Monthly Archives: June 2012

Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Gallery

Jose Rios, Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Gallery

Jose Rios, Clown Posse, pen and gouache, Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Gallery

By the time Clown Posse was presented to the panel of jurors assembled at Off the Wall Gallery curator Jody Sweitzer‘s place on her sweet flat screen TV, they were ready for a jolt of color. In the first round, the jury looked at over 200 images by about 50 artists while artist statements were read explaining how the artwork relates to the theme Ties That Bind. It was a lot to take in, DoN knew many of the artists but lots of others were new to him and as each image was connected to a statement, the idea of what the best representation of theme could really be emerged. For the second round of viewing, renowned photographer Rick Wright joined Elizabeth J. McTearMarlise M. TkaczukMelissa Ezelle and DoN as we looked at them all once more, each scoring our favorites in different ways. And then we looked at them all again and began the process of elimination.

There was some disagreement with Jose Rios’Clown Posse because the color looks so bold standing on it’s own on a monitor and what do clowns have to do with Ties That Bind anyway?  Jose Rios is an art student at Oasis Arts and Education, he wants’s to “inspire hope in others and myself.” The jury agreed that clowns connect deeply with people on an emotional level, a common childhood thread of fun and fear, the naive primitivism and cartoon pop color of the painting is right on trend and when you see the artwork with the rest of the show, the piece speaks in a quieter voice. During the opening reception the artist sat in the booth under his painting and worked on drawings of super-heros.

The team sifted through images for several more hours, with breaks for strawberry rhubarb pie, and argued the merits of each piece, we had to narrow the selection down to a manageable number of artworks that would fit the limited wall space and DoN learned a good lesson. Presentation is key; art shows are juried looking at digital photos which make the images all the same size on the screen, make sure your photo is the best possible.

Alice Gonglewski, Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Gallery

Alice Gonglewski, Apartment, popsicle sticks, fabric and  acrylic paint, Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Gallery, photo courtesy of OTW@DF

Alice Gonglewsk‘s artist statement accompanying the popsicle stick constructions that look like a drawing/sculpture hybrids is a poem which begins, “Organize the dreams and moments, find connections, find a true tribe…” A good tip if you’re stuck writing an artist statement is to remember you’re an artist and can say it with words in a poem. If you can bring a tear to the juries eye, go for it. The graphic pieces present themselves as drawings in space, floor plan-like, with simple forms and materials representing the complex setting of a life lived.

Carla Liguori, Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Gallery

Carla Liguori, Bound, terra cotta and glaze, Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Galleryphoto courtesy of OTW@DF

Bound took the “top” prize, there were different levels of adherence to the theme instead of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, but the small ceramic sculpture exemplified the concept on so many levels, mixing metaphors, exquisite detail and finish, and a strange dada-ist narrative that is hard to put in words, as if we’re aware of being yoked and thinking we’re one thing instead of another; each creature believes it resembles the other because it can’t see itself. The artist describes the relationship between the figures as, “tortuous”.

Russell Brodie, Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Gallery

Russell Brodie, Berkley House, oil on pine, Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Galleryphoto courtesy of OTW@DF

The image of Berkley House, oil on pine, by Russell Brodie, is about life sized, the paintings are small and very realistic. In the jurying process the paintings looked as big as the other works, the images all presented relatively the same aspect ratio to one another, and presented on the screen large it was hard to imagine them small. The artist says he “wants to draw the audience in.”

Nicole Giusti, Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Gallery

Nicole Giusti, The Soap Dish, photograph, Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Galleryphoto courtesy of OTW@DF

DoN loves the fact that The Soap Dish was awarded most abstract interpretation of the theme. How can a photo be abstract?  But in this case many of the artworks were impressionistic, not abstract per se, and Nicole Giusti‘s still life photo combined with the tense narrative of her strained relationship with her grandmother transformed ordinary soap into doppelgangers, simulacra and ghosts of unpleasant memories. The repeating patterns, pristine color fields and limited palette resonated the theme of uncomfortable ties to family that reads differently for each viewer.

Gene Renzi, Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Gallery

Gene Renzi, American Flags for Sale, photograph, Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Galleryphoto courtesy of OTW@DF

Stephen Millner, Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Gallery

Stephen Millner, Air Support, mixed media collage, Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Galleryphoto courtesy of OTW@DF

Stephen Millner‘s Air Support collage is poignant and direct to the point, ties to military people is special, enduring and hopeful. The cancelled air mail stamps speak of countless expressions of hope and love, military families send care packages of stuff soldiers can’t get in Afghanistan or even on military bases, DoN has two nephews who have been deployed to the wars, Kurt is in Iraq right now working as a contractor, Buddy is back on active duty and could deploy anywhere, anytime. Art that reflects military life touches DoN‘s heart, the ties of love and hope bound with anxiety and fear is potent.

Eli VandenBerg, Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Gallery

Eli VandenBerg, Egg Beater, ink on paper, Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Galleryphoto courtesy of OTW@DF

All of the jurors thought of their grandmothers when presented with Egg Beater, an exquisite ink drawing that is simple, descriptive and active.  The image represents a tool that ties us to fond memories, the old fashioned kitchen utensil able to mentally transport us to a place in the past with cake batter and whipped cream. Even the angle of the egg beater hints at activity, actions and achieving goals.

Jena Serbu, Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Gallery

Jena Serbu, detail from Crickets, diorama with marionette- style low-fire clay figures found wood construction by Dawn Smith,  Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Galleryphoto courtesy of OTW@DF

Crickets is especially interesting because the piece was made on spec. The artists submitted a proposal with drawings and samples of some completed elements of the sculpture, the artist statement dealt with marital discord, problems from the past and angst of modern life. So the artists took a chance the jury would give them the go ahead to complete the piece, the presentation of the idea was fulfilled exactly as proposed and is a powerful presence in the show.

Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Gallery

Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Gallery

Awarding the prizes was a surprisingly simple and satisfying exercise. Each juror picked their top three favorites in each category ranked in descending order, if two or more pieces were selected by the jurors the scores were added and the highest scores received an award – a cool tie-dye kit.

DoN was honored when Togo Travalia asked him to help jury the show, Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Franks has a long history of exceptional art shows. The Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show is beautiful, sometimes challenging with a wide interpretation of a theme based on three simple words and what they mean to different artists.  The ties that Off the Wall Gallery has to the Philadelphia arts community binds artists in a welcoming place, not afraid to take risks with art, challenge norms and raise the conversation to new levels when it comes to art interpretation and exhibition. Ties That Bind, Seventh Annual Community Juried Art Show at Off the Wall Gallery is on exhibit through August 3rd.

Written by DoN

Photographs courtesy of Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank’s Bar except where noted.

Joyce Chan and Mark Price at studio:christensen

Mark Price at studio:christensen

Mark Price at studio:christensen

According to artist Mark Price his artwork, “I guess it is collage but it’s from editions that I’ve been screen printing. The screen prints are from ink drawings and also design elements composited into these environments. Yeah, kind of revisiting all this material that you generate when you do screen printing, it’s a fast process as far as the hand printing goes, and as I was doing the editions, you know, I would give some away, but I still had a bunch left over. And started doing this thing of slicing them and with one single edition, collaging them, it almost feels like a stuttering of the image.  Or if you’re driving and the elongation of the landscape, like a pause repeated over and over.”

Mark Price at studio:christensen

Mark Price at studio:christensen

“This is the first time I’ve tried working with an edition as material as opposed to it being the end point.  It kind of reactivated how I was like thinking about it, like, ‘Oh man, this feels like it leaves the process a lot more open, like now the work is finished, the relationship with it is closed.  It was always like I enjoyed the process but once you get to the end instead of having an image that is clear one moment, to have an image that’s fragments of this memory or this other experience.  It’s all there but it’s like kind of fractured, or it’s like I remember it one way but it’s just this specific detail of it.”

Mark Price at studio:christensen

Mark Price at studio:christensen

The odd shapes of the artworks is intriguing, really breaking the bounds of the picture plane.  “I think that was a way to relieve the process, like the piece is still moving and the idea of, ‘Is this where the image ends or should I continue’. And also with abandoning 90 degree angles and the rigidness of it puts it in a place where it’s moving through three dimensional space.”

Mark Price at studio:christensen

Mark Price at studio:christensen

DoN commented to Mark that the art seems to glow from behind, the pieces are mounted away from the wall with pins, and wondered if the pastel glow was intentional? Mark Price said, “Well, it’s like collaging onto this material that has a fluorescence so it’s not so heavy, it’s like this thing that’s just hovering.  And with the drop shadow projecting a color it makes it different. I’m glad you picked that up.”

Joyce Chan at studio:christensen

Joyce Chan at studio:christensen

There’s a couple large monochromatic patterned paintings in the gallery by Joyce ChanDoN didn’t get to meet her, but the pairing of her quiet abstractions with Mark Price‘s vivid collage creates a kind of conversation between the artwork each speaking a similar but different language.

The studio/gallery/boutique on South 20th Street changes almost daily with pop-up shops by Hy/Lo, new aspirational furnishings, fashion shoots, art lectures and social events that there is always something new to see and desire.

Through SideArts.comDoN is offering online and in-person one-on-one consulting services to visual and craft artists and art businesses.  Read all about it here.

Written and photographed by DoN Brewer

Consulting Services with SideArts.com

DoN has been posting on the SideArts.com Philadelphia art blog for many years. Not just for the free/inexpensive public platform to self promote but the website for artists actually directs visitors back to this blog. And vice versa. Pingbacks, comments and hyperlinks between the blogs improves search rankings and also keeps blog posts alive with synergy.

Working with the team at SideArts.com, CEO C. Todd Hestand & Contributing Writer Cassandra Hoo, has introduced exciting new social media dynamics for connecting with the DoNArTNeWs Philadelphia Art Blog and SideArts.com audience. Creating a measurable presence in social media is now integral to self-promotion.

Through SideArts.comDoN is offering one-on-one consulting for artists who need help developing their action plan for promoting their artwork.

SideArts.com offers online and in-person one-on-one consulting services to visual and craft artists and arts businesses.

Our consultants help with:

  • promotional tactics
  • edit writing
  • writing copy for press releases and other material
  • setting up social media and Side Arts accounts
  • advice on promotional and sales strategies.

First time clients will receive a free three month premium trial Side Arts membership.

Consultant Fees:

  • $150 per online two-hour session.
  • $200 per in-person two-hour session (additional charges may apply outside the consultant’s travel area)

Clients should provide these items three days before the scheduled appointment:

  • Artwork or a logo image
  • A brief bio, artist statement, or business mission statement
  • Any other documents that needs to be reviewed
  • A statement of goals and objectives for the consultation

Contact one of our consultants for additional details.
Email: cassandra@sidearts.com or don@sidearts.com.

All payments will be made in advance. All appointments start and stop promptly on time. Payments will not be refunded if the client does not show up for the appointment or if the appointment is rescheduled or cancelled with less then 24 hours in advance.

DoN Brewer Consulting Services with SideArts.com

Phillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Stephen Heigh, Phillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Stephen Heigh, Sunday Morning Robots, Phillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Phillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club ends on June 16th 2012, so if you want to see a collection of 77 amazing works of art, illustrations for books, magazine covers, advertising, self promotion, then you have to visit the Avenue of the Artists now.  To see illustrations in person is so different than what you see in print.  Often a book cover is from a large painting, the art for a magazine cover may be quadruple the actual size, many are masterful works of painting virtuosity not illustrations made on a computer with Illustrator.

And you get to visit amazing alternate realities, space adventures, scary crimes and romantic trysts through the eyes and imagination of professional artists.  Some of the art is by recent graduates from design school, especially from Moore College of Art & Design where Rich Harrington, the master-mind behind Phillustration V for the past five years, is a professor of illustration.  The artistic talent he gathers together each year is impressive creating the opportunity to view artwork not normally available to the public except as a commercial product like a book or magazine cover.

Glenn Zimmer, Phillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Glenn Zimmer, Lost in the Tower of LondonPhillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Glenn Zimmer helped get members of the Bucks County Illustrators Society to submit work and deliver it to Philly.

Robert Byrd, Phillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Robert Byrd, The Grand Plans and Vision, Phillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club – click the thumbnail for a larger image but Robert Byrd‘s website is amazing!

Stephanie Struse, Phillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Stephanie Struse, OwlPhillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Mike Manly, Phillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Mike Manley, Judge Parker 5.2.2012Phillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Jennifer Villareale, Phillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Jennifer Villareale, Finist the FalconPhillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club

DoN featured this piece about the Moore 2012 graduate in a recent DoNArTNeWs blog post, it was especially satisfying to see the art in the historic gallery of  The Philadelphia Sketch Club. Again, for a good look at this image visit the artist’s website or the gallery while the show is on.

Stacy Hornung, Phillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Stacy Hornung, Belly Up IPhillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club

David Palumbo, Phillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club

David Palumbo, Terrible WeaknessPhillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club

The oil painting by David PalumboTerrible Weakness, is enormous, almost life sized, and evokes passion and emotion so skillfully that it’s scary.  The Phillustration V at The Philadelphia Sketch Club will blow your mind with the creativity, masterful skill and myriad styles of modern illustration and proves you don’t need a computer to be an illustrator.

Read about Phillustration IV on SideArts.com Philadelphia Art Blog

Written and photographed by DoN Brewer

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LiQin Tan, Primitive Level Signals at Dalet Gallery

LiQin Tan, Primitive Level Signals at Dalet Gallery

LiQin Tan, Primitive Level Signals at Dalet Gallery

LiQin Tan explained to DoN the concept behind Primitive Level Signals, the spectacular multi-media exhibit at Dalet Gallery in Old City, “It’s an animation installation, it all uses 3D animation software to create the animations and we also have animation stills. Printed directly on the wood the prints use technology that is new, a new way to print on different materials, ridged materials, normally it must be much softer.  Now you can use hard wood or metal, aluminum…”

LiQin Tan, Primitive Level Signals at Dalet Gallery

LiQin TanPrimitive Level Signals at Dalet Gallery

LiQin Tan explained, “Now I can print on all kinds of materials, not just paper. Also, the concept behind this is Chinese Taoism, what this means is that the Chinese have always dealt with five elements: fire, water, metal, earth and wood. All of the elements consistent with Nature is where the idea came from. Also my idea combines the ideas of the North American Indian people with ideas like the dream-catcher.”

LiQin Tan, Primitive Level Signals at Dalet Gallery

LiQin Tan, Primitive Level Signals at Dalet Gallery

LiQin TanPrimitive Level Signals at Dalet Gallery

The gallery is filled with fascinating creations from the mind of LiQin Tan, there are prints on animal skin stretched in frames with industrial clamps paired with an abstract video on a glossy monitor mounted on the wall above the dream-catcher. “Using spirit levels as a signal to describe a natural phenomenon in humans, where human brain development is an equalized procedure.  The competing concepts of the brain, whether the battle of the brain’s size versus it’s intellectual capacity , or of it’s technological versus spiritual side, are always kept in equalibrium” –  Dalet Gallery art card.

LiQin Tan, Primitive Level Signals at Dalet Gallery

LiQin TanPrimitive Level Signals at Dalet Gallery

The gallery displays five pairings of prints on wood with accompanying video like these three above to represent the five Taoist elements: fire, water, metal, earth and wood. The animation stills printed on the panels of wood are ethereal, with Max Ernst-like abstract images that evoking dreams, mind storms, underwater mysteries and the being lost in the deep forest.  The animations are mind-blowing in complexity and creativity.  In the front gallery is a series of monitors, tangles all in wires and cables, with an animated lava flow ebbing back and forth using video game technology realness to the point that the piece looks hot from melted stone.

LiQin Tan, Primitive Level Signals at Dalet Gallery

LiQin TanPrimitive Level Signals at Dalet Gallery

“In this dream-catcher you see here, the animal skins, I made them by myself, is from the North American Indian people as well, they’re used in a way to represent their culture. I stole it from them. In the animation is the biggest stone, the spiritual stone.” said LiQin TanIn the picture above is a shot, a still if you will, of a large dream-catcher, the animal hide stretched taut in the primitive circular frame using the same cruel clamps, the installation has two of them. From both sides of the darkened gallery four video projectors shined animations onto the stretched skins, the light shining through like when you hold a flashlight to the web on your hand.  The animation includes dancing figures, “The Miao people, a small group of people in China, are represented by the dressed dancers…I mixed the cultures, I call it digital primitivism, using digital technology to make it primitive.”  The effect is deeply spiritual, connecting with memories, archetypes, cultural resonance and internally rooted thoughts and ideals.

“You can see that in the animation, but I also used the American Indian skills because I made the animal skins by myself. Using primitive skills, using calf skin, this kind of skin the procedure is called primitive, so I used the primitive skills to make them digital.  And I used digital skills to make primitive art.”

LiQin Tan, Primitive Level Signals at Dalet Gallery

LiQin TanPrimitive Level Signals at Dalet Gallery

“It’s a two-way work, digital art with old society and modern society, it’s multi-faceted.  I like the North American Indian culture a lot. I did a lot of research in Canada and I made a lot of multimedia pieces about North American Indian culture, so it’s about how during the day I teach digital animation but I have North American Indian culture in my brain. So the idea came very easy, very natural especially when it connected with Chinese Taoism, I did a lot of research, I’m not a religious person but I read a lot of philosophy and a lot of the research is organized in this idea.”

LiQin TanPrimitive Level Signals at Dalet Gallery through June 23rd.

Written and photographed by DoN

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