecoolart.com.
Connie Parkinson: Lampworking, glass bead jewelry. 2830 Deer Hound Way, Palm Harbor. (727) 709-4069
Amy Wiley: Silversmith. 373 N Carolina Ave., Palm Harbor. (727) 458-0987; ozonatreasures.etsy.com
Jennifer S. Weaver and Lee Anderson: Burnished and smoke-fired ceramics. 320 Lagoon Drive, Ozona. (727) 785-2890.
Trish Sande: Fiber art. 1663 Bentley Court, Palm Harbor. (727) 789-5211.
Barbara Melby Burhans and Ira Burhans: Handmade paper casting, handmade tile mosaics and ceramics. 110 Peterson Lane, Palm Harbor. (727) 772-9570; claypaper.com.
Joyce Curvin: Whimsical art in papier-mache over recycled materials. 4875 Blue Jay Circle, Palm Harbor. (727) 943-2464; joycecurvin.net.
__________________________
Ybor Art Colony Open House - This fascinating warren of 12 artist's studios opens its doors at 1 PM Saturday Oct 9th.
___________________________
Studio @ 620 - Last day of "Midtown Through Our Eyes", a photographic exhibit by children from elementary. middle and high-school ages in Midtown, and Taste of Midtown Friday October 8, 5:00 - 8:00 PM 620 1st Ave S. Great home-cooked food.
_____________________________
2010 Graphics Studio Art Sale - Graphic Studio's annual sale takes place Friday, Oct. 8th, with artists like Rosenquist, Ruscha, Rauschenberg, Wegman, Los Carpinteros, Chuck Close, Alex Katz, Vik Muniz, Mapplethorpe, Pearlstein and many others. This is a great chance to acquire lesser works from first-rate artists at decent prices. Friday, Oct 8th, @ Graphic Studio, 3702 Spectrum Blvd. Suite 100, on the USF Campus. 10 AM to 9 PM. Expect prices to start at $250, and they go into the tens of thousands.
graphistudio.usf.edu
_________________________
Downtown Arts Walk, St. Pete - Many galleries are open from 5:30 PM Saturday Oct. 9th. Download a map at: stpetearts.org
____________________
Fringe @ Tampa Museum - Member of FOTA, the Tampa Museum of Art (TMA) volunteers, Avant Garde and The Exhibitionists talk about the work of Roger Chamieh, Mernet Larsen, Lisa Scholder, and Kendra Frorup, and with the artists. Music, prizes & cash bar.
Friday, Oct 8th @ 8 PM. $5 foe Museum Members, $10 for non-members. TMA 120 Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa. 813.274.8130
________________________
Dunedin Studio Waltz - Eleven artists' studios, including plein-air artists who will be outside on Main Street Dunedin where it intersects the Pinellas Trail, are open to the public.
9 AM - 5 PM Saturday, Oct 9th. Venues:
Stirling Art Studios & Gallery: A group of artists working in various media. 730 Broadway, Suite 200, Dunedin. (727) 733-1688; stirlingartstudios.com
Luane Kane and Lead Lines Stained Glass Studio: 730 Broadway, Suite 2, Dunedin. (727) 733-8750
Plein Air Artists: Melissa Miller Nece, Jenna Star Friedman, Donald Eaton and Jana Withers. Main Street and Pinellas Trail in Dunedin
Debra Weible: Watercolor paintings. 421 Grant St., Dunedin. (727) 410-4246
Carol Sackman and Blake White: Mosaics, painted objects and furniture, art dolls and mixed media. 1524 Alamo Lane, Dunedin. (727) 736-4036; carolblakecoolart.com.
Connie Parkinson: Lampworking, glass bead jewelry. 2830 Deer Hound Way, Palm Harbor. (727) 709-4069
Amy Wiley: Silversmith. 373 N Carolina Ave., Palm Harbor. (727) 458-0987; ozonatreasures.etsy.com
Jennifer S. Weaver and Lee Anderson: Burnished and smoke-fired ceramics. 320 Lagoon Drive, Ozona. (727) 785-2890.
Trish Sande: Fiber art. 1663 Bentley Court, Palm Harbor. (727) 789-5211.
Barbara Melby Burhans and Ira Burhans: Handmade paper casting, handmade tile mosaics and ceramics. 110 Peterson Lane, Palm Harbor. (727) 772-9570; claypaper.com.
Joyce Curvin: Whimsical art in papier-mache over recycled materials. 4875 Blue Jay Circle, Palm Harbor. (727) 943-2464; joycecurvin.net.
__________________________
Ybor Art Colony Open House - This fascinating warren of 12 artist's studios opens its doors at 1 PM Saturday Oct 9th.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Congratulations to Folkfest 2010
Folkfest is the annual street festival and sidewalk art show put on by Creative Clay on the 1100-1300 block section of Central Avenue, St Petersburg.
I briefly visited on Saturday evening, longer on Sunday morning, and found lots of improvements and a corresponding increased attendance. Merchants at the other end of Central reported increased pedestrian traffic, which I noticed on Saturday, and they gave the credit to Folkfest's festival goers drifting downtown afterwards.
Congratulations to Creative Clay, Folkfest and Artful Living for putting on their best festival to date.
I briefly visited on Saturday evening, longer on Sunday morning, and found lots of improvements and a corresponding increased attendance. Merchants at the other end of Central reported increased pedestrian traffic, which I noticed on Saturday, and they gave the credit to Folkfest's festival goers drifting downtown afterwards.
Congratulations to Creative Clay, Folkfest and Artful Living for putting on their best festival to date.
Take Two @ Station Number Three
When I reported on opening night at Station Number Three (S#3), I noted that there were no tags on the work being displayed and that I would go back and do a review. That has not been possible. The main reason I wanted to return was to personally confirm what I had heard about what transpired with the work of two artists.
These two artists pulled their work out of the show well before its closing, for different reasons that I will not go into here, both having to do with significant and unusual problems with the gallery, one unresolved. This should have never happened. S#3 is open by appointment only. I've attempted to contact the number on the card I was given, left message, and no response.
These are not the only problems reported concerning S#3, but this is not and will never be a gossip blog. Art Taco is not interested in spanking S#3 or putting the gallery down. On the contrary, we want S#3 to step up and succeed in every way and becoming a vibrant member of the arts community -- and Midtown, the community it is a part of.
One of the principals has privately assured me that there are changes taking place to remedy these problems.
St. Petersburg is not a large city. The Arts community is relatively small. Everyone knows everyone, or soon will. This closeness can lead to cronyism, resentments, cliques, and familial types of dysfunction. These problems are not exclusively our own. They happen to some degree in most arts communities, but are exacerbated by the size of the arts community here and the current economic climate. If we desire a better future, each of us is going to have to do his part, individually and collectively.
--- Luis
These two artists pulled their work out of the show well before its closing, for different reasons that I will not go into here, both having to do with significant and unusual problems with the gallery, one unresolved. This should have never happened. S#3 is open by appointment only. I've attempted to contact the number on the card I was given, left message, and no response.
These are not the only problems reported concerning S#3, but this is not and will never be a gossip blog. Art Taco is not interested in spanking S#3 or putting the gallery down. On the contrary, we want S#3 to step up and succeed in every way and becoming a vibrant member of the arts community -- and Midtown, the community it is a part of.
One of the principals has privately assured me that there are changes taking place to remedy these problems.
St. Petersburg is not a large city. The Arts community is relatively small. Everyone knows everyone, or soon will. This closeness can lead to cronyism, resentments, cliques, and familial types of dysfunction. These problems are not exclusively our own. They happen to some degree in most arts communities, but are exacerbated by the size of the arts community here and the current economic climate. If we desire a better future, each of us is going to have to do his part, individually and collectively.
--- Luis
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Up Close and Personal. Hi Res Scans of Masterpieces from the Uffizi gallery
High-Resolution scans of six masterpiece paintings from the Uffizi gallery in Florence are now available for public viewing. The 28 billion pixel resolution scans allow seeing details as small as 1/100th of a millimeter. Free. One can get lost in these paintings, poring over details. Let us know if anything in particular catches your eye (this is like Google Earth for paintings).
Here's the link. Enjoy.
--- Luis
Here's the link. Enjoy.
--- Luis
Friday, October 1, 2010
Submerged Cathedral Artist Yolyanko Arguelles & Art Basel Miami
I was asked a while back if Yolyanko Arguelles, the artist whose work, currently at Collective gallery (601 Central Ave St Petersburg) would be at Art Basel Miami. I e-mailed him then, and I've finally received a response and it is in the affirmative. Yes, Yolyanko will be at Art Basel Miami this year. If the original questioner is interested in meeting him, please contact me and I will see if that can be arranged. Sorry it took so long to get the answer!
--- Luis
Ps. Here's the piece Claude Debussy wrote after learning about the myth of the Submerged Cathedral. Click here.
--- Luis
Ps. Here's the piece Claude Debussy wrote after learning about the myth of the Submerged Cathedral. Click here.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
This Weekend, Sept. 30th - Oct. 2nd
Transformative Influences Part II @ Mindy Solomon - Theo Wujcik, Master Printer, drawer and painter from Tamarind studios, Graphic Studio, USF and much more is shown with Chinese sculptor Wanxin Zhang, David Fuhrman, Beth Lo, and Diane Ding.
Opening reception @ 6:30 PM Saturday, Oct 2, runs through Nov 3. 124 2nd Ave NE, St Pete. Hrs: Wed-Sat from 11:00 Am to 5:00 PM.
Fashion @ Creative Native Gallery - "A celebration of the art of fashion, faces and figures".
Opening reception Saturday, Oct 2, 5-9 PM, 5307 Falkenburg Road, Tampa. Through Oct 30th.
www.thecreativegallery.com
Midtown Through Our Eyes - Annual exhibition of photographs taken by 44 students from Midtown elementary, middle and high schools. An area in which decent people valiantly struggle to overcome poverty, racism and crime during these already hard times.
Opening reception Friday, Oct 1. Studio @ 620, 620 1st Ave S. St Pete.Oct 1-8. Poetry on Tue. Oct 5th and Thurs. Oct 7th, 6-8 PM. Taste of Midtown, Friday Oct 8 5-8 PM.
studio620.org
Open Mics - @ Cafe Bohemia in St. Petersburg, and Cafe Hey in Tampa.
Thursday, Sept. 30th. Cafe Bohemia, 937 Central Ave St Pete, starts around 7:30. Cafe Hey, Tampa, 7-9 PM.
Singing Stone Gallery: Sandra Jarrett - Collage & painting, with live demonstration.
Meet the artist, on Sat, Oct 2, 10 AM - 4 PM, 1903 N. 19th st. Tampa.
Folkfest/Creative Clay Gallery - An arts festival with the Creative Clay artists showing their wares on Central Ave., great music concerts, and food. Saturday and Sunday at the 1100-1300 block of Central Avenue St Pete.
Opening reception @ 6:30 PM Saturday, Oct 2, runs through Nov 3. 124 2nd Ave NE, St Pete. Hrs: Wed-Sat from 11:00 Am to 5:00 PM.
Fashion @ Creative Native Gallery - "A celebration of the art of fashion, faces and figures".
Opening reception Saturday, Oct 2, 5-9 PM, 5307 Falkenburg Road, Tampa. Through Oct 30th.
www.thecreativegallery.com
Midtown Through Our Eyes - Annual exhibition of photographs taken by 44 students from Midtown elementary, middle and high schools. An area in which decent people valiantly struggle to overcome poverty, racism and crime during these already hard times.
Opening reception Friday, Oct 1. Studio @ 620, 620 1st Ave S. St Pete.Oct 1-8. Poetry on Tue. Oct 5th and Thurs. Oct 7th, 6-8 PM. Taste of Midtown, Friday Oct 8 5-8 PM.
studio620.org
Open Mics - @ Cafe Bohemia in St. Petersburg, and Cafe Hey in Tampa.
Thursday, Sept. 30th. Cafe Bohemia, 937 Central Ave St Pete, starts around 7:30. Cafe Hey, Tampa, 7-9 PM.
Singing Stone Gallery: Sandra Jarrett - Collage & painting, with live demonstration.
Meet the artist, on Sat, Oct 2, 10 AM - 4 PM, 1903 N. 19th st. Tampa.
Folkfest/Creative Clay Gallery - An arts festival with the Creative Clay artists showing their wares on Central Ave., great music concerts, and food. Saturday and Sunday at the 1100-1300 block of Central Avenue St Pete.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Fill The Jugs @ Cafe Hey
Last Saturday, Cafe Hey held a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. As usual at the cafe, Door Stop productions, headed by Nyssa Hanger hosted.
The show began in the cafe, with "Dr. Dre", AKA Andrea, singing the "Lightbulb Song" in her high-pitched gentle voice. The "Facial Hair" song followed, a funny and insightful song about relationships.
By the N. window, Nicole painted faces beautifully. People sat at the sidewalk tables and milled around the tables with the silent auctions, raffle tickets and more.
Andrea's sister Immeka followed. Relaxed and confident onstage, she sang several songs & joked with the audience. She sang "Long Road Home", "Terra (sic) Incognito", and the delightful Kraaken song about a mythical friend that lives underwater (reminiscent of, but happier than an old Peter, Pal and Mary song titled: "Puff The Magic Dragon"). She closed with a moving interpretation of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". Incredibly, Immeka is fourteen years old.
Outside, a beautiful belly-dancer shimmied gracefully across the sidewalk between the main of the cafe, and its annex. Larry started the music in that room with an earnest and spirited "Get the job done".
His song about Jim Morrison ("A guy looking for his muse is hard to find") honored the process of becoming an artist. Larry, who teaches music to some of the other musicians mentioned, was followed by Grazieli, who played guitar and sang in her low, sultry voice. You can see a video of her singing at Cafe Hey during another event here.
Back in the main room of the cafe, Cole read his mythological and awesome poem "Alligator".
Joe Riga did his ironic brand of comedy. He was followed by 'Eternal', who read his sad, hopeful and beautifully passionate poem, "Desperate".
Comedienne Jennifer was outrageously funny. Nyssa H. came in and did her "What's The Word?" interactive poem with the audience, then Jena Maroni, who will be walking the 60 miles for the Walkathon for the Foundation closed the night, talking about the foundation, cried through her appreciative smile along with all of us, talked about survivors, and the three days of walking that lie ahead.
It was an enjoyable, memorable and purposeful evening at Cafe Hey.
--- Luis
The show began in the cafe, with "Dr. Dre", AKA Andrea, singing the "Lightbulb Song" in her high-pitched gentle voice. The "Facial Hair" song followed, a funny and insightful song about relationships.
By the N. window, Nicole painted faces beautifully. People sat at the sidewalk tables and milled around the tables with the silent auctions, raffle tickets and more.
Andrea's sister Immeka followed. Relaxed and confident onstage, she sang several songs & joked with the audience. She sang "Long Road Home", "Terra (sic) Incognito", and the delightful Kraaken song about a mythical friend that lives underwater (reminiscent of, but happier than an old Peter, Pal and Mary song titled: "Puff The Magic Dragon"). She closed with a moving interpretation of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". Incredibly, Immeka is fourteen years old.
Outside, a beautiful belly-dancer shimmied gracefully across the sidewalk between the main of the cafe, and its annex. Larry started the music in that room with an earnest and spirited "Get the job done".
His song about Jim Morrison ("A guy looking for his muse is hard to find") honored the process of becoming an artist. Larry, who teaches music to some of the other musicians mentioned, was followed by Grazieli, who played guitar and sang in her low, sultry voice. You can see a video of her singing at Cafe Hey during another event here.
Back in the main room of the cafe, Cole read his mythological and awesome poem "Alligator".
Joe Riga did his ironic brand of comedy. He was followed by 'Eternal', who read his sad, hopeful and beautifully passionate poem, "Desperate".
Comedienne Jennifer was outrageously funny. Nyssa H. came in and did her "What's The Word?" interactive poem with the audience, then Jena Maroni, who will be walking the 60 miles for the Walkathon for the Foundation closed the night, talking about the foundation, cried through her appreciative smile along with all of us, talked about survivors, and the three days of walking that lie ahead.
It was an enjoyable, memorable and purposeful evening at Cafe Hey.
--- Luis
Friday, September 24, 2010
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Mic @ Cafe Hey
Spoken-word performances convey an immediate, intense vitality and connection between those onstage and in the audience. At Cafe Hey, a significant percentage of those present assume both roles on Open Mic night.
Last night, teen-aged Iris endearingly explored philosophical questions about empathy, stupidity and discovering the Darwin Awards, all with a frank transparency that is all hers.
"Dr. Dre" humorously, and with a good dose of irony, portrayed what it might have been like if Hamlet had a contemporary girlfriend and gender issues to go with it.
Larry sang and played guitar. His rendition of Bowie's Ziggy Stardust excelled last night. He was followed by the aptly named Gracieli, who did two songs (one about vampires) in another language, either Italian or Portuguese. She has a strong, powerful and subtle style and voice. I didn't understand a word she said, but the feelings came across through tone, inflection, etc. Sometimes the spoken word doesn't have to be understood to be experienced at a sensual level.
The duo of Rene and Sladjan, playing guitar and bongo, had an authentic bohemian sound going back to the early 60's. Stacie sang what she calls her "cute song" at ease. Yes, the song is cute, but not in a sappy, saccharine way. Staci is even cuter. Sean followed, the two of them come across as practiced, seasoned performers.
Mistress of Ceremonies, partner in Doorstop Productions, which hosts Open Mic, and versatile poetess Nyssa Hanger performed at the break and at closing, when she did a sprightly and heartfelt rendition of a Michael Jackson song.
Richie read a beautiful love-poem he'd written as a present to his girlfriend, on how love happens, and sends roots, branches and flowers between us. Sean Ryan sang a few pop songs, a difficult thing to do a cappella, but he did it well. Eric read one poem written about a girlfriend and the course love sometimes takes.
Such a diverse set of psychic energies expressed in a plurality of ways.
It was the Fall Equinox, one of two days when light and dark equal out on the balance beam, and so they did at Cafe Hey last night.
Thanks to all, and specially Nyssa Hanger and Cafe Hey for another memorable evening.
--- Luis
Cafe Hey, 1540 N.Franklin St Tampa. Open Mic is Thursday evening from 7 PM -9PM. Free.
http://www.cafehey.com/
Ps. This Saturday, Sept 25th, Cafe Hey/Door Stop Productions are having an event called "Fill The Jugs", with more poetry, song, comedy, silent auction, body paint and much more, all to raise money for the Susan G Komen foundation. Please donate some $ to this worthy cause while there.
Last night, teen-aged Iris endearingly explored philosophical questions about empathy, stupidity and discovering the Darwin Awards, all with a frank transparency that is all hers.
"Dr. Dre" humorously, and with a good dose of irony, portrayed what it might have been like if Hamlet had a contemporary girlfriend and gender issues to go with it.
Larry sang and played guitar. His rendition of Bowie's Ziggy Stardust excelled last night. He was followed by the aptly named Gracieli, who did two songs (one about vampires) in another language, either Italian or Portuguese. She has a strong, powerful and subtle style and voice. I didn't understand a word she said, but the feelings came across through tone, inflection, etc. Sometimes the spoken word doesn't have to be understood to be experienced at a sensual level.
The duo of Rene and Sladjan, playing guitar and bongo, had an authentic bohemian sound going back to the early 60's. Stacie sang what she calls her "cute song" at ease. Yes, the song is cute, but not in a sappy, saccharine way. Staci is even cuter. Sean followed, the two of them come across as practiced, seasoned performers.
Mistress of Ceremonies, partner in Doorstop Productions, which hosts Open Mic, and versatile poetess Nyssa Hanger performed at the break and at closing, when she did a sprightly and heartfelt rendition of a Michael Jackson song.
Richie read a beautiful love-poem he'd written as a present to his girlfriend, on how love happens, and sends roots, branches and flowers between us. Sean Ryan sang a few pop songs, a difficult thing to do a cappella, but he did it well. Eric read one poem written about a girlfriend and the course love sometimes takes.
Such a diverse set of psychic energies expressed in a plurality of ways.
It was the Fall Equinox, one of two days when light and dark equal out on the balance beam, and so they did at Cafe Hey last night.
Thanks to all, and specially Nyssa Hanger and Cafe Hey for another memorable evening.
--- Luis
Cafe Hey, 1540 N.Franklin St Tampa. Open Mic is Thursday evening from 7 PM -9PM. Free.
http://www.cafehey.com/
Ps. This Saturday, Sept 25th, Cafe Hey/Door Stop Productions are having an event called "Fill The Jugs", with more poetry, song, comedy, silent auction, body paint and much more, all to raise money for the Susan G Komen foundation. Please donate some $ to this worthy cause while there.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
This Weekend: Sept 24th-26th
Sapience @ C. Emerson Gallery - C. Emerson Fine Arts opens "Sapience",a conceptual theme-less show nucleated around multiple points of view in a dialogue with life. Six artists working in a variety of media are featured: Kyan Bishop, Neverne Covington, Francesco LoCastro, Sally Mankus, Kim Radatz, and Mara Rivet.
"Sapience" opens on Friday, Sept. 24th, 6-9 PM, @ 909 Central Ave., St Petersburg. 727.898.6068
For more information click here.
Free Museum Day - Go to smithsonian.com and download your own free tickets to any bay area museum listed there for a free visit on Saturday, Sept 25th.
"Sapience" opens on Friday, Sept. 24th, 6-9 PM, @ 909 Central Ave., St Petersburg. 727.898.6068
For more information click here.
Free Museum Day - Go to smithsonian.com and download your own free tickets to any bay area museum listed there for a free visit on Saturday, Sept 25th.
Thursday Night Open Mic - Poetry, Song, Comedy, Rants and more. Experience the power of the spoken word live and in person at these two cafes tonight (Thursday, Sept 23rd), and for free, though do indulge yourself to a cuppa joe (or beer at Bohemia) and goodies there.
Cafe Bohemia, 937 Central Ave. St Petersburg. Starts around 8 PM. Try the Falafels, they're exquisite.
Cafe Hey, 1540 N. Franklin Street, just N. of the interstate. I can vouch for the brownies there. Reportedly their soups and specially the Cuban sandwich are not to be missed. Ps. If you have an old bra you can donate, please bring it. Cafe Hey is decorating for....
Cafe Hey, 1540 N. Franklin Street, just N. of the interstate. I can vouch for the brownies there. Reportedly their soups and specially the Cuban sandwich are not to be missed. Ps. If you have an old bra you can donate, please bring it. Cafe Hey is decorating for....
Fill The Jugs- Music, Poetry, Comedy, Raffle, Silent Auction, Body Painting and more, Saturday Sept 25th, all to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation to fight breast cancer. Please make a donation while there for this worthy cause. Free Admission. At Cafe Hey (see listing above), 7-11 PM.
Expanded Visions @ Clayton Galleries - New Work by Stacy Rosende, Roberta Schofield, Joyce Ely-Walker, and Kathy Wright.
Opens Friday, Sept 24th, 7-9 PM. Through Oct 30th. 4105 S. McDill Ave. 813.831.3753
Shift @ Tempus Projects - Works from fifteen artists.
Opens Friday, Sept 24th. 7-10 PM, through Oct 1st. At 5132 N. Florida Avenue.
Florida Watercolor Society @ Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art - The Florida Watercolor Society shows its best members' work at its 39th Annual Convention.
Opens Friday, Sept 24th, 5:20-8:00 PM @ 600 Klosterman Road, Tarpon Springs. It is situated on the Campus of the community college there. Through Nov 7th.
--- Luis
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Max Ehrman Eon 75 @ Collective Tattoo Gallery
Dozens of cans of spray paint plus special nozzles equals tagging, right? Not always. Max Ehrman has a degree in architecture. He told me in conversation that he was academically trained and making art using brushes until he saw a tagger at work in Gainesville in 1996: "Daim and Seemso (Kane7) came through and did a memorial wall for a kid that had died, it was the most amazing piece of art I had ever seen! I walked to the wall the next day and just stared at the characters and the Daim and Seemso pieces, I had never seen graffiti executed with level of precision and mastery. Frankly I didn't even think it was possible."
Max renamed himself "Quad", ran out, bought a dozen cans of Krylon, and changed his life. He picked up the technique and started doing legal graffiti murals. See here. He uses the same spray-paint techniques on large canvas works, including that being shown at the Collective.
He later changed his name to Eon 75, as an acronym for "Extermination of Normality", after an old-school Bronx crew. 75 is the year he was born. Max still uses Quad, as well as Asco & Eace on ocassion, changing styles and names. He works with his own crew, Alosta, and HBT, WAF, Lords and WCF crews as well.
A native of Naples currently living in San Francisco, on Haight and Ashbury, no less. Max says the subtropical floridian vegetation has affected him deeply, including the work at this show. They are organic, lush, fertile, sensuous and colorful forms with a palpable joyful reverence for Nature. He describes his own style as "organic, funk, sci-fi", and uses things in threes as a motif.
The pieces in the show border on the decorative in terms of color and flowing forms, but go further, presenting deeply autobiographical, life affirming forms.
--- Luis
Collective Tattoo & Gallery, 601 Central Avenue, St Petersburg. The Show runs into mid-October.
Max renamed himself "Quad", ran out, bought a dozen cans of Krylon, and changed his life. He picked up the technique and started doing legal graffiti murals. See here. He uses the same spray-paint techniques on large canvas works, including that being shown at the Collective.
He later changed his name to Eon 75, as an acronym for "Extermination of Normality", after an old-school Bronx crew. 75 is the year he was born. Max still uses Quad, as well as Asco & Eace on ocassion, changing styles and names. He works with his own crew, Alosta, and HBT, WAF, Lords and WCF crews as well.
A native of Naples currently living in San Francisco, on Haight and Ashbury, no less. Max says the subtropical floridian vegetation has affected him deeply, including the work at this show. They are organic, lush, fertile, sensuous and colorful forms with a palpable joyful reverence for Nature. He describes his own style as "organic, funk, sci-fi", and uses things in threes as a motif.
The pieces in the show border on the decorative in terms of color and flowing forms, but go further, presenting deeply autobiographical, life affirming forms.
--- Luis
Collective Tattoo & Gallery, 601 Central Avenue, St Petersburg. The Show runs into mid-October.
Monday, September 20, 2010
It's No One You Know @ Donna Gordon Gallery
Some people think of portraits as things to own because they depict you or your loved ones, a kind of mnemonic fetish, similar to a snapshot, only on a grander, more displayable scale. The collectible portrait extends well beyond that, and has a long-standing tradition in Art. See here.
The show at the Donna Gordon Gallery and Studio has the work of many area portraitists. Jack Barrett was a well-known portraitist-illustrator for the St. Petersburg Times newspaper and fine artist. His work spans a wide stylistic range from detailed realism to near-total abstraction. A lot of his figures are self-referential, and over the years included repeating symbols and motifs. His posthumous retrospective show at the Morean back in 2008, specially the magnificent glimpse of the artist's sketchbooks, lingers in memory to this day. There is a wide range of Barrett's work in the Gordon gallery, including some very affordable pieces. My favorite at this show is an unframed picture of a harlequin drawn with incredible energy.
David Roland is a genre Fine Art portraitist who works with Floridian subjects, focused on people of the Florida Keys. In this show, there are several of his "Conchy Joes" series, and other works as well, including a langurous portrait of his Muse-Wife as a Venus on the water sans shell, with mathematical equations around her.
Joe Steiner is an accomplished Chicago observational figurative painter who paints from life. His work has been featured in many of the best galleries in the Windy City. He delves well below the parts of the subject that reflect light or gesture.
Curtis Sneary is an Ohio transplant, now living nearly a decade in St Pete, who has done illustrations for magazines and ad work, as well as paintings randing from the sensuously introspective to pointedly ironic and humorous. Here is a wide sampling of his work. He also has an amazing piece on the oil spill at the current Morean Member's Art Show.
There are many other artists in this well-curated show, including Ms. Gordon's insightful, sensuous and psychological bronzes, Cecilia Lueza's dreamy, glowing, flowing figures, and Michael Assif's beguiling Halloween portraits of children masquerading as other characters while simultaneously being themselves.
This show of collectible and beautiful figurative works raises questions about identity, portraiture, and not just of the people inside the frame, but those of us standing before it.
--- Luis
Ps. The show opened on Sept 10th, and runs through December 9th. It can be seen at Donna Gordon Gallery and Studio, @ 625 Central, St Petersburg. Open Tue-Sat, noon to six PM. 727.827.2811
Pps. Donna Gordon is a business veteran. Retired after 17 years in the investment and finance industries, she's also a renowned bronze figurative sculptor with work in many collections at the national level, owner of the Donna Gordon Gallery & Studio at 625 Central St Petersburg, and a board member at the Gulfport Art Center.
The show at the Donna Gordon Gallery and Studio has the work of many area portraitists. Jack Barrett was a well-known portraitist-illustrator for the St. Petersburg Times newspaper and fine artist. His work spans a wide stylistic range from detailed realism to near-total abstraction. A lot of his figures are self-referential, and over the years included repeating symbols and motifs. His posthumous retrospective show at the Morean back in 2008, specially the magnificent glimpse of the artist's sketchbooks, lingers in memory to this day. There is a wide range of Barrett's work in the Gordon gallery, including some very affordable pieces. My favorite at this show is an unframed picture of a harlequin drawn with incredible energy.
David Roland is a genre Fine Art portraitist who works with Floridian subjects, focused on people of the Florida Keys. In this show, there are several of his "Conchy Joes" series, and other works as well, including a langurous portrait of his Muse-Wife as a Venus on the water sans shell, with mathematical equations around her.
Joe Steiner is an accomplished Chicago observational figurative painter who paints from life. His work has been featured in many of the best galleries in the Windy City. He delves well below the parts of the subject that reflect light or gesture.
Curtis Sneary is an Ohio transplant, now living nearly a decade in St Pete, who has done illustrations for magazines and ad work, as well as paintings randing from the sensuously introspective to pointedly ironic and humorous. Here is a wide sampling of his work. He also has an amazing piece on the oil spill at the current Morean Member's Art Show.
There are many other artists in this well-curated show, including Ms. Gordon's insightful, sensuous and psychological bronzes, Cecilia Lueza's dreamy, glowing, flowing figures, and Michael Assif's beguiling Halloween portraits of children masquerading as other characters while simultaneously being themselves.
This show of collectible and beautiful figurative works raises questions about identity, portraiture, and not just of the people inside the frame, but those of us standing before it.
--- Luis
Ps. The show opened on Sept 10th, and runs through December 9th. It can be seen at Donna Gordon Gallery and Studio, @ 625 Central, St Petersburg. Open Tue-Sat, noon to six PM. 727.827.2811
Pps. Donna Gordon is a business veteran. Retired after 17 years in the investment and finance industries, she's also a renowned bronze figurative sculptor with work in many collections at the national level, owner of the Donna Gordon Gallery & Studio at 625 Central St Petersburg, and a board member at the Gulfport Art Center.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Thursday Open Mic @ Cafe Hey
Last night I had the pleasure of attending Cafe Hey's Open Mic night. Doorstop Productions hosts this event, with poetess Nyssa Hanger as Mistress of Ceremonies and guiding spirit. The poetic rant she did as a quasi ad/paean to Cafe Hey at Deep Carnivale was memorable.
The intimate space at the cafe was packed. There were some outstanding acts, as well as emerging talents, and some obviously influenced by karaoke and American Idol-atry. Nyssa's mom made her debut at the mic, as did at least two other poetesses, all delivering good performances. One of the strengths of Cafe Hey is the wide range of performances, including ages. There's a real talent-nurturing attitude going on there.
Cafe Hey, 1540 N.Franklin St Tampa. Open Mic is Thursday evening from 7 PM -9PM. Free.
http://www.cafehey.com/
--- Luis
The intimate space at the cafe was packed. There were some outstanding acts, as well as emerging talents, and some obviously influenced by karaoke and American Idol-atry. Nyssa's mom made her debut at the mic, as did at least two other poetesses, all delivering good performances. One of the strengths of Cafe Hey is the wide range of performances, including ages. There's a real talent-nurturing attitude going on there.
Cafe Hey, 1540 N.Franklin St Tampa. Open Mic is Thursday evening from 7 PM -9PM. Free.
http://www.cafehey.com/
--- Luis
Congratulations to Best of The Bay and Reader's Award Winners
The following friends of Art Taco have been recognized by Creative Loafing in their Best of The Bay issue:
Best Falafel - Cafe Bohemia. I can personally vouch for this one.
Best Alternative Cuban - Cafe Hey (going to have to do some research on this one)
Best Local Java - Cafe Kahwa. Excellent indie coffee and a great place to enjoy it.
Best Actress - Dahlia Legault, whose performance in Everything's a Dream at Deep Carnivale dazzled.
Best Gallery - Mindy Solomon, whose first year in the St Pete community has been stellar.
Best Art-Based Community Revival - The 600 block, whose impact on the community is blooming.
Best Painter - Mernet Larsen, whose work threads directly into our inner lives, through hers.
People's Choice - Vitale Studio
Congratulations to all.
--- Luis
Best Falafel - Cafe Bohemia. I can personally vouch for this one.
Best Alternative Cuban - Cafe Hey (going to have to do some research on this one)
Best Local Java - Cafe Kahwa. Excellent indie coffee and a great place to enjoy it.
Best Actress - Dahlia Legault, whose performance in Everything's a Dream at Deep Carnivale dazzled.
Best Gallery - Mindy Solomon, whose first year in the St Pete community has been stellar.
Best Art-Based Community Revival - The 600 block, whose impact on the community is blooming.
Best Painter - Mernet Larsen, whose work threads directly into our inner lives, through hers.
People's Choice - Vitale Studio
Congratulations to all.
--- Luis
Cathedral Submerged @ Collective Tattoo Gallery
In 1910, Claude Debussy composed a prelude titled "La Cathedral Engloutie" (The Sunken Cathedral). It is based on a Breton Legend, about the city of Ys, built below sea level, off what is today the Bay of Douarnenez. Due to a corrupt Queen named Dahut who had a Praying (more like Preying) Mantis habit of killing her lovers at dawn the morning after and hosting orgies, the sea turned stormy and angry in protest, and washed over the dikes and the gates were sabotaged by a Knight in Red. Dahut quickly went on to become a mermaid. The Welsh, btw, have a very similar myth. The name Par-is, in Breton, means "similar to Ys".
The Sunken Cathedral rises above the waters on a full moon and when the water is transparent. The sound of its pipe organ and its bells can be heard far inland.
As Catholicism dominated the landscape of Europe, eradicating everything that preceded it in a form of religious "cleansing", building cathedrals directly on the sacred sites of prior faiths, their adherents went underground, and in this case, their cathedral went figuratively underwater.
Miami-based Cuban emigre' Yolyanko Arguelles, who is fascinated with the occult, has recontextualized this legend into the present in a series called "La Catedral Sumergida", "The Submerged Cathedral", composed of exquisite figure line drawings, often several to one work . I had the opportunity to converse in Spanish with Mr. Arguelles at the opening of the show. He has won the grand prize for animation at Art Basel Miami. Twice. He told me he is still working on and refining an animation of La Catedral Sumergida, something I would love to see.
Some of the themes he explores in this series are those of evolution and potential, both personal and humanity's, in general. See here. And here This Cathedral also symbolizes what we lost, and central to this is femininity. The immersion in water, emergence based on the lunar calendar, all harken back to the time when Goddesses roamed our world and rolled out the stars at night, when there was healing of the entire being, and not just medical practice, when mercy was as important as law, and we had a plurality of codes to live by. Yolyanko's is not merely a nostalgic, sentimental vision, but a futuristic, energized, hopeful one, a longing for a fusion between what we lost and what we are, forward-looking to what we might be.
Collective Tattoo and Gallery is rapidly distinguishing itself as one of the premier galleries in the area with consistently well-curated shows, well-orchestrated, lavish openings impeccable space, and most of all, non-mainstream, high-quality work.
--- Luis
Collective Tattoo & Gallery, 601 Central Avenue, St Petersburg. The Show runs into mid-October.
The Sunken Cathedral rises above the waters on a full moon and when the water is transparent. The sound of its pipe organ and its bells can be heard far inland.
As Catholicism dominated the landscape of Europe, eradicating everything that preceded it in a form of religious "cleansing", building cathedrals directly on the sacred sites of prior faiths, their adherents went underground, and in this case, their cathedral went figuratively underwater.
Miami-based Cuban emigre' Yolyanko Arguelles, who is fascinated with the occult, has recontextualized this legend into the present in a series called "La Catedral Sumergida", "The Submerged Cathedral", composed of exquisite figure line drawings, often several to one work . I had the opportunity to converse in Spanish with Mr. Arguelles at the opening of the show. He has won the grand prize for animation at Art Basel Miami. Twice. He told me he is still working on and refining an animation of La Catedral Sumergida, something I would love to see.
Some of the themes he explores in this series are those of evolution and potential, both personal and humanity's, in general. See here. And here This Cathedral also symbolizes what we lost, and central to this is femininity. The immersion in water, emergence based on the lunar calendar, all harken back to the time when Goddesses roamed our world and rolled out the stars at night, when there was healing of the entire being, and not just medical practice, when mercy was as important as law, and we had a plurality of codes to live by. Yolyanko's is not merely a nostalgic, sentimental vision, but a futuristic, energized, hopeful one, a longing for a fusion between what we lost and what we are, forward-looking to what we might be.
Collective Tattoo and Gallery is rapidly distinguishing itself as one of the premier galleries in the area with consistently well-curated shows, well-orchestrated, lavish openings impeccable space, and most of all, non-mainstream, high-quality work.
--- Luis
Collective Tattoo & Gallery, 601 Central Avenue, St Petersburg. The Show runs into mid-October.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
This Weekend: 16th - 18th
The Habit, @ Silver Meteor Gallery - A play about a religiously devout woman at a turning point in her life. By Wilson Loria.
Silver Meteor Gallery, 2213 E. Sixth Ave. Ybor City. 8 PM Saturday, 4 PM Sunday. Admission $14 at the door. 727.656.8053.
Art After Dark @ Tampa Museum of Art - An Art party that's very popular with the Tampa community, and a delightful way to spend an evening. This one is DJ'ed by Brian Oblivion, and has a light show to riff off of Dominique Labauvie and more. Friday, Sept 17thm 8-11 PM, @ Tampa. Free for Members, $10 otherwise.
www.tampamuseum.org
Gulfport Art Walk - Over three dozen local artists and craftsmen in a sidewalk show. Check out the Industrial Arts Center while there. Art Taco is partial to the Chicago-Style hot dogs in the little restaurant in that Plaza. This is a wonderful evening in a charming waterside burg.
Saturday, 6 - 10 PM, Beach Boulevard, Gulfport.
Sweet Dreams, Dali -With four months left before the Museum moves to its new digs, the Zodiac Group is putting on a desserts and drinks party.
1000 Third St. S. St Petersburg. 8 PM - 11 PM. Saturday. Admission: $50 in advance, $60 day of the event. 727.823.3762 ext 3013
dali.org/zodiac
Bill Doolin and Neta Pulvermacher at Moving Current - The opening of this dance company's 14th season brings in guest choreographers. Ms. Pulvermacher's work involves many dancers and buckets (!).
8 PM Friday and Saturday, 2 PM Sunday, @ USF Theater, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa. Admission $15, $10 for students & seniors. Cash or check only at the door. No credit/debit cards. 813.237.0216
Silver Meteor Gallery, 2213 E. Sixth Ave. Ybor City. 8 PM Saturday, 4 PM Sunday. Admission $14 at the door. 727.656.8053.
Art After Dark @ Tampa Museum of Art - An Art party that's very popular with the Tampa community, and a delightful way to spend an evening. This one is DJ'ed by Brian Oblivion, and has a light show to riff off of Dominique Labauvie and more. Friday, Sept 17thm 8-11 PM, @ Tampa. Free for Members, $10 otherwise.
www.tampamuseum.org
Gulfport Art Walk - Over three dozen local artists and craftsmen in a sidewalk show. Check out the Industrial Arts Center while there. Art Taco is partial to the Chicago-Style hot dogs in the little restaurant in that Plaza. This is a wonderful evening in a charming waterside burg.
Saturday, 6 - 10 PM, Beach Boulevard, Gulfport.
Sweet Dreams, Dali -With four months left before the Museum moves to its new digs, the Zodiac Group is putting on a desserts and drinks party.
1000 Third St. S. St Petersburg. 8 PM - 11 PM. Saturday. Admission: $50 in advance, $60 day of the event. 727.823.3762 ext 3013
dali.org/zodiac
Bill Doolin and Neta Pulvermacher at Moving Current - The opening of this dance company's 14th season brings in guest choreographers. Ms. Pulvermacher's work involves many dancers and buckets (!).
8 PM Friday and Saturday, 2 PM Sunday, @ USF Theater, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa. Admission $15, $10 for students & seniors. Cash or check only at the door. No credit/debit cards. 813.237.0216
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Personal Notes III: Deep Carnivale
For Sunday, the Deep Carnivale moved from the Ybor HCC Performing Arts complex over to a small, intimate venue: The Silver Meteor Gallery, which, for all practical purposes, is a juke joint-type place hiding out by the tracks in Ybor City.
The place had been painted black and USF students, in the spirit of the exquisite corpse, made over a dozen paintings on the otherwise stygian, flat black walls. Several of the poets from the festival read, or more to the point, performed, in what used to be a cigar-roller's shotgun shack-style house. The name comes from the idea that if one opened the front and back doors, you could fire a shotgun through it without hitting anything. No walls. And that idea was palpable, as poet after poet's voices ran free through the house, all the hearts gathered there, and out into the world at large.
Voices like Diana Ferguson, Melissa Fair, Linda Alexander, David Durney, Enid Shormer, Summer Rodman, Doreen Horn, Kim Buchheit and Silvia Curbelo. Rachel Leona Kapitan's Gardener was like a religious revelation. Rachel didn't just read and/or gesture her poetry. She was possessed by it, and I by her performance.
Art Taco wants to congratulate David Audet and all the people whose considerable efforts made this festival
an extraordinary experience, for bringing this here, and for citizens of all ages and economic means. Thank you.
--- Luis
The place had been painted black and USF students, in the spirit of the exquisite corpse, made over a dozen paintings on the otherwise stygian, flat black walls. Several of the poets from the festival read, or more to the point, performed, in what used to be a cigar-roller's shotgun shack-style house. The name comes from the idea that if one opened the front and back doors, you could fire a shotgun through it without hitting anything. No walls. And that idea was palpable, as poet after poet's voices ran free through the house, all the hearts gathered there, and out into the world at large.
Voices like Diana Ferguson, Melissa Fair, Linda Alexander, David Durney, Enid Shormer, Summer Rodman, Doreen Horn, Kim Buchheit and Silvia Curbelo. Rachel Leona Kapitan's Gardener was like a religious revelation. Rachel didn't just read and/or gesture her poetry. She was possessed by it, and I by her performance.
Art Taco wants to congratulate David Audet and all the people whose considerable efforts made this festival
an extraordinary experience, for bringing this here, and for citizens of all ages and economic means. Thank you.
--- Luis
It's a Gallery! Station Number Three is Born.
St. Petersburg real estate mogul-ette and owner of Times Square property company, Maryann Lynch, has turned what used to be Fire Station Number Three, a 3,200 sq. ft. building from the 1940s into Station Number Three, St Petersburg's newest Art gallery. Ms. Lynch titles herself as "creator", and has four administrators, including Thomas Hamilton (musician), Tim Thompson (director of sales & rentals), Amy Swanson (?) and the inimitable, one and only JoEllen Schilke (owner of the Globe cafe', hostess of the WMNF radio art show, gallerista and local Diosa).
On Station Number Three's Facebook page, in the discussions area, JoEllen sagely asks: " What is the purpose of an Art Gallery?". I know this is not a rhetorical question coming from Jo Ellen. Now is the time to go there and contribute your ideas.
Saturday evening, Station Number Three opened its doors to the public. The spacious building is "finished" in industrial chic, which is to say that it looks raw, with bare brick, pipes, conduits and all the other things that normally lie hidden behind wallboard exposed. The building was owned by the Urban League for years, and used as storage. Ms. Lynch had the place steam-cleaned then clear-coated (just like one's car) with polyurethane.
It was a first-class opening, with delightful music (provided by Tom Hamilton, one of the directors & Wilder duo, ), great art by Frank Strunk III, David Williams, John Revisky, Cindy Mason, and Claudia Strano. The gallery got an adjacent street closed to display a new fire truck, and enable valet parking. There were two police cruisers parked outside the building, and there were enough police/guards inside that for a moment I thought it was a performance art piece! There was a cornucopia of excellent hor doeuvres, and three or more bars.
A free-roaming blonde videographer wandered around, and eventually corraled me on a couch, and video'd me with an ultra-wide lens about 10" from my face. Cruel and unusual lenswork, in my opinion. Like everyone else, I gushed about the opening.
Here is where I would normally review the work, but when I was there, unbelievably, the art was not tagged. No titles, no artists, no prices. Maryann assured me they were on their way. I had other gallery openings to tend to that evening, but it's a great excuse for an encore visit. I clearly recognized Frank Strunk III's distressed metalwork textural poems, which fit in very well with the distressed interior. One piece, a sheetmetal rusty dollar, this one in waveform, almost like a fluttering flag, perhaps a comment on the love of money?
I had a brief chat with the affable Ms. Lynch, and would like to wish her a warm welcome, and a Happy Zero Birthday to Station Number Three.
--- Luis
On Station Number Three's Facebook page, in the discussions area, JoEllen sagely asks: " What is the purpose of an Art Gallery?". I know this is not a rhetorical question coming from Jo Ellen. Now is the time to go there and contribute your ideas.
Saturday evening, Station Number Three opened its doors to the public. The spacious building is "finished" in industrial chic, which is to say that it looks raw, with bare brick, pipes, conduits and all the other things that normally lie hidden behind wallboard exposed. The building was owned by the Urban League for years, and used as storage. Ms. Lynch had the place steam-cleaned then clear-coated (just like one's car) with polyurethane.
It was a first-class opening, with delightful music (provided by Tom Hamilton, one of the directors & Wilder duo, ), great art by Frank Strunk III, David Williams, John Revisky, Cindy Mason, and Claudia Strano. The gallery got an adjacent street closed to display a new fire truck, and enable valet parking. There were two police cruisers parked outside the building, and there were enough police/guards inside that for a moment I thought it was a performance art piece! There was a cornucopia of excellent hor doeuvres, and three or more bars.
A free-roaming blonde videographer wandered around, and eventually corraled me on a couch, and video'd me with an ultra-wide lens about 10" from my face. Cruel and unusual lenswork, in my opinion. Like everyone else, I gushed about the opening.
Here is where I would normally review the work, but when I was there, unbelievably, the art was not tagged. No titles, no artists, no prices. Maryann assured me they were on their way. I had other gallery openings to tend to that evening, but it's a great excuse for an encore visit. I clearly recognized Frank Strunk III's distressed metalwork textural poems, which fit in very well with the distressed interior. One piece, a sheetmetal rusty dollar, this one in waveform, almost like a fluttering flag, perhaps a comment on the love of money?
I had a brief chat with the affable Ms. Lynch, and would like to wish her a warm welcome, and a Happy Zero Birthday to Station Number Three.
--- Luis
Monday, September 13, 2010
Personal Notes II: Deep Carnivale
Saturday we met with friend Brian for a late breakfast, and went back to Deep Carnivale. I noticed from the guest sign-in at the gallery that C. Emerson owner Lori was there, though we unfortunately didn't see her. In the lobby, there were tables set up, with racks full of dresses, jackets and other outfits, feathered boas and hats, and clusters of children thrilled to be playing dress-up, and parents posing alongside them, beaming.
In a large room a little further down the hall, volunteers from several groups, including the women from the Dali Museum, kept scores of kids laughing, doing crafts, and entertaining them. Onstage, various poets read poetry specifically for kids over the music of their laughter.
Greeting people coming in through the main entrance was none other than Ferdie Pacheco, Doctor, screenwriter, novelist, painter, cultural treasure, and Master Raconteur. He was there to sign books, but what a consummate pleasure and rare opportunity it was to be able to sit at arm's length from this renaissance man and listen to him tell Ybor stories.
At the Main Stage there were John Guzzo and Paul Fisher talking and showing their historical Graphic Novel, Blood is Thicker, and the real-life issues of bringing it to the public. Hopefully, they will consider Blurb-type print-on-demand books for their novel in the future.
The HCC Dancers performed The Birth of Astro Boy, by Tom Mc Gowan.
James Tokley Sr, Tampa Poet Laureate, read from his riveting story, "Purl". Poetry and prose are wonderful, but having the chance of hearing them read by their authors, live, squares the circle and is one of the many things this festival brings to the community, and on Saturday, it was all for free.
Sadly, Art Taco had to leave early in order to make several gallery openings that evening...
--- Luis
In a large room a little further down the hall, volunteers from several groups, including the women from the Dali Museum, kept scores of kids laughing, doing crafts, and entertaining them. Onstage, various poets read poetry specifically for kids over the music of their laughter.
Greeting people coming in through the main entrance was none other than Ferdie Pacheco, Doctor, screenwriter, novelist, painter, cultural treasure, and Master Raconteur. He was there to sign books, but what a consummate pleasure and rare opportunity it was to be able to sit at arm's length from this renaissance man and listen to him tell Ybor stories.
At the Main Stage there were John Guzzo and Paul Fisher talking and showing their historical Graphic Novel, Blood is Thicker, and the real-life issues of bringing it to the public. Hopefully, they will consider Blurb-type print-on-demand books for their novel in the future.
The HCC Dancers performed The Birth of Astro Boy, by Tom Mc Gowan.
James Tokley Sr, Tampa Poet Laureate, read from his riveting story, "Purl". Poetry and prose are wonderful, but having the chance of hearing them read by their authors, live, squares the circle and is one of the many things this festival brings to the community, and on Saturday, it was all for free.
Sadly, Art Taco had to leave early in order to make several gallery openings that evening...
--- Luis
Road Tripping: Landscapes and Memories @ Kahwah Cafe South
The American Road Trip is a long-standing tradition among photographers, from Jackson, O'Sullivan and others to Ryan McGinley and Robert Frank in between. Each photographer sees a different America. Nick Nicks started out with local landmarks, like in "Harold's Auto", which shows that dinosaur-shaped gas station building north of here. Another familiar landmark are the Hillsborough River 'rapids'. These photographs serve to heighten the contrast between the familiar and unfamiliar landscapes as Nick takes us West.
We can deduce his route from the landscapes and titles. "Delicate Arch", which is beautifully composed, is in Utah. Two photographs, "La Junta", and "Across T-10 Peaks, Telluride, Colorado" define the route, but also have very odd greenish tints and badly burnt out clouds.
Out of fifteen displayed photographs, six are of distant, majestic mountains or other rock formations. I remember Nick's "El Camino Seen" from the recent "Photo-Graphein" show at Vitale's gallery.
--- Luis
The show opened on Sept 7th. No closing date given. It may be seen at Kahwah Cafe South, @ 204 2nd Ave South. St Petersburg. Hours: M-F 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM. Sat -Sun 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Free.
We can deduce his route from the landscapes and titles. "Delicate Arch", which is beautifully composed, is in Utah. Two photographs, "La Junta", and "Across T-10 Peaks, Telluride, Colorado" define the route, but also have very odd greenish tints and badly burnt out clouds.
Out of fifteen displayed photographs, six are of distant, majestic mountains or other rock formations. I remember Nick's "El Camino Seen" from the recent "Photo-Graphein" show at Vitale's gallery.
--- Luis
The show opened on Sept 7th. No closing date given. It may be seen at Kahwah Cafe South, @ 204 2nd Ave South. St Petersburg. Hours: M-F 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM. Sat -Sun 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Free.
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