Alden Cole & Betsy Alexander @ The Magic Garden 2007
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The Conscious World of Alden Cole
Alden Cole @ Galleria Deptford – Deptford Municipal Building, 1011 Cooper Street, Woodbury NJ.
While Alden installed his fantastical display of luminaries he was constantly stopped by the flow of visitors to the lobby of the Deptford Municipal Building, everyone wants to know what they are or they have a story about one of the components or their grandmother had a lamp just like that. Cole takes memories, shakes them up in his mind, recombining the pieces into objects with the logic of dreams; people are drawn to the glowing objects, filled with little stories, overflowing with light and love. And people are drawn towards him to find out how he figures this out and if he wants their grandmothers old lamps or why didn’t they think of that? Alden has a story for each luminary and a moment for each admirer.
Stars Stairway, in Alden Cole‘s gallery/studio in South Philly.
Starlings Under Glass #4, oil on glass, Alden Cole @ The Plastic Club, Red White & Green Show.
Memento Mori #1, marker, Alden Cole @ Conscious World of Art. Alden is influenced by Nicholas Roerich and Mati Klarwein – Roerich was the first artist to win a Nobel Peace Prize and Klarwein created the famous Santana album cover. Alden Cole‘s art brings people together, his art works the room like a good conversation, creating a buzz, upping the voltage with voodoo god-heads & peaceful warriors. Alden’s Starlings series taps into a deeply seated symbol pattern recognition with his sprightly characters playing out human emotions and exhibitionism in a playful accessible way. James Warhola just acquired one of Alden Cole‘s pieces at the Da Vinci Art Alliance’s current show.
Starlings #2 & Delicious, shown here @ The Plastic Club, now available @ Dumpster Divers Gallery, 734 South Street. Don’t worry, be happy. Alden Cole currently has work available at the Deptford Municipal Building Galleria Deptford (psst…really great prices, big selection), The Plastic Club’s Red, White & Green show, the Da Vinci Art Alliance Under $200, SOTA on Pine Street, Home & Planet in Bethlehem, the Dumpster Divers Gallery on South Street and @ The Conscious World Art of Alden Cole Gallery/Museum.
DoN LoVeS this photo with Alden Cole‘s Light Beings and DoN‘s “light being (Rick Selvin)” @ Galleria Deptford.
Da Vinci Art Alliance – Under $200.00
Judy Engle @ Da Vinci Art Alliance. If Eileen Tognini says packing tape art is in – then DoN says listen to her! If you can’t afford a Mark Khaisman before his packing tape drawings increase in value, then buy Engles layered clear tape collage @ Da Vinci Art Alliance for under $200.00 – in real life this small piece is 3D and deep, with layers and layers of tiny bits of color. Another great steal-able idea.
Judy Engles, photograph.
DoN LoVeS how DVAA displays art – Judy Engle’s photo paired with DoN’s digital print is so elegant and thoughtful, the pieces really work together. DoN was inspired to print “Autum Oak“, a digital photograph from a few years ago after seeing Amie Potsic‘s tree photos @ Area 919 – the most expensive of DoN‘s Under $200.00 entries is $129.00.
Lilliana Didovic, Alden Cole & Karl Johnson @ Da Vinci Art Alliance’s Under $200 show. The DVAA always has such terrific, fun events, even though it was a snowy night, plenty of artists showed up to party – the board is to be commended on their careful attention to detail and making everyone comfortable and welcome.
Francine Strauss @ Da Vinci Art Alliance’s Under $200.00
Gerard Di Falco, etching @ Da Vinci Art Alliance.
Leon Rainbow @ DVAA – he not only produces these funky paintings, Rainbow provides web design services to the esteemed organization. DoN is grateful for the publicity the links provide, the slide-show of member’s art on the website is cool.
Karen McDonnell & Tony Cortosi collaborate on these stencil & spray-paint images replete with peeling paint, drippy spray, coarse edges and mashed up cultural icons – the Carmen has such a skate punk sneer mixed with Hollywood glamor – Grrrl!.
Karen McDonnell, Tony Cortosi & Ray Costello @ Da Vinci Art Alliance’s Under $200.00 opening party.
Photographer, Bill Myers @ Da Vinci Art Alliance. Bill is also an active member of the Photographic Society of Philadelphia; Myers creates photo montage with clashing images mushed into contextual morphs – incredible.There are some really great art bargains for sale at the Da Vinci Art Alliance’s Under $200.00 show. You can own a David Foss for $100, an Art Ostroff for a Benjamin or so…the Lee Muslin prints are gorgeous, an incredible Dexiang Qian for exactly $200.00!?! The art show itself is amazing – all the participating members really put in memorable, desirable pieces and James Warhola signed his book Uncle Andy’s Cats; he took a moment with each autograph to draw a kitty in the front pages and engaged everyone in a personal way – Warhola signed books for 3 hours! He was still signing books when DoN left.
Jed Williams @ 2424 York Street.
The Mysterious Distance Between Men of Means, Jed Mauger Williams @ 2424 York Street.
Jed Mauger Williams paintings are in the antechamber of 2424 York Street, the location of the immense Skybox Gallery. Williams is showing ten works based on themes of his quest for the human figure, pop & mythological and different forms of spirituality. Manipulating symbols, assigning them spectacular color, signifying icons with saturated layers of various media in tumultuous abandon, Jed makes extraordinary images that are extravagantly engaging. Even his presentation was deliberately skewed, absurd and charged with a weird cultural angst like some retrofitted beat/pop/rap artist from the past, maybe Paris or Philly, quirky yet hip, kind of ugly beautiful and strange.
Jed M. Williams – semi-abstract pop images seethe with multiple personalities, modern memes & contemporary style. Williams’ gallery & studio is @ 6th & Bainbridge but DoN loves how ballsy Jed was in working his way into the hot new art center in Fishtown.
Greeting From My Home Planet, Jed Williams.
Pop references and graffiti vibes permeate Williams’ paintings yet a darker narrative creates disturbance and tension. One day DoN picked Jed up @ The PMA, he had a friend deliver returned art work to the gift shop for him to pick up, this way his work was inside the museum like Ray Johnson mailing art to MOMA because he knew they cataloged everything.
Annual Photography Exhibition @ Galleria Deptford
Ron Hartman Sand Mandala, DoN Brewer light being (Ann D Harnoncourt), light being (JRR Tolkien) and Ron Hartman Kimono Bow @ Galleria Deptford Annual Photography Show.
Annual Photography Exhibition @ Galleria Deptford, Deptford Municipal Building, 1011 Cooper Street, Woodbury NJ. Curator Pauline Jonas has gathered together six photographers with distinct and diverse styles from landscape to portrait to abstract, from C prints to inkjet to traditional dark room color prints. The municipal building has been hosting art exhibits for 8 years, offering exhibition opportunities to art groups, theme shows and retrospectives – without enthusiatic coordinators like Pauline, events like these don’t happen. DoN was invited to show ten works, choosing favorites from his “light being” series, abstract landscape photographs of light reflections named after the dearly departed ie., friend, “light being (Rick Selvin)“, grandparents, “light beings (Nana & Dada)”… Pauline mixed the various artists works together in loose categories creating a wonderful salon experience and getting the artists & their groupies to mix and meet.
DoN Brewer, light being (Edward Hopper), digital photo, inkjet print and light being (Ophelia), digital photo, inkjet print on drawing paper. Edward Hopper has been exhibited at Philadelphia Sketch Club’s Photography 2008 and Philadelphia Art in City Hall’s, In Your Dreams, 2009; Ophelia was shown at Lantern Theater Company’s Black Box Gallery for Da Vinci Art Alliance’s Envisioning Hamlet show.
DoN Brewer, light being (Leo Seeger) and light being (Nana & Dada) – Seeger was included in PSC’s Photography 2007 and ArtFirst in Princeton & Nana has been seen @ Ardmore Initiative.
Ann Coretti, Perspective & Armchair, digital prints @ Galleria Deptford. DoN‘s 2nd cousin Alex, age 3, liked Armchair the best, he totally got the joke – even though it’s a visual pun, the image really deserves second looks for quality of composition and the mixed metaphors from plaid, to brick to wood.
Leroy Hickman, Jr @ Galleria Deptford Annual Photography Exhibit. Hickman’s nature photographs draw the viewer into his world of wonderment of wildlife; Leroy was also prepared with swag to give out including ballpoint pens with the Ravendark Photography logo along with 2010 mini-calendars with varying images from his photo collection.
Ron Hartman @ Galleria Deptford Annual Photography Exhibit.
Mary Waddington @ Galleria Deptford Annual Photography Exhibit.
Horse Bowl by Deborah Waddington Smith. Even though the show was primarily photography, the exhibit included several accomplished sculptures by Waddington Smith – this wonderful Rodin-like bowl is transcendental in concept, design and execution.
Sculpture by Deborah Waddington Smith @ Galleria Deptford.
Pauline Jonas discovered DoN Brewer‘s “light being (Larry Angel)” in Alden Cole’s art collection, contacted him, meeting at Galleria Deptford last Summer she invited DoN to participate in the Annual Photography Exhibit. The opportunity to exhibit in DoN‘s hometown of Deptford (Class of ’71 Most Artistic) is exhilarating – The Gloucester County Times mentioned the show on page one!
Alden Cole’s luminaries are featured in the display case (DoN will post a story about Alden soon) and DoN‘s “light being (Rick Selvin)” is displayed right next to the cabinet. Ironically, the photo (which is named after one of DoN‘s first great art patron’s & supporters) was shot across the intersection from Cole’s studio/gallery/museum/workshop @ 7th & Federal in South Philly. The spirit of the photograph resonates with Alden’s luminous “beings of light” – each of his creations seems to have a particular personality all their own. To say it’s an honor to be exhibited alongside one of Philly’s “famous” artists is totally an understatement.
Thanks to Pauline Jonas for inviting DoN to participate in Galleria Deptford’s Annual Photography exhibit. Thanks to the Hayes family for their love & support, the Regional Art Association for longevity of friendship, Dr. Ross Beitzel for promoting the arts in South Jersey, painting mentor Paul DuSold (we just launched his new homepage design), artist Clif Anderson, Alden Cole for providing the magical showcase, Michael Hogan for presenting wonderful C print landscapes doing brisk sales of the book The Natural Wonders of the Jersey Pines and Shore filled with lush color photos about wildlife in the Pinelands of South Jersey and all the other artists who make art fun, enlivening a warm and friendly arts event which runs through January 20th, 2010. DoN encourages you to discover this unique art installation in the heart of South Jersey.