Category Archives: Philadelphia Art Shows

Art shows DoN has reviewed for DoNArTNeWs.

DoNBrewerMultimedia – POST-X 2009

DoN Brewer

DoN Brewer, self portrait, acrylic, collage, 1976.

Ben Cohen

Ben Cohen, pastel, 2008.

Kim Martin

Kim Martin, oil, 2009.

Mike Guinn

Mike Guinn, pencil, 2009.

Karl Olsen

Karl Olsen, oil, 2009.

Paul DuSold

Paul DuSold, oil, 2007.

Alden Cole

Alden Cole, oil on wood, 2008.

POST 2009

Michael Tantaros, pencil, 2009.

Participating in the annual Philadelphia Open Studio Tours means really putting yourself out there for all to see.  Being an artist model also puts one under a focussed gaze, the experience inspired DoN to ask some of his artist friends to contribute works created when DoN modeled at The Plastic Club and the Philadelphia Sketch Club.  Thank you to all the fine artists who provided their work, it feels so narcissistic but DoN LoVeS the attention!

Legacy of Leonardo

DoN Brewer, self portrait, charcoal, chalk & conte on paper @ The Da Vinci Art Alliance.

Kim Martin & Karl Olsen – Make me Crazy, Make me Think @ The Plastic Club

Kim Martin & Karl Olsen - Make me Crazy, Make me Dance @ The Plastic Club

Collaborative paintings by Kim Martin & Karl Olsen in the upstairs gallery/studio of the venerable Plastic Club allowing the large scale unmounted paintings pride of place.  Many visitors to the club remarked how the space looked so chic, like an atelier in Paris.

Kim Martin & Karl Olsen - Make me Crazy, Make me Dance @ The Plastic Club

Kim & Karl worked together for eleven months to produce the fantastical installation of paintings; the first floor gallery is dedicated to works created by the artists as individuals with the room split right down the middle.

Kim Martin & Karl Olsen - Make me Crazy, Make me Dance @ The Plastic Club

 Al Gury said he liked this collabo the best because of the composition.  Even though the distinct styles are visible, the two halves work together as a cohesive whole.  The simple materials, limited palette, fast hand and apparent mind-meld produced this trippy drawing.

Kim Martin & Karl Olsen - Make me Crazy, Make me Dance @ The Plastic Club

This painting was one of the duo’s latest collaborations with no restraint, no bumping elbows, no hard feelings even if one painted out the others favorite patch, it’s also one of the first collaborations they started.

Kim Martin & Karl Olsen - Make me Crazy, Make me Dance @ The Plastic Club

Karl Olsen’s self portrait is reminiscent of Ralph Stedman, Hans Bellmer and Thomas Hart Benton’s prediliction to distortion, confusing perspectives and introspective investigation.