Photographer Lee Muslin @ Photography 2008.
The photography show @ PSC is always great but DoN was struck by the homogeneous nature of the show, all the works seemed to be about the same size and color pallette allowing more work to be exhibited but DoN prefers larger imagery permitting a more encompassing experience.
Visitors checking out the Photography 2008 show @ PSC which ran through 10/26/2008.
A collaborative exhibit by Michael Sweeney and Danielle Thierry @ Da Vinci Art Alliance.
Mike Sweeney’s “Conscious/Subconscious” @ Da Vinci Art Alliance. At first glance the image appears to be a sculpture but it’s actually a mixed media installation with Sweeney swathed in white sitting in a cardboard apse. Sweeney tells DoN, “The tree represents the subconscious and the figure the conscious.” The show ran through 10/26.
Mike Sweeney @ The Da Vinci Art Alliance.
Art Party @ Da Vinci Art Alliance.
DoN LoVeS this piece by Mike Sweeney, “Lichen 2” an 8″ x 10″ photo. DoN recalled the photo from Mike’s show @ Smile but did not get to write about it then or for his last DoNArTNeWsLetter; the photo of green moss is perfectly complemented by the appropriate mat color and lustrous gold frame. Sweeney’s show @ Da Vinci was a wonderful combo of paintings, photography and mixed media, hopefully we’ll see more of this talented artist in the near future. Stripping away the extraneous put against nature Sweeney allows us to see the stark contrast of our own minds.
Rikard Larma is an Associated Press photographer originally from Bosnia where he covered the war but is now a true blue Philadelphian. Larma’s exhibit at Smile Gallery on 22nd Street is called Painting with Light; clicking the shutter while moving the camera, Rikard captures streaks and swirls of light like what the eye sees when you spin around. The dizzy images look like abstract paintings since Larma invested in the gear to print his digital images on canvas; the deep, rich colors and ebullient compositions invigorated the second floor space with energy, light and life. Larma had visitors vote for their top three favorites, a unique approach to interacting with art patrons, sort of American Idol in it’s popular appeal. Speaking of voting, sever al of Larma’s AP buddies were at the opening and held the rapt attention of patrons with tales of press abuse and the scars and scabs to prove it from the RNC. Yikes!
Fine art photographer, Rikard Larma @ Smile’s Painting with Light.
DoNArTNeWs
Ola! The Philadelphia Sketch Club is hosting Cultural Collisions: Latino Artists in Philadelphiawith an art exhibition of paintings, drawings and photography, the Turtulia included poetry, music, perforformance and dance and the upcoming extravaganza, Gala Milonga, with Tango lessons, dance performance and live entertainment. Shoshka and DoN attended the opening reception for the art exhibit last Sunday and literally participated in an historic event. Charles Cushing is the curator of the exhibit incorporating Latin American art, poetry, music, performance and more; he has been practicing Tango for weeks preparing to take the floor of the Sketch Club (perfect for dancing by the way) . The art show originated with Cushing curating a smaller exhibit of Latin artists at Two Penn Center and through a series of acquaintances and meetings he was able to coordinate with the Sketch Club’s exhibition committee a show in the historic gallery during Latin American History Month.
Produced mostly by Philadelphia Latin artists, the show includes traditional Latin art but also contemporary, abstract, photo-realist, expressionist paintings and fine art photography.For example, a group of four 8×10 silver gelatin print photographs in the far corner of the gallery by Jorge Figueroa represent more than just the emerging artist’s first art show, the images document a way of life since the artist began taking photographs as a teenager and is now 65. Monica Rodrigo, President of the Board of Raices Culturales Latino Americans, explained to DoN how Figueroa’s family oftened questioned his perchant for taking pictures but now there’s talk of an exhibit at the Center for Emerging Visual Artists, a catalog raisonne and more. Here’s this guy in Guatamala clicking pictures, taking flack from his kids, working hard yet documenting American life, capturing history through glimpses into true humanity. The artist was present forTurlulia, the poetry reading last Friday evening – more about that later on.
Artist/Curator Charles Cushing at the opening of Cultural Collisions @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.
Silver gelatin prints by Jorge Figueroa @ PSC Cultural Collisions. The lower image is called, “The Junkyard Worker“, absolutely stunning – the clarity, narrative, execution, presentation are all first rate; Figueroa’s work is a treasure trove of fine art photography.
Silver gelatin print by Jorge Figueroa. Monica explained to DoN that this image represents this young girls world, her job as a maid means she is responsible for the space you see in the picture – a corner of the world.
Dante Sanchez‘, “The Time Has Come“, portraying “the moment Judas felt sorry and hung himself”. Sanchez’ bold strokes, inspired by the writing of Juan Bosch‘s “Judas Escariate El Calumniado“, have a plein air quality, as if quickly painted in the moment; Dante captures the instant when the sky darkens as Judas dies.
Dante Sanchez with his, “Dancing on 5th Street.” During Friday nights, Turtulia, the climax of the evening was a performance of La Bomba in authentic costume with live music! DoN captured the event on tape and will post video clips soon on DoNArTNeWs. Dante was the MC and kept the evening on course with poetry, music, song and dancing long into the evening until everyone spilled out onto Camac street to be greeted by warm summer rain. The Sketch Club should install a DJ booth – what a terrific room for dancing – everyone was moving to the infectious beat, inspired by the creativity, color and culture.
Dante Sanchez‘, “Mental Vacation in Santo Domingo“. Dante told DoN, “Dominicans are always dreaming of their country, sending money home to their families but always dreaming of the beach.”
Sylvia Castellanos with, “First Communion“, oil on canvas. The subject of the work, the artist’s niece now all but grown up into a beautiful young woman, was present at the show; the sense of family, love and pride was overflowing and passionate.
Diana Ovieda‘s, “Cherry“, a large painting evocative of the spirit of the historic event at The Philadelphia Sketch Club. Diana was not present but her mother sure was! Dr. Nimi Ovieda was not pleased when her daughter veered towards a career in art while away on a high school class trip. Now Dr. Ovieda recognizes the passion and drive Diana possessed in order to attend PAFA and now U Penn. “Cherry” could be a painting from any modern culture, anywhere in the world; the scale, color sense and composition are cosmopolitan, vibrant and timeless.
“Surprise“, graphite on paper by artist Juan Gomez. A super-strong piece; DoN overheard Steve Iwanczuk advising Gomez to enter the piece in an upcoming exhibition. There are prospectus’ available online at the Sketch Club’s website.
Jose Sebourne with his watercolor, “Staci Jiggitts“. Sebourne’s technique is so precise, so refined that at first glance the image appears to be a photograph then magically melts into a nuanced painting, the folds of the jacket abstract, the light glinting on an earring really a scrape of paint, the subject a young woman lost deep in thought – a great painting.
Cultural Collision‘s Art Stars: Diana Larisgoitia, Pedro Fuller, Jose Sebourne, Dora Becerra, Carlos Pascual, LuzSelenia Salas, Albert Becerra, Sylvia Castellanos and Juan Gomez.
Friday, 9/5, the Turtulia at the Sketch Club with poety and performances by Mirelle Palmansa, Alfierus Bonilla, Gladis Montolio, Dante Sanchez, Irsa Garcia, Isida M. Brache, Iris Violete Colon-Torres, Adolfo Suarez and Carmen Torres with singer Juan Bonilla, guitarist Jose Bonilla and the Impacto Vallenato group performing between readings was theatrically spectacular. DoN does not speak Spanish – at all – but the crowd made Shoshka, DoN and new friend Charleen feel welcome, the poetry was passionate and emotional, the songs sweet and soulful, the readings by accomplished academics, writers and performers transformative. America is not just the USA; America extends from Canada to Chile with artists, writers, musicians and performers inhabiting each state, country, island, city, town, farm…world’s collide at Cultural Collisions.
The exhibition continues through September 24th, this Friday, September 19th, is Gala Malanga with Tango lessons, performances and an evening of dancing. DoN apologizes to all his new latin friends for miss-spelling “Turtulia” in the last newsletter.BARE
Downstairs in the pool room @ PSC is a photo exhibition entitled BARE natural light nude, photographs by Stephen M. Kane. Like, WOW!!! Kane’s images are in a word – sexy. The show brings to mind Thomas Eakin’s challenge to present the nude in a beautiful, natural manner; Kane surely is pushing the same envelop to present the human form in an intimate, artistic form; each sample of his work activates the space with energy.
Coming Soon
Next DoNArTNeWs will review Ted Warchal at the Hopkins House in Camden, NJ, Rikard Larma at Smile, Second Thursday at Crane and more.
LoVe
DoN
All photographs by DoNBrewerMultimedia.
Shoshana and DoN attended “A Night of Art, Music & Film” @ Studio 34. The yoga/healing studio/art space at 4522 Baltimore Ave hosted avant garde music, poetry, the premier of a film and an art exhibit, creating an exciting and interesting vibe in the mixed use space.
Artist, Stefan Kietzman with his paintings in the gallery at Studio 34
Painting by Stephan Kietzman @ Studio 34.
From surrealist abstraction to impressionist landscape, Stefan Kietzman demonstrates his wide range of technique and painting facility.
Photographer/Artist, Alan Massey with his photography installation at Studio 34 (sorry for the lens flare) but DoN wanted you to see the scope and scale of Massey’s unique display.
Detail of Alan Massey‘s photos of sidewalk cracks which seemed to spill out of a broken picture frame and squiggle across the wall. Each photo is an image of an actual crack in city concrete, Massey can tell you exactly where each one is located.
Artist, Maryann Held with her modern pin-up illustrations. A graduate of UArts, Held says the school, “…pushed not just what was good but what makes me happy.” Holla! Held is planning a career in illustration and designing books for kids.
Djo Fortunado working on a background painting for his production of “Gods vs. Men” to be performed at The Rotunda in University City. Fortunado wrote, directed, cast, designed costumes, created sets and even wrote music for what the artist calls a Reggae, Rock, HipHopera. During the evening Djo also served as MC, introducing the eclectic mix of artists and performers. Cool.
Drawing by Djo Fortunado @ Studio 34.
Character studies for “Gods vs. Men” by multimedia artist Djo Fortunado.
Cait Davis, starred, directed and produced “in This Place“, a movie she wrote and designed with a little help from her friends. The abstract narrative follows Cait’s character through trials and tribulations of being young in the city – DoN found himself wishing she wouldn’t smoke so much in the movie. The saturated colors and quirky angles captured by cinematographer Ray Flynn takes the viewer from The Green Line Coffee Shop (a very funny scene) to the bedroom to a dreamscape with precision and technique which truly resembled the qualities usually found in film not video. “In This Place” will be entered in the Brooklyn Film Festival.
A unique aspect to the evening was that many of the artists are high school friends who all attended CAPA, the High School for Creative and Performing Arts (Cait and Alan have known each other since they were two) remaining close and collaborative. So, friendship in the modern age isn’t just who has the longest friend list on FaceBook or being friended by strangers on MySpace, it’s actually showing up and supporting the people you love. PAFA people support each other and so do members of Da Vinci Art Alliance, the Plastic Club and Philadelphia Sketch Club. Being an artist is a competitive business, not for the thin-skinned or weak at heart, but with the appreciation of friends and family, producing art can be a rewarding intellectual experience. Thanks to James Peniston for being such a gracious host and introducing DoN to all the artists.
