Category Archives: Philadelphia Artists

Philadelphia’s art scene is vibrant, ever-changing, combining technique and technology for new visions of reality, creating a transformative influence on life-style in the urban community and beyond.

Alden Cole – Luminaries

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To all those who understand my obsession with the LightTro color changing bulb which I have been using for the past 4 years, both here at 717 Federal, and in many luminaries sold over the past 5 years – somewhere around 280 of those bulbs have passed through my hands since 2004, when Betsy introduced me to them – I am devastated. Phillips Color Kinetics, the maker of LightTro, DISCONTINUED making them (some time ago, as I found out this morning). And the distributor has only 36 left. I’m the second one in line for those last 36. And I have one unopened package left of these bulbs, up at the South Street Gallery. Auction time?

 

Oh well, end of an era in my output. Hold onto your bulbs. They can last a long long time. Seriously, it’s a shame that such a beautiful GREEN item should be discontinued. Perhaps it will nudge me out of the luminary business and back into painting. Those bulbs were as good as it gets in terms of night lighting. On to the next phase…

 

Alden Cole

Rich Harrington – Parked Cars @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club

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Rich Harrington

Rich Harrington, Parked Cars @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Harrington’s paintings are totally cool – each painting features old cars, trucks or tractors with their rusting hulks rendered realistically but painterly in watercolors and acrylics.  Rich is a Philadelphia artist whose work is recognizable as a Harrington; brushwork, coloration, depth of field, composition, subject matter, information design, atmospheric naturalism and pop sensibilities are all thoroughly modern with a fond backward glance at the remnants of mid-century modernism.

Rich Harrington

The collection of Rich Harrington paintings in the historic pool room of the Philadelphia Sketch Club is extemely accessible and enjoyable, his painting style is specific and strong with powerful images that tell stories yet are extremely decorative.  Harrington is the new Vice President of the Philadelphia Sketch Club and is also the chair of the upcoming Phillustration ’09 – download the prospectus.

Rich Harrington

Detail of painting by Rich Harrington @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Karen McDonnell – Studio Visit

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After Dr. Deb’s lecture about Andy Warhol @ Fleisher, DoN visited the studio of Karen McDonnell & Anthony Cortosi – the art team behind award-winning, evocative stencil, spray paint and mixed media paintings appropriately iconic images of Elvis, Betty Grable, Janet Leigh, and much like Andy Warhol, even Factory Superstars like Joe Dallesandro.  The difference is the McDonnell/Cortosi hive mind extracts the images from media, then cuts the stencils, sprays the paint, makes marks, composes word structures  –  making each piece different even if in series, instead of slavishly copying with silk screen; it’s not so much appropriation as it is appreciation of popular culture, visual iconography, memes, idols, graffiti tagging, sticker art, words, naive primitivism and cave painting.

The team currenty has a show @ Roger Lapelle Galleries in Old City.

Karen McDonnell

 Karen McDonnell & Anthony Cortosi.

Karen McDonnell

Dr. Deb Miller compared Andy Warhol’s Cow wallpaper to Flemish cow paintings; McDonnell/Cortosi continues the theme of farm animals as subject for decorative paintings now created with spray-paint, stencils and markers, once to fill the homes of wealthy landowners, now it’s downtown lofts and street art.

Karen McDonnell

The studio of Karen McDonnell & Anthony Cortosi.

Philadelphia Sketch Club Workshops Show

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The Workshops Show @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.  The reception is Sunday, May 17th, 2-4:00 PM.

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The standing male nude is Mina Smith-Segal, the cat is Vince Doktor.  Both of these artists host workshops at the Sketch Club; their dedication to leading a professional, creative, disciplined workshop provides the atmosphere for making art.  The Sketch Club only charges $9 for three hour workshops with a live model; Mina leads Tuesdays 12 – 3:00 PM, Vince leads Saturdays 9:30 – 12:30.

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Benton Spruance, “Miss Kim Sutko – and Art“, lithograph.  In conjunction with the Workshops show is a preview of works to be shown for the 150th Anniversary of The Philadelphia Sketch Club.  The pool room now has a fabulous installation of paintings of “Parked Cars” by the talented Rich Harrington.

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Fred Wagner,”By the River“, oil.  The Workshops Show runs through May 24th, 2009, take this unique opportunity to see a wide range of Philadelphia artists all in one place.

97th Annual Members Medal Show @ The Plastic Club

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Alden Cole‘s “Lucy in the Sky“, marker. DoN sees this drawing as the work of one of Philadelphia’s master artists; the combination of illustration, foreshortening, coloration, line quality, relevance and sensitivity to the subject, immortalizing the model. Then DoN realizes it’s marker pens on paper, the same as used in graffiti, popping energy and vibration, ancient and future knowledge, high and low art all vibrating from a single moment in space and time, into the gallery space. Absorbing the power of the messages being transmitted through Cole’s art is like time-tripping through art history in an instant. When you walk up the steps into the studio gallery, this is where the eye is drawn first.

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Lois Schlachter, “Clown Fish“, acrylic. Super flat, futuristic, meticulous trips into the swirly world of Lois’ paintings is like a glimpse into a dream of the best amusement park ride you even went on, the kind that’s so fast and so thrilling that you can’t scream because it’s so much fun.
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Marie Davis Samohod, “Ionic Table“, acylic, Naomi Rubin, “The Beauty of the Land”, watercolor.

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Alan J. Klawans, Mike Guinn & Bob Jackson @ the Plastic Club’s 97th Annual Members Medal Show. Without people like these men it just doesn’t happen; the exhibition is so strong, the display so expertly installed and the experience design so inclusive, warm and inviting that it feels natural and accessible but tremendous amounts of work go into such a huge installation, these guys deserve credit for bringing out the best and making it happen. The art movement is Philadelphia is strong and determined, DoN LoVes it when people proudly tell which Philadelphia art school they went to and how organizations like the Plastic Club fill the void of the commaraderie of attending a school of art.

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DoN Brewer, “Thanksgiving“, digital photo, Jeanne Coryell, “Mandala“, watercolor and Alice Meyer-Wallace, “Vrikis And Glads“, oil.

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The Plastic Club’s 97th Annual Members Medal Exhibition award winners: Katherine Stanek, The Plastic Club Gold Medal, Jake Smith, The Plastic Club Silver Medal, John Benigno, The Zeigler Prize, Ben Wilson, The Dorothy Invernizzi Guinn Memorial Prize.