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ART
ART IN THE AGE OF BUSH DENVER MINNEAPOLIS PHILADELPHIA
September/October 2008
American
Contemporary
Bente Vold Klausen
September 22 - November 1, 2008
Translations Gallery
855 Inca Street, Denver, CO 80204
303.629.0713
w w w . translationsgallery.com
a collection of
recent paintings by
Eva Carter
September 26 - October 30
NOVEMBER
SELECTION
an exhibition of work by
William M Halsey
Eva Carter
Karin Olah
November 1 - 30
Almost Paradise
September 19 - November 8, 2008
339 South 21st Street Philadelphia PA 19103 (NE corner of 21st & Pine sts)
1+ 215.731.1530 : www.Gallery339.com : info@Gallery339.com
Tuesday – Saturday: 10 am – 6 pm . Sunday & Monday by appointment
F rom the E ditors
What is American
Contemporary Art?
*Lest you think we are Luddites with a grudge against the internet, visit our
website at acamagazine.com.
from the editors 9
inside
THE POLITICAL ISSUE
ART
ART IN THE AGE OF BUSH DENVER MINNEAPOLIS PHILADELPHIA
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008
AMERICAN
CONTEMPORARY
18 In this Issue
THE POLITICAL ISSUE
Up Front September/October 2008
82
contents 13
Accorsi Arts Associates
ACME Fine Art
Alpha Gallery
Babcock Galleries
NOVEMBER 7 - 10
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Michael Borghi Fine Art $20 Admission Café Catalog Wheelchair Accessible
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Valerie Carberry Gallery
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PREVIEW THURSDAY NOVEMBER 6, 6PM - 9PM
DFN Gallery
To benefit Planned Parenthood® Federation of America
DJT Fine Art
Planned Parenthood® Hudson Peconic, Planned Parenthood® of Nassau County
Elrick-Manley Fine Art
Planned Parenthood® of New York City 212 274 7201 www.ppnyc.org
Peter Fetterman Gallery
David Findlay Jr. Fine Art
Peter Findlay Gallery
SANFORD L. SMITH & ASSOCIATES
Fischbach Gallery 212 777 5218 www.sanfordsmith.com
Galeria Hafenrichter & Fluegel
Gallery Henoch
Gebert Contemporary
Bernard Goldberg Fine Arts
Grenning Gallery
Stephen Haller Gallery
Nancy Hoffman Gallery
R. S. Johnson Fine Art
David Klein Gallery
Kraushaar Galleries
Levis Fine Art
Lost City Arts
WYSIWYG is organized by
Christopher Y. Lew
Above: James Hyde. GUSTING. 2007. Acrylic on digital print, acrylic on wood blocks. 20.5" x 30.5"
KRIZNA JAMA
Michael E. Smith
Ed Brown
October 26 –
November 29, 2008
JENNY JASKEY GALLERY / 969 N. 2ND STREET / PHILADELPHIA, PA 19123 / +1 (215) 543-6029 / info@jennyjaskey.com
I n T his I ssue
EDITOR
is political. PUBLISHER
Richard Kalisher
Managing Editor
This maxim is especially true during the Convention in St. Paul. In our Exhibitions
Donovan Stanley
months of the September and October, in section, we also focus on new shows in
the lead up to the 2008 presidential election. each city, from environmental art to the
For the cities of Denver and Minneapolis/ representations of the elephant. Design
St. Paul, the brunt of this will be felt in the Politics don’t end in the convention Jon Morrissey
final week of August and first of September. cities. A trio of exhibitions, from opposite Monty Jorgensen
In picking these location, the two parties corners of the country, try to navigate
skipped over the fifteen largest metropolitan political realities in post-9/11 America. Photo & Copy Editor
areas in the country and sought out emerging Editor Eric Kalisher places them within a Jamie Dennison
cities instead of established ones. larger political context and examines the
We are following suit. Instead of New legacy of the Age of Bush. Assistant Editors
York, Los Angeles, or Boston, we too are Washington, DC, the center of
Khalil Khoury, Rachel Mann,
setting our sights on the metropolitan hubs American politics, is the home of Maggie Kate Merkel, Jill Ryeth
of Colorado and Minnesota. Just as the Michael (on the cover), whose artistic
conventions will bring new awareness to evolution is profiled by Tracey Hawkins.
Contributing Editors
the political identities of these cities, we Expanded coverage of Philadelphia,
Tracey Hawkins, Tori Frankel
hope to do the same for their art scenes. home of the Constitutional Convention Jilliane Pierce, Emily Kindler
Michael Paglia traces the history of Denver’s of 1787, rounds out this political issue. Stephanie Kaston
contemporary art scene through the lens of We devote additional pages to exhibitions
some of its key players, while Tori Frankel in city often labeled as the birthplace of
looks at exhibitions in Minneapolis and the nation. Main Office
how they confront the Republican National – The Editors 1550 Larimer St. #170
Denver, CO 80202
ART
ART IN THE AGE OF BUSH DENVER MINNEAPOLIS PHILADELPHIA
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008
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On the Cover: Richard Kalisher
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museums
often use ironic distance to probe gender roles, From the mid-1970s onward, Kippenberger
sexuality, and the construction of indentity in produced a complex and richly varied body of
a media-saturated, corporatized culture. Not work, always focusing on the role of the artist
surprisingly, many of the creations transcend in culture. He cast himself as everything from
the boundaries between sculpture, painting, a publisher to an architect, and he produced
drawing, and performance. work in diverse media: paintings, sculpture,
works on paper, installations, multiples,
Martin Kippenberger photographs, posters, cards, and books.
[Sept 21 – Jan 5, 2009]
This German artist, who died at age 44 in On the Horizon: The first major survey
1997, receives his first major retrospective of Louise Bourgeois, currently featured
in the United States in this ambitious, large at the Guggenheim Museum, arrives on
scale exhibition, “The Problem Perspectives.” October 26.
(top left) John Baldessari, Concerning Diachronic/Synchronic Time: Above, On, Under (with
Mermaid), 1976, six black-and-white photographs, 28.75" x 27.75". (middle) Martin Kippenberger,
The Happy End of Franz Kafka's "Amerika" at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, 1994, up front: Museums 27
mixed media.
up front
museums
(top left) Zhang Xiaogang, Red Child, 2005, oil on canvas; 78" x 120', Sigg Collection.
28 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 (bottom right) Superconductor, still from Magnetic Movie, 2007.
up front
museums
Las Vegas clearly has identity issues. Having using a tilt-focus lens that renders objects
reinvented itself many times over the years, out of scale, transforming the city’s
the one time mob-dominated outpost of iconic landmarks into toy-like simulacra.
gritty glitter has been transformed into an Beginning in the desert and emphasizing
international destination for family fun and the city’s isolation as well as its antipathy for
shopping. Even today, the city continually empty spaces and blank surfaces, Barbieri’s
alters itself through building demolitions camera travels along the outskirts of the
that yield extravagant new resorts. As a city before arriving at its pulsating nerve
result, Vegas remains an odd symbol in our center, the Las Vegas Strip. In No More
cultural imagination. Simultaneous utopian Bets, Dean homes in on the luminous and
and dystopia, it promises all but hints at colorful signs, screens, and surfaces that
the toll of overreaching. This exhibition make up Las Vegas, abstracting the visual
presents a complex portrait of America’s excess and revealing beautiful, unexpected
fastest growing city through the juxtaposition patterns within the city’s semiotic jumble.
of two recent films: Olivo Barbieri’s Las The two works will be shown on opposing
Vegas 05 and Stephen Dean’s No More Bets. walls, sequentially.
Barbieri films Las Vegas from a helicopter,
Hammer Museum
Tomma Abts John Lautner will reveal Lautner’s construction processes.
[through November 9] [through October 12]
Surrounding this dramatic core will be
Tomma Abts creates small, severe paintings This exhibition of the Southern Californian a wealth of archival materials, including
that provide an intriguing antidote to the architect’s work, “Between Earth and never-before-seen drawings, architectural
florid figuration that has dominated the Heaven,” features a design that is as visceral renderings, study models and construction
contemporary painting discourse in the last an experience as Lautner’s buildings photographs, all of which will offer visitors
decade. The exhibition includes fourteen themselves. Newly crafted large-scale models insight into how the structures and spaces
paintings, all of them the same size (19.8 x will give a sense of the internal spaces and unfolded in Lautner’s mind and emerged
15 inches). scale of key projects, and digital animations physically in their settings.
(top left) Olivo Barbieri, site specific LAS VEGAS 05, 2005, single-channel color video installation
with audio, 13 min. Courtesy of Yancey Richardson Gallery. (right) Elke Kristufek, Still from up front: Museums 29
A Film Called Wood, 2007, 50 min. Courtesy of Galerie Barbar Thumm.
up front
museums
Coming in October: Elizabeth Peyton & Mary Heilmann • Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis
Lutz Bacher & Aïda Ruilova
• Contemporary Arts Museum Houston [Sept 12 – Jan 4, 2009]
Sam Taylor-Wood [through Oct 5] A site-specific, multi-channel video installation compliment other
Part of the British art movement that propelled artists like Damien works from Lutz Bacher’s forty-year career. Also showing are
Hirst and Tracey Emin, Taylor-Wood has since become renowned Aïda Ruilova’s video works, which include horror film aesthetics
for manipulating photography, film, and video into compelling and a jarring low-tech technique mixed with strong connections
psychological portraits. A selection of 29 works from the mid- to experimental music.
1990s to the present is included. Among them are photographs
of David Beckham asleep and Self Portrait Suspended, in which • Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
the artist appears weightless in mid air. Jeff Koons [through Sept 21]
This survey features the artist’s most iconic sculptures, including
• Massachusetts MoCA many works from the museum’s collection. Works from his
Jenny Holzer [through Nov 16] time in Chicago during the 1970s are also included in a separate
Last chance to see the artist’s PROJECTIONS, a hypnotic interior exhibition, Everything’s Here [through Oct 26], which also features
light projection that fills up its massive gallery space. Holzer’s artists who influenced him.
recent paintings, of formerly classified government documents,
are in an adjoining gallery. [Also look for her show PROTECT • The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
PROTECT at MCA Chicago beginning on October 28.] Kara Walker [through Oct 19]
The first full-scale American museum survey of the work of
• The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum Kara Walker includes her signature cut-paper silhouettes, film
Elizabeth Peyton [through Nov 16] animations, and over 100 works on paper. Her compositions play
A comprehensive exhibition of almost 50 photographs taken off stereotypes and grotesquely deconstruct plantation life in
between 1994 and 2008, including portraits of friends and the antebellum American South to create a subverted vision of
colleagues in the creative domain. [See also New Museum] the past.
A rt events
This art fair includes a significant amount of contemporary art and features such
dealers as Hollis Taggart Galleries, David Klein Gallery, and Nancy Hoffman Gallery.
It will be held at the Park Avenue Armory, with a preview on November 6 to benefit
Planned Parenthood.
(top right) Gary Ruddell, Litany Against Fear #2, oil on canvas. Courtesy Gallery Henoch.
(left) Marcia Myers, Frammento del Muro MMVIII-VI, fresco diptych on linen. Courtesy
Gebert Contemporary. (bottom right) Bernar Venetl, 88.5 Arc x 8, 2006, steel. Courtesy up front: Art events 31
David Klein Gallery.
up front
art events
SOFA Chicago
[Nov 7-9]
USArists Philadelphia
[Oct 17-19]
(top left) Katherine Gray, Tabletopiaries, 2008, hand-blown recycled glassbased on topiary at Palace
of Versailles, 23". Photo: P.J. Cybulski. Elliott Brown Gallery, Seattle, WA. (middle right) Jaroslava
32 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 Brychtová and Stanislav Libensky, Blue Pyramid, 1993, cast glass, 32" x 47" x 10". Photo: Spencer
Tsai. Barry Friedman Ltd, New York, NY. (above right) Shelley Thorstensen, Rhyme and Reason, 2005,
lino, litho, screenprint, relief, and collagraph, ed. 10, 29.5" x 41.5". Dolan/Maxwell Gallery.
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PHILADELPHIA CHICAGO
Look for expanded coverage of New Orleans and Miami in our next issue. Featured exhibitions 37
PHILADELPHIA
Polly Apfelbaum
Locks [Sept 2-30] Polly Apfelbaum’s highly boundaries between the nature of craft and
intricate fabric installations – the Pop design aesthetic. “Monochromes
works she describes as “fallen 2003-07” continues in this tradition. It brings
paintings” – burst with color together 4 large-scale floor works that have
and transcend their diverse not been previously exhibited together, each
antecedents. Comprised of of which presents a variation on flower
hundreds of individual dyed imagery. Limited to a single color with the
fabric pieces, Apfelbaum’s flowers outlined in black, these flower power
installations reference modern works line the gallery wall’s perimeter and
art history, including poured envelope the viewer like a cartoon garden
works of the 1950s. With brought to life. In addition, a series of the
their vibrant, saturated colors, artist’s 20 x 24 inch Polaroid images of her
Apfelbaum’s works explore flowers are on display.
Alexis Serio
Bridgette Mayer [Sept 2-27]
(top left) Polly Apfelbaum, installation Cartoon Garden, 2005. (center left) Apfelbaum,
Orange Crush, 2007, synthetic fabric and dye, 158" x 126". (center right) Apfelbaum,
38 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 Pink Crush, 2007, synthetic fabric and dye, 12' x 12'. (bottom left) Alexis Serio, Home-song,
2008, watercolor and graphite on paper, 3.75" x 5".
PHILADELPHIA
Matthias Pliessnig
Wexler [Sept 5 – Nov 1]
For Matthias Pliessnig, designing and
building gives rise to questions about the
nature of furniture and wood. He tries to
stay truer to the material by utilizing its
the elastic possibilities. He also combines
boat building techniques with those of
furniture construction. Describing his
work’s philosophy, he says, “For centuries,
we’ve been subverting wood to our will;
lumber mills and furniture factories spit
out rectilinear shapes that fit nicely into
trucks but have little to do with the inherent
properties of the tree.” In his first solo show,
Pliessniq demonstrates the potential of
wood by shaping it in ways that foreground
its underlying properties.
(top right) Paul Cava, Belatage Blue. (middle right) David Graham, Goodyear, AZ.
(bottom left) Matthias Pliessnig, Providence, 2008, stem bent oak, 132" x 80" x 36". Featured exhibitions 39
PHILADELPHIA
(top center) Moe Brooker, I Come to Dance My Joy #3, mixed media on panel, 24" x 24".
40 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 (middle) Sica, Aswan (from the Nile Paintings), oil on canvas, 38" x 44". (bottom left) Jacob
Lunderby, Hangars, 2008, enamel pen, spray paint on panel, 30" x 40".
PHILADELPHIA
“WYSIWYG”
Jenny Jaskey [Sept 9 – Oct 18]
What you see is what you get. This group been taking pictures from her studio
exhibition, organized by Christopher Y. window. Rather than document urban
Lew of P.S.1 Contemporary, examines space, her images capture the atmosphere
abstract photography made through an and shadow play of New York’s gray winters.
inderdisciplinary approach. The six artists Spumes of steam merge with the overcast
included in the show create work that is as sky to produce near monochromes and road
informed by other media, such as sculpture markings form striated drawings. Avery
and science, as they are by photography. McCarthy presents a series of black-and-
Avoiding pure abstraction, the exhibited white contact prints called The Theory of
works are often “dirtied” by other practices Everything. Lifting scientific imagery from
and disciplinary, making the everyday into various online sources, McCarthy uses a
something abstract. systemic approach that finds equivalence
James Hyde defies the flatness of photo- among atoms, neurons, viruses, cosmic
graphic prints by making use of sculptural bodies, and mathematical models.
and painterly strategies. Hyde applies paint Colin Montgomery’s photograph
and attaches objects to photographs of made specifically for the exhibition creates
scaffolding and other architectural forms, a network of foam and spray taken from
highlighting the rhythmic and musical images of a boat’s wake. Almost sculptural
qualities of the composition. Seemingly in form, the large-scale print alludes to both
improvisatory, the aural and visual combine the microscopic and the cosmic. This broad
and recombine to synesthetic affect. vision is fitting for an age in which seemingly
Summer Kemick’s installation of snapshot- benign travel can have global climatic
sized prints made in her native Hawaii forms impact. Paul Salveson’s black-and-white
a cloud of vibrant color and textures. The photographs are informed by DIY ‘zines and
arrangement of successive images suggests role playing games. Salveson’s prints were
the drama of a narrative arc without any made with the intention of being cheaply
explicit meaning, stemming from a place of reproducible via desktop laser printers or
memory and ebullience. photocopying machines where mid-tones
An artist who mainly works in sculpture are often abandoned for the high contrast
and installation, Sungmi Lee has recently grit of true black and white.
(left side) Sungmi Lee, White Air (triptych), 2006-8, edition 1/3, c-print on aluminum, 11" x 14".
(right) James Hyde, Gusting, 2007, acrylic on digital print, wood blocks, 20.5" x 30.5". Featured exhibitions 41
NEW YORK
In their first exhibition in New York in meddling. In contrast to their earlier staged
years, Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison photographic works, in this new work, the
examine the contested legacy of science and ParkeHarrisons use proportion and space
technology as a vehicle for progress. Entitled that are more compositional than natural.
“Counterpoint”, this work represents a new They also blur movement and allow objects
aesthetic for the artists, with the tightly closed and persons to be juxtaposed in a kind of
narrative discarded in favor of abstraction unfolding choreography. As a result, the
and visual improvisation. Eschewing any visceral sensation of the work is heightened
type of resolution, and feeding ambiguity to a new level.
at every point, they provide
insight into the failure of
technology to fix our problems,
offer concrete explanations, and
create certainty about the world.
Scenes of “hybridizing forces,
swarming elements, and bleeding
overabundance” emphasize
the unpredictability of nature,
further intensified by human
Jane Hammond
Galerie Lelong [Sept 4 – Oct 11]
These new works by Jane Hammond merge
photography and collage, yet hold true to
the artist’s fascination with how meaning
is constructed. Accompanied by the wit,
careful attention to detail, and subtle
audacity that are the artist’s hallmarks,
Hammond recontextualizes found images
into imagined scenarios that are unique and
uncanny, yet oddly familiar. Although she
previously worked on paintings that used
a fixed vocabulary, she has been focused
mainly on photography since 2004. The
photographs employ the same inventiveness
and irreverence as in her other works, yet
in a medium associated with fact and the
historical record. When, in Panchatantra,
a nude bather poses happily in a stream the harmony of the photograph’s formal [Hammond’s work is also being exhibited at
alongside a long-tusked elephant, the image elements. Also on view will be large the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver
reads as tender, idyllic, and completely “snapshot” works in which Hammond has and will be on display at the Detroit Institute
plausible. In Cabrito, the oddity of an collected vernacular portraits and inserted of Arts beginning on Oct 1.]
anthropomorphized goat practicing archery herself into each one, presenting the viewer
in the mountains among sheep is offset by with a panoramic album containing an array
a sense of familiarity with the scenery and of identities.
Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison: (top left) Red Tide, 2007, inkjet and acrylic on dibond,
50" x 60". (middle left) The Crossing, 2005, inkjet and acrylic on dibond, 46" x 60". (top right)
42 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 Elegy, 2007, inkjet and acrylic on dibond, 60" x 91". (bottom right) Jane Hammond, Cabrito, 2007,
selenium-toned silver gelatin print, 11" x 14". Galerie Lelong, New York.
NEW YORK
(top left) Iran Do Espirito Santo, En Passant (detail), 2008. Photo: Mauro Restiffe. Photo courtesy
of Sean Kelly Gallery, New York. (bottom left) Jennifer Steinkamp, Daisy Bell, 2008. (bottom right) Featured exhibitions 43
Alexey Kallima, to be titled, 2008, coal and sanguine on paper, 8.27" x 11.42".
NEW YORK
Shigeru Oyatani
Kim Foster [Sept 4 – Oct 4]
Raised in Japan but having work through the accumulations of thin
resided in New York for layers of oil paint. In many of these works,
several years, Shigeru Oyatani carefully marks the surfaces with
Oyatani creates hybrid works small strokes of imagery in bright hues,
that bridge traditions Each often against dark monochromatic expanses
and West. From selection of of architectural details. Representations of
color, composition, and form the natural as well as the constructed world
to the subjects he chooses, collide until the viewer is able to reconcile
his works blend the visual the two by focusing on the details. Oyatani’s
vocabularies of disparate work combines elements of abstraction
cultures. This new exhibition, and representation, pattern and grid, and
“Third Plane”, includes surface and illusion. Upon close inspection,
paintings that reflect this in several layers begin to emerge, creating a
their complex visual layering. space in which dimensions collapse into
Excavation is required to alternative realities.
Roman Bearden
DC Moore [Sept 4 – 27]
study in Paris. Known best for his collages
of African American life, his New York
paintings reflect some of the spirit of jazz
culture; they burst with improvisation and
even a sense of rhythm. He expresses the
intensity of the urban environment through
the interaction of colors hot and cool.
Pink, oranges, yellows, and reds combine
with greens, purple, and blues. Vivid skies
dominate in several of the works, including a
New York City is the star of twenty works by low hanging moon in New York, New York.
Romare Bearden (d. 1988). Entitled “City In others, the skyline and its multitude of
Lights”, the exhibition features expressive densely packed buildings contrast with lively
watercolors, some with paper collage, that street scenes filled with people. Untitled
capture the energy of the city. The highly (Woman Leaning on a Chair), conversely,
charged compositions were painted between regulates the city to the role of backdrop for
1979 and 1986, including several of which the nude in front of a window. Ultimately,
were done for the opening credits of Gloria, while invoking a past era in which New York
John Cassavettes’ 1980 film. Bearden lived was a much different place, these works
most of his life in New York, growing up in demonstrate the timelessness of the city as
Harlem during its Renaissance and returning character. [Evening Light, a group exhibition,
to the city after service in World War II and will run concurrently.]
(top center) Shigeru Oyatani, Natsu, 2008, oil on canvas, 24" x 24". Kim Foster Gallery
(bottom left) Romare Bearden, From the Waterfront, 1981, watercolor, 13.88" x 19.5".
44 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 DC Moore Gallery, New York. (bottom right) Romare Bearden, Narrow Sky Line, watercolor,
13.5" x 9.13". DC Moore Gallery, New York.
LOS ANGELES
(top left) Elizabeth Tremante, Twilight, Spring Rain, 2007, oil on canvas, 48" x 48". (center left)
Peter Lamb, Soldier, Spy, 2008, archival digital print on bibond, LED lights and acrylic, 78" x
48". (bottom right) Damien Deroubaix, Sans Titre (lion rouge), 2008, watercolor, ink, acrylic, Featured exhibitions 45
and collage on paper, 59.1" x 78.7".
LOS ANGELES
Cropped by Publisher.
See full image at www.acamagazine.com.
(clockwise from bottom right) Maria E. Piñeres, Gay Guy 3, 2008, cotton thread on metallic coated
paper, 9" x 5 3/4". Julian Hoeber, Spiral and Splatter #2, 2008, graphite, ink, acrylic on paper,
46 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 42.5" x 53". Hoeber, Untitled, 2008, bronze, 9" x 8.5" x 16", photo: Joshua White. John Jurayj,
Untitled (Elie Hobeika) from the “15 Untitled Men Series”, 2008, gunpowder and silkscreen on
stainless steel, 30" x 24".
LOS ANGELES
Jody Zellen
Fringe [Sept 6 – Oct 4]
“The Blackest Spot”, an interactive and a cacophony of cheers, the many facets technology with simple structures, assisted
installation by Jody Zellen, uses Elias of public gatherings will be explored. Lewis Zellen by programming the electronics for
Canetti’s Crowds and Power as its point Keller, an L.A. Based artist who combines this project.
of departure. Canetti speaks of crowds as
a mysterious and universal phenomenon
whose density creates the “blackest spot”.
Using images of crowds culled from the
daily newspaper, Jody Zellen explores the
representation of crowds and the myriad
of reasons for public gatherings. Animated
imagery, fragments of sounds from well-
known historical speeches, and drawing will
transform the gallery space and place the
viewer in the role of audience or speaker. As
viewers interact with triggers strategically
placed on the floor of the space, they will be
able to choreograph their own experience.
Alternating between contemplative quiet
(left) screenshot from Second Life, enhanced with "VF". (top right) Jody Zellen, installation
view of "The Blackest Spot". (bottom right) Armin Krämer, Frau Mit Hut 1, oil on canvas, Featured exhibitions 47
27.5" x 19.7".
SAN FRANCISCO
(top center) Gwen Manfrin, There are Demons in These Days, 2008. (middle left) Roy Thurston,
48 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 2007-2, 2007, 17.25" x 6.06" x 1.5". (lower right) Anna Valentina Murch, Dissolving (0867), 2008,
40" x 25.7".
CHICAGO
(above left) Reena Saini Kallat Synonym mixed media 88 x 84", (top right) Dimitre Electric
Tower Photograph 18 x 22. (above right) Steve Hansen Lenin Tea Sculpture. Featured exhibitions 49
W A S H I N G T O N, D.C .
(Left side from top) Nancy Scheinman: Unzip the Sky – Morning Light, Vermillion Clothes of Brocade
50 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 Leaves, Hem of Sky Undone. (Right) John Trevino, Bill, 2008, pigment print.
SEATTLE
Ted Fullerton
Foster/White [Sept 3-19]
In his new exhibition, “Godot Will Not Be to or interpreted with myth that alludes
Coming Today”, Ted Fullerton seeks to to ‘dualism’ – or the personification of the
reach the boundaries of figural creation force of nature as well as human nature –
through painting and sculpture. This body and this conceptual ideology addresses the
of work, conceptually based on Samuel notion of the reconciliation of opposites.
Beckett’s existentialist play Waiting For The idea of ‘distinctiveness’ has also evolved
Godot, includes drawings that incite within my work, allowing consideration for
existentialist discourse. Fullerton sees the breadth of existentialist positions.” His
existentialism as fundamentally humanist exploration of diverse media demonstrates
and uses this conception to propel his just how compelling the human figure can be.
investigation of the figural and symbolic. Religious and mythical overtones coupled
Says Fullerton, “my imagery is symbolic and with Fullerton’s expressionistic brush strokes
metaphoric by nature, usually associated raise his figures into an ethereal realm.
“A Matter of Memory”
McLeod Residence [through Sept 27]
(top left) Ted Fullerton, Existence, Essense, 2008, oil on canvas, 60" x 48".
(bottom right) Allison Kudla, Plant matter, detail, 2008. Featured exhibitions 51
DENVER
technology. His video project is constructed uniquely-themed, original artwork for ex-
with a dedicated group of Japanese Barack hibition. These placards will later be ex-
Obama supporters who happen to reside in hibited at the “UnConvention” (see page
a city that shares a name with the candidate: 74), Minneapolis’ equivalent of “Dialog”.
Obama, Japan. Taking on the the language Among them is Sarah McKenzie’s Katrina
of politics more directly, Luke Dubois’ Water Lines, which evokes queries and rage
Hindsight is Always 20/20 utilizes an eye- about the country’s reaction to the natural
chart format to explore the linguistics of disaster of Hurricane Katrina. Other artists
DIALOG: Denver the presidency in American history. Words address topics as far ranging as war, waste-
Robischon [through Sept 20]
from State of the Union addresses appear ful spending, the treatment of animals, and
Presented in association with “Dialog: City arranged in descending order from the most the cultural dissonance between Americans’
– An Event Converging Art, Democracy frequently used to the least. Not surprisingly, perception of themselves and those percep-
and Digital Media,” this group exhibition “terror” dominates those of George W. tions that people hold of them elsewhere.
of over 25 artists serves as a response to Bush. Other highlights include DJ
the Democratic National Convention. The Spooky’s feature video “Terra Nove:
diverse show focuses on various aspects The Antartica Suite” (shown off-
of our experience. Harking back to past site) and Lynn Hershman Leeso’s
eras but also aiming at the present, Ann alter ego Synthia.
Hamilton’s spinning two-bell sousaphone Robischon has also commis-
plays a continuous recording of old, sioned a political placard design
distorted military marches. Conversely, invitational, in which sixteen select
Daniel Peltz grounds his work in the media Colorado artists with a history of
of today by investigating the global impact of presenting political subjects have
political connections in the age of cell-phone been invited to each contribute a
Jules Feiffer
Michele Mosko [through Nov 2]
Over forty prints, illustrations, and political in addition to an Oscar-winning short,
cartoons of the Pulitzer-prize winning comic Munro, that took a critical view of military
artist Jules Feiffer will be presented just in culture. In 1967, he received an Obie Award
time for the Convention. Feiffer, whose for his play Little Murders. Coincidentally,
syndicated cartoon ran for over 40 years in Feiffer even has a connection to Convention
the Village Voice, has also been featured in politics. He was a delegate at the infamous
the New Yorker, Esquire, Playboy, the Nation, 1968 Democratic Convention, and much of
and the New York Times. These cartoons his work comes from that explosive era. The
weaved the social, political, and personal into talent and insight behind all of these pursuits
a challenging and often hilarious mix. This makes itself clear in the works on display.
unique sensibility can be found in his wide-
ranging work. Feiffer has authored award-
winning children’s books and is currently
working on a full-length animation feature
for Sony Pictures. This will not be his first
foray into film, as he wrote the screenplay
for Carnal Knowledge, a film that starred
not only Jack Nicholson but Art Garfunkle,
(top right) Ann Hamilton, Sousaphone, 2004. (middle right) Sarah McKenzie, Katrina Water Lines, 2008.
52 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 (bottom left) Jules Feiffer, Admit It. You Miss Me., 2007, charcoal on paper, 8.5" x 14". (bottom right)
Jules Feiffer, Obama, Ourbama., 2008, limited edition print, 15" x 11".
DENVER
(top right) Adrienne Outlaw, Discontinued (after music box), 2005, found metal box, straight
pins, paint, 5" x 7.5" x 4.75". (bottom left) Sara Goldenberg White, Perceiving Change, 2008, Featured exhibitions 53
recycled plastic & thread, 39.5" x 38.5".
MINNEAPOLIS
“Genus elephas”
Premier [through Sept 19]
In the spirit of the Republican National
Convention, Premier Gallery will hold
an exhibition devoted to original artwork
inspired by or about the elephant, the iconic
symbol of the party that will soon be invading
the Twin Cities. Artists from across the
Midwest submitted pieces for this exhibition,
which will include a juried competition and
award presentation during the convention.
(clockwise from top right) Scott Seekins, I Thought I Heard Your Voice, 2008, oil on canvas,
54 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 20" x 20". Nick Legeros, The Thinker, bronze. Erika Fuentes, 624787, Acrylic. Jaron Childs,
2005-09-03T1617...image, 2006, oil on panel, 16.25" x 11.75".
SOUTHWEST
Paul Shapiro
Zane Bennett, Santa Fe
[Sept 12 – Nov 8]
Mexican and Kickapoo American artist, Exhibiting professionally for over 35 years,
Hector Ruiz, presents “L’art m’emmerde David Kessler creates hyper-realistic
j‘ai participe a cette expo”, a continuation landscape paintings on aluminum that
of his series on miscegenation. Proposing utilize the qualities of refracted light and
the mixing of races as an opportunity its interaction with pigment. In painting on
to end racism and wars, he also recognize the aluminum instead of canvas, Kessler uses
fear many have toward this possible change wire brushes to abrade into the surface of the
and the effect it will have on our rituals and aluminum, creating a fluid, refracted light.
identities. Ruiz comes from a bicultural The paint is airbrushed on in transparent
identity and grew up in a border state. As a layers, which allows the burnished areas of
result, he was at the forefront of changes in aluminum to act as highlights and merge
American culture; this is represented in his seamlessly with paint to create dazzling
work. This exhibition brings together new images. This technique enhances the illusion
works in various media, including painting, of depth and space in the work, as the
block prints, as well as bronze and hand- brushed aluminum highlights appear to
carved sculpture. move when the light changes.
(top right) Paul Shapiro, Iru, 1990, oil on canvas, 60" x 72". (bottom left) Hector Ruiz,
B Littled, 2008, wood, 33" x 11.5" x 4". Featured exhibitions 55
SOUTHEAST
Mason Murer
Atlanta [Sept 26 – Nov 8]
Group Show: Richard Estes, Gail Wegodsky,
Susan Loeb, Honnie Goode, Liana Repass,
James Way, Pam Moxley, and others.
This current work from Todd Schroeder backwards or upside down to appear as
explores such existential ideas as the “eternal objects like any other. Patrick Kelly’s work
collapse of matter”. Instead of a world of is an “intuitive rendering of a variety of
expanding possibilities, he sees a reality that planes and shapes” that often feature a
is caving in on itself. He uses mathematical progression of colors. According to the
concepts, such as the Fibonacci sequence artist, his work typically “begins with a
and golden mean, to present these ideas. single gesture”, which he builds upon with
In this show, he has also incorporated instinctive brushstrokes that eventually
graphic elements into his works. Yet, when connect each element of a painting.
words are present, they are often rendered
Naomi Silva
Atlanta [Sept 12 – Oct 4]
New works of abstract artist John LaHuis
and new sculpture by Daniel Florida.
(clockwise from top right) Todd Schroeder, Kick Ass. Patrick Kelly, Fracture. John LaHuis, If You
56 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 Love Me, from "Take Me" series, mixed media on panel with resin and steel frame. Liana Repass,
Untitled, pastel on paper.
SOUTHEAST
James Rosati
Jerald Melberg, Charlotte [Sept 13 – Nov 1]
James Rosati: (top left) Mansion 1, 1962, caen stone, 18.75" x 15.88" x 12.13". (above left)
Untitled, 1968, stainless steel, 53.5" x 78" x 24". (above right) Untitled, 1970-8, painted Featured exhibitions 57
aluminum, 23.5" x 59.75" x 29.5".
David Nittmann
T h e F I N E A R T o f W O O D T U R N I N G
“Acoma
Noosphere”
25” diameter
African Mahagony
Represented by
Santa Fe • 505-982-2403
davidnittmann.com
NYLA WITMORE
PATHWAYS
Exhibition & Sale
November 7th - 26th
Tuscan Vineyard Glow (24x48) by Nyla Witmore
First Friday Gallery Walks Original Paintings by Local & Regional Artists
Quiet Passage 48X48
“12” 60X70 www.karenzhaynes.com
www.judycampbellart.com
Z
studio
Denver, Colorado
In the Gallery...
ALYCE FRANK
ERIC BOYER
Among contemporary sculptors working with wire
mesh, Eric Boyer stands out for the beauty of his
male and female figures and for the sophistication
with which he explores a medium that consists
as much in open, empty space as in the solid
strands that contain it.
contemporary
(top right) Clark Richert, A/C Kepler, acrylic on canvas. Rule Modern and Contemporary Gallery.
70 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 (bottom right) Sue Simon, Cacophony, acrylic on canvas. Spark Gallery.
reassemble the stable from his closed Ron
Judish Fine Arts, and he’s already snagged
Emmett Culligan and Bill Stockman.
In addition to the critical mass of
galleries that have coalesced since eighties
is the simultaneous founding of a set of
alternative spaces. These places – Spark,
Pirate, Edge and Core, among others – are
run by the artists who show their works in
them. Although they play only a supporting
role to the larger community, some names
are worth extra attention. Phil Bender,
Mark Brasuell and Sue Simon not only
mount shows in their respective co-ops but
in museums, too.
This thriving art scene may seem
irrelevant to Denver’s new found fame based
on politics. Yet, coincidentally, even before
the city was selected to host the convention,
events in Denver had begun to make news
its reputation, in part, on the foundation A few new venues have joined the internationally – and it all started in the
of Colorado’s own homegrown talents. top ranks, or at least aspire to do so. These city’s art world.
Robischon may be the city’s chief purveyor are Plus Gallery, Walker Fine Art, and A museum building boom has been
of contemporary Chinese art, but it also Space Gallery. These three also present a raging in recent years and started with the
promotes the careers of locals like Jack heterogeneous group of artists, alternating construction of an outrageous new building
Balas, Terry Maker, and Scott Chamberlin. shows between out-of-towners and regional for the Denver Art Museum. Conceived by
Rule has a large contingent of modern figures. Among the locals seen
masters, but in addition to ones from New at these spots are Bruce Price
York like Carl Andre, it promotes those at and Andy Miller at Plus, Roland
home as well, including Dale Chisman and Bernier and Robert Delaney at
Clark Richert. At Havu, regional favorites Walker, and Michael Burnett
– Tracy and Sushe Felix, Amy Metier and and Ryan Anderson at Space.
Emilio Lobato – are among the regulars. One venture on the immediate
Carson/van Straaten, the oldest of the group, horizon that will surely also
features Jeff Wenzel and Homare Ikeda, emerge as a top exhibition
both among the numerous established and attraction is Gallery T, which is
respected Colorado artists whose work may going to be run by Ron Judish,
be seen there. Many of these artists – just a respected name in Denver’s
like the galleries that show them – trace their art establishment for the last
career origins back to the 1980s. quarter century. He’s hoping to
(top left) Jeff Wenzel, Burning Ground, mixed media on canvas, 49" x 60".
Carson/van Straaten Gallery. (bottom right) Tracy Felix, Maroon Bells, oil on canvas. Contemporary art in Denver 71
William Havu Gallery.
addition is just across the Art/Denver cut the ribbon on their new
street from the museum’s building. Like their colleagues at the DAM,
main building, the equally the powers-that-be at the MCA/Denver
flamboyant, iridescent glass- tapped an international architecture. In this
tiled North Building, which case, London-based designer, David Adjaye
was designed by Gio Ponti in fit the bill. But this is just the beginning. A
the 1970s. huge new Colorado History Museum and a
With the opening of Clyfford Still Museum are both set to rise
the Hamilton in 2006, there in the next couple of years on sites at either
was a sea change in the art side of the Hamilton.
scene that was profoundly The history of art in Denver can
felt not only at the DAM, be traced back to the last decades of the
but in the rest of the city’s nineteenth century—the DAM came on-
many exhibition-venues. line in 1893. Now, in the first years of the
The Denver Art Museum new millenium, there has been a major,
starchitect Daniel Libeskind, the Frederic helped broadcast to a wide audience qualitative change as the city increasingly
C. Hamilton Building has been ridiculed that the city had come of age, helping becomes the unrivaled center of art in the
as looking like the site of an airplane crash. to put the town in the spotlight. Surely, Mountain Time Zone. And it could not have
Although ironic considering Libeskind the attention helped position Denver happened at a better time. While media will
designed the original Freedom Tower on the on the list of cities being considered for converge on Denver to cover politics, they
World Trade Center site, the description is the DNC. will likely stumble upon its incredible art
not far off. The outlandish titanium-clad At the same time that Denver was scene as well. ACA
forms got Libeskind’s Hamilton into art and raising its profile, the Hamilton’s opening
architecture magazines everywhere and thus also sparked the continued expansion of
put Denver on the art world map in a way that the city’s visual arts infrastructure. In the Michael Paglia is the chief art writer for the
it had never been before. The freestanding fall of 2007, the Museum of Contemporary Denver Westword.
72 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 (top left) Robert Delaney, Deer, painted steel. Walker Fine Art.
Minneapolis
confronts
convention
by Tori Frankel
74 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 Eero Saarinen, Dulles International Airport Terminal, circa 1963. Photo: Balthazar Korab
© Balthazar Korab Ltd.
different from the one projected by the New the sublime. His famous Gateway Arch in
Deal. The era, of course, is anathema to a St. Louis presents the enduring vision of
party that speaks most often of faith in the American expansion and, therefore, the
marketplace. And far from the patrician country's dominance. But it was his two
Roosevelt, recently successful Republican famous airport structures, the main terminal
politicians have upheld the folksy everyman, at Dulles International Airport and the
an ideal associated more with rugged TWA terminal at JFK Airport, that express
individualism than any collective concern. the possibility of a transcendent world in
Another touchstone for Democrats is which progress succeeds indefinitely. Like
the overreaching aspirations of the Kennedy the works from the New Deal, they uphold
administration. Nearly fifty years ago, the a sense of community identity linked with
JFK presidency pushed the United States the universal culture of air travel. They seven years, of mismanaged wars and
toward the future through a mission to underline the changing nature of the world. incompetent disaster response. The promise
the moon and an emphasis on national If New Deal works presented the ideal of the post-9/11 American community never
responsibility. The attitude of this era, of of surviving through community and the reached fruition. Instead, the country moved
possibilities tinged with an underlying fear work of Saarinen pushed for blind hope further on the path of partisanship, selfish
of world annihilation, could also be found in in progress, the current state of America individualism, and excessive consumption of
the futuristic, space-age architecture of Eero challenges both notions. The country resources.
Saarinen, which will be showcased after the today arguably lacks any sense of collective
convention by the Walker Art Center and purpose. And while faith in progress never Although Saarinen's Dulles terminal
the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Although dies, we have reached a point in which a outside of Washington, DC, was christened
the architect died shortly after Kennedy slight plurality of Americans feel things by Kennedy a year before the president's
entered office, his legacy endured as projects are getting worse. The Republicans are not death, the forward-looking ideals of
he designed continued through the mid- solely to blame for these developments, progress implicit in that structure were
1960s. In many ways, his work reflected but their status as the party in the White quickly overshadowed by assassinations,
the sense of progress as well as the fear of House makes them a symbol of the past a treacherous war in Southeast Asia, and
(top right) Eero Saarinen, TWA Terminal, circa 1962. Photo © Balthazar Korab Ltd.
(above left) Berenice Abbott, Murray Hill Hotel: Spiral, 112 Park Avenue, Manhattan, minneapolis Vs. convention 75
1935, gelatin silver print. (above right) Dorothea Lau, Workers - Five O'Clock,
ca.1935-40, oil on canvas.
for artists to start a visual Encompassing many different events (see
conversation composed page 54 ), its overall effect is one of height-
in contemporary art. ened civic involvement. “My Yard Our Mes-
Featuring work in a sage”, a online lawn-sign creation contest,
variety of media, the features numerous calls to vote, as well as
most popular part of images that reflect upon America's stand-
the exhibition was an ing in the world. One states when “when
exploded concrete government lets us down, we must rise up”.
sculpture by Brenda Such a call for collective action against an
Ingersoll. Reminiscent ineffectual government reflects Thomas Jef-
of a World Trade Center ferson's notion of democracy. The most en-
tower, the sculpture during rebuttal to the convention, however,
evokes the sense of may end up being “The State of Things”, a
national unity that could giant ice sculpture of the word “Democracy”
have driven the country that will slowly melt during one day of the
in a positive direction. convention.
Just as “Revisions” The final two months before the
sought artist participa- presidential election give the country an
tion, “The UnConven- opportunity for self-assessment. In Minne-
tion” seeks to involve apolis, the modernist glory of Saarinen and
the public. A non-par- the transcendent collective of New Deal art
tisan counterpoint to offer a look back at what America has been
the Republican National in the past. They also give insight into what
Convention, “The Un- is lacking today. A collective responsibility
Convention” will bring for this country, realized by something as
citizens together to pro- simple as voting and as complex as providing
mote an unscripted dia- for all citizens, was the important then and
logue on important issues. remains so now. ACA
internal strife at home. The America of
1970s was a place in which modernism slowly
died and gave way to the post-modernism
that has characterized much of the last
thirty years. Forms became illusive. If the
American identity was more secure in those
past eras, today it has become something
under constant consideration. As America
undergoes changes in its composition and its
status slips in the world, its identity is in need
of redefinition.
Over the summer in Minneapolis, an
exhibition attempted to do just that. Susan
Hensel Gallery presented “Revisions of the
American Dream”, a showcase of thirteen
nationally selected artists whose work
examines the composition of the American
ideal in today's age. Zach Pearl, the curator of
the show, sought an “aesthetic call-to-arms”
76 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 (top left) Brenda Ingersoll, 35.53, concrete with inset pennies. (bottom right) Nora Ligorano &
Marshall Reese, The State of Things, sculpture in ice, 5' x 30'.
Art in the
Age of Bush by Eric Kalisher
(top right) Helene Silverman, Poster - Freedom From War, 2008, archival ink-jet print,
20" x 16". (above left) Guillermo Kuitca, Poster, 2008, archival ink-jet print, 20" x 16". art in the age of bush 77
Both courtesy of The Wolfsonian at FIU.
is “Subject to change without notice. The
right of freedom is made available 'as is' and
without warranty of any kind.” In a nation of
mass consumption of throwaway products,
perhaps freedom is just another among
them, able to be discarded on a whim. In
an economic reality in which citizens endure
creditors who can change rates and charges
T without notice, perhaps government can
similarly alter its compact with the people.
Mills' disclaimer also sets clear limits on
liability: “The right of Freedom may be
exercised on the strict understanding that
neither the Government nor its ministers,
employees or agents shall be liable for losses
of any kind.” Accountability, therefore, no
longer exists.
over the scene and creates one in which enduring impression. As the war confronts What will push Americans out of
the mother and father mourn over a flag- us face-to-face, we must confront whether complacency and toward confrontation with
draped coffin, likely housing a soldier killed our own intolerance and marginalization of the problems of the day. Adam Lewin's
in Iraq. In his alteration, Victor emphasizes those abroad have contributed to it. poster updates the freedoms, in exaggerated
an event that gets little attention – the media The “global war of terror” is not the only form, to today's realities. Freedom of speech
is banned from military funerals resulting brand created by the Bush administration. may exist, but it has become increasingly
from Iraq War deaths. Guillermo Kuitca In recent years, freedom itself has been restricted. A gagged man is taken away
similarly highlights the marginalization of commodified as a product to be exported by police in image that demonstrates the
civic concerns. He recasts Rockwell's image to the rest of the world. In his poster, quashing of protest. With an image of Nike
in the corner of an empty stage, free of any George Mill presents “freedom” in a pretty shoes, freedom to worship is applied to
audience. The problem is not merely that advertisement, indistinguishable from those faith in the market of goods. Freedom from
the American ideal is in trouble, it is the created on Madison Avenue. While we may want, meanwhile, has been transformed into
apathy of the citizenry to such concerns. see freedom as an irrevocable right, in this ad freedom of excess, with a fattened individual
The Iraq War figures prominently in “certain restrictions apply”. The disclaimer sucking down McDonald's fast food. Finally,
many other posters that address fear. The underneath the ad image indicates that it in the post-9/11 world, freedom from fear
terror stoked by talk of “mushroom clouds” becomes state protection, in which the
was, in fact, used by the government to prevalence of security measures, including
launch the invasion of Iraq. In Helene the security cameras pictured in Lewis's
Silverman's creation, the faces of the war poster, become the only means to that end.
stare back at the viewer, in a mosaic that Freedom of fear has moved away from
includes the war dead with red, white, the psychological state to the aggressively
and blue superimposed over it, serving invasive measures that “protect” us from
as a universal face. Its imagery evokes a physical harm but not from fear itself.
politicized variation on a Rauschenberg These posters make it clear that
or Johns creation and challenges us to America is failing to live up to its ideal. Elliot
confront both what the flag represents and Earls channels Liberty Leading the People,
what it has wrought. Fear is also the theme but recasts it as “Liberty Weeps”, with a baby
of Chaz Maviyane-Davies' contribution, a Liberty distraught and seemingly calling for
deconstruction of the color-coded terrorist someone to take responsibility for her and,
alert symbol. Different languages are accordingly, the country's direction. The
attached to each color. The safe level image provides a culmination of what has
corresponds to “we the people” in English, been lost in the Age of Bush. America has
while its Arabic equivalent is demarcated as faced challenges in the past – from the internal
a red alert. Fear of cultural pluralism is the division of the 1960s to economic turmoil in
(top left) Dan Van Clapp, Fountain of Carnage, assemblage fountain. Part of "Patriot Act"
78 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 (above) Elliot Earls, Poster - Liberty Weeps, 2008, archival ink-jet print, 20" x 16". Courtesy
of The Wolfsonian.
the 1970s and the culture wars of 1990s – but
rarely has the America slipped so far in the
mind of the world and many at home as well.
If America is a shining beacon, its light has
now dimmed. If it is once was morning in
American, it now seems like dusk.
A simple, to-the-point image by Wim
Couvel, however, provides a call to action.
Superimposed over a listing of the four
freedoms is “Remember!” These freedoms
will no longer be illusive if we forgo apathy
and actively seek to restore the highest
promise of them. By forgetting or neglecting,
by denying the reality that confronts us – the
baby liberty with tears in our eye – we make
it impossible to leap toward the idealism that
makes American the standard-bearer for the
free world. We must take notice.
subjects like the influence of money on U.S. images from the dollar to understand how
We can start by having a discussion about how policy and the hidden toll of the Iraq War. the currency gains its power and identity. At
to define America. A forthcoming exhibition For too much of the world today, the the heart of both are the military-industrial
in Orange County, California, does just that. image of America is similar to one created complex, which offers world superiority and
Entitled “Just How Does a Patriot Act?” and by Noah Breuer: two arms covered in consumer comfort.
curated by Joella March, it includes works dripping blood.. Up at the elbow, the blood The U.S. has been free of terrorist
by nearly 30 artists, accompanied by perfor- begins to conform to two separate patterns attacks over the last seven years. Some
mance art and poetry. Freedom of speech and enhanced by blue: the British and American Americans, therefore, believe wars abroad
the dialogue of ideas are two major underlying flags. Although an extreme image, the idea bring peace home. This is a long-running
threads of this show. In the Age of Bush, that blood is on the hands on America and theme in American history: military might
though, what is dialogue but the airing of the its transatlantic ally is an underlying reality makes the world safe for American. From
oppositional viewpoint. The problem is not of international dominance and invasions World War II to Vietnam to Iraq, foreign
so much that the two sides aren't talking – that yield tens of thousands of civilian
although that is a problem – but that one side deaths. This message is seconded in Dan
is being completely marginalized. That has Van Clapp's “Fountain of Carnage”, an
been the Bush administration great political assemblage fountain in which bloods pours
success and the country's great loss. While our of a the muzzle of a gun. America's
the citizenry is largely aware of the dictates unwillingness to acknowledge this bloody
from the White House, the official policy reality, no matter the justness of the cause,
and government “propaganda”, those views is emphasized in the image.
rejected by administration often fail to filter The influence of the Iraq War on the
through to the population. A vocal minority current American reality may not be so
warned of distortions in the intelligence that apparent to citizens who do not venture
supported the casus belli, and Ed Gramlich, abroad and instead shield themselves in
a member of the Board of Governors of local concerns. For some, financial matters
the Federal Reserve, was ignored when he remain paramount. Ryan Broughman and
warned about lax regulation of mortgages. Robin Clark examine American identity
The truth is out there, it just often fails to through the deconstruction of its primary
make it to the public in any widespread form. currency: the greenback dollar. Broughman
The exhibition's cri de ceour quotes Thomas reshapes the dollar into a narrative of
Jefferson: “to dissent is patriotic.” The artists America in which war drives the American
included live up to this mission by probing economy. Clark, on the other hand, culls
(top right) John Carr, War Is Peace, screenprint. (above right) Noah Breuer, Blood On Our
Hands, silkscreen print. Both part of "Patriot Act"
art in the age of bush 79
conflicts are viewed as protection of the to diminish the act of simulated drawing
way of life that exists in the home front. (that is, torture) into something less terrible,
John Carr make the link explicit in “War is into something bureaucratic and routine.
Peace”, a screenprint that shows two peaceful Correspondingly, Powers takes this further
Americans watching a nuclear light show. by placing “waterboarding” within the
But conflict is not just something that protects confines of a thrill ride, a fun event in which
American from attack. It is also something patrons receive a sadomasochistic pleasure.
that enriches the population and helps build With this satirical rendering, euphemism has
a complacent existence. The happy red, reached its extreme. Simulated drowning
white, and blue-tinged couple titillated by the has gone from torture to fun ride in a mere
Bomb are the beneficiaries of the military- eight years. An event of national tragedy has
industrial economic boost. With weapons went from solemn occasion to an impetus
manufacturing, the U.S. expands both its to a false war to a grotesque precursor of
military and economic prowess. It was this American decline.
way in Cold War era and remains so today. These three exhibitions highlight what
The cost of complacency at home has been lost. In contrast to the political
and aggressive military actions abroad is a conventions that take will place in late August
lost of acceptance by the world and, more and early September and the campaigns
importantly, the loss of lives. Abstractly that surround them, these art events look
represented by Matthew Bryant are the backward at the remnants. In both the
“34,452 Civilians Killed in Iraq During Democratic and Republican conventions,
2006”. Sparing the viewer the pain of direct we will probably see posturing about the
representation, the image nevertheless future instead of confrontation with the
presents the immensity of the lost. Clayton past. No politician has won favor by looking
cartoon character. Noticing this phrase and
Campbell takes on a different kind of backward, except in teary eyed nostalgia or
its key reference to the Guantanamo Bay
death, the destruction of ideals. “After while evoking blood-lust vengeance. But,
military detention camp, most will hopefully
Abu Ghraib” manipulates the infamous in raising the toll of these past years, this
understand the dark side of this spectacle.
images and makes them more palatable art influences the cultural discourse and
If not, perhaps the image of an animatronic
by diminishing the visceral horror that the incites active minds to ponder this country.
figure in black “waterboarding” another
originals evoked. By taking the edge out and Assessment of what has gone wrong is an
in orange, while it convulses, will send the
sparing the victims, Campbell seeks to draw essential precursor to moving forward. ACA
message home.
viewers into the abstract debate about the For a longer version of this article and
By inserting torture into the everyday,
principles destroyed by the images existence more information about the exhibitions visit
Steve Powers, the artist who created the
– and the events that led to them. acamagazine.com
installation, comments on the complex
nature of America in the age of terrorism.
It is not simply that such acts have been
While these shows in Florida and Southern
used by the United States government, but
California challenge the idea of American in
it's also the widespread acceptance of them.
2008, a New York City exhibition provides
The television show 24 foregrounds torture
the most horrible, Grand Guignol grotesque
in nearly every other episode. Government
of the current era. Amid the summertime
officials actually sited the show as inspiration
playfulness (real or nostalgically conjured)
for their actions, if not justification. This
of Coney Island is the “Waterboarding
perverse and backward relationship between
Thrill Ride”. For some children and naïve
pop culture and policy is reflected in the
individuals, the title may suggest boogie-
“Ride”. Some experts feel that torture
boarding down a watery slope and getting
works best when those who use it know they
splashed. Appearances can be deceiving,
are breaking the law. The theory maintains
though, as even the image of Spongebob
that, under threat of legal repercussion,
Squarepants, adorned on the exterior of the
these tactics would only be used in the most
rise, defies its playful roots with a “It Don't
extreme cases (picture a ticking time bomb).
Gitmo Better!” caption displayed above the
Yet, the very word “waterboarding” seeks
80 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 (top) Clayton Campbell, "After Abu Ghraib", digital print series. Part of "Patriot Act" (above right)
Jacques Auger, Poster - Vote, 2008, archival ink-jet print, 20" x 16". Courtesy of The Wolfsonian.
Coney Island’s Newest Attraction:
Waterboarding
On an overcast Sunday at Coney Island,
artist Steve Powers could be found making
repairs to the amusement park’s newest,
most notorious addition, “Waterboarding
Thrill Ride,” an art exhibition where plastic
mannequins are used to simulate the
controversial practice of waterboarding.
Waterboarding is a procedure whereby
a person is made to feel like he or she is
drowning. The official US government
position on it is that it is not a form of
torture, though many people say that it is.
Powers’ exhibit allows visitors a chance to
observe a simulated waterboarding session
by placing a dollar bill into a slot on the
wall and watching as a hooded figure pours
a pail of water onto the towel-covered face
of a man in an orange jumpsuit, while music
plays menacingly in the background.
In contrast, Powers, cheerfully decked that “Waterboarding Thrill Ride” will be and aviator shades observed, “I saw an
out in plaid shorts and a t-shirt and sporting a relocated to Manhattan in September and article about this in the New York Times.
Cosmo Kramer ‘do, told us that the purpose then eventually to Washington DC. People are laughing. Do they understand?”
of the exhibit was “just to get a reaction out Visitors walking by stopped to look Siblings James, Sarah and Patrick Hanlon
of people.” An avid painter of “personal at the exterior of the exhibit, many taking were visiting from Chicago. When asked
relationship stuff,” Powers had never built photos of the painting of Nickelodeon char- what they thought of the experience, all three
an art installation before. He said the spot acters Spongebob Squarepants and Squid- of them laughed and said “It was funny.”
was offered to him and that “it was the right ward. In the painting, Spongebob is lying on James, 12, said it was funny because “it was
thing in the right place at the right time.” his back while Squidward pours water onto awkward.” While admitting to only “kind
Powers stated that he has no future plans him and exclaims, “It don’t Gitmo better!” of” knowing what the exhibit was about, his
to create other political installations, but in a not-so-subtle allusion to tactics alleg- sister Sarah, 16, laughed because “it’s fake.”
edly used at Guan- Older brother Patrick, 20, explained “the
tanamo bay. Some government says it’s not torture, but clearly
peered through the it is. And the Spongebob is even better,”
single barred window he grinned.
to watch the exhibit Jim Knipfel is a Brooklyn resident
below. The growing and a seasoned Coney Island visitor,
line of people to see though this was his first time visiting the
the show peaked the exhibit. He said, “If you look at the history
curiosity of others, of Coney Island, it always reflected culture
who waited for their and ugly things in culture. People say this
turn. Many people is shocking and disgusting and offensive,
walked away laugh- but this is being done to robots. I think it’s
ing. A gentleman fantastic; maybe we’ll open a few eyes.”
wearing khaki shorts – Jillianne Pierce
Steve Powers, installation view "Waterboarding Thrill Ride". Photos: Jillianne Pierce. art in the age of bush 81
A Portrait in
Inspired Abstraction
by Tracey M. Hawkins
strong colors in the paintings of Chicago- wonderful fluidity and sensual compositions
born American Abstract Expressionist were another early influence on Michael.
Joan Mitchell. Michael’s viewers can trace The less obvious influence on Michael’s early
a historical line of influence from her work stylistic development, however, was Louise
back through Mitchell to the Abstract Bourgeois, whose unique sculptures and
Expressionist paintings of Jackson Pollock, undeniably female perspective presented a
Willem de Kooning, and Franz Kline, new avenue to the young Michael, who even
Maggie Michael: (top right) in her studio (bottom left) Untitled, 2007, latex, enamel, spray paint,
82 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 charcoal, ink, nails on canvas, 64" x 42".
and red-white-blue. While Garden, where she has focused on historical
she does not restrict all of her and contemporary film. In her research,
paintings to these restrained she has been particularly drawn to major
color palettes, she does find themes of creation and destruction as well
the challenges of working as passion, desire, and loss. These common
within set limitations quite themes of contrast and conflict are now a
exciting. This brings to mind very strong presence in her current work.
the work of another strong, Maggie Michael’s work is currently on
female American modernist, view in exhibits at Rule Gallery in Denver,
poet Marianne Moore. This CO; G Fine Art in Washington, D.C; The
reference feels appropriate, as Lab in Lakewood, CO; and the Museum of
Michael wants her work to be Art at Brigham Young University in Provo,
analogous to poetry, to embody UT. Next year, she will be exhibiting a new
an ephemeral way of thinking body of work at Pocket Utopia in Brooklyn,
about and approaching things. NY in May, where she may, in addition to
while in high school grew tired of the more In addition to the political impact her paintings, surprise her viewers with work
publicly celebrated male version of Abstract Washington has asserted on Michael’s body in sculpture and/or film. ACA
Expressionism. Michael professes that she of work, she has been afforded
responds more to sculpture than painting access to the city’s many
and often incorporates sculptural elements wonderful institutions for
into her own gestural abstract paintings. study and research. Michael
While in San Francisco during has been the recipient of a
graduate school, Michael’s experience of prestigious Smithsonian Artist
the radiant California landscape added its Research Fellowship. This
own layer of influence to her work. Living honor granted her access to
near the mountains, she absorbed the strong the museums, collections,
California environment and processed it and curators of the Arthur M.
into her painterly style. Sackler and Freer Gallery of
In Washington, she has been influenced Art, where she has researched
by the political life of the capital. Her color on Hindu Shiva and Vishnu
palette has altered, as lately she has been sculptures, and the Hirshhorn
painting in variations of black-white-grey Museum and Sculpture
Maggie Michael, (top left) You Conquer Me, 2007-08, ink, latex, spray paint, enamel, vinyl
stickers and nails through canvas, approx. 20" X 24". (bottom right) Cage, 2006, latex, ink, maggie michael 83
enamel, oil, charcoal on canvas, 60" X 40".
17th Annual USArtists
American Fine Art Show
October 17 – 19, 2008
Preview Gala Thursday, October 16
33rd Street Armory, Philadelphia
usartists.org • 215.972.2042
Robert Henry Adams Fine Art Debra Force Fine Art, Inc. Pennsylvania Art Conservatory Presenting Sponsor
Adelson Galleries Forum Gallery Gerald Peters Gallery
Alexandre Gallery Frost & Reed Plymouth Meeting Gallery
Arcadia Gallery Godel & Co. Fine Art Port ’N Starboard Gallery
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& Conservation Studio To Benefit
Blake Benton Fine Art Principle Gallery
Guarisco Gallery
Blue Heron Fine Art Quester Gallery
Hawthorne Fine Art, LLC
Brock & Co. Questroyal Fine Art, LLC
Gallery Henoch
Childs Gallery Somerville Manning Gallery
Koman Fine Art
Clarke Gallery John H. Surovek Gallery
Ernest S. Kramer Fine
Contessa Gallery Arts & Prints, Inc. Tanner-Hill Gallery
The Cooley Gallery McClees Galleries Susan Teller Gallery
David David Gallery Menconi & Schoelkopf Vincent Vallarino Fine Art, Ltd
Dixon-Hall Fine Art Fine Art, LLC William Vareika Fine Arts, Ltd
Dolan/Maxwell Stephen O'Brien Jr. Verve Gallery
Fine Arts, LLC
F.A.N. Gallery Walker-Cunningham Fine Art
Papillon Gallery
Dr. Tom Folk Sande Webster Gallery
from the curator
Organizing a Cuban
Art Exhibition
By F. Lennox campello
Sandra Ramos, Azrael, 2006, mixed media on canvas. Aimee Garcia Marrero, Aliento
(Breath), oil on canvas. Cirenaica Moreira, La Libertad es una palabra enorme (Freedom from the curator 87
is a Huge Word), gelatin silver print.
ARTISTS
nathan fischer
Transformation
in Bronze
umbers, rusts and steel the same time inheriting an industrial feel.
blues. While to some this The organic tone of Fischer’s work, fused
might seem like a limited with his medium results in art “with an
array of color, Fischer edge.” And that edge comes from trusting
takes it as a personal the inherent randomness that comes with
challenge and so forms each piece. Fischer enjoys the fact that his
When you first think of the alloy bronze, deep skies, rich horizons, and unusual work is totally unique. Having developed the
you typically think of a sculpture, carefully vanishing points. process himself, no one does similar work
modeled in clay and then cast in a foundry. “A lot of trial and error goes into each which is why collectors respond so favorably
However, when contemporary artist Nathan piece,” comments Fischer. “Sometimes I to his art. With their contemporary flair,
Fischer thinks of bronze, his first inclination is get lucky and finish a piece the first time... Fischer notes, “nothing beats completing a
“landscape.” It is that mental transformation I love those days!” His work reflects why piece that turns out just as he imagines and
that Fischer uses in his artwork, as he takes a he is drawn to art as he believes it “speaks hopes, especially when that piece also grabs
medium typically used one way and converts the universal language of the landscape,” the attention of someone else.” Indeed, once
it into bronze panels, much like canvases that which can be appreciated by all, whether that happens, the transformation that Fisher
collectors are eager to hang on their walls. you are a traditionalist or have a taste for strives for is complete.
Perhaps it’s not surprising that Nathan the more contemporary. Indeed, some – Clark D. Olson
Fischer came to use bronze in his artwork, as might even suggest that his work at times
he first learned the process of casting bronze has an Asian feel, with large amounts of
Nathan Fischer is represented by Bonner
sculpture at his father’s art foundry, the negative space, allowing the viewer to feel
David Galleries in Scottsdale, AZ. For more
Monterey Sculpture Center. Working side by almost insignificant when compared to the
information, visit bonnerdavid.com.
side with his father, himself an accomplished vastness of the landscape. It is this
artist, he felt a closeness to the arts dating minimalism that attracts the eye of the con-
from his boyhood days in California. But it temporary collector.
was the beauty of the coastline in Monterey, A host of influences have shaped the
where the water transitioned from land and way Nathan Fischer works. Initially, being
sky that prompted his love of the landscape. surrounded by talented artists instilled in
Capturing the varied way nature lights these him an appreciation for art, design, and
elements are the focus of Fischer’s unusual creativity. His inherent talent was shaped
artistic technique. by his formal training, earning a Bachelor
Fischer starts by forming panels of of Arts in Interior Design, with an emphasis
a sheet of bronze. It must be cut, bent, in art history. In fact, Fischer still practices
soldered, and finished with detailed refining interior and architectural design throughout
work before he can fully use it as a “canvas” California even in the midst of his successful
for his artistic technique. By sanding and career as an artist.
polishing the surface he creates underlying Of late, Fischer has been practicing
dimensions which are accentuated by “green art”. As such, he saves the dust from
welding, hammering and grinding the the bronze that is left from sanding his
surface. It is with these minute angles at the pieces and then he mixes the dust in with
surface that cause the light to bounce off the his paints. He then adds the chemicals used
tiny little grinding lines that are then colored for his metal work to get organic tones and
by applying various chemicals in different a natural patina effect with the paint. The
layers to the raw metal, sometimes while result—waste free art!
being heated with a torch. Obviously, his Fischer is compelled to create
color palette is comprised largely of golds, something natural and soothing, while at
Nathan Fischer: (top left) Layered, 2008, patina on bronze, 12" x 22". (bottom right) East to
West, 2008, patina on bronze, 32.5" x 20". artists 91
ARTISTS
brian scott
The Process of
Creating Art
Brian Scott’s Totem works are made of large blocks of pristine glass in the sand
transparent or semi-opaque glass cast in forms. Aluminum, generally scrap metal
aluminum. The color of the glass might from old cars, is next heated until it fluxes at
be transparent, opalescent, amber, yellow, 1200 degrees. He pours this molten metal
green, blue, aqua, violent, and/or red. His into his prepared molds, and the heat from
works range in height from sixteen inches the aluminum crazes the glass, with dif-
to eleven feet tall. To begin his unique pro- ferent colors of glass fracturing to varying
cess, Scott makes molds in wet sand. He degrees. Scott finishes each Totem by
then impresses various textures along the grinding away the unwanted metal or
dies of these molds. After this, he positions adding solder.
92 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 Brian Scott: Totem series. For more image information, visit acamagazine.com.
ARTISTS
MARK RICHARDS
A Look At
Computers
Past
Mark Richards: (top right) IBM System/360 Model 91 Console Tape Drives (from 1968). (middle left)
U.S. Army/University of Pennsylvania, ENIAC [Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer] Computer
(from 1946). (bottom right) U.S. Airforce/IBM, Western Electrics, SDC, SAGE [Semi-Automatic Ground ARTISTs FOCUS 93
Environment] (from 1961). All images copyright 2007.and courtesy of Etherton Gallery.
ARTISTS
gwen laine
94 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 Gwen Laine, installation view of “Passing Through”, courtesy of van Straaten Gallery.
ARTISTS
DAVID EDDINGTON
Portfolio: “Bridges
Over the L.A. River”
British-born David Eddington has lived
in Los Angeles for less than a decade,
yet he has managed to discover one of
the many forgotten facets of the city:
the L.A. River and the many bridges
the span it. The bridges were part of an
ambitious attempt at urban planning as
a means of establishing a city identity.
In this series, Eddington partnered with
the Los Angeles Conservancy to capture
these unique structures, many of which
are threatened with demolition or drastic
reconfiguration. The way that he paints
them recalls depictions of Europe’s grand
monuments and evokes a similar sense
of historical grandeur in a city that often
neglects its past.
David Eddington: (top right) Water Levels at 6th Street Viaduct, metallic acrylic on linen,
72" x 96". (above left) Macy Bridge, metallic acrylic on linen, 72" x 68". artists 95
(above right) Blue View, metallic acrylic on linen, 50" x 45".
ARTISTS
eva carter
Eva Carter works in a studio on the fading light on the watery horizon.
intercoastal waterway in Charleston, There is a balance of energy and
South Carolina. A spiritual connection grace in Eva Carter’s paintings and it
can be drawn between her large abstract is that distinctive perspective that has
paintings and the ambiance of the natural won her national acclaim. “I paint
environment. Like the mix of fresh and for me, but the universal emotions
salt waters in Charleston Harbor, Carter’s translated to viewers are the
expressionistic paintings commingle diverse connections that excite me. I don’t
life experiences, which include three have a map when I begin the journey.
distinctive stages in her life: her upbringing I just step up to the canvas and let
and education in rural Tennessee, her intuition tell me where my brush
extensive travels into the desert southwest, should travel,” she says. Her abstract
and her mature life steeped in the tradition expressionist paintings have been
of the historic South. Although she doesn’t included in numerous exhibitions
paint the literal landscape, her inspiration at gallery spaces, universities and
is charged by the idyllic setting of her colleges, corporate collections,
Wadmalaw Island studio, where she watches as well as museums throughout
the ebb and flow of intercoastal tides or the the Southeast.
Eva Carter: (clockwise from top right) Passionate Venture, 2008, oil on canvas, 60" x 48"; Summer
96 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 Song, 2008, oil on canvas, 36" x 48"; Night Tide, 2008, oil on canvas, 72" x 66".
ARTISTS
k arin olah
According to Karin Olah, her art falls into from her vast fabric collection. Translucent to her work, though in an abstract sense.
many categories. “It can be described as layers of cottons, silks, and linens blend with “In Charleston, when you drive over the
painting, collage age, or fiber art,” she says. opaque calligraphic brushstrokes as graphite bridge, you see a bird’s-eye-view; where
Her work is also informed by “graffiti art, lines intersect the surface. Karin finishes local islands, rivers, and marshes spread
calligraphy and cursive handwriting, fashion, many of the compositions with a dance of out in the distance,” she says. “It’s a very
and language.” Olah works on canvas, linen, colorful encircling thread. flat perspective of colors - blue, silver, aqua,
and paper, creating her signature collage Karin Olah’s style is a tangible patch- green, creamy whites and neutral tones. You
paintings as a way to connect with America’s work of her experiences. From a small- see the sky mirrored in the waterways and
quilt making heritage. Using fabric, town upbringing in Lancaster County, you see loose threads of rivers circling the
often antique textiles, the artist works in a Pennsylvania, her interest in Amish quilts islands.” The city’s center also provides
manner that mimics the flow of paint from and textile traditions led her to study Fiber a vivid model. “Picturesque downtown is
a brush. Intricately cut, placed, and pasted Art at Maryland Institute College of Art full of inspiring colors and subjects: pastel
threads overlap one another and become in Baltimore. For several years following colored mansions, wrought ironwork, historic
the paintings’ stories. Much of the artist’s art school, Karin managed a textile studio churches, palmetto trees, cobblestone alleys,
palette pairs historical Charleston colors in New York City, developing colors and and the deepest blue sky,” she adds.
with lush complementary tones selected patterns for clients, including Donna Karan, In general, the medium in which she
Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, works excites Olah: “I love the implications
and Peter Marino Interior of working with textiles. There is something
Architects. Now applying very intimate and domestic about it. My
her fabric know-how to the work is really an exploration of material and
realm of painting, Karin finds abstraction. It’s about many visual influences
her collage art featured in seen in my world as well as a history that
numerous group and solo came before it.”
exhibitions, as well as in several
corporate collections. Karin is The work of both Eva Carter and Karin Olah
active in the visual art scene: can be found at Eva Carter Gallery, located at
curating and directing Eva 132 E. Bay St. in Charleston, SC. For more
Carter Gallery in Charleston. information, visit evacartergallery.com.
Her time in Charleston
has been very influential
Karin Olah: (top) Artesanato, 2008, Fabric, gouache, acrylic, graphite on linen, 30" x 60".
(bottom) Opus Unraveled, 2008, Fabric, gouache, acrylic, graphite on linen, 30" x 40". artists 97
ARTISTS
SHELLY HEARNE
Shelly’s formal train- each other and without saying a word, they
ing is in interior design and break into a grin. That’s the emotional effect
perhaps that is why her Shelly’s art has on people.”
collectors have embraced Hearne’s work is available as originals
her work. She has a clear as well as finely made giclée reproductions
understanding of what her on either archival watercolor paper and
creative vision can make canvas. Editions are limited and quality
people feel. She intuitively is tightly controlled. In addition to The
knows what people like Collective Fine Art Gallery, Shelly Hearne
to enjoy on a daily basis. is represented by Warrior’s Work and
Hearne’s success can be Best West Galleries in Hill City, South
measured by acceptance in Dakota and the Bradley House in Boulder,
both corporate and private Colorado. Hearne’s work has appeared in
collections throughout the many invitational shows throughout the west
west. The Marriott Hotel, including Vail, San Francisco, Denver, and
Colorado artist Shelly Hearne consistently Medical Center of the Rockies, Neenan the Museum of Contemporary Art in Fort
evolves. Originally working in pastels, Archistruction, Inc., and design professionals Collins.
Hearne’s organic style embraces her vision have placed Hearne’s work throughout public – Kathy Bauer
of the western landscape. Trees, mountains, buildings. Private collectors throughout the
and hills take on a new perspective and United States and abroad have embraced
palette with angular horizons, stylized aspen Hearne’s work for its ease on the eye, bold
groves, and dramatic skies. Now working in structure and warm palette.
acrylic, Hearne’s mastery of color simply “The detail of my subject matter is
glows. The warmth of the panels captures of less importance to me that its cast and
the eye, the imagination, and the buyer all movement. To capture the curvature of a calla
at once. Often likened to a stained glass lily is to enlighten the viewer to my own vision
window, Hearne’s work is at once bold and of a simple flower,” she says. Hearne draws
dramatic yet easy to live with. Her stylized inspiration from the work of Wolf Kahn and
trees and florals are enchanting, striking and Georgia O’Keeffe. “My own personal style
exciting all at once. has evolved into a more representational
“As a form of communication, color is one. My work is a simple communication of
irreplaceable,” Hearne says from her Fort nature’s often complicated substance and
Collins, Colorado, studio. “The concept vibrance,” she continues.
of color may be approached from several Jim Benest, owner of The Collective
disciplines; perhaps the most versatile is Fine Art Gallery in Fort Collins, says, Shelly Hearne’s work can be seen at The
art.” Her work is a collection of color and “Shelly’s work is universally accepted by Collective Fine Art Gallery at 109 South
movement as well as expression of emotion men and women alike and that’s not always College Avenue in Fort Collins, CO. For
and value. Her intent as an artist is to evoke the case in the gallery world. A couple will more information phone the gallery at (970)
an emotive response from the viewer. enter the gallery, gasp at a piece, look at 224-1231 or visit ShellyHearne.com.
Shelly Hearne: (top left) Colorado Morning, original acrylic. (bottom right) Petal Parquetry,
98 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 original acrylic.
ARTISTS
B E N N I G H T H O R S E campbell
Ben Nighthorse Campbell: (bottom left) Hidden Horse Bracelet, 18kt gold, diamonds, turquoise, lapis.
100 A|C|A Sept/Oct 2008 (center) Painted Mesa Bracelets, sterling silver, copper, brass, german silver. (top right) Diamond
Totem Bracelet with Turquoise & Step Up Bracelet, turquoise, lapis, diamonds.
THE NEW JEWELRY DESIGNS BY BEN NIGHTHORSE
970.247.3555 866.878.3555
O
www.sorrelsky.com
parting thoughts