Category Archives: Folk Art

Folk Art.

Hammonton NJ is the self proclaimed blueberry capital of the world with a wonderfully quaint downtown district which has truly suffered from Wal-Martization. Art to the rescue with the Noyes Museum occupying a lovely space with bright windows and unbroken sight lines. The mysterious Dumpster Divers have been on display with a lavish installation of mixed media works of art that excites the senses and stirs old memories. Saturday is the last day at the Noyes but then a lot of the work will move to 734 South Street, Philadelphia where the Dumpster Divers have taken over a vacant store front on the hippest street in town.

Carol Cole, “New Beginnings“, mixed media. DoN was drawn into the luster of the paper mache eggs with the opalescent knobs, spikes and arrow forms creating a frame of strangeness; very desirable, chic and modern.

Ellen Sall, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds“, mixed media.

Betsy Alexander’s crosses made from cds wonderfully mixes the magic of contemporary music distribution with ancient symbols. Music was once held secret and sacred by the churches who recognized the power of aural input to influence behavior. Betsy’s crosses sing a contemporary song with visual cues and signs, symbols and silence speak volumes.

Alden Cole, “Eros Ex Machina”, mixed media @ The Noyes Museum gallery in Hammonton, NJ.

Alden Cole’s, Divine Lorraine series is on display at various locales. Cole’s use of wood is lavishly skillful, real love is applied to the surfaces of his creations.

Burnell Yow!, “La, Va, Ra, Ya“, mixed media @ Noyes Museum in Hammonton, NJ.

It’s A small World After All

Jim Bloom’s “Them” @ Vivant Art Collection

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DoN has written about other shows by artist Jim Bloom at Home & Planet in Bethlehem, PA and Outsider Folk Art in Reading PA but the current show called Them at Vivant Art Collection, 60 N. 2^nd St., Philly is a tour de force. Bloom has a knack of poking a stick in the eye of cultural prejudices from gender issues to homophobia to obesity; Jims brutalist painting style highlights how words and attitudes can be painful and ridiculous. The one-person show includes portraiture but the works using words are particularly powerful and poetic. One large canvas shows a smiling couple clicking a snapshot of them outside a concentration camp as if they were visiting Disneyland, another lampoons stereotypes of effeminacy and homophobia and another painting highlights how words are often just so much noise.

Florcy Morisset, the owner/curator of Vivant Art Collection, is thrilled with this years first show, telling DoN that she can date the century of a painting by the design of a face in a painting and that Blooms socially incorrect subject matter shows how we all are included in Them. Bloom told DoN he was discovered by Robert Bullock of Coalition Ingenu introducing him to George Veiner of Outsider Folk Art Gallery who immediately purchased his entire collection for his gallery. Since then, Bloom has been able to move forward from painting on found objects such as cardboard boxes and paper plates to canvas’ but the vibrancy and irreverence remains. Them is on exhibit through the end of January.

Jim Bloom @ Vivant Art Collection.

“Light Green Hat“, Jim Bloom @ Vivant Art Collection.

Paintings by Jim Bloom @ Vivant Art Collection in Old City.

The Green Exhibit @ Art in City Hall.

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October 23rd, Alden Cole and DoN attended the opening of the Green Exhibit at Philadelphia City Hall, the 56th group exhibit for local emerging and professional artists with the exhibit focussing on concerns about our environment. The art display cases have been updated with improved lighting and larger exhibition space allowing the 45 participating artists to show their own take on what it means to be green. Carol Cole has always reused cast away objects to include in her striking sculptures which appear to made of metal and stone but usually turn out to be styrofoam and plastic – so clever.

Sculptor Carol Cole @ The Green Exhibit.

Dolores Poacelli @ Art in City Hall’s Green Exhibit. Dolores reuses used aluminum printing plates which she dumpster dives for even though the rats scare her. These two amazing pieces still reveal traces of the imagery that came before she sanded, rusted and glued the panels onto wood.

Gregory Farrar Scott‘s Mask # 40 and Mask # 41 @ The Green Exhibit.

Junk Mail Shag by Valerie Linhart created with shredded junk mail. DoN LoVeS iT!!! The Green Exhibit @ Art in City Hall runs through January 23, 2009. Support your local artists and go buy some art since their are no commissions and the quality is so high. DoN even got to say,”Hi!” to Mayor Nutter.