One-Person Art Show | DoNArTNeWs

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.

Philadelphia artist, Arthur Ostroff escorted fellow artist Jed Williams and DoN to see his one-person installation of prints and drawings at Montgomery County College Library which is continuing through 12/19. The college is in Pottstown PA, the library anti-room is spacious and bare, allowing Ostroff to install what amounts to be a retrospective of a career in graphic design and fine art since the late 1950s. There is a powerful image Ostroff painted of a fellow soldier, in uniform, ready for battle, the beautiful desire to create art lives in the painting: the artist as a young warrior battling for his life. On board a fighting sea vessel, Ostroff would trade his drawings of boats for beers to his fellow shipmates while sailing off to war. Other images in the show represent artistic growth and the development of expertise in method and procedure such as multi colored prints. DoN will post more on the show soon but strongly urges all who can to visit the Library at Montgomery County College not only to experience the fine art of Arthur Ostroff but to learn something new about the art venues outside of Philly who provide the opportunity for such an expansive show over 75 works of art by one artist, in one room. Artist, Arthur Ostroff. Arthur is so interesting, he has truly forged his own way as an artist in a highly innovative mode.