DoNArTNeWs

Bruce Gast @ The Dumpster Divers Gallery on South Street.

Like some alien tribal mask collection, Bruce Gast’s found object constructions tell the story of an art collector from a galaxy far, far away who loves to capture and mount the heads of his trophies from space safaris.  Each piece has a personality from another dimension, tapping into race memory and cell consciousness like some wacko Venus of Willendorf on a moon of Jupiter.

Bruce Gast @ The Dumpster Divers on South Street.

Alden Cole @ Galleria Deptford - Deptford Municipal Building, 1011 Cooper Street, Woodbury NJ.

While Alden installed his fantastical display of luminaries he was constantly stopped by the flow of visitors to the lobby of the Deptford Municipal Building, everyone wants to know what they are or they have a story about one of the components or their grandmother had a lamp just like that.  Cole takes memories, shakes them up in his mind, recombining the pieces into objects with the logic of dreams; people are drawn to the glowing objects, filled with little stories, overflowing with light and love.  And people are drawn towards him to find out how he figures this out and if he wants their grandmothers old lamps or why didn’t they think of that?  Alden has a story for each luminary and a moment for each admirer.

Stars Stairway, in Alden Cole’s gallery/studio in South Philly.

Starlings Under Glass #4, oil on glass, Alden Cole @ The Plastic Club, Red White & Green Show.

Memento Mori #1, marker, Alden Cole @ Conscious World of Art.  Alden is influenced by Nicholas Roerich and Mati Klarwein - Roerich was the first artist to win a Nobel Peace Prize and Klarwein created the famous Santana album cover.  Alden Cole’s art brings people together, his art works the room like a good conversation, creating a buzz, upping the voltage with voodoo god-heads & peaceful warriors.  Alden’s Starlings series taps into a deeply seated symbol pattern recognition with his sprightly characters playing out human emotions and exhibitionism in a playful accessible way.  James Warhola just acquired one of Alden Cole’s pieces at the Da Vinci Art Alliance’s current show.

Starlings #2 & Delicious, shown here @ The Plastic Club, now available @ Dumpster Divers Gallery, 734 South Street.  Don’t worry, be happy.  Alden Cole currently has work available at the Deptford Municipal Building Galleria Deptford (psst…really great prices, big selection), The Plastic Club’s Red, White & Green show, the Da Vinci Art Alliance Under $200, SOTA on Pine Street, Home & Planet in Bethlehem, the Dumpster Divers Gallery on South Street and @ The Conscious World Art of Alden Cole Gallery/Museum.

DoN LoVeS this photo with Alden Cole’s Light Beings and DoN’s “light being (Rick Selvin)” @ Galleria Deptford.

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.

Amy Schmidt, Toy Soldier @ Area 919, 919 North 5th Street, a survey of the past year of exhibitions.  From a distance the content of this image is clear, a young masked rebel with a gun but up close - break me off a toy soldier.  The collage is a huge collection of tiny war toys: plastic soldiers, tanks, planes, bugs, dolls, animals…the subtext is powerful in what Amy Potsic called “the political room”.

The art work collected in the newly refurbished back gallery is all politically motivated from TODT’s, Camera (an old camera with a fetus trapped inside created in 1980, still relevant considering the current debate concerning abortion), to Abby Schmidt’s Tank (encaustic made from melted crayons on a light box depicting children looking back at an approaching tank) to Potsic’s own photographs commenting on Chinese oppression of it’s people.  DoN likes arguing about difficult art and this show really pissed him off.

Abby Schmidt, Fossil Fooled @ Area 919.  This piece is not so easily read but it’s all plastic dinosaurs - plastic is made from oil, oil is made from dinosaurs, dinosaurs are dead.

Abby Schmidt, Jessica, melted crayons on light box.  Schmidt mixes her own colors by melting crayons together to create “flesh” tones creating a new take on everlasting encaustic.  The subject is fat babies being fed, the look in their eyes is frantic, as if they know they’ve already eaten too much - Mom, please stop!

Abby Schmidt, Jessica, melted crayons.  There are three of these big baby portraits hanging together, heroic in size, extreme close-ups of glowing skin shines with the light of “health” - a strong condemnation of America’s obsession with food and never-ending quest for satisfaction.

Amy Potsic, Made in China - Female Adoption, Made in China - One Child Limit, Made in China - Reproductive Rights & Made in China - Population Control, archival pigment print, each 24″ x 48″.

Amy Potsic, Made in China - Exile, archival pigment print.  Potsic’s Made in China series is based on traditional scrolls but are actually all shot around town.  Amy is a world traveler but came to the conclusion that Philly is a world class city and began shooting photographs as if she were in a foreign land.  The aspect ratio of the camera dictated the scroll design, the content is traditional appearing Chinese imagery but is actually trees found locally, each representing the four seasons, each photo dedicated to forms of Chinese oppression and how America kowtows to the huge market even though they are literally plowing down traditional villages to build high-rise apartment with no concern for preserving history or up-rooting villagers.  Hey, even Disneyland now has a franchise for Beijing.  The photographs are luxurious and rich with crisp detail, saturated color and beautiful composition, if you did not know how angry Amy is about religious oppression in Tibet you would think these were an homage instead of condemnation.

Mark Khaisman, packing tape on light box @ Area 919.

Mark Khaisman uses tape to create “drawings” of Baroque and Rococo furniture found in Sotheby catalogs.  The furniture is, of course, for rich people only and if you actually owned it you would never sit in it or write on it, you would probably put a velvet rope around it - that’s what makes Khaisman’s drawings use of lowly plastic tape so appealing and intriguing.  A former stained glass artist, Mark confidently twists and folds the tape into curvy lines, layering tape to create density and depth, transforming something so cheap into something precious and desirable.

TODT is an artist collective that have been working together (more or less) for 30 years, even though the member artists have individual names, they prefer to be known only as TODT.  The group is primarily interested in the future and science, the above piece was developed in the early 80s, before computers, using a light-box they found on the street, the Marilyn is also a found object, the combination is truly prescient considering the current “green” trend, the use of electronics and light and mixed metaphor collage, très au courant yet timeless.  TODT’s resume includes the Whitney Biennial, the Venice Biennial, and many gallery & museum shows going back to 1979.

TODT, Eye Tower @ Area 919.  This light sculpture was created for a gallery who fronted the funds to develop over a dozen pieces but the gallerist took off with nine of them, luckily several were saved along with material to make more.  The staring eyeballs signaled the oncoming onslaught of oppressive mass surveillance of hidden watchmen cataloging our every move from trafffic lights to toll booths; a local real estate mangement office even has a camera just in case renters get pissed off and don’t pay up.

13 Months has plenty more to see with photos by John Rosser, furniture by Luis Montoya, Anthony Angelicola, Mike Parsell & Daniel Petraitis plus antiques and objects of desire.  In just 13 months, Area 919 has established itself as an art force to be reckoned with.

DoN had the opportunity to interview artist Niki Bombshell and learned she’s a neighbor!  You never know.  Bombshell is a graduate of Moore College of Art & Design  and is not only a fine artist/illustrator & designer, she is also a curator producing exhibits for James Oliver Gallery, SAGE Projects Gallery & Salsita Studio.  DoN also learned Niki prefers to use found objects and recycled materials to produce her work, unless someone provides her with a canvas to paint.

The party @ Salsita on South Street sounds like it’ll be a blast!  Attached is Niki’s resume.

Niki Bombshell Resume

Niki Bombshell Artist Statement

Nancy Barch, Chained Mail, mixed media @ Grow - Off the Wall Gallery.  The use of disposable materials such as the ceiling tile and old slides reek with hidden meaning and memes.  Slides are so anachronistic and ceiling tiles, even though functional at insulation and sound-proofing, are out of style.  Barch’s piece sends obtuse mixed messages stimulating social consciousness neurons to fire in the brain.

 Grow @ Off the Wall Gallery in Dirty Frank’s Bar.

Alisa Fox, Jars, mixed media.

One of the cool things @ Off the Wall is the corner display case where more delicate constructions can be installed.  The team of Jody and Togo extend much effort in branding, soliciting, promoting and selling art from publicity to art cards and posters to installation, the production is always top notch. Off the Wall has hosted hundreds of local aspiring and established artists in their thoughtful exhibitions.

Karl Olsen, Free Compost, mixed media including ingredients from mustard to absinthe.

Grow is on display through August 7th and includes work by 30 artists including members of the Plastic Club, Photographic Society of Philadelphia and other regional arts groups.  Frank’s has been an outpost for many Plastic Club members and recently Anders Hansen hosted a Salon at The Plastic Club to discuss the Grow show.  In branding the show, curator Jody Sweitzer and manager Togo Travalia, put a new spin on the current “green” trend with a focus on recycled materials and ideas.

Karl Olsen used phylo dough, Julia Fisichella’s amazing photoshop collages are inspired, Ed Snyder’s floral photograph exquisitely illuminated the concept with an image pinched from nature, Veronica Schmude’s moody interior photograph is brimming with stolen narrative (Veronica is the guest speaker at this Tuesday’s PSoP lecture series at The Plastic Club).  The Salon was lively: Shoshanna Aron (just back from Israel) pointed out how being “green” is a new concept - that the old paradigm was consumerism, Bob Bohne introduced the topic of the healing power of art and the importance of community outreach, Alan Clawens highlighted how artists resist creating new work for a theme show and try to squeeze old works into new parameters, DoN mentioned bricolage and Burnell Yow!s amazing show at Smile.  The group sipped wine and chatted until sunset and the party moved to Frank’s.  The discussion helped DoN realize that thinking outside the box isn’t always the best approach - sometimes all you need is the box.

Burnell Yow!, “Dolls of the Apocalypse“, Smile Gallery.

Burnell Yow!, “Mummy Barbie“.

B. Yow!, L. Parkes, D. Walters, “Exquisite Corpse #33“, giclee print, 20″ x 16″

Joroko,”March On“, mixed media.

Joroko, “Subtext“, mixed media.

Bricolage, pronounced /ˌbriːkoʊˈlɑːʒ/, /ˌbrɪkoʊˈlɑːʒ/ is a term used in several disciplines, among them the visual arts and literature, to refer to the construction or creation of a work from a diverse range of things which happen to be available, or a work created by such a process. The term is borrowed from the French word bricolage, from the verb bricoler – the core meaning in French being, “fiddle, tinker” and, by extension, “make creative and resourceful use of whatever materials are to hand (regardless of their original purpose).”

A person who engages in bricolage is a bricoleur.

Thank you Wikipedia!

Burnell’s dolls are totemic, shamanistic, zen-like, beatific, clever, ironic, dystopian creations repurposing objet trouve and doll parts.  The digital “exquisite corpse” prints are a great stealable idea - so po-mo.

Joroko’s goth skeletons populating bombed out surfaces, dancing and cavorting with stars, stripes, crosses and words perfectly counterpoints the odd dolls - somehow the energy of the room becomes a bad boy’s fantasy world of stealing your sister’s dolls and ripping the heads off and drawing war scenes with explosions, craters and bodies.  Dr. Deb Miller curated the show - deep.

Ellen Benson, “Snow Day“, mixed media.

The Dumpster Divers “The Games We Played Remade” @ The Historic Smithville Mansion inhabiting the game rooms (the pool room & bowling alley) of the 1875 estate is a melange of mixed media, metaphors, memories and wishes.  Alden Cole’s Chinese Checkers is delightfully addictive, Ellen Benson’s mixed media works are displayed with room to breath and absorb, Burnell Yow! squishes Barbie heads with badminton rackets - Super Fun!

Burnell Yow! @ “The Games We Played Remade” in The Historic Smithville Mansion.

The bowling alley of the historic space is a perfect venue for the show; The Games We Played Remade is exhibiting some of Philly & SJs best mixed media, green artists in a quirky theme seemlessly matched with a truly beautiful space (there’s a rose garden and a Moose head in the card room) is definitely worth the short drive on Route 38.

In Your Dreams
June 11 - September 11, 2009
50 Philadelphia artists showcase work related to dreams.  Juried by the Art In City Hall Exhibitions Committee. 2nd and 4th floors, NE corner.  Art in City Hall has been offering public art shows for more than 20 years, displaying work in large display cases, the ongoing exhibition is usually theme-based with the current show focused on dream imagery juried by a panel of professional artists.  The exhibition features drawing (Justin Duerr is the bomb), fantastical jewelry by Christine Alaniz, photography by Morris Klein and Julia Blaukopf, paintings by Patricia Burns and Anne Caramanico, sculptures by Brujo De La Mancha, mixed media and books.  The strength of the show is the acceptance of many forms of art to visualize and share such deeply personal experiences.

Display case two clockwise: DoN Brewer, Shell Game, scanner/Photoshop collage, Brujo De La Mancha, mixed media painting and sculptures, Kathryn Johnston, Saturation, mixed media collage.

Alex Cohen.  This painting seems to tell an entire dream story with a beginning, middle and end.

Angela Washko, “Imposter”, oil on canvas - the large painting highlights confusing imagery of bunnies confronting a slipper demonstrating the duality of dreams where friendly subjects take on menacing behaviors.

 Tanya Dodd, The Right Track, photography and mixed media.  Not all dreams are strange, some are dreams of escape and finding the route to happiness, security and freedom.

 Artist Tanya Dodd recently had a solo show at The African American Museum.

DoN Brewer with Morris Klein’s digital photograph “Daydreaming“, DoN Brewer’s digital photo “light being (Edward Hopper)” and DoN Brewer’s digital photo”hole” @ Art in City Hall, Philadelphia.  Photo by Les Howard.

Philadelphia City Hall is a spectacular venue for art with every detail of the building designed to the max - sculpture, painting, wood, marble, gold - it is an honor to have art displayed in such a great historic space; a dream come true.

DoN spoke with Luren Jenison about this interesting interactive project ongoing @ Workspace, 319 North 11th Street; the entire room is converted into a giant loom, guests are encouraged to participate with the materials at hand or schedule time to stop by and weave for a while.  You can bring your own stuff to weave, when the large fabric is complete it will be combined with other loomed pieces created in other spaces - so temporal and time-trippy.