Monthly Archives: July 2011

20th Street Art Scene – studio christensen, Prelude Gallery and Beauty Shop Cafe

Matthew Ostroff @ studio christensen

Matthew Ostroff is like a graffiti artist using wheat paste and torn paper the way a tagger over-writes earlier tags. But Ostroff doesn’t deface property, he confines his low-fi technique of pasting painted colored paper onto a painting background then tearing away the paper like old posters shredded on a South Street Wall. The deep layers of color, intense saturation and feeling of the hand emanates from the surface in perfect abstract expressionism. Curator Jt Christensen is an interior architect who has transformed the old storefront at 333 South Twentieth St. Philadelphia into a hip, aspirational showcase for art, furniture and chic urban style. The Ostroff show with big, bold contemporary art pairs with the modern and mid 20th Century classic furniture in a hip, clean living space vibe gallery, emblematic of the changes taking place along 20th Street, offering a street view tableau of cool desirable furnishings.

Brian Lauer @ studio christensen

Brian Lauer was the featured artist at studio christensen for June but Jt decided to keep many of them because they just look so damn good. DoN noticed them while we discussed Ostroff’s work and thought they were paintings, from the street they read as paintings but on closer inspection the detail emerges from the color and a photograph coalesces. The photo above is Jesus being made up as a Zombie at Tattooed Mom’s on South Street, the chiaroscuro of light across Jesus’ wounds is like a Rubens. The photo below are guys standing along the river in Camden but feels like some Nordic outpost with sad characters staring to sea but it’s just folks enjoying the view of a blizzard on the Delaware River.

Brian Lauer @ studio christensen

Anna Shukeylo @ Prelude Gallery

Prelude Gallery is dedicated to promoting emerging artists in a gallery setting. DoN talked with Creative Director Gaby Heit about their mission and she explained how the gallery is collaborating with art schools to help under-grad and master level artists have opportunities to get their work seen. Heit said the neighborhood has been very welcoming, the gallery a perfect addition to the hip restaurants, salons and shops – Pamcakes is their neighbor, Yum! July 1st was Prelude Gallery’s soft opening but look for new work for the Second Friday art crawl on August 12th.

Kyle Deal @ Prelude Gallery

Christopher Enty @ Prelude Gallery

Gaby asked DoN what his favorite paintings are, a tough question since it was his first visit but Christopher Enty’s portraits of urban youth stand out with a rough beauty that is almost brutal. The characters in Enty’s paintings express the self consciousness of youth in a socially networked society where a profile is suddenly important, revitalizing the significance of portraiture; Heit confided in DoN she felt Christopher Enty is Prelude Gallery’s Soutine.

Benjamin Gonzales @ Prelude Gallery

Gaby Heit expressed to DoN she thought the revitalization of the 20th Street Corridor was coming from the North, the Rittenhouse Square district, but DoN explained how the Beauty Shop Cafe staked out the corner of 20th and Fitzwater Streets when there were still gangs hanging on the corner. And now students and young professionals make the trek to Center City from GHo all the way from Washington Avenue and get their morning coffee at the corner cafe. Art shows were part of the Beauty Shop Cafe plan from the beginning and the current show is really good.

Caitlin Beattie @ Beauty Shop Cafe

Caitlin Beattie is an emerging artist photographer, this is her first art show. It is so gratifying to know that artists have showcases like The Beauty Shop, Prelude Gallery and studio christensen to exhibit their work where it can really be seen by a lot of people but it makes the neighborhood so much more vibrant, intellectual and welcoming, too.

Sabik @ Beauty Shop Cafe

Dreamcatcher, NFS

Beauty Shop Cafe

Jewelry and etchings by Kenzie Gemz. The Beauty Shop looks like an old library or museum with terrariums, collections and photos creating a vibe of a secret society meeting room. As the GHo neighborhood transforms with modern new houses wedging between old row-homes, young families with strollers, hipsters with porkpie hats and folks who have long lived in the neighborhood are now enjoying a renaissance of sorts along 20th Street helping to delineate a terrific art crawl up 20th, across Walnut Street to Sande Webster, down 22nd Street to Twenty-Two Gallery and on to 21st & Pine and the fabulous Gallery 339. Second Friday, now a Center City West tradition, is August 12th.

Photos by DoN

DoN Brewer, Building an Art Brand Starting with a Typo

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Andy Warhol‘s real last name was Warhola, Banksy is a made-up name, Lady GaGa is made up, there are one name stars like Cher, Madonna, Christo – the idea is to build a brand, be memorable and stand out in a crowd. P!nk uses an exclamation point as does famous Philly artist Burnell Yow! to make their name stand out. DoN is attending seminars at the Corzo Center for the Creative Economy at the University of the Arts, on a cold early Spring evening, CO-COO of ZEROTO5IVE, Michelle Pujadas, an expert in business branding, lectured at length about famous brands and their imagery. DoN worked up the nerve to show her his business card in front of the room full of art entrepreneurs, the card with the big red DoN and crown which the branding guru then critiqued at length. She liked the big N in DoN because it looks different and quirky, big & red always works, she liked the crown a lot, a memorable image that creates links in the viewers mind but thought the mouse drawn crown should be simplified, she did not like the swirly pink background at all (DoN tried to explain the tie-in to his website but if you have to explain…start over) and she particularly critiqued the hand feel of the card, what DoN thought was slick and shiny Michelle Pujadas felt was slimy! Slimy! Her card has a memorable logo and lush, velvety touch with room to write personal notes. Ink doesn’t even adhere to DoN‘s old shiny/slimy cards.

DoN also learned that he was over-promising services on his business card; as a multimedia designer and artist it seemed important to list all of his skills including Flash, seo, video & reiki. What DoN learned was that even though those activities are ones he enjoys doing, working with others on their ideas or problems isn’t always a satisfying experience. DoN learned at the Corzo Center for the Creative Economy events to be able to express what he does as a business in the length of time it takes to ride an elevator. So, with his new business card design, DoN highlights what he likes doing best – art, blogging, photography & web deign – if search engine optimization, Flash animation, producing video or healing pesky past life issues with reiki enters the conversation, cool. If not, oh, well.

ZEROTO5IVE also recommended simplifying the color palette of the card, DoN eliminated the disco swirls and changed the font up a little, still his favorite Futura, a geometric sans-serif typeface designed in 1927 by Paul Renner, but now the D is a bit bigger, the o a bit smaller but the capital N remains capitalized, a favorite of the audience and the expert presenter, even people in the back row got it. The crown in DoN‘s new logo is now the W from the free font called IntellectaCrowns from www.dafont.com designed by Intellecta Design, a Brazilian type foundry interested in typographical research and revivals of all forms of ancient typefaces and handwriting styles. It searches historical churches, museums and similar institutions to develop handwriting and other fonts from old documents. This kind of research is not common in Brazil. In addition, their design team also works to create new and modern typefaces for all applications. DoN removed the Flash animation with the dizzying swirl and unexpected noises from his homepage, too. DoN has people say to him all the time,”The Don with the big N, right”. People also think DoN looks like Wille Nelson, but that’s another story. A simple typo has turned into a moniker, logo and brand that folks remember, even if they think it’s a mistake. The big N continued when DoN began writing this blog, DoNArTNeWs – DoNBrewerMultimedia Reviews the Philadelphia Region Art Scene, now with over 60k hits per month, thank you, and the typo has become a meme.

Now, DoN‘s card is still bold but simplified, the advice from the Corzo Center for the Creative Economy has helped DoN re-focus his energy and values on projects that re-invigorate, inspire and develop his brand – DoN with a capital N. As a result of meeting entrepreneurs at the Corzo seminars DoN is now a Contributing Writer, providing exclusive content about the arts, to Philly.SideArts, an artist portfolio and arts opportunity website. And it started with a typo.

Logo by DoNBrewerMultimedia.

Marilee Morris, One Eye Sees the Other Feels, Kay Kanayama, Evidence in The Stewart Room Gallery @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club

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The Artist in his Garden, oil on canvas, Marilee Morris @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

On a swampy Philly Summer evening, DoN attended the opening reception for artists Marilee Morris and Kay Kanayama, the steamy walk through Center City was worth the sweat. The venerable Stewart Room of the Philadelphia Sketch Club is reserved for member artists of the club who are chosen at random after a period of time as a member is met, the odds of getting a show are tough. The Sketch Club calendar says Steve Iwanzcuk is scheduled, he’s the Exhibitions Chair, DoN isn’t positive but Steve must have offered the space (which is OK by club rules) to Marilee & Kay, both devoted volunteers and aspiring painters, resulting in a beautiful show of paintings by emerging artists.

Marilee Morris is an excellent example of an artist who knows they want to be an artist but doesn’t have the technical skills to paint with oils, it’s like a science with all the emulsions, chemicals and mixtures, a lot to learn, right? Marilee starting taking workshops at the Sketch Club, working side by side with many fine artists who take advantage of the affordable studio with models and soaked up the talent around her. Many times DoN has stopped by the club and Marilee is painting alone, off hours, in the sunny studio, focused on finding her visual voice in a challenging media. The result is a collection of lush landscapes and evocative portraits of family and friends, loved ones and children, animals and trees, there is a real feeling of how much she loves her life.

Danielle, oil on canvas, Marilee Morris @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Le Chevalier de la Legion D’Honneur, oil on canvas, Marilee Morris @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Click the thumbnail for a good look at Marilee Morris‘ portrait of WWII hero and French Legion of Honor Medal recipient, Ben Cohen, one of the fine artists DoN alluded to, posing in a tuxedo with his award. With subtle allusions to the French origins of this historic moment, the painting is restrained yet emotionally uplifting; Ben Cohen is very humble about his heroism but Morris captures the true dignity, character and pride of this great man, a true American hero who saved thousands of lives in the great war, in a painterly, atmospheric, yet documentary painting. Ben is an incredible resource of information about the business of being an artist and a wonderful mentor for Marilee. This painting will live forever. And they were speaking French, DoN felt like he was back in Paris.

All About Cornbread, oil on paper, Kay Kanayama @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Reign Over You, Kay Kanayama @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

This painting is one of DoN‘s favorites, the combination of portraiture and abstract expressionism is euphoric, joyful and dreamy. Kanayama is another active volunteer at the oldest art club in America, deliberate in her pursuit of atmospheric naturalism mixed with expressive bold brushwork and vivid color. She calls her part of the show Evidence and hopes her art will help bring forth evidence for you of your own perceptions and emotions. The show is emotional on many levels resonating with joyful artistic expression and thoughtful narratives in paint.

Kay Kanayama @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Marilee Morris, One Eye Sees the Other Feels, Kay Kanayama, Evidence in The Stewart Room Gallery @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Photos by DoN.

Lilliana Didovic, My Philadelphia Tales, Tonight @ TRUST Gallery, Old City

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Lilliana Didovic @ TRUST Gallery

First Friday! The monthly art crawl in Old City has a long and storied tradition, tonight “My Philadelphia Tales“, a collection of 70+ paintings by Lilliana Didovic @ TRUST gallery in Old City, will show Philadelphians how beautiful and loved Philly is by people from all around the world. Lilliana finds inspiration in the city that gave her hope, home and solace, her award-winning paintings portraying Philadelphia in it’s best light – bright, bold, glittery and famously iconic. Recent paintings find inspiration in the mosaic murals in South Philly from the Magic Gardens of Zagar, chunky crystals mimicking the broken mirrors and crockery embedded in the walls. Series of bridge paintings harken to the Impressionists but Didovic’s paintings are current, informed by the past but assuredly contemporary.

Lilliana Didovic came to America after escaping the war in her home of Sarajevo, her family was granted political asylum in 1992 leaving property, belongings and fortune behind to find a new life with freedom from persecution, fear and danger. Maybe that’s why Didovic’s exuberant style is so accessible, her color field abstractions are huge and densely saturated with rich color but her landscapes see a beautiful new world rich in opportunity, a sweet reminder of home. Tonight is a benchmark in Lilliana Didovic’s art career, years of hard work, dedication, struggle and determination have kept her on course towards this glamorous event; friends and family from around the world will gather to experience her lavish and beautiful impression of Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. Join DoN tonight not just to celebrate Lilliana’s success but your own Independence Day!

Tatoo, 48×60″, Lilliana Didovic @ TRUST Gallery.

DoN Brewer

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