Tag Archives: Art Installation

Edgeless

Leave a reply

The Edgeless Divide by Sun Young Kang

The Edgeless Divide by Sun Young Kang, Susquehanna Art Museum, Harrisburg, PA.

“Nearly every facet of life that we understand is dependent on our visual perception of the world, predisposing us to only see the “present.” But it is not difficult to perceive that our world is composed of two antithetical ideas: presence and absence, life and death. These ideas can be understood in the Buddhist philosophy of “Emptiness”—every existence, every single moment that has ever existed, can only be conceived as either past or future. The abstract nature of this concept is often difficult to grasp, but my work is an attempt to secularize this fundamental idea. 

Negative space in various structures of books or installations is the essential part of my work. The empty space suggests to readers or viewers a meditative moment. In this moment, the negative space provides an opportunity to reflect on one’s self and the meaning of Emptiness in our lives. I cut out pages, burn out texts, hang prints in space or cast various containers to create a physical and metaphorical Emptiness. The important parts of the structures are absent. The absence becomes a presence in the visual objects. 

Most recently I have created installations consisting of many tiny tubes that question the boundary of all antithetical ideas. Boundaries can be physical and visual, but also language, religion, culture, politics, indeed all human relationships and social creations involve boundaries. Whether a boundary is physical or not, it does not just divide one entity from another, it implies another side or space or existence. Light and shadow and the delicacy yet strength of thin paper are metaphors for the inseparability of life and death. They are also installation devices creating two conceptual spaces.

Through the irony of my working process, which is visualizing non-visuals, I try to question this non-describable concept—the continual parallels of presence and absence, their inseparability. I also would like the audience to think about the meaning of absence in their lives as part of nature, through their own interpretation of “Emptiness.”

– Sun Young Kang, sunyoungkang.com

The Edgeless Divide by Sun Young Kang, Susquehanna Art Museum, Harrisburg, PA.

HOURS & ADMISSION: Monday, closed, Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday 12:00 – 5:00 PM

Adult Admission: $8, Military, Seniors (65+), & Educator Discount: $5, Children under 12: FREE

1401 North 3RD Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102, (717) 233-8668

Thanks to Sun Young Kang for the content of this post.

Like Susquehanna Art Museum on facebook

Like DoNArTNeWs Philadelphia Art News Blog on facebook

Follow the new DoNArTNeWs.com

Follow DoN on Twitter @DoNNieBeat58

DoNArTNeWS on Tumblr

DoN Brewer on Pinterest

@donniebeat on Instagram

Affiliate Marketing [disclosure page] Shop on-line and help support DoNArTNeWs

Donate via safe and secure PayPal in the sidebar.

allTURNatives

Leave a reply

allTURNatives: Form + Spirit 2015, The 2015 Windgate ITE International Residency Exhibition at The Center for Art in Wood, John Thornton Films

“The 2015 Windgate ITE International Residency Exhibition at The Center for Art in Wood. For 20 years Philadelphia’s Center for Art in Wood has hosted the Windgate ITE International Residency Program. This year, five artists, a scholar, and a photojournalist were brought to Philadelphia and given the opportunity and freedom to develop their work, explore new ideas, and learn from one another. I met this year’s extraordinary group at their exhibition which is called “allTURNatives: Form + Spirit 2015.” – John Thornton Films

“Celebrating The Center for Art in Wood‘s 20th year hosting the Windgate ITE International Residency Program, the resident fellows worked together for two months in Philadelphia to collaborate and focus on new directions in their work, which culminates in the allTURNatives: Form + Spirit 2015 exhibition in the Center’s Gerry Lenfest Gallery. This multidisciplinary exhibition will reflect each resident fellow’s experience including objects produced before and during the residency. Three dimensional work will be accompanied by photos, video, and other documentation depicting the summer experience. Follow the Windgate ITE blog at https://internationalturningexchange.wordpress.com/2015/

THE 2015 WINDGATE ITE RESIDENT FELLOWS ARE:
Julia Harrison, Artist (WA, USA); Rex Kalehoff, Artist (NY, USA); Zina Manesa-Burloiu, Artist (Romania); Adrien Segal, Artist (CA, USA); Grant Vaughan, Artist (NSW, Australia); Seth C. Bruggeman, Scholar (PA, USA); Winifred Helton-Harmon, Photojournalist (PA, USA).” – The Center for Art in Wood

allTURNatives: Form + Spirit 2015, The 2015 Windgate ITE International Residency Exhibition at The Center for Art in Wood through September 26th, 2015

Hours / Location

Visit The Center for Art in WoodThe Center for Art in Wood
141 N. 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Phone: (215) 923-8000
Fax: (215) 923-4403

Hours of Operation
The Center for Art in Wood is open 10:00 am. – 5:00 pm. Tuesday through Saturday. Closed on Sunday & Monday.

Subscribe to John Thornton Films on YouTube

Like The Center for Art in Wood on facebook

Follow @C4AW on Twitter

Like DoNArTNeWs Philadelphia Art News Blog on facebook

Follow the new DoNArTNeWs.com

Follow DoN on Twitter @DoNNieBeat58

DoNArTNeWS on Tumblr

DoN Brewer on Pinterest

@donniebeat on Instagram

Affiliate Marketing [disclosure page] Shop on-line and help support DoNArTNeWs

Donate via safe and secure PayPal in the sidebar.

Orphan Rug

Leave a reply

Armenian Orphan Rug Mural by Kathryn PannepackerArmenian Orphan Rug Mural at Zakian Carpet Cleaning by Kathryn Pannepacker

Armenian Orphan Rug Mural at Zakian Carpet Cleaning by Kathryn Pannepacker

August 7th, a beautiful sunny Summer Day, there was a big party at 4930 Parkside Avenue. Rows of chairs were lined up on the carpeted sidewalk in front of Zakian Carpet Cleaning. The Philly press, politicians, artists, neighbors and friends all gathered for an unveiling of an important artwork. The story of the Armenian Orphan Rug is difficult to explain without tears coming to my eyes since it was woven by hundreds of orphaned children; the Armenian Orphan Rug Mural memorializes the genocide of over one million Armenians a century ago.

Zakian Carpet Cleaning owner Bob Zakian hired Kathryn Pannepacker to create a mural for a large expanse of wall on the front of the historic factory. Kathryn is well known for her carpet themed murals throughout Philly and understands how to make large scale projects happen. Philadelphia mural artists Kathryn Pannepacker and Angela Crafton along with apprentice Lizzy Mamourian interpreted the carpet in a bold, eye catching, design complementing the architecture and telling the tragic tale of Armenian annihilation with confidence and sensitivity. Lizzy had never worked on such a big project and as a representative of the Zakian family, her input to the completion of the mural can not be understated.

“Not many businesses have been around since 1923 much less still run by the same family. Each day when Bob Zakian arrives at his rug cleaning plant and showroom on Parkside Avenue, across from the Mann Music Center, he is reminded how his grandfather and then his father took extreme care in cleaning their customers’ valuable Oriental rugs.” – About Zakian Carpet Cleaning

Armenian Orphan Rug Mural by Kathryn PannepackerArmenian Orphan Rug Mural at Zakian Carpet Cleaning by Kathryn Pannepacker

“The rug is made to characterize the Garden of Eden, contains 4 million knots and took 18 months to complete.  The rug measures 11.5 feet by 19 feet and is in excellent condition. It was removed with President Coolidge’s personal possessions when he left office in 1929 but was returned to the White House as a gift from his family in 1982. The rug has only been displayed twice since then, and is a reminder of the close relationship between the people of Armenia and the United States.” – The White House

At the mural unveiling I overheard comments from Armenians whose families were affected by the genocide. Families reconnected with cousins of cousins, and friends of friends. The mural is a metaphor for the awful separation of families, children were sent to orphanages all over Europe, and a hundred years later Armenians are still reconnecting with relatives.

Armenian Orphan Rug Mural by Kathryn PannepackerArmenian Orphan Rug Mural at Zakian Carpet Cleaning by Kathryn Pannepacker

The Armenian Orphan Rug, also known as the Ghazir Orphans’ Rug, is an Armenian styled carpet woven by orphans of the Armenian Genocide in Ghazir, Lebanon. The carpet took eighteen months to make and was eventually shipped to the United States where it was given to President Calvin Coolidge as a gift in 1925. It was returned by the Coolidge family to the White House in 1982. Its most recent public display was in November 2014 at the White House Visitors’ Center as part of the exhibition “Thank you to the United States: Three Gifts to Presidents in Gratitude for American Generosity Abroad”. – Wikipedia

Armenian Orphan Rug Mural by Kathryn Pannepacker

“Third generation Philadelphia business owner Bob Zakian’s rug cleaning business has been a cornerstone of the Parkside neighborhood of the city for more than 92 years. Zakian’s grandparents opened Zakian Rug Cleaning in 1923 shortly after emigrating from Armenia and surviving the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

In honor of the100th anniversary of the genocide, Bob Zakian knew he wanted to pay tribute to his family’s heritage as well as give back to Parkside, the neighborhood his business has always called home.” – Kathryn Pannepacker

Armenian Orphan Rug Mural by Kathryn PannepackerArmenian Orphan Rug Mural at Zakian Carpet Cleaning by Kathryn PannepackerArmenian Orphan Rug Mural by Kathryn PannepackerArmenian Orphan Rug Mural at Zakian Carpet Cleaning by Kathryn Pannepacker

Bob Zakian, Representative Vanessa Lowery Brown, Lizzy Mamourian, Kathryn Pannepacker, State Senator Vincent Hughes, and Angela Crafton at the unveiling of Armenian Orphan Rug Mural at Zakian Carpet Cleaning by Kathryn Pannepacker.

Read Mural honors Armenian heritage, Parkside neighborhood, by The Philadelphia Tribune staff writer Bobbie Booker.

“In honor of the 100th anniversary of the genocide, Zakian knew he wanted to share his history in the neighborhood his business has always called home.” – Bobbi Brooker

Armenian Orphan Rug Mural by Kathryn PannepackerArmenian Orphan Rug Mural at Zakian Carpet Cleaning by Kathryn Pannepacker

When you drive down Parkside Avenue and you catch a glimpse of the colorful mural take some time to stop and take a closer look. The design incorporates fanciful animals, natural and supernatural, like characters from a child’s favorite book. One of my earliest memories is my Grandma reading to me. Armenian Orphan Rug Mural at Zakian Carpet Cleaning kindly explains the unfathomable gap of maternal and familial love that was experienced by generations of Armenians.

Written and photographed by DoN Brewer except where noted.

Like DoNArTNeWs Philadelphia Art News Blog on facebook

Follow the new DoNArTNeWs.com

Follow DoN on Twitter @DoNNieBeat58

DoNArTNeWs on Tumblr

DoN Brewer on Pinterest

@donniebeat on Instagram

Affiliate Marketing [disclosure page] Shop on-line and help support DoNArTNeWs

Donate via safe and secure PayPal in the sidebar.

A Moment

Leave a reply

moment3 Arnold Newman, New York City, 1979, platinum print

Michael Somoroff: A Moment.

Master Photographers, Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography, UArts

Michael Somoroff: A Moment, Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography Michael Somoroff: A Moment, Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography, The University of the Arts

Written and photographed  by Laura Storck

As a photography student at The University of the Arts, I make every effort to take advantage of the wonderful rotating exhibits on display Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography on the 15th floor. I was especially motivated to see the current exhibit by ‘Michael Somoroff: A Moment. Master Photographers‘ which includes several gorgeous platinum prints of well-known luminaries such as Elliott Erwitt, Mary Ellen Mark, Frances McLaughlin-Gill, Ben Somoroff, Ben Stern, and Arnold Newman.

moment2Michael Somoroff: A Moment, Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography, The University of the Arts

According to The University of the Arts May 2015 news release of this exhibit:

Between 1977 and 1983, Michael Somoroff, then a young New York photographer, had the privilege of photographing photographers who played a dominant role in shaping the medium during the climax of analog image making, including Robert Doisneau, Elliott Erwitt, Ralph Gibson, Jacques Henri Lartigue, Duane Michals and Helmut Newton, among others. He was first introduced to many of these icons through his father, Ben Somoroff, who studied under Alexey Brodovitch at the School of Industrial Arts in Philadelphia, now The University of the Arts, and had become a well-known and respected still life photographer working in both Philadelphia and New York. These portraits were originally created as a kind of visual journal, a tribute to the modern masters of the medium by a young photographer. Intensely personal, the images were never intended for publication and were put aside for many years. Thirty-five years later, this body of work is finally being shown and published.

moment4Ben Somoroff, New York City, 1977, platinum print

Michael Somoroff studied art and photography at the New School for Social Research in New York, opening his own studio in the mid-seventies, eventually moving for a time to Europe. In Europe, he contributed to such publications as Life, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Stern, Time, and Der Spiegel. His work is represented in collections including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.; and Museo Correr, Venice; it has been exhibited at the International Center of Photography, New York; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. In 2006, Somoroff created a large-scale outdoor installation, “Illumination I” for the Rothko Chapel in Houston, as the first artist invited to do so since Barnett Newman. Somoroff’s homage to legendary photographer August Sander, “Absence of Subject,” was presented during the 2011 Venice Biennale, the only private exhibit in the artistic history of the city to be placed on Piazza San Marco. Since 2011, “Absence of Subject” has traveled continuously throughout Europe and soon in South America. In 2012, “A Moment. Master Photographers: Portraits” by Michael Somoroff was awarded Best Photo Books of the Year prize chosen by American Photo.

moment9Michael Somoroff: A Moment, Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography, The University of the Arts

Upon viewing the beautiful platinum printed image of each master photographer, I felt inspiration, connection, and catharsis. The platinum print process is prized for its rich, long tonal range that includes lush blacks as well as delicate gray mid-tones and for its ability to show fine detail. Somoroff rendered his subject’s essence with the utmost expertise and transcendence. To pay personal homage to the images of these icons felt akin to a spiritual journey in a sacred space.

moment8Mary Ellen Mark, New York City, 2011, platinum print, Michael Somoroff: A Moment, Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography, The University of the Artsmoment5Ben Stern, New York City, 1979, platinum print Michael Somoroff: A Moment, Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography, The University of the Arts

I felt especially moved when seeing Mary Ellen Mark’s portrait, and particularly saddened by her recent passing. I remember first learning about her work when visiting the Philadelphia Museum of Art in September 2012 for her exhibition Prom: Photographs by Mary Ellen Mark. This exhibit occurred in conjunction with her husband’s work, cinematographer Martin Bell’s film Prom (2010), and I was very fortunate to witness a roundtable discussion among Mary Ellen Mark, Martin Bell, and the curator of photographs of the PMA, Peter Barberie. Mary Ellen Mark’s photography has been a major influence on my desire to capture documentary and street images, which has therefore inspired and helped me to feel more empathy, compassion, and responsiveness toward the human condition.

moment6Elliott Erwitt, Easthampton, NY, 1979, platinum print, Michael Somoroff: A Moment, Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography, The University of the Arts

This experience forces me to ponder where my photographic path may lead…Will my portrait ever adorn a gallery wall? All I can offer with certainty is that I appreciate every little struggle and triumph along life’s serpentine journey; I cherish and find value in the many relationships I have formed; and I strive to keep going with continued optimism. Peach and love to all.

moment7Frances McLaughlin-Gill, New York City, 1978, platinum print, Michael Somoroff: A Moment, Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography, The University of the Arts

Now in it’s 37th year, the Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography offers a year-round regular schedule of exhibitions of contemporary photography. The only endowed gallery in Philadelphia dedicated solely to the exhibition of photography, the Mednick Gallery earned the Photo Review Award for service to photography. Associate Professor and former director of the Photography program Harris Fogel, who founded Gallery 1401 in 1999, has been director/curator of both galleries since 1997. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00am – 5:00pm., Saturday and Sunday by appointment. The exhibit is on display through July 31st.

The University of the Arts, The Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography, Terra Hall, 15th Floor 211 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102 (215) 717-6300

Event page – http://www.uarts.edu/about/sol-mednick-gallery

website – www.uarts.edu

Like The University of the Arts on facebook

Twitter @UArts

Written and photographed  by Laura Storck except where noted

Instagram: http://instagram.com/laurastorck/

Facebook:  https://facebook.com/laura.h.storck

Twitter: @Laura_Storck

Like DoNArTNeWs Philadelphia Art News Blog on facebook

Follow the new DoNArTNeWs.com

Follow DoN on Twitter @DoNNieBeat58

DoNArTNeWs on Tumblr

DoN Brewer on Pinterest

@donniebeat on Instagram

Affiliate Marketing [disclosure page] Shop on-line and help support DoNArTNeWs

Donate via safe and secure PayPal in the sidebar.

Church St.

Leave a reply

 Church St. Art & CraftBen Cohen, Church St. Art and Craft, photograph by Jeff Stroud

Church St. Art and Craft, 2nd Annual Summer Juried Art Show, Mt. Holly

Written and photographed by Jeff Stroud

In Mill Race Village, Mt Holly’s Historic area just off Main Street, sits a small two story house on the corner of Church Street. In two rooms of that historic house will be found a monthly collection of local artist work with the co-op member artist the basis of each of the collections. The Church St. Art and Craft space may be small yet it allows one to be intimate with the art, close enough to touch and intimate enough to imagine pieces in your own home.

The exhibition during the month of July is a juried show of member and guest artists who have submitted their work to be juried by Shaun Stipick; Director of the Herman T. Costello Lyceum, Burlington City, NJ. Mr. Stipick’s vision was held upon several oil paintings, watercolors, pastels, mixed medium collage, and upcycled paintings. Nineteen artists competed for wall space and prizes; most of the artists have at least 3 pieces exhibited among this collection.

churchst4 Judy Sawicki, Still Waters, oil, Church St. Art and Craft, photograph by Jeff Stroud

Third place winner is Judy Sawicki, a guest artist, with her small oil painting. ‘Still Waters’ graces the front wall, her work is classic nature scenes capturing the essence of old masters. Second place, a guest artist as well, is Joyce McAfee’s ephemeral watercolor ‘The Dune’; the painting seems to be a mirage, ready to blow away with the next wind.

churchst3Joyce McAfee,The Dune, watercolor, Church St. Art and Craft, photograph by Jeff Stroud

churchst5Maureen Gass-Brown, Traveling Light, pastel water colors, Church St. Art and Craft, photograph by Jeff Stroud

In first place is Maureen Gass-Brown’s ‘Traveling Light’ her pastel water colors seem to capture a sense of journeying to the path paradise. Maureen’s artistry brings nature and landscape to life offering muted color brilliance to her work.

The gallery exhibition is a feast for the eyes and soul, as you travel around the room you are greeted with humor, classic scenery, walks in a garden or on a beach, Ben Cohen’s brilliant primary color pastel flash out in bold reds, yellows, blues capturing city life in a bright flash, playful and humorous.

churchst1Church St. Art and Craft, through August 2nd, Summer Juried Art Show, photograph by Jeff Stroud

Written and photographed by Jeff Stroud

Like Church St. Art & Craft on facebook

Like Jeff Stroud – Nature Spirit Photography on facebook

Follow @jstroud52 on Twitter

Red Bubble: Jeff Stroud – Nature Spirit Photography

Like DoNArTNeWs Philadelphia Art News Blog on facebook

Follow the new DoNArTNeWs.com

Follow DoN on Twitter @DoNNieBeat58

DoNArTNeWs on Tumblr – check Tumblr for hi-res versions of the photographs in this post

DoN Brewer on Pinterest

@donniebeat on Instagram

Affiliate Marketing [disclosure page] Shop on-line and help support DoNArTNeWs

Donate via safe and secure PayPal in the sidebar.