At the Edge of the Spotlight . . . Remedios Varo

Every once in awhile, I like to write about not-so-well-known artists who were outstanding in their time, but stood at the edge of the spotlight rather than being at its center. REMEDIOS VARO (1908-1963) was such an artist. Born in Spain, during the Spanish Civil War she fled to Paris where she was one of the few women admitted to the surrealists’ inner circle. Fleeing the Nazi occupation of France, she moved to Mexico City at the end of 1941. Although she thought it a temporary exile at the time, she remained in Latin America for the rest of her life.

Contemporaries of Varo’s in Mexico City included Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Annette Nancarrow, but she was closest to other exiles and expats, most especially the English painter Leonora Carrington and the love of her life, French pilot and adventurer Jean Nicolle.

By the late 1940s, Varo had developed her signature surrealistic style (two examples shown)—complex, enigmatic, and allegorical, with a definite feminine character. She was passionate about alchemy, mysticism, and the occult, read widely on these topics, and her interests are reflected in her paintings. She worked primarily in oil on masonite boards she prepared herself, using fine, blended strokes to create an exquisite finish.

The artist’s work has been compared to that of Hieronymus Bosch and she was influenced also by the styles of Goya, El Greco, Picasso, and Braque, as were many artists of her time. In Mexico, she was also influenced by pre-Columbian art.

In every era there are the chosen few who are adored and applauded, who become celebrities, well known for their art and often their lifestyles. At the edge of that white, focused spotlight stand many others, often equally talented, whose work fades from memory and view because they did not have the star power. They contributed, too, often mightily, and I think it’s important to give them an encore performance.

For a terrific video about Remedios Varo and her work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV_TPGDP0cY

(Upper left, Papilla Estelar, oil on board 1958; left, Exploration of the Source of the Orinoco River 1959)

-- Rosemary Carstens
http://www.CarstensCommunications.com

SOFA was SO FINE . . .

SOFA WEST: SANTA FE was a bang-up success, with over 10,000 attending and an opening night preview jammed with enthusiastic art aficionados moving from booth to booth and loving every minute of it! Champagne and prickly pear margaritas, plus a delicious spread of Santa Fe style hors d'ouevres added to the celebration. As Mark Lyman, Director/Founder of SOFA said, “This delightful, unexpected turnout started on Opening Night, when by 7:30 pm, the hall was filled to capacity. And Thursday, Friday, and though the weekend, from opening to close, we saw a constant flow of visitors from all around the region, the East and West coasts and everything in-between. We had to expand our ticket sales areas to handle the volume of visitors.”

In addition to the main venue at the Santa Fe Convention Center there were studio and home tours, artist demonstrations, and a lecture series, and a whole host of parties and gallery openings around town. All exceptionally well attended. Repeatedly I heard comments about the amazing quality and scope of the exhibitions. Lyman is already saying they’ll be back next year and there is no doubt that this is one show that gives collectors and all art lovers a place to see the best of the best, to see a range of jaw-dropping creativity not only from the United States, but also from Europe, South America, the Middle East, and Asia. I’ll be presenting images here of a few of the offerings over the next several posts. For more details in addition to other links I’ll provide, go to http://www.sofaexpo.com.

(top left: Lino TagliapietraTatoosh, 200937.5 x 12 x 9"glass, photo: Russell JohnsonHolsten Galleries, Stockbridge, MA)


Dale Chihuly
Tabac Basket Set with Drawing Shards and Oxblood Body Wraps 08.434.b1
Represented by Holsten Galleries, Stockbridge, MA



Toots ZynskyFinezza
2008 fused and slumped colored glass threads
5.75 x 12.25 x 6.25"
Represented by Elliott Brown Gallery, Seattle, WA



Christine Nofchissey McHorse
Untitled, 2006
15.5 x 11 x 11" micaceous clay
Represented by CLARK+DELVECCHIO, Santa Fe, NM

Latchezar Boyadjiev
TORSO IV, 2008
cast glass33 x 22 x 6"
Represented by Jane Sauer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

-- Rosemary Carstens

http://www.carstenscommunications.com/

Breathtaking New Work by Chris Groves

Art and nature have always fascinated Chris Groves. Born in Boulder, Colorado, his family soon moved to Slidell, LA, where he spent most of the next decade exploring the woods, swimming in the bayous, boating, fishing, playing with snakes and other wild animals. He grew to love the outdoors and when his family returned to Boulder he spent countless hours hiking, climbing, and camping in the Rockies.

From childhood, Groves sketched everything around him from landscapes to people, faces, rivers, and streams, mountains and plains. His interest in the life of an artist continued to grow and, after graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a BFA in Environmental Design, he spent the next two years as art director for two countries. On his personal time, he continued to study and hone his fine art skills.

Chris studied at the Colorado Academy of Art, the Loveland Art Academy, the Cottonwood Art Academy, the Denver Arts Students League, and topped that training off with an intense period at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy. Returning to the United States, Chris dedicated himself to a private, 2-year mentorship with internationally recognized artist Jay Moore. From there his reputation as a talented, exceptional artist has expanded and collectors now eagerly seek out his work.

Chris Groves presently has an exhibition at Horton Hayes Fine Art in Charleston, SC, from which the two images shown here have been drawn. If you find yourself in the area, enjoy the special treat of seeing this work in person. Otherwise, check it out online at http://www.hortonhayes.com

Horton Hayes Fine Art
30 State Street
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 958-0014

(Top left, Santee Evening Lights, 18 x 24, oil/linen; right, After the Rain, 30 x 40, oil/linen)

-- Rosemary Carstens

http://www.carstenscommunications.com