I am especially jealous of anyone who gets to see the Joan Mitchell show. So very very jealous! If you go, tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #dontmissartsiness!
Summer can be a slow time in the art world. Some galleries close altogether, reserving their resources for the busy Fall season, while others show off their best artists for tourists and travelers.
Here are a few shows happening right now, if you’re looking for something artsy to do over the holiday weekend!
One of the things I love most about the art world is the diversity– of people, styles, ages, eras. It’s amazing to not only see the work of new graduates and up & comers, but to look back at the artists who made the way for today’s success. This week’s round up of must-see museum and gallery shows includes work from recent MFA graduates, old-school Abstract Expressionists, modern figurative savants, and some abstract artists who just wanna have some fun.
Oh how I wish I could be in all these places! Someone needs to hurry up with that teleportation device. If you’re in any of these areas and able to see these incredible gallery shows, share your experience on Instagram & tag me @artsyforager with the hashtag #dontmissartsiness!
In this week’s round up of gallery shows and museum exhibitions, I am so bummed that I’m nowhere near any of these spots because each of these shows looks amazing!
Click through the gallery links above for more information about each show. If you check ‘em out, tag me ( @artsyforager ) on Instagram with the hashtag #dontmissartsiness! If you go I’ll be totally jealous!
Every new place Mr. Forager & I go, I try to hit the local art museum. Not only because I think it’s important to patronize local art resources ( artsy duh ), but I also find them to be an interesting gauge of the local tastes and what’s important to the surrounding culture. After being in Seattle for six weeks, we finally ventured to the Seattle Art Museum last week.
In addition to their current special exhibition, Future Beauty ( more on that in a separate post ), there were a few other intriguing exhibitions on display. I was especially excited to see 50 Works for 50 States, selections from the Herb and Dorothy Vogel collection.
[ Codex Morales Braccio Sermugnano by Michael Goldberg and Untitled by Tony Smith ]
I am continually amazed by the collection this couple put together on a modest income! Truly inspiring to anyone who is intimidated by the prospect of collecting artwork. The Vogels collected many smaller works and works on paper, making them more financially accessible but allowing them to build an enviable collection. Such a great example to follow!
One of the things that impressed me the most about the SAM experience was the thoughtfulness given to how each exhibition was displayed and how the galleries interacted with each other. Glimpses of work seen not just within each exhibition but from one gallery to another allow the work to relate and interact in a way that allows the viewer’s eye to flow naturally throughout the space.
[ Thicket by Martin Puryear ]
A delightful surprise was the small show currently on display in the Knight Lawrence Gallery, In a Silent Way, “a quiet reflection on African American identities and histories”. This small gallery is tucked in a corner of the museum, away from the crowds and bustle of the larger galleries, which was perfectly fitting for such a thoughtful group of works. The palette of the show was almost exclusively black and white, a subtle nod to the subject matter, but each piece filled with subtext of what it means to evolve as a person of African descent in America.
From the museum’s permanent collection, an exhibition of mid-twentieth century work, From Abstract Expression to Colored Planes, features superstars of the era such as Frank Stella, Jackson Pollock and Helen Frankenthaler. The progression of that era of modern art is always fascinating– you can literally see the artists deconstructing and reconstructing the meaning of form across time. It is without a doubt one of my favorite periods of art history!
[ contemplating Frankenthaler ]
In keeping with the special exhibition’s focus on fashion, I was especially drawn to the work of Yinka Shonibare, whose Nuclear Family installation shows us a “traditional” family dressed in the structure of Victorian garb in textiles reminiscent of modern Africa. In a different, but no less interesting textile sculpture, Walter Oltmann‘s Caterpillar Suit mixes two destructive species, the caterpillar and the conquistador, while exposing their vulnerabilities and tenuous existences.
[ Nuclear Family by Yinka Shonibare ]
[ Caterpillar Suit III by Walter Oltmann ]
I love the way the Seattle Art Museum is blurring the lines between ancient and modern, leading the visitor down familiar paths only to introduce them to something new and exciting. Can’t wait to see what else is in store!
I have had the work of Dutch artist Ruud van Empel pinned to my Pinterest board for months now. Imagine my excitement when we arrived in San Diego back in October and I saw who was coming to the Museum of Photographic Arts at Balboa Park! Since then, I’ve had the postcard for his show, Strange Beauty, hanging on our fridge, just waiting to see this compelling work up close.
*I snapped this pic before I saw the sign for no photography. Shhh.. don’t tell on me!
The artist’s first solo show in an American museum, Strange Beauty showcases over 40 of van Empel’s digitally created works. I hate to call them digitally enhanced photographs because they are so very much more than that. Ruud van Empel carefully constructs each piece, meticulously layering staged photographs, digital imagery, and collage.
World #7, cibachrome, 41.43×59.06
The results are stunningly haunting, complex imagery. With a background in theater arts and graphic graphic design, van Empel sets a beautifully enticing stage, one in we aren’t sure whether his characters should feel right at home or terribly out of place.
World #20, cibachrome, 23.5×33The Office #41, digital print on paper, 12.01×13.78Untitled #1, cibachrome, 33.11×46.81
As you look closely at each image, you aren’t sure where the actual photograph and the manipulation or collage begins.. in many we would be surprised to know which elements were not present all along.
Generation #2, cibachrome, 130×49
Strange Beauty runs through February 3, 2013 at the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego. If you’re anywhere near the area, I highly recommend a visit! You can also see more of Ruud van Empel’s work on his website.
Top image by Artsy Forager. All other images are via the artist’s website.
While Mr. Forager and I had originally made plans to trek to Big Bear over the weekend, a thick blanket of snow and us sans the CA law required snow chains, along with a sick-with-a-cold Mr. Forager led to a change in plans. So following our Saturday ritual of breakfast in Joshua Tree ( at Crossroads Cafe— their “piggy pancakes” are my favorite indulgent breakfast ) and stocking up on victuals at the little JT Farmers’ Market, we drove through the wind farms to Palm Springs.
We wandered around the shops and a few galleries in downtown PS ( note: Stark + Kent Gallery— best contemporary selection in PS, including a few artists featured here on Artsy Forager! ). After doing the requisite touristy photo-op under Anish Kapoor’sMarilyn statue, currently installed in downtown Palm Springs, we decided to make our way over to the Palm Springs Art Museum. Now I normally have pretty low expectations for small town art museums, knowing they don’t usually have the financial support of big city institutions, so we were pleasantly surprised by what we found there.
Jim Isermann installation
Palm Springs being a hot bed of modern architecture and design, it was no surprise that one of the current special exhibitions featured the design-art hybrid work of Fernando and Humberto Campana in the exhibition, Antibodies. Their functional yet incredibly artistic designs take inspired living to an entirely different level.
Antibodies, Fernando and Humberto Campana ( photo by David A. Lee )
But it was the museum’s contemporary collection that delighted us most. As we walked up the stairs past the giant yellow Isermann installation ( see above pic ), so the magic began. Marina Abramovic’sThe Kitchen V, Carrying the Milk, held us spellbound, as we watched the artist as she stood, she the very subject of the Vermeer-esque vignette, holding a bowl of milk, at times struggling to hold her pose.
The Kitchen V, Carrying the Milk by Marina Abramovic
Moving away from the Abramovic video installation, our eyes were caught by what from a side angle looked to be an interesting light sculpture installation, but then I stood in front of it and that’s when something bewitching and delightful happened.. see the video!
Exploded View ( Birds ) by Jim Campbell
Here are a few more of our favorite highlights from the contemporary collection–
Casualty in the Art Realm by Robert ArnesonExploded Crystal Chandelier Headache by Ed RuschaRainbow Picket by Judy ChicagoMr. Forager, contemplating Corona 2003 by Anish Kapoor
Corona 2003 by Anish Kapoor ( above ) with its beautifully disorienting reflective surface and its acoustic properties ( when standing in front of it, as Mr. F is above, someone a few yards behind can hear what is being said into it ), we found it much more interesting than his giant Marilyn Monroe sculpture getting so much attention outside. I’m glad we took the time to escape the masses huddled around her upended skirt to experience something much more satisfying.
Unless otherwise identified, all images are by Artsy Forager. Other image sources are linked above.
After three months in the cultural dead-zone that is Aberdeen, WA, it feels good to be living in a town with an active arts community. Grants Pass, OR isn’t exactly Portland or Seattle, but it is a welcome change. Last weekend, I was delighted to tour the current show at the Grants Pass Museum of Art , Vibrant Earth, featuring the glass sculptures and tapestries of California artist Deanna Marsh.
Gone Rogue, kiln-formed glass and steel, 36×36
It is really no surprise for artists to be inspired by the Western landscape in all it’s dynamic diversity. Deanna Marsh’s fused glass and metal sculptures capture the essence of the rushing rivers and steep mountain slopes. Recalling the wild spirit that still resides throughout so much of this landscape.
Golden Geodesy, brazilian geode, kiln-formed glass, copper and steel, 48x18x3
Deanna’s work is beautifully wrought and large in size, making her ideal for corporate & healthcare placement ( *hint, hint, to all my art consultant & designer readers!! ).
Accommodating Land by Deanna Marsh, kiln-formed glass and steel, 64×30
So if you happen to be anywhere near Grants Pass, Oregon, A) Let’s have coffee! and B) visit the Grants Pass Museum of Art before September 30th to see the work of this talented artist in person. If you can’t see it in person, please make sure you visit the artist’s website to view more of her work.
Featured image is Choose Your Path by Deanna Marsh. All images are courtesy of the artist’s website.
It seems that the art world is embracing fashion and its cultural influence. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s recent Alexander McQueen exhibit, Savage Beauty, broke attendance records for fashion exhibits at the institution. Designers, especially ones specializing in couture fashion, seem to have more freedom than ever to create uniquely artistic forms. We see designers such as the late McQueen taking inspiration from the art world and creating masterpieces in their own way.
Dress, VOSS, Alexander McQueen, razor clam shells stripped and varnished
Are these practical clothes? No. But then, art isn’t created for practicality’s sake. It is created to be an outlet and a source of inspiration. McQueen and other designers like him have taken inspiration from the forms and textures of ancient and modern sculpture to develop glorious garments that inspire.
Jean Paul GaultierMary KatrantzouStephane RollandManish Arora, Autumn/Winter 2011-2012
On a simple dressmaker’s form, these could be mistaken for museum-worthy sculptures, but when worn, they become a moving work of art.
Candace Fasano is a painter and a poet. Where the paintings end and the poetry begins is not always distinctive. According to Wikipedia, “poetry primarily is governed by idiosyncratic forms and conventions to suggest differential interpretation to words, or to evoke emotive responses.” Substitute words for images and you’ve hit just the beginning of what makes Fasano’s work so interesting.
Topographical Remembering, mixed media on canvas, 48×48
Like poetry, Fasano’s paintings abound with symbolism and rhythm, their ambiguous nature often leaving them open to interpretation. Though they may have been created with a certain narrative in mind, the visual elements expressed are more suggestive than overt.
OMGGMO, oil on canvas, 96×72 diptych
Just as Candace the poet plays with words, Candace the painter plays with paint. Building up texture, leaving whispy washes of color and sketchy lines contrast with typographical verbiage.
Balancing Act, oil on canvas, 30×36
Layers of imagery create layers of meaning. Objects within the works are often rendered realistically, but are not necessarily resting in their reality. They may become transparent, weaving in and out of the composition like the ghostly marks left behind after an pencil eraser has done its work.
Warmth, oil on canvas, 66×56
imaginary landscapes attract
pictures from our collective mythologies.
text or fragments take hold like scaffolding
constructing and deconstructing
realities into temporary truths
revealing fragile limitations
of growth and decay –
viewed through a cardboard kaleidoscope
–c.fasano
To see more of Candace Fasano’s work and to read more of her poetry, visit her website and blog. If you like her work as much as I do, please fan her Facebook page to keep up with all her latest news. If you’re in the North Florida area, be sure to visit the Cummer Museum‘s “The Neighborhood As Art” show, which features one of Candance’s pieces.
north | Kinetic Sculptures, Prints, and Carved Wood Panels by John Buck at Greg Kucera Gallery
