Category Archives: Philadelphia Artists

Artists DoN has met in and around Philadelphia.

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists – The Imagined: Gregory Brellochs, Danielle Bursk & Brooke Hine

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists - The Imagined: Gregory Brellochs, Danielle Bursk, Brook Hine

Brooke Hine, Shadow, resin, zip-ties, acrylic @ The Center for Emerging Visual Artists, 15th & Locust Streets, Philadelphia.

The Imagined show is over now, the Center for Emerging Visual Artists is on holiday break, it’s Christmas Eve, 2010,  and DoN is grateful and thankful for the excellent art memories the good people at CFEVA generate throughout the year.  If it wasn’t for the team at CFEVA, a huge gap between artists and the public would be difficult to straddle; CFEVA manages Philadelphia Open Studio Tours as well as educational seminars, fellowships, art exhibition opportunities and more.  Art girlfriend, Brooke Hine Facebook-ed DoN, last week, reminding him to stop in the gallery before her art show came down the next day; the CFEVA team was having a meeting in their underground lair, so DoN had total private access to the uber-cool, sleek, modern space arrayed with master-works by true art stars.  The Imagined is laser-focused on craft, narrative and virtuosity with drawings, sculpture and mixed media; the art resonates with each other, feeding the sense of being lost under-ground, away from it all, alone with mysterious thoughts and things.

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists - The Imagined: Gregory Brellochs, Danielle Bursk, Brooke Hine

Brooke Hine, Philly Blossom Series, wood, acrylic, resin, porcelain @ The Imagined, CFEVA Gallery.

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists - The Imagined: Gregory Brellochs, Danielle Bursk, Brooke Hine

Brooke Hine.

These are a Few of My Favorite Things, porcelain, slip, glaze, stain, cat whiskers @ The Center for Emerging Visual Artists The Imagined: Gregory Brellochs, Danielle Bursk, Brooke Hine.

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists - The Imagined: Gregory Brellochs, Danielle Bursk, Brooke Hine

Brooke Hine‘s work is paradoxical: hard & soft, internal & external, beautiful & ugly, light & dark, whimsical & creepy, preternaturally intelligent & child-like naivete, technical virtuosity & inquisitive exploration and she’s an artist that is one tough, sexy, street-smart, chick with a thick skin and soft heart.  DoN LoVeS Brooke Hine!  No cats were harmed in the production of this blog post.

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists - The Imagined: Gregory Brellochs, Danielle Bursk, Brooke Hine

Danielle Bursk @ The Center for Emerging Visual ArtistsThe Imagined.

Is this cool or what?  Danielle’s drawings are like no-one else’s, instantly recognizable as a Bursk, yet each heroic drawing holds it’s own mystery and unfathomable conception of consumption of time and energy.

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists - The Imagined: Gregory Brellochs, Danielle Bursk, Brooke Hine

The Center for Emerging Visual ArtistsThe Imagined: Gregory Brellochs, Danielle Bursk, Brooke Hine.

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists - The Imagined: Gregory Brellochs, Danielle Bursk, Brooke Hine

Gregory Brellochs, Ganglions, 48″ x 48″, graphite on paper.

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists - The Imagined: Gregory Brellochs, Danielle Bursk, Brooke Hine

Gregory Brellochs, Sensafe, graphite on paper, 52″ x 217″ x 70″.

You know how sometime you see art and can’t imagine it in your home?  Brelloch’s immersive drawing is so magical, the feeling of primitive forests from dark tales of earlier times matched with the subtle surrealism is quite seductive, like everyone should have an art chamber to meditate in.

DoN looks forward to the New Year and the continued success and optimism for the future of art in the Philadelphia region The Center for Emerging Visual Artists provides to artists, collectors, enthusiasts, educators, businesses and government.  The services CFEVA offers to the community are essential, consider supporting their efforts by attending shows, spending money on art and making donations, they deserve it.

Deja Vu – 6th Annual Juried Competition @ Off the Wall Gallery in Dirty Frank’s

Deja Vu - 6th Annual Juried Competition @ Off the Wall Gallery in Dirty Frank’s

Deja Vu6th Annual Juried Competition @ Off the Wall Gallery in Dirty Frank’sDoN missed the opening party for Deja Vu but art friends reported the place was packed with artists and friends celebrating the amazing collection of art gleaned from the many submissions.  Off the Wall has a long art history in Philly and being included in the group show, especially with such esteemed  jurors, is a real honor.  When lola & DoN sipped cocktails at the bar, a feeling of pride and accomplishment surges through his system, even the Jack neat doesn’t quell the vibration.  Having photographs hang next to Rick Wright, Bonnie Schorske, Ed Snyder…feels so validating.  Entering art competitions is like buying lottery tickets, you can’t win unless you play.

Deja Vu - 6th Annual Juried Competition @ Off the Wall Gallery in Dirty Frank’s

Yeoun Lee, Marion LioppoBill Myers’ phot0 collage is totally Dada, Rick Wright corners anthropomorphism in household objects, Erin Lynn O’Connor tackles surrealism – the show is really trippy.  Deja Vu6th Annual Juried Competition @ Off the Wall Gallery in Dirty Frank’s.

Deja Vu - 6th Annual Juried Competition @ Off the Wall Gallery in Dirty Frank’s

Deja Vu 6th Annual Juried Competition @ Off the Wall Gallery in Dirty Frank’s.

Deja Vu - 6th Annual Juried Competition @ Off the Wall Gallery in Dirty Frank’s

Deja Vu – 6th Annual Juried Competition @ Off the Wall Gallery in Dirty Frank’s.

Thank you so much to the team at Dirty Franks, Jody & Togo, for maintaining this long tradition of art competition, friendship and networking which offers Philadelphians a glimpse into the best of the local art scene, artists a groovy venue and quality that many times foreshadows art trends –  with cocktails!

 

 

Toni Nash @ Dumpster Divers on South Street

Toni Nash @ Dumpster Divers on South Street

Toni Nash, Leaning Tower of Brass @ Dumpster Divers Art Gallery on South Street.

Toni Nash @ Dumpster Divers on South Street

Toni Nash, Hand of Time @ Dumpster Divers on South Street.

Toni Nash explained to DoN that her found object construction expresses the concept that people always look to their hands to acknowledge the passage of time.   Nash uses hand imagery in her work, “…because what can you do without hands?  A baby see it’s own hand, I see stuff and it talks to me, then I interpret what it says.”

Toni Nash @ Dumpster Divers on South Street

Toni Nash, Last Sunset of the Millenium @ Dumpster Divers on South Street.

Nash was intrigued with the last sunset of the 20th century but not the first sunrise, she became involved in an art project involving Legg Eggs and transforming the Titanic ship to look like a rocket and forgot to watch the sun come up on the new millennium.  It’s fun chatting with Toni in the eclectic gallery on South Street with the collection of art made from recycled materials surrounding us and hipsters wandering in off the street to check out the unusual art, Nash hosted a long running talk show in the Philly region and has zillions of stories to tell about meeting stars.  The gallery is decorated for the holidays with some wack-a-zoid toy assemblages which are enthralling kids on South Street, stop in and meet the artist, she’s really cool.

Jon Paul Hammond

I first met Jon Paul Hammond on an art crawl to the galleries one Friday evening a few years ago; somehow, without a car, he could travel to multiple venues all across the city in one evening and have a glass of wine with the art-erati, himself a visual sensation drawing attention from the art.  Jon Paul was a culture vulture, like me, and we instantly became confidantes, dishing the dirt on the pretensions and hoaxes we often encountered as well as superlatives for thought-provoking art we liked.  It was comforting to know that when I ventured out alone to an art show, I was sure to see a friendly face, a hug & kiss and a funny anecdote from a friend.  Jon Paul is missed in the Philly art community and his passing reminds me to re-invigorate my art adventures, support my artist friends, search out emerging talent, explore new neighborhoods and challenge my endurance because tomorrow I may be gone.  A lovely memorial webpage has been established in Jon Paul’s honor with thoughtful commentaries from his friends.

Jon Paul Hammond

DoN Brewer & Jon Paul Hammond @ The Warwick Hotel’s, The Coffee Bar, DoN‘s “light beings Art Talk“, Summer 2010.  Jon Paul Hammond offered me encouragement to continue making art and have pride in what I do; what is an art world without knowledgeable art enthusiasts?  I’ll miss Jon Paul’s exuberance and style and his insightful opinions as I explore and report on the Philly arts scene.

 

Photo by Danny Reilly.

light being (Jon Paul Hammond) - DoN Brewer Photography

light being (Jon Paul Hammond), digital photograph, DoN Brewer, 2010.

Lighten Up! An invitational lamp exhibition curated by Michelle Post @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, Millville, NJ

Michelle Post Lighten Up! An invitational lamp exhibition curated by Michelle Post @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, Millville, NJ

Michelle Post @ Lighten Up! An invitational lamp exhibition curated by Michelle Post @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, Millville, NJ.

Michelle Post has curated an outstanding exhibition of art lamps with an astonishing array of Philadelphia region artists who each use electric light to enhance their creations and bring them life.  The gallery was dark except for the art lamps, each piece softly illuminating it’s own carefully chosen space, the warm glow of golden shadows around the room is enticing. Michelle Post and Dave Carrow recently exhibited @ Da Vinci Art Alliance, see the photo below, where DoN had the opportunity to meet Michelle and talk about art.

Phil Vinson Lighten Up! An invitational lamp exhibition curated by Michelle Post @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, Millville, NJ

Phil Vinson created each part of this lamp by hand from the carved finial to the metal base, truly a tour de force in craftsmanship, style and design; like a dreamy pod of a luminescent night blooming flower, this lamp is entrancing, drawing gallery goers like moths.  Lighten Up! An invitational lamp exhibition curated by Michelle Post @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, Millville, NJ

Charmaine Caire Lighten Up! An invitational lamp exhibition curated by Michelle Post @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, Millville, NJ

Charmaine Caire @ Lighten Up! An invitational lamp exhibition curated by Michelle Post @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, Millville, NJ.

Dave Carrow Lighten Up! An invitational lamp exhibition curated by Michelle Post @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, Millville, NJ

Dave Carrow creates heavy metal, industrial strength art, building lamps of welded chunks of metal like cyber-punk set pieces for the star-ship Serenity.  Carrow’s lamps are large, substantial, ambitious constructions, creating a transmuted modernist environment all on their own with clever connections and thought provoking problem solving.

Alden Cole Lighten Up! An invitational lamp exhibition curated by Michelle Post @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, Millville, NJ

Alden Cole is showing a cluster of his signature glowing objects, the lamps are more night-light than reading lamp, each subtly changing color, energizing the shadow patterns flowing across the walls.  With his lamps groups together, DoN noticed gallery goers having difficulty not touching the orbs, curiously drawn to the light.

Sarah Stengle Lighten Up! An invitational lamp exhibition curated by Michelle Post @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, Millville, NJ

Sarah Stengle – Genius!

Wayne Russell Lighten Up! An invitational lamp exhibition curated by Michelle Post @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, Millville, NJ

Wayne Russell, Streamliner, lamp @ Lighten Up! An invitational lamp exhibition curated by Michelle Post @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, Millville, NJ.

Lighten Up! has so much more that DoN wants to share but if I were you, I’d take a drive down to Millville and check out the art center, the RRCA is a model of a multi-purpose art space.

Lighten Up!” curated by artist, Michelle Post, exhibits uniquely constructed lamps sure to “lighten up” your night.  Michelle gave the eleven artists included one stipulation- their lamps must plug into an outlet and actually light up.  Beyond that, artists:  Harry Anderson, Charmaine Caire, Dave Carrow, Alden Cole, Pam Lethbridge, Ted Simon, Michelle Post, Wayne Russell, Eric Schultz, Sarah Stengle, Carole Sivin and Sally Willobee were left to create their illuminated treasures.  The exhibition offers stellar examples of the creativity artists have when looking at ordinary objects many of us take for granted.  Michelle explains, “Rising to the challenge of bursting through and penetrating darkness come artists whose wit and imagination show us not to take life too seriously.   With laughter comes healing, and with illumination comes peace.”

Michelle Post & Dave Carrow @ Da Vinci Art Alliance

Michelle Post & Dave Carrow @ Da Vinci Art Alliance, Autumn 2010.

Photos by DoN.