DoNArTNeWs

The image above is a digital photo of a projected “Magic Lantern” glass slide that was digitally scanned which DoN compressed for viewing on the web, a long way for a photo to travel.  April 14th, 2010 The Geographic Society Of Philadelphia invited members of The Photographic Society of Philadelphia to view glass slides of a travelogue through Japan by Charles R. Pancoast, an early member of PSoP, from the beginning of the 20th Century in Franklin Hall @ The Franklin Institute.

The invitation only viewing of the slides, not seen since the 1960s, was hosted by Senior Curator of Collections, John V. Alvin, who explained the origins of glass slide projections with the “Magic Lantern” and guided our tour of absolutely exquisite, engrossing, detailed, immediate, gloriously colorful photographs of life, architecture, landscape and fashion in early 1900s Japan.

Example of a “Magic Lantern” projector which allowed glass slides with hand-colored positive photographs to be projected on a wall in the dark with light from a candle.  Magic Lantern shows became a popular form of public entertainment before the advent of electricity and entrepreneurs could purchase a lantern with a set of slides and booklets which allowed them to present guided travelogues, traveling town to town putting on shows like the tour GSoP & PSoP members viewed at The Franklin Institute.

This beautiful image is of a dancer performing in a pagoda displays the beauty, grace, architecture, aesthetics, and quality of life in pre-war Japan as well as exhibiting the high quality of Pancoast’s photography loaded with immediacy, gorgeous composition and technical virtuosity.  Charles Pancoast operated a successful glass slide development business, producing his own slides as well as other photographers, he became a member of the Photographic Society of Philadelphia in 1877, serving as secretary and participating in the  photography section of the Franklin Institute.

This slide is of “The Polar Stars”, Captain Roald Amundsen, Sir Ernest H. Shackleton and Rear Admiral Robert E. Peary in a historic meeting of the famous polar explorers at The Franklin Institute.  The Photographic Society has a long relationship with The Franklin Institute, DoN picked up an invitation to a PSoP meeting at 1305 Arch St, June 20th, 1888 - the conversation was about “the reproduction of negatives” and ” a new developer - Hydroxylamine and Pyro” - PSoP, the 2nd oldest photography club in the world, still holds monthly meetings at The Plastic Club on Camac Street, continuing the long conversation about photography which has been going on in Philly since the beginning of the development of this “magical” technology.

James Dean Erickson, Portrait of Douglass Carr, oil on board.  The model in cap & hoddie can be found wheel-chair bound outside St. John’s, a diabetic, a friend recommended the artist invite him into the studio to pose at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art.  James relayed to DoN, “Portraiture can be a vehicle for therapy, highlights the dignity of the individual, and be a channel for excitement and energy.”

Rachel Constantine, Fifteen, oil.  The title says it all.

Richard Coach, The Fish of Delos.

Like time traveling to a lost and ancient city, this painting could be anywhere in time and space.  Seething with hunger for life, referencing work, culture, taste, serving up skills acquired with trial & error, the exquisite painting and substantial frame is right here in Philly in America’s oldest art club, the Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Kyle Margiotta, Blow, oil.  This would be a great picture for a house with kids, imagine how this masterful painting would elevate the taste of growing minds, simple mark-making telling long stories playing out like fairytales, set in the real world, incredulous expressions speaking volumes.

Mark Brough Goodson, Tom Csaszar/Eye of the Critic and Neysa Grassi/Eye of the Critic.

The pair of pairs of eyes, attractive and expressive, are superb examples of how small paintings capture moments in time, filled with emotions, thought and empathy in a medium which will last for centuries.  Hundreds of years from now the oil paintings being produced now will still transmit stories from our time, the present, to the future, their past.

DoN overheard a man say, “Why don’t they say where these places are?”  DoN pointed out the title does name a place, “Snow Melt, Sand Island“, by Sandra Corpora, it just doesn’t give GPS coordinates.  The man asked DoN what he liked about the painting? “The restraint of using the one thick pure white stroke of paint to represent the most distant point in the painting.”  He looked hard @ DoN & disappeared into the crowd.

147th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings is through April 24th with 170 of the best oil paintings in the city hanging together, continuing a long history of excellence in contemporary oil painting.

Dog by Karen McDonnell & Anthony Cortosi perfectly encapsulates the theme of this groundbreaking, historic art show curated by Jody Schweitzer of Off the Wall Gallery @ Dirty Franks Bar on the corner of 13th & Pine Streets, bringing together artists from the dual art clubs, The Plastic Club & The Philadelphia Sketch Club on the historic Avenue of the Artists - a painting of a three-legged dog created in collaboration by an opposite sex couple.  The formally all female Plastic Club and the formally all male Philadelphia Sketch Club have been co-existing on the same block for decades - the Sketch Club is celebrating it’s 150th anniversary this year with a stunning array of historic art shows & the Plastic Club is nearly 100 - both clubs integrated sexes in 1991, since then Camac Street has become a fantastic haven for artists to work and learn side by side, the competition raising the bar for quality, prestige and creativity for everyone.  Alan Klawans, the exhibitions chair @ The Plastic Club, told DoN participation in art shows is up 300%; the current Small Oils Show @ PSC has 170 paintings, you couldn’t squeeze another piece in if you wanted to.

Karen & Anthony, create all of their art together: drawing, cutting, spraying, dumpster-diving, brain-storming…resulting in iconic imagery resonating with vibrant contemporary urban life.  Their work is proof men & women can work together in partnership, even if the result is like walking on three legs to get there.

The showcase @ Off the Wall Gallery with Dorothy Roschen, Cara Kendric and more, many of the artists are members of both clubs.

Mina Smith-Segal @ An Offering on Camac.  Mina won an award Saturday for a painting she created for the Lantern Theater Company’s Henry IV, Part 1 production, another art collaboration between the Da Vinci Art Alliance of South Philly and the St. Steven’s Theater in Center City - it’s art synergy, baby!

Sibylle-Maria Pfaffenbichler is getting terrific buzz for her jazzy paintings of couples dancing; every show they’re in is instantly energized by the bold color and confidant brushwork, capturing the attention of the viewer like watching a really good-looking couple dancing deep in the groove of the music in a smokey dive with a great juke-box.

An Offering on Camac @ Dirty Franks is the perfect third leg for an art crawl; after trying to absorb over 300 fantastic new art works on view between the two clubs current shows, a stiff drink is in order.  What do you call a one-eyed, three-legged dog?  Lucky.

Ron Hartman Sand Mandala, DoN Brewer light being (Ann D Harnoncourt), light being (JRR Tolkien) and Ron Hartman Kimono Bow @ Galleria Deptford Annual Photography Show.

Annual Photography Exhibition @ Galleria Deptford, Deptford Municipal Building, 1011 Cooper Street, Woodbury NJ.  Curator Pauline Jonas has gathered together six photographers with distinct and diverse styles from landscape to portrait to abstract, from C prints to inkjet to traditional dark room color prints.  The municipal building has been hosting art exhibits for 8 years, offering exhibition opportunities to art groups, theme shows and retrospectives - without enthusiatic coordinators like Pauline, events like these don’t happen.  DoN was invited to show ten works, choosing favorites from his “light being” series, abstract landscape photographs of light reflections named after the dearly departed ie., friend, “light being (Rick Selvin)“, grandparents, “light beings (Nana & Dada)”…  Pauline mixed the various artists works together in loose categories creating a wonderful salon experience and getting the artists & their groupies to mix and meet.

DoN Brewer, light being (Edward Hopper), digital photo, inkjet print and light being (Ophelia), digital photo, inkjet print on drawing paper.  Edward Hopper has been exhibited at Philadelphia Sketch Club’s Photography 2008 and Philadelphia Art in City Hall’s, In Your Dreams, 2009; Ophelia was shown at Lantern Theater Company’s Black Box Gallery for Da Vinci Art Alliance’s Envisioning Hamlet show.

DoN Brewer, light being (Leo Seeger) and light being (Nana & Dada) - Seeger was included in PSC’s Photography 2007 and  ArtFirst in Princeton & Nana has been seen @ Ardmore Initiative.

Ann Coretti, Perspective & Armchair, digital prints @ Galleria Deptford.  DoN’s 2nd cousin Alex, age 3, liked Armchair the best, he totally got the joke - even though it’s a visual pun, the image really deserves second looks for quality of composition and the mixed metaphors from plaid, to brick to wood.

Leroy Hickman, Jr @ Galleria Deptford Annual Photography Exhibit.  Hickman’s nature photographs draw the viewer into his world of wonderment of wildlife; Leroy was also prepared with swag to give out including ballpoint pens with the Ravendark Photography logo along with 2010 mini-calendars with varying images from his photo collection.

Ron Hartman @ Galleria Deptford Annual Photography Exhibit.

Mary Waddington @ Galleria Deptford Annual Photography Exhibit.

Horse Bowl by Deborah Waddington Smith.  Even though the show was primarily photography, the exhibit included several accomplished sculptures by Waddington Smith - this wonderful Rodin-like bowl is transcendental in concept, design and execution.

Sculpture by Deborah Waddington Smith @ Galleria Deptford.

Pauline Jonas discovered DoN Brewer’s “light being (Larry Angel)” in Alden Cole’s art collection, contacted him, meeting at Galleria Deptford last Summer she invited DoN to participate in the Annual Photography Exhibit.  The opportunity to exhibit in DoN’s hometown of Deptford (Class of ‘71 Most Artistic) is exhilarating - The Gloucester County Times mentioned the show on page one!

Alden Cole’s luminaries are featured in the display case (DoN will post a story about Alden soon) and DoN’s “light being (Rick Selvin)” is displayed right next to the cabinet.  Ironically, the photo (which is named after one of DoN’s first great art patron’s & supporters) was shot across the intersection from Cole’s studio/gallery/museum/workshop @ 7th & Federal in South Philly.  The spirit of the photograph resonates with Alden’s luminous “beings of light” - each of his creations seems to have a particular personality all their own.  To say it’s an honor to be exhibited alongside one of Philly’s “famous” artists is totally an understatement.

Thanks to Pauline Jonas for inviting DoN to participate in Galleria Deptford’s Annual Photography exhibit.  Thanks to the Hayes family for their love & support, the Regional Art Association for longevity of friendship, Dr. Ross Beitzel for promoting the arts in South Jersey, painting mentor Paul DuSold (we just launched his new homepage design), artist Clif Anderson, Alden Cole for providing the magical showcase, Michael Hogan for presenting wonderful C print landscapes doing brisk sales of the book The Natural Wonders of the Jersey Pines and Shore filled with lush color photos about wildlife in the Pinelands of South Jersey and all the other artists who make art fun, enlivening a warm and friendly arts event which runs through January 20th, 2010.  DoN encourages you to discover this unique art installation in the heart of South Jersey.

The Photographic Society of Philadelphia installed their inaugural show of small scale photographs at 922 Walnut Street.  The board of directors arranged for the picture hangers to be laid out in advance and then with specific framing & wiring instructions, like a flash mob, a gang of photographers swarmed the contemporary space, jovially jostling each other for prime real estate on the warm toned walls.  The range of subject and style considering the parameters of inclusion is mind expanding and hanging out with fellow photography enthusiasts is artistically satisfying.

Eileen Eckstein (left) and Morris Klein are primarily responsible for developing the multiple venues Bonte Waffle Restaurants has offered to PSoP, the cafe at Walnut & Juniper even advertises the show on their sidewalk sandwich board claiming it draws customers.  While Shoshka & DoN installed his latest photograph, light being (Max Ernst), they both were struck by people actually looking attentively at the art - it’s fun being a fly on the wall.  The cafe at 17th & Walnut will promote one person shows soon, the Walnut & Juniper location features 16×20″ works.

Dr. Debra Miller presented an informative, witty, insider view to Andy Warhol and his critics as compared to past masters like Caravaggio who was also harshly and publicly criticized by his contemporaries.  Dr. Deb writes arts reviews for the Inferno and like DoN prefers not to write bad reviews, but, some reviewers get more exposure for being nasty and saying dismissive statements in the press.  Andy Warhol would have now have been 80 years old, Dr. Deb’s slideshow included lots of clues and tips to the content of his work, it was great seeing the Andy Warhol Superstars being compared to Birth of Venus and Vermeer’s use of the camera obscura compared to Andy’s appropriation of newspaper images for his Death & Disaster series.

The Sunday afternoon lecture was fun and interactive, Dr. Deb Miller’s fact filled, myth busting monolog followed with a great Q&A is a terrific way to pick up quips and quotes:

• image hunger of the masses
• the cheaper more despicable the better - Lucy Lippard
• the reason Andy painted soup is because he ate it everyday

Alden Cole’s “Lucy in the Sky“, marker. DoN sees this drawing as the work of one of Philadelphia’s master artists; the combination of illustration, foreshortening, coloration, line quality, relevance and sensitivity to the subject, immortalizing the model. Then DoN realizes it’s marker pens on paper, the same as used in graffiti, popping energy and vibration, ancient and future knowledge, high and low art all vibrating from a single moment in space and time, into the gallery space. Absorbing the power of the messages being transmitted through Cole’s art is like time-tripping through art history in an instant. When you walk up the steps into the studio gallery, this is where the eye is drawn first.

Lois Schlachter, “Clown Fish“, acrylic. Super flat, futuristic, meticulous trips into the swirly world of Lois’ paintings is like a glimpse into a dream of the best amusement park ride you even went on, the kind that’s so fast and so thrilling that you can’t scream because it’s so much fun.

Marie Davis Samohod, “Ionic Table“, acylic, Naomi Rubin, “The Beauty of the Land”, watercolor.

Alan J. Klawans, Mike Guinn & Bob Jackson @ the Plastic Club’s 97th Annual Members Medal Show. Without people like these men it just doesn’t happen; the exhibition is so strong, the display so expertly installed and the experience design so inclusive, warm and inviting that it feels natural and accessible but tremendous amounts of work go into such a huge installation, these guys deserve credit for bringing out the best and making it happen. The art movement is Philadelphia is strong and determined, DoN LoVes it when people proudly tell which Philadelphia art school they went to and how organizations like the Plastic Club fill the void of the commaraderie of attending a school of art.

DoN Brewer, “Thanksgiving“, digital photo, Jeanne Coryell, “Mandala“, watercolor and Alice Meyer-Wallace, “Vrikis And Glads“, oil.

The Plastic Club’s 97th Annual Members Medal Exhibition award winners: Katherine Stanek, The Plastic Club Gold Medal, Jake Smith, The Plastic Club Silver Medal, John Benigno, The Zeigler Prize, Ben Wilson, The Dorothy Invernizzi Guinn Memorial Prize.

Peter Prusinowski @ Fishtown Airways, 200 East Girard Ave. Prusinowski is a Center for Emerging Visual Artists Fellow, a great honor bestowed on outstanding artists allowing them to exhibit works in group shows, receive publicity, opportunities and support from the Center. Peter is a photography purist who works in a wet dark room and is not interested in digital photography in the least. As he explained to DoN, Peter attempts to emulate masters such as Man Ray who was able to achieve solarization on film which appears like magic in the development process.

Prusinowski’s show at Fishtown Airways focusses on the history of Fishtown and the Penn Treaty, combining historic documents and photographs alongside his own studies of the area. A story of community and it’s importance to the early development of the USA emerges with bucolic river views, charming residences and quirky scenes from the centuries old village inhabited by long time residents and young growing families.

A group of historic documents including old newspaper articles, graphics and papers shed light on the Penn Treaty and the importance of this river town and it’s people.

East Girard Avenue is on the east side of the Frankford El with restaurants, bars, shops and a lively street scene. Fishtown Airways corner is bright and sunny, the gallery painted a buttery yellow, the art pops off the wall against the restful color. Proprietor , Bob Murphy is planning to open an ice cream shop along the broad avenue making this section of Fishtown a family friendly destination as well as an art outpost along with Johnnie Brenda’s, High Wire and Bambi. Shoshka and DoN had a blast talking with the locals and hanging out on the corner.

Mary Ann Strandell @ Stedman Gallery.  The large scale 3D lenticular print, “Loving Monkey“, 2008, is just fabulous.  Pop and nostalgia blended with painterly and studied drawing is like a psychedelic flash forward - imagine these panels really big and everywhere, the images are never quite repeated drawing the viewer into layers of design, signifiers and simulacra.

Mary Ann Standell, “The Meme Tree“, sumi and gouache drawing with 3D lenticular prints Tiki Town Red, Wander, Making Water, Monkey Orb.  DoN LoVeS MeMeS!!!