artdc.com

Yesterday, I stopped by the Art League  at the Torpedo Factory to Jury a new show entitled Becoming Animal. The show runs from November 4 to December 7, 2009.  Artists were asked to explore the animal within us all or submit images of animals real or imaginary including everything from  our favorite pets to endangered and/or extinct species.  Artists are also encouraged to explore the fine line between humans and animals.  It was my goal to develop a selection of works that did exactly that.  It was important for me to attempt to move beyond the average pet picture and find raw emotion with in a tremendous pool of work.

There were well over 450 submissions which made this a tough yet pleasurable task.   The Art League is an organized movement which could give Seiko or even a Rolex a run for the money.   I was amazed at the attention.  There were 5 or 6 volunteers dedicated to helping the process run smoothly.  They insisted on bringing the work to me to view it.  I felt guilty watching them run from one pile to the next bringing me art.  In the end, I was exhausted, yet they had to feel it more since they were constantly running back and forth!  

The most difficult task was saying no, over 35o times, such an un-Dale Carnegie task.  (I keep hearing his instructions, make them say yes!)  

The Art League’s marketing manager too notes on our discussion about the curatorial process, and what I looked for to include a work.  At which point, I had to say, there could have been 2 or 3 other shows in this body of work.

One image or painting wasn’t  better than another,  the chosen works seemed to fit the theme better.  Some were picked for their raw emotion, others for my opinion of great skill, and many things in-between.  I would have loved to come back for a later visit to think more about which images were chosen, however the spontaneity of the of the process is part of the excitement, and it ads to the show.  I like the outcome. 

Continue reading

Here we are with Vic and my old PA speakers.  These speakers had great karma about them.  We’re not sure who used them since they were purchased used from Guitar center, but with so many amazing musicians originating from the DC area, who knows, Dave Grohl could have played through them in a club, or they could have been someone’s garage band experience.  None the less, we’ve had them for the last 3 years or so, and they’ve been at many of Art Outlet and our shows.  

These speakers have experienced rock, jazz, and electronic music.  In the pic below, Vic and I delivered them from Flux 2 to the Zip Code show.   The south side of Arlington wasn’t the first time they saw the back of Vic’s ride.  We once drove them from our studio in NE DC down NY ave and south on 395.  We got some pretty amazing looks from the locals.  

All convertibles should have speakers this big in the back.  Who ever said a 10 inch sub was enough.  We want two 15′s.   After the zip code show we sold them to a father and son in Woodbridge, VA who are starting a new group and needed something to practice through. 

 May the speakers live on!  I have a feeling they’ll keep the positive speaker karma flowing.

Sunday morning, I was off to the 20002 studio to meet Steve for some business.  We’re sad to announce that we’re losing an artist, Bill Pabst.  He’s moved on to a studio in his own home.   So now along with rent and utility increases, it’s time to re-evaluate our studio situation.  We decided to open a call for a replacement for Bill, and find a new artist to share the dark room.

Here’s the space that Bill is giving up:

We guesstimate that this space is between 150 to 200 square feet.  All with usage of this space, there’s also a large shared group area, along with access to Steve’s wood shop.

(here we have Jenn in her studio.  Bill’s neighbor.)

It’s been a pleasure to have a private Darkroom get away, but it’s extremely exciting to know that there’s going to be a new creative force taking advantage if this great space.  Here we see 2 10ft benches at different heights, 2 omega enlargers, a cobbled together UV exposure box, and more toys!  Lauren Pond signed the lease and we’re looking forward to seeing what  she creates here.  We’ve found that more creative activity from other artists in the same space raises each artist’s  inspiration to do more.  We think this is something that is often lost when artists leave college and move into their own secluded private spaces.

Welcome Lauren!  On the first day, the light box is on, ready for negatives!  Long live the use of film!
We’re still sifting through applications for Bill’s space, but we’ll keep you up-to-date.

Yes, we swear, there will be an end to superlatives soon, but we must share a beautiful thing.   Last weekend, we made a run to the hardware store, and picked up 3 new industrial style shelves with the hope of organizing the storage closet for the Hyattsville Studio  and Gallery.   This won’t be the end of our organizational efforts, but it’s a welcomed improvement.  With several hours of work we transformed this space into what you see here.  It would have been worth a before shot, since the space was cluttered to the point that it was near impossible to walk through the room.  With the thought adding more artists to the space, we knew that something had to be done.  So here they are, according to the box, capable of holding 4,000lbs each:

We’ll probably add another unit or 2 on the other wall to make room for more art work and studio supplies, followed by a large drying rack for paintings!

After working on the shelves, we paid our neighbors, DC Glass Works a visit for their open house.  If you’re searching for art, community, and a source of  all around positive energy, they certainly are a great place to start.  DCGW are alive with the DIY Spirit in the sense that they’ve built their own space.  They started with an empty warehouse and added a mass of amazing equipment including 3 glory holes, and a large furnace that keeps 500lb’s of molten glass hot.

Every 4 to 6 weeks, they have an open house and bring in a band, food, and beverages to give the public a chance to witness what they do.  DCGW is a teach space, so this is an opportunity for the public to sample or at least get a feel for what they’d learn in classes there.  The staff is inviting, and they are happy to talk about what they do.  Maybe there’s something about the heat, the fire, or just the people, but every time I visit, I walk out inspired by not only the art they create, but the energy required to build a space like that.    I know from our work with our space, what it means to build something like this.

Above is a fairly tight shot of the space while Joe Corcoran was giving a demo producing a vessel out of clear glass.  We wanted you to see the bulk of the space and their activity in the room, and in the process we missed the crowd!  The place was packed. It took time to actually make your way to the table with beverages!  It’s a wonderful thing to see that many people who wanted to come to Hyattsville, wach the glass, hear the music, and enjoy the creative atmosphere.

Watch a video snap shot of Joe’s demo as the transfer the vessel to work on the other end here:

We wrapped up the day with a studio visit to the EZ Storage studios with Cheryl and Tonya,  followed by a preview tour of the “Pinned.” show for the EYA residents.  It was a very positive day packed full of creativity.

Ev is a wonderful artist. Often on this site, I find myself with a very positive introductory statement like that, but I seriously mean it. I look at her work, and I’m taken away to another place. I start thinking about color, layers, glazing and dreams of composition. She’s a master of mixing texture with semi-gloss paint. It makes me think about conversations with my Mom about paint. She’s an artist too, and we had a conversation about painting my place, I told her I did the ceiling in semi-gloss, and I remember this gasp that sounded with a longing and desire for semi-gloss. I like that about Ev’s work. There’s a sparkle, a layer of brightness that really screams look at me.

I like the direction of her current series, and I look forward to seeing more. They are of great construction on wooden boxes built by her husband. That is such a wonderful sign of support. The fact that he builds surfaces for her is so exciting to me. I like it when couples support each other’s creativity.

Seriously, buy this work now, while we can all still afford it. The paintings are much more valuable than the price!  Ev believes in her work, and I think she’s in it for the long haul!  I look forward to watching her career as an artist expand.

Read details about our art you must acquire project: here.

Elements and Language, The Arctic Ice Speaks, #1

Elements and Language Series, The Arctic Ice Speaks, #2

Dimensions, each: 28″x35″
Materials: mixed-media on reclaimed wood panel
Price: $800.00USD each or $1600.00 for the pair
This is seriously an amazing price!

Artist Statement:

Most of my paintings are constructed of mixed-media on reclaimed wood panels. The process is one of layering opaque colors and transparent glazes and trying to achieve the patina that natural elements give to a surface over time.

My paintings are an exploration of the textures, colors and surfaces I observe in nature. I like the strength and solidity of images that are abstracted down to their most prominent colors and shapes. A sprig of leaves visible through a window on an overcast day suggests a simplified composition of grey and green in a rectangular field.

I am interested in how colors interact with each other on a textured surface and the transition of colors at the border between them. I like the idea that borders and horizons are less rigid the closer you inspect them.

I’m intrigued by how much variety exists in natural earthy surfaces, and how different patterns and surfaces form as a result of environmental changes. My latest paintings, belonging to the series “Elements and Language” explore the idea that variety in nature is like a language that we can “read” or “hear” if we choose to.