Artist Spotlight | Fine art, artists & exhibitions

ROSETA SANTIAGO, Santa Fe’s rising star . . .

2011-10-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

I recently had the marvelous privilege of interviewing painter ROSETA SANTIAGO in her Santa Fe home and studio. Her surroundings reflect her active curiosity and engagement with life, her love of history, of ancient artifacts, and people of all cultures. She is presently represented by Blue Rain Gallery and some of her work can be seen on their website at http://www.blueraingallery.com where she is one of their best-selling artists.

The Interview:
Q - To quote poet Mark Doty, “love is a gateway to the world, not an escape from it.” I find this true about art also, certainly of your paintings—they are a gateway into the heart of your subjects, whether an object or a figure. How do you achieve that sense of intimacy?

In my never-ending curiosity I had to research Mark Doty first! Examination is the way I look at things and people. I imagine the subject's life or circumstance as I paint. My comments are in paint, light, and composition. I try hard to isolate what I am seeing or hearing. All that we are as artists is what goes into the painting. It is the emotional component that I think makes my paintings interesting.

Q - Your mastery of chiaroscuro is especially profound. What started you on that path and what would you say are the characteristics that made it so appealing?

While sitting and watching the light change on white marble statues on my first trip to the Louvre in 1969, I was awestruck by how the light and shadows illuminated their beauty. I promised myself I would attempt to portray that light in my paintings someday. The subjects emerging from the shadows, the drama, and the "discovery" I was experiencing were all ingredients I hoped to capture with paint.

Q - There is richness and vibrancy about your use of color, which is, I think, part of what draws people to your work. In your figurative work, the faces glow in a distinctive way. How do you choose who you want to represent?

I always know when I see a face whether I want to paint it or not. It is mostly the translucency of the face and the character showing through.I am inspired by "interesting" rather than just classic perfection.

Q - Most of your paintings feature a center-stage focal point, yet the backgrounds are important also and can add or distract from an artwork’s effectiveness. Are there some specific effects or goals you have in mind as you work through the entire composition?

Sometimes an active background will work as a tapestry for a quiet subject in the foreground. I tend to enjoy a complex background if there are designs and objects the viewer can discover secondarily. These things expand the story of the main character. They are often clues to what the painting is about.

Q - There is an Asian sensibility about your work, in its simplicity and the serenity your paintings project. Where does this come from?

I am not painting for shock value or sensationalism. A painting of mine might have the same lasting effect, but it will be a quiet understanding. I want my paintings to have one simple message that lasts a lifetime.

Q - It seems that music is an important part of your life. Are there a half-dozen artists that you find yourself playing again and again as you work? How do they influence your mood at the time?

When I approach the easel, each day is different. I select music that feels right for a 10 hour session. In most cases those selections take me through a day's work. One day the studio is filled with Andres Segovia's Pictures at an Exhibition and perhaps Leonard Cohen. Another, I listen to Lisa Gerard, a masterful composer whose work includes musical scores for movies such as Gladiator. These musicians are translating feelings into music. I am interpreting with paint. It is a perfect pairing for me. Lately, Anour Braehem makes me feel like I am in a mysterious studio in Europe. Music transports me. It is like a musician holding my heart while I paint. It is inspiring. There is a secret language that creative people speak.

Q - Your paintings hint at history, culture, a story emerging from the pages of time. That’s a strong part of their fascination. Is this intentional on your part?

I find that treasures are hidden everywhere. Some of the most precious are in museums; some simple but missed. I want to bring these into the light, share my fascination and the beauty I see. I am inspired by this life and all that is in it. I hope to inspire someone else with my work. I have my first bronze in the Shidoni foundry. It is entitled Ancestral Dreams. It is a contemplative face in a dreamtime state. When we wonder where some of the images come from in our dreams, I believe they are inherited.

THANK YOU, Roseta, for sharing your thoughts and your beautiful work with us!

--Rosemary Carstens

http://www.CarstensCommunications.com


Endless Journey, oil, 63.5 x 83.5

TATTOO: Memoir on Skin

2011-06-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

Recently a friend of mine who is an avid art collector purchased a life-size photograph by artist Eric Schwartz. Titled Chuco/Warrior, and shown here to the left, we see an unforgettable face, a body strikingly tattooed to reveal the narrative of the man’s life. As my friend says, when she shows it to friends, they either “love it or hate it—but I love it!” I loved it, too. Part of a project titled “L.A. in Black and Gray,” Schwartz has applied his considerable behind-the-lens talent to capture strong personalities of street warriors and the art they display on their bodies.

The subject of Chuco looks into the camera with a raised eyebrow and a measure of attitude that seems to say, “This is who I am, where I’ve been. Take it or leave it.” Few of us have the courage to put that out there. We hide behind manners, groomed appearances and smiles, and try to please, to fit in, to present ourselves in relation to those we are with. When someone presents themselves without those masks, it can be startling. When they have a body inked with images, it’s even more so.

Born in New York City, Schwartz grew up in Eastchester. He came out to Denver in 1957 and has been there ever since. He began his art career as a sculptor, creating projected light pieces. By the time he was 28 years old, he had work in four museums and had obtained a measure of recognition. He decided to publish an art magazine that would help artists find grants and fellowships. Ocular was aimed at visual artists and, according to Eric, “was the most widely read art publication in the country in the late 1970s.”

After a stint working as a photographer for ad agencies, Schwartz found himself attracted to fine art photography—a natural progression to a medium where it’s all about using light and shadow to tell a story or express a point of view. As Eric puts it, “This is my way to express my feelings about life.”

Earlier this year, Denver’s Robischon Gallery presented its first solo exhibition of Eric’s photography, featuring seven, large-scale portraits of individuals boasting Chicano tattoos. It takes years to gain the trust of those in this particular LA subculture and Eric put in the time, slowly gaining enough trust to be allowed to carry out his project.

This primarily monochromatic tattoo style, featuring brief color images such as a brilliant blue butterfly or a red lipstick kiss, originated in prison and sometimes bears symbolic gang affiliation markers. Yet, the roots of the symbolism run much deeper, referencing historical Aztec warrior imagery and religious icons such as Our Lady of Guadalupe, classic Hollywood beauties such as Marilyn Monroe, and men as action heroes alongside personal references and symbols. Each man’s choices make a point, reveal an individual history. Beyond their fierce, no-shit, gaze a viewer glimpses men who have played their way through a tough hand and are much more complex than a first, perhaps prejudicial, glance reveals.

For more about Eric Schwartz and his work

(Images: Top left, Chuco/Warrior, pigment print on canvas on DiBond aluminum, 52"x40"; above right, Joseph Rodriguez, East LA, pigment print on canvas on DiBond aluminum, 52"x40")

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

Quincy Tahoma: The Life and Legacy of a Navajo Artist (Schiffer Publishing 2011)

2011-06-06T12:28:00.000-07:00

So often throughout history accomplished artists have disappeared from sight as other artists’ popularity has risen or when no new work appears to remind us. Such might have been the case for the remarkable work of QUINCY TAHOMA, had not two women embarked on a more-than-a-decade search to uncover the mysteries of his life and work. The two, Vera Badertscher and Charnell Havens, long-time friends and colleagues, took on a gargantuan task to bring us this beautiful, annotated biography. They gathered oral histories from over 50 people, many of whom knew Tahoma personally, and spent untold hours up to their armpits in archival materials, piecing together ragged bits of information here and there, sifting fact from legend to create a record of the artist’s short life. Many of the book’s more than 260 full-color images have never before been shown publicly.

It all began with “Aunt Mary.” When Charnell Havens was 12, her aunt returned home from a visit to Santa Fe, NM, and brought with her five of Tahoma’s paintings. Charnell never grew tired of seeing “the Indian braves rounding up majestic wild horses and spearing buffalo so there would be meat,” and she “marveled at the beauty of the seemingly endless landscape and the animals that claimed it as their own.” Upon her aunt’s death many years later, her niece inherited those paintings and the earlier fascination they held for her drove her to dig into who the man was behind the art. She ultimately drew her good friend and sorority sister Vera Badertscher into the quest. The result is this very special volume about an artist whose brain raged with amazing images.

Until this publication came to my attention, I knew nothing of Quincy Tahoma or his art. As I studied the imagery in this volume, I was struck again and again by their detail and their symmetry. There are sophisticated aspects of his paintings that evoke art deco style—his repetitive use of stylized natural elements such as waves, clouds, even dust flying from the hooves of buffalo. He echoes shapes for emphasis and exaggerates or elongates figures and animals to create a distinctive personal style, and he employs perspective to show the vastness of the Western landscapes he loved.

I was amazed at the detail about the American Indian culture revealed in this artist’s body of work—clothing and adornment, the role of the hunter, the magnificence of horses and game, and groups’ communal activities. There is something about Tahoma’s art that reminds me of the famous “ledger” artists—Plains Indians who produced narrative drawings or paintings on paper or cloth. Tahoma’s work is alive, active—stories are told, and a history of a people unfolds within them. He draws the viewer into the tale. And, within each, is his unique signature with its “next chapter” of the action foretold in a few, spare lines.

Quincy Tahoma was a handsome young man, talented, swarmed after by the ladies, but ultimately tortured by his growing alcohol dependency. In his late thirties, his body gave out—but one can only image how brightly his mind would have continued to roam the hills and valleys of his compositions had he survived. Thanks to the determined efforts and persistence of Havens and Badertscher, his legacy has been revitalized.

For more information about Quincy Tahoma, the authors, the research journey, and interviewees’ personal memories: http://tahoma.info/ or Quincy Tahoma Blog: http://tahomablog.com

-- Rosemary Carstens

http://www.CarstensCommunications.com

Delicious Jewels to Whet the Appetite

2011-05-31T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hemmerle, renowned jewelry designer, and acclaimed chef and cookery writer Tamasin Day-Lewis have combined their talents in this unusual but expressive, beautifully photographed book. Called the “vegetable collection,” Hemmerle presents 11 brooches and one pair of earrings inspired by mother earth’s bounty. As is always the case with Hemmerle, the best ingredients are combined with superb craftsmanship to create sparkling replicas of foods from the garden. Among the bounty: the sparkling “Red Pepper,” of copper, white gold, silver, and garnets; the artichoke’s intricate symmetry presented in copper, white gold, and purple sapphires; and the shimmering beauty of “Sweet Corn,” created in silver, yellow and white gold, oriental pearls, and white diamonds, to name just a few delights.

Mixed in with this unique jewelry collection, again using only the best ingredients combined with her own chefly artistry, Day-Lewis provides recipes for making the most of the garden’s offerings. “Vegetables,” she says, “are the jewels of the earth.” She speaks lovingly of her grandmother’s garden where vegetables were “brought up to the house every morning . . . heaps of small, sweet carrots like waxy, whiskery orange candles; tiny pebbles of new potatoes; slim, shiny broad bean pods, firm-flowered caulis” and so much more. In this volume, she complements Hemmerle’s creations with those from her kitchen.

There is no doubt that Delicious Jewels (Prestel 2011 ) appeals to both our heavenly and earthly longings—no need to wait for Happy Hour to indulge!

For more about Hemmerle

For More about Tamasin Day-Lewis

Enjoy the feast . . .

-- Rosemary Carstens

April 5 - Native American eBay Art Auction Benefits Japanese Disaster Relief

2011-03-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

In a moving act of empathy, this first-of-its-kind event will offer top quality work by prominent Native American artists, with all proceeds going to disaster relief for Japan. The first of a series of eBay auctions is slated to begin April 5th, 2011.

Raymond C. Yazzie, award-winning Navajo jewelry artist, has many friends and customers in Japan. As the disaster unfolded before his eyes on television and the Internet, Yazzie felt a deep need to reach out. He and fellow artists Darryl Dean Begay and Lyndon Tsosie got together and Native American Artists for Japan (NAAJ) was born. All monies raised will be donated to the Red Cross effort in Japan.

Within 24 hours of announcing their idea on Facebook, commitments of amazing pieces of art flowed in from across New Mexico, Arizona, and beyond. Over 100 artists including Tony Abeyta, Michael Roanhorse, and Darryl Dean Begay have pledged some of their best pieces for the EBay auction, and additional pledges continue to pour in from such artists as Verma Nequatewa (Sonwai), Perry Shorty, McKee Platero and Lyndon Tsosie.

“Our mission is to inspire fellow Native artists to give back to our brothers and sisters abroad,” says Yazzie. Lyndon Tsosie, adds, ”Native American Artists for Japan has turned into a gigantic bubble of love and help, reaching out to those affected by this disaster.”

A website has been established at http://www.nativeamericanartistsforjapan.com, where links to ongoing eBay auctions will be posted. You can also view information about fund-raising progress, a list of contributors, and videos from artists who have joined the effort. The first in the auction series will include as many 15 pieces of art. This auction will last for 7 days, then NAAJ will post more art the following week.

The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) has joined forces with the founders to handle monetary donations. Checks can be made out to: SWAIA c/o Native American Artists for Japan and sent to: SWAIA, c/o of Native American Artists for Japan, POB 969, Santa Fe, NM 87504-0969.

This is a fantastic way to add to your Native American art collection and benefit people in deep need at the same time. I hope you’ll participate!

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

Mastering the “Business Side” of Art . . .

2011-02-09T09:40:00.000-08:00

Almost every artist I know struggles with the business requirements that can make the difference in their search for success and recognition. And not just visual artists—it’s true for writers as well, and probably anyone in the “small business” category. There seems to never be enough time to attend to networking, marketing, or building an Internet presence. Yet, today, it’s a huge road block to your career if you don’t do them. Oh, I know, you’d “rather be in the studio”—but few of us can afford that luxury. We either have to get out there and market, or we have to hire someone who will do it for us.

ALYSON B. STANFIELD has published a fantastic roadmap that is geared toward artists in particular, but that I find to be a great guide to marketing for any small business owner. I’d Rather Be in the Studio: The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion (Pentas Press). An experienced artist advocate, workshop leader, and art-marketing consultant, Stanfield knows all about self-promotion and has written a book crammed with checklists, tips, and resources to help her readers benefit from her experiences. It’s the kind of book you want to keep on your desk at all times. Got a minute? Pick it up, do one or two things, and you are on your way.

Of course, there are some essential basics that every creative person who wants to make a living at their craft must accomplish—like having a website, for example. But Stanfield breaks this down into manageable, understandable steps to prevent intimidation overload, and the same is true for the wealth of other materials in this book.

I’ve already placed post-its on a couple of passages I need to work on myself. Wishing you a successful year of moving forward with your marketing plans!

Resources:
Alyson Stanfield’s website: http://www.artbizcoach.com/
Author’s blog: http://www.artbizblog.com/
Book website: http://idratherbeinthestudio.com/

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

Denver Art Museum (DAM) has got it going on—another winner!

2011-01-30T12:58:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 30th, their newly reinstalled, 23,000 s.f. of Native American galleries reopens and they’ve done a superb job. DAM holds one of the nation’s most comprehensive collections of American Indian art, with approximately 18,000 artworks ranging from prehistoric to contemporary—remarkable in itself. But the redesigned American Indian and Northwest Coast galleries take a fresh approach, choosing to focus on the individual artists, their creations and inspirations.

Far from an old-school approach that offers up Native American displays as “dead” collections of artifacts from times gone by, the museum underwent both a physical and intellectual overhaul. Now, the stunning creativity of various cultural groups throughout history is juxtaposed alongside the work of contemporary artists, not only paying homage to what came before, but extending the narrative in compelling and modern ways. Interactive technology has been incorporated to give visitors of all ages a chance to “participate” with some displays and to address the question about what is—or isn’t—American Indian art.

The galleries’ interior has been entirely reconfigured with new platforms, studio areas, and interactive media displays. They focus on 9 regional areas: artists of the Arctic, California, the Plateau and Great Basin, Northeast, Northwest Coast, the Plains, the Southeast, Southwest, and Great Lakes. Each brings something remarkable to the table.

The renovated and reimagined American Indian galleries at the DAM are a great space for family visits, students, artists, and even a stimulating place for any individual to while away an afternoon. They are guaranteed to spark discussions, amazement, creative ideas, and send you away with a renewed appreciation for the art of these cultures. As Nancy Blomberg, curator of the collection and leader of this project, says, “This exciting new presentation will highlight the artist’s hand and give visitors the opportunity to watch artists at work and evaluate their own perceptions of American Indian art.”

For more information: http://www.denverartmuseum.org or 720.865.5000.

IMAGE CREDITS: Top left: George Walkus, Kwakwka’wakw, Four-faced Hamat’sa Mask (detail), about 1938. Denver Art Museum; Native Arts acquisition fund. Right: Artist not known, Navajo, eyedazzler-style rug, about 1885. Denver Art Museum; Gift of The Douglas Society. Lower left: Mateo Romero, Cochiti, Voices at Wounded Knee, Series #2, 2008. Denver Art Museum; William Sr. and Dorothy Harmsen Collection, by exchange.

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

Getting ready for 2011 action!

2011-01-30T12:30:00.000-08:00

Those of you who follow this blog have probably noticed that posts have fallen off over the past 45-60 days. That's because design is underway for a fabulous new format for our online magazine FEAST, about books, art, food, film, and travel. We will be incorporating the Artist Spotlight blog into the magazine, giving it a bright new look and offering continual introductions and notices about fine art, craft, exhibitions, art books, and the wonderful world of top-notch creativity we know you enjoy.

Please be patient with us!

Rosemary Carstens
Editor, FEAST
http://www.FEASTofBooks.com

Andrea Kemp—Rising Star in the Art World

2010-11-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

Innocents

I recently spent a wonderful afternoon at Denver’s Saks Galleries LES FEMMES: Women Artists of Note exhibition and had one of those “oh YES” moments upon meeting Denver artist Andrea Kemp and viewing her work. A remarkably talented young artist, Kemp’s paintings are breathtaking.

Speaking about where her inspiration for new work comes from, Kemp related being influenced by something the great American poet Ruth Stone, now in her 90s, once said. Stone related that, when she was growing up in rural Virginia, she’d be out working in the fields and would feel and hear a poem coming at her like a thunderous train, barreling down on her, shaking the ground beneath her feet. The only thing she could do was run like hell to the house for a pencil and paper to get it down before it raced past her in search of another poet. What a vivid image! One that Kemp completely identifies with. An idea for a painting emerges, growing stronger and stronger, grabbing her by the neck—refusing to let go until she’s brushed on the last beautifully crafted brushstroke:

My journey as a painter takes me to new places . . . presenting unique ideas and challenges [often] paralleling other events in my life. Painting is a teacher [and] its possibilities are boundless. It’s a large part of who I am and its meaning is ever changing.

Luv Me Luv Me Not

Kemp grew up in Glenwood Springs, CO, and began painting seriously at the age of 15. The chance to study with nationally acclaimed painter Daniel Sprick, “provided a life-changing foundation for my painting and drawing. His disciplined approach set a great example,” Kemp says. After high school, Kemp studied at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts in Connecticut, and then completed her BA in Fine Arts at the University of Utah.
In December, Kemp’s work will be exhibited in the 3rd Biennial American Art Invitational, December 3-31st at Saks Galleries, 3019 E. 2nd Ave., Denver, CO. She will also be having a one-woman show at the gallery in 2011.

To see more of the artist’s work:

http://andreakempart.com/2010/
http://www.saksgalleries.com/

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

Denver Lights and City Nights: Celebrate Arts Week in the Mile High City!

2010-11-07T16:41:00.000-08:00

Philip Hyde

Friday night a group of us toured four arts districts in Denver, CO, to celebrate First Friday and kick off what promises to be an exciting, fun-filled DENVER ARTS WEEK from November 5-13. I’ve focused here on galleries, but there’s a plethora of cultural events going on, from opera to the 33rd Starz film festival, a scavenger hunt, restaurant and hotel bargains, and special museum exhibits, plus a long list of theater happenings.

We began in the Golden Triangle Museum District near Denver’s Fine Art Museum, parking in the Cultural Complex Garage at 12th Avenue & Broadway, an easy base for walking around to visit some nearby galleries, including:

The Camera Obscura Gallery
Michelle Mosko Fine Art
William Havu Gallery
Walker Fine Art, which will feature a panel discussion DADASPEAK: Shutter Shift, dedicated to changing technologies in photography, Nov. 11.

After a glass of wine, we boarded our bus and headed for the Art District on Santa Fe. More than 50 galleries, shops, and restaurants span several blocks in the heart of one of Denver’s oldest, predominantly Latino communities. If you can’t make it there during Denver Arts Week, explore the area during the holidays when many of the galleries light the walkways with traditional luminaries—it’s a great area to uncover special gifts!

Mimi Carnevale

Next up, Tennyson Street Cultural District. I had not known about this area, described as a “funky yet sophisticated urban neighborhood” that used to be a streetcar corridor in the late 1800s. It’s smack in the center of the Berkeley neighborhood in Northwest Denver and unique locally owned shops, restaurants, and art galleries abound. The streets and shops were crowded with people enjoying an unseasonably warm November evening, with live music playing on the street and even a hair salon sporting fine art and champagne. The energy level was high and the art a mix of sophisticated and eclectic.

Jumping back on our bus, we headed for the River North Art District (RiNo), where more than 60 artists live and work in an area of industrial buildings

Susan Zwick

undergoing a renaissance journey of their own. Here you’ll find architects, art galleries, designers, furniture makers, illustrators, painters, media artists, photographers, sculptors and an array of studio spaces to discover. We visited two and especially loved seeing both the working spaces and a local residence. The Ironton Studios & Gallery, owned by Jill Hadley Hooper (an artist and illustrator herself) and the co-founder of RiNo, welcomed us with a roaring open fire to warm ourselves by as temperatures chilled, and series of studios where artists’ work was on display, including some fabulous puzzle tables and metal sculpture—there’s a real sense here of craft in process. Across the street we toured Weilworks an innovative three-story gallery and residence exhibiting some new work by Tracy Weil. Climbing the circular stairway to “heaven” to view the night lights of Denver from a spectacular perch, I also spotted numerous works by artist Susan Zwick.

What an evening! And we didn’t even scratch the surface of all that Denver has to offer when it comes to fine art. In many ways, the urban scene in this terrific city is a collection of villages, communities in which people live and work and surround themselves with highly developed cultural events and, at its heart, world-class theater, opera, and symphony—enough to keep any culture vulture such as me busy every day of the year! If you are local, get out there this week. If you live elsewhere—it’s time to visit this exciting City on the verge of the incomparable Rocky Mountains.

For more info: Denver Convention & Visitors Bureau

Rosemary Carstens
http://www.CarstensCommunications.com

The Magic of Conversations: Jane Sauer’s Fiber Artistry

2010-09-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

For many of us, a trip to Santa Fe, NM, is not complete without stopping in at Jane Sauer’s gallery on Canyon Road to see the latest in high-quality contemporary art. Jane and her gallery manager, Jorden Nye, have a talent for finding the best of the best when it comes to the artists they represent. From Adrian Arleo to Nancy Scheinman, from Geoffrey Gorman to Paul Stankard, Noel Hart, and Gugger Petter, to mention only a few highlights, the work exhibited is first rate.

But what many of you may not know is that Jane Sauer is an accomplished, highly recognized artist in her own right. Over a successful career of more than 30 years, Jane moved from her original training as a painter to a fascination with fiber. Its tactile qualities and manipulability, combined with her interest in construction techniques and three-dimensional art, led her to distinctive creations such as those you see here.

I find the rich colors, bold shapes, and exquisite handwork of these knotted-linen fiber works fascinating. Each sculpture is made up of rows of hundreds of small half-hitch knots. While they tentatively fall into the category of “basketry,” they are not functional containers or vessels. Instead, they are communications about universal human emotions expressed through abstraction. Frequently, Sauer’s pieces comprise groupings, thereby transforming themselves into “conversations”—magical exchanges with stories all their own. Their titles speak of an inner life, sometimes whimsical, sometimes erotic, sometimes profound, and reflect the artist’s concerns and meditations about relationships.

Enjoying the variety, texture, and narrative quality of this artist’s work, it is easy to understand Jane's success as a gallery owner. With her innate understanding of how artists combine joy and beauty with a superior level of craftsmanship to bring something unusual and exceptional to art lovers, Jane Sauer can spot the winners at a hundred yards!

A must see for your next trip to Santa Fe:
Jane Sauer Gallery
652 Canyon Road
Santa Fe, NM
505-995-8513
http://www.jsauergallery.com

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

Summer time—and the mood is easy: Enjoying John Evans

2010-08-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

Painter John Evans’ art works are action stopping. Especially here in mid-August where we are all too keenly aware that the end of summer is approaching, followed inevitably by winter, that season of endurance. His beautifully executed images combine his appreciation for nature’s less populated scenes with the sense that life has happened in each composition and will again. Just wait awhile. Each painting contains a seminal moment captured on canvas and causes the viewer who stumbles on the scene to pause, to contemplate, to wonder.

John Evans, born in 1945 in Mt. Vernon, NY, received both his BFA. and MFA at Boston University where he studied with Philip Guston and James Weeks. Based in Massachusetts, he is best known for his oil paintings of landscapes and seascapes. The paintings depict a variety of national and international settings, from the coast of Cape Cod and the North Shore of Massachusetts to the countryside of central France. In his broad, colorful vistas can be seen the artist’s embracing of light and air, evoking the Luminists of the late 19th century.

Here’s how Evans describes his work, “Ultimately, the paintings are spiritual. They're classic in their concern for the ambiguity of two- and three-dimensional space, but they're also theaters that invite meditation.”

Evan’s paintings are included in numerous public, corporate, and private collections, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Fogg Art Museum, AT&T, Merrill Lynch and Chase Manhattan Bank. Additionally, a number of his paintings belong to collections in England, Bermuda, Switzerland and France.

John Evans is represented by GALLERY HENOCH in New York City. To see more images: http://www.galleryhenoch.com

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

Inside/Outside: Ceramic artist Adrian Arleo Explores the Mysterious

2010-07-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

Janus - 19"x17"x15"

Adrian Arleo is an extraordinarily imaginative ceramic artist and her pieces communicate a sophisticated exploration of the interaction between what is seen and known about the connection between humans and animals—and what is mysterious, unseen, and, perhaps, only intuitable.

Arleo’s latest exhibition, featuring all new works, opens Friday, July 23rd, with an artist’s reception from 5–7pm, and runs through August 16th at the Jane Sauer Gallery in Santa Fe, NM. The artist hails from Lolo, MT, and her studio, as does her work, reflects her fascination with nature’s many forms. In other words, nature doesn’t stay outside while she creates inside. Her window sills, and every surface within her studio, hold a wild collection of beehives, honeycombs, birds’ nests, rocks, twigs, shells, and other bits and pieces she’s come upon outdoors and brought here to consider further, to inspire. The studio’s windows, doors, and the artist herself are open to life and its continually evolving, ever-changing spiritual intersections.

Fascinated by “the glimpses we get into what is normally unseeable and mysterious,” Arleo’s newest works hold both interior and exterior surprises. For example, JANUS, created in January 2010, arose from the mythological Roman God of beginnings, a single figure gazing simultaneously backwards and forwards through time. For the artist, each new year brings fresh possibilities and the baby hidden within this piece “represents this vulnerable, blank slate feeling.”

Standing Lion with Internal Woman - 23"x32"x12"

A constant theme for Arleo is metamorphosis, an exploration of the intersection between man and nature, the shape-shifting thread of relationship that runs constantly between the two. In STANDING LION WITH INTERNAL WOMAN, she uses delicate carving, an open fretwork, to allow us glimpses of a mysterious interior. In all of her pieces, the artist provides an intriguing frame for the viewer’s individual interpretation. As Arleo puts it, her lion figures are “a continuation of the running narrative in all my work, that everything is connected, that there is no 'Other,' that we are made of the same substances and are all dependent upon the same elemental forces.”

Adrian Arleo’s sculpture is exhibited internationally, and is in numerous public and private collections. Her pieces are richly evocative and narrative. Each creation is a complex combination of clay, glazes, and wax encaustic, some including gold leaf, and involves an exceptional degree of craftsmanship. Her work is incomparable and I guarantee that a visit to this exhibition will be rewarding—something you will not soon forget!

Matrimony - 19"x25.5"x14"

Please visit the website at http://www.jsauergallery.com to see more preview images.

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

Delicate, whimsical, and beautifully crafted . . . Painted Porcelain

2010-07-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

Porcelain painter IRINA ZAYTCEVA was a resounding hit at the Annual International Expositions of Sculpture Objects & Functional Art in New York (SOFA NY) earlier this year. As Jorden Nye, manager of the Jane Sauer Gallery in Santa Fe, expressed it: “Irina is one the absolutely best contemporary painted-porcelain artists of anyone I’ve seen and everyone wanted to stop by our booth and see her work!” After looking at her work myself, I think the artist’s popularity and appeal will hold true this week at SOFA Santa Fe as well.

A native of Russia, Zaytceva graduated from the Art Institute

of Moscow with a BA and an MFA in book illustration. Early on the artist experimented with ways to incorporate her painting and book illustration skills into the plastic elements of ceramics. She immigrated to the United States in 1990 and now lives and works in Princeton, NJ.

Zaytceva’s wonderfully whimsical line of pottery, named “Face-Tea-Witties,” delights viewers and collectors alike with their narrative, Russian fairytale sensibility. She imaginatively blends figures and nature in fresh, three-dimensional ways only achievable by an artist who has mastered her craft. Her work is completely original; each piece is hand built from high-fired porcelain and painted using colorful glazing layers that create exceptional depth and translucency.

The artist is represented by JANE SAUER GALLERY in Santa Fe, and can also be seen in private collections and museums, including the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia.

If you are in Santa Fe this weekend, don’t miss the fabulous SOFA show, running July 8-11—for Zaytceva’s work and that of many other world-class artists!

For full details about SOFA: http://www.sofaexpo.com/

Rosemary Carstens
http://www.CarstensCommunications.com

(Top, Matador Resting; right, artist; bottom left, Avian Conjurer)

A Clear View . . . the world of contemporary realist Steve Smulka

2010-06-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

Nowhere in the art world is the ability to capture light more essential than for those whose paintings portray glass. STEVE SMULKA is the maestro of that subject matter, and it features prominently in his work. Contemporary realism is his niche and his portrayal of such complex groupings of vintage mason jars, hurricane lamps, bottles, and miscellaneous glass vessels, often framed against a window that looks onto an equally detailed view, are awe inspiring. So masterfully does Smulka transform paint into prism and translucence into reflective refraction that the viewer feels a sense of their physical presence that exceeds simple realism.

A part of Smulka’s success comes from his ability to compose and manipulate space on each canvas and his keen eye for the extreme multitude of fine detail when dealing with glass objects. Can you imagine? It’s not just a matter of looking for shadows and highlights, because each object replicates its reflective and refractive qualities again and again, echoing itself in its neighbors, in its backdrop and foreground. There is stunning sophistication at work here—this is a man who knows how to wield the tools of his craft expertly.

Born and raised in Detroit, at the age of 18 Smulka attended the School of Visual Arts in New York on a full scholarship. There he studied under renowned photo-realist Chuck Close, who inspired Smulka to pursue contemporary realism too. During his college years, he also worked as an assistant to Pop artist Bob Stanley doing everything from cleaning his brushes to helping him with paintings. Stanley introduced him to many of the top dogs of the 1960s and early 1970s New York art scene, including Roy Lichtenstein, Mel Ramos, Walter DeMaria, Richard Artshweiger, and Bob Ryma. Says Smulka about those years, “It was very exciting for a kid to meet [Stanley’s] friends, who were all pretty famous by then.”

After graduating from the SVA, Smulka earned his MFA from the University of Massachusetts and then returned to New York: “At the time, it seemed like the only place to live for an artist. I found a loft on the Bowery and did just enough carpentry work to survive and pay the rent and buy art supplies. I spent the rest of my time painting.”

For awhile Smulka experimented with different styles: “By the time I was out of graduate school, I was doing minimalist painting, very painterly, neo-abstract, expressionist . . . . As I matured and my work became more personal, I developed a style that could be described as large, abstract landscapes. The more I was excited by the work, the larger the paintings got, ultimately reaching 30 feet long. Finally, I was ready for a show.” His first show was at the SoHo Center for the Arts, where Larry Aldrich of the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art in Ridgefield, CT, became the artist’s first collector.

Today Steve Smulka exhibits regularly and his list of collectors is long, prestigious, and international. His work is held not only in private collections but also by museums and some of the nation’s largest corporations, including Mobil, Oppenheimer & Co., and the Continental Group. Smulka is a recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant.

Displayed here are three fine examples of Steve Smulka’s work: Revelation, Labyrinth, and Safe Harbor. He has been showing at Gallery Henoch in New York since 1993. To see more of this exceptional artist’s work, visit the gallery online at http://www.galleryhenoch.com/

-- Rosemary Carstens

http://www.CarstensCommunications.com

Hands on Horses . . . Richard Hess Works His Magic

2010-05-08T13:24:00.000-07:00

Richard Hess, Texas hill country ceramic artist, finds it pretty amazing how his life brought him full circle to the work he was always meant to do:

"I grew up in a small working class town in New Jersey where art in school or the community was mostly nonexistent. People worked hard in factories to put food on the table, and there was little time for much else. Fortunately, I was able to go to college and picked Alfred University, a major force in American ceramics. I didn't know anything about pottery at the time but was always intrigued by the students who wore "mud" on their jeans. After a year, I transferred from Alfred to Rutgers in Newark, NJ, studied history and spent my free time hanging around the one-person theater department. I thought I wanted to be an actor."

After college and two years in the Army, Richard went returned to the east coast to live in New York City. At a pottery course in Greenwich Village he discovered he was “hooked.” He loved clay, but had reservations about being able to make his living as an artist. He taught at Little Red School House in NYC, went to grad school and became director of an alternative elementary school. Throughout all his career positions, a part of him yearned to work with his hands. Finally, at age 50, his life came full circle as he came back to the “mud.” He worked nights as a janitor to support his day job as a potter as he built his reputation. Today, Richard Hess is a full-time potter living near Lake Travis, TX, doing what brings him the most joy.

Each of Hess’s pieces is unique. He uses a variety of alternative firing techniques with his slab-constructed pottery, but Raku, a technique developed in Japan in the early 1500s, is a favorite. It utilizes a rapid rise in temperature in a fuel-fired kiln. The red-hot items are then placed in an air-tight container with various combustible materials; a short time later the pieces are removed from the container and either air cooled or sprayed or dipped in water. What is special about this method is that pieces develop wonderfully vivid coloration and sheen. Fire and smoke can create matte black surfaces in unglazed areas, and oxygen deprivation, the fire, and temperature changes cause the glazes to fully or partially reduce, causing distinctive colors or patterns to develop.

Horses have played key roles in war, transportation, and industrial development throughout history, and, in America, they stand as iconic representations of all that symbolizes the American West. In addition to Western history, legend, and the sheer majesty and physical beauty of these animals, Richard’s work has been influenced by the Bronze Age of China and American folk art.

As his work continues to develop, Richard says, “I am excited to think about what might come next as I continue to explore and refine these images. This is work that I love—I hope you enjoy it, too.”

For more about Richard Hess and his work, visit his website and the website of Artisans at Rocky Hill, Fredericksburg, TX, the gallery that represents him:

http://www.theclaymeister.com
http://www.ArtisansatRockyHill.com

-- Rosemary Carstens
http://www.CarstensCommunications.com
Join me on Twitter: @tweets2go

Delicate, refined detail is the keynote of Karen Latham’s wildlife portrayals

2010-04-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

Award-winning watercolorist KAREN LATHAM wields her brush like a magician wields his wand, creating brilliant depictions of wildlife in natural settings. She has exhibited extensively in the United States and England and raised thousands of dollars for wildlife and environmental conservation with her paintings. Her work helps viewers everywhere to better appreciate the natural world around them.

I first saw Latham’s work in Whistle Pik gallery in Fredericksburg, TX, when I visited recently. I walked into one of their exhibit rooms and was stopped in my tracks by the stunning beauty of an image of a swan swimming in a calm pool of dark water. It was so luminous, the brushwork so lovely. The colors were so intense I could not believe it was watercolor. Latham has developed a “secret” recipe for finishing off her pieces so that they are fully protected and do not need to be placed under glass. That alone gives the viewer an extra measure of immediacy in her work, drawing you in as though you and the subject are sharing the same space.

Latham has a degree in biology, which helps her to understand the anatomy and characteristics of each creature she paints, but it is her mastery of her medium that truly brings them to life. She has continued to develop and hone her skills: “The best artist never stops learning,” she says.

Following in her footsteps, clearly also talented and dedicated artists, are her two daughters, Bonnie and Rebecca, also represented by Whistle Pik. The work of all three artists can be seen on the artists’ website as well as through their galleries.

For more information, see:

http://www.whistlepik.com/
http://www.lathamstudios.com

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

HOWL: The Mystique of Wolves

2010-04-06T12:59:00.000-07:00

Why is it that wolves are one of the most mysterious, even other-worldly of images?

They are so magnificent and yet figure chillingly in many tales of adventure, even the oft-told children’s story of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. They have been the focus of harsh, bloody encounters almost to the point of extinction, yet they emerge in many nature studies as nurturing and collaborative within their packs. Whatever the reasons wolves may frighten or intrigue us, one thing’s for sure: we can’t look away!

VISIONS WEST galleries (Denver, Livingston, Bozeman) have partnered with the Natural Resources Defense Council, to host HOWL,

a group exhibition in their Denver location, to support education and awareness about wolves and to support their preservation and their habitat. Participating artists were asked to create works exploring the wolf’s many aspects, from myths and legends to their current plight in the Rocky Mountains. A portion of sales will go to benefit the NRDC’s ongoing work.

The show opens on April 22nd, with a reception at 1715 Wazee Street, Denver, from 6-9 p.m. It runs through May 5,

2010. Fifteen artists, including Duke Beardsley, Rocky Hawkins, Robert McCauley, Mary Roberson, and Matt Flint, among others, will be showing their interpretations on the theme. ROCKY HAWKINS WILL BE PRESENT AT THE GALLERY ON 4/22 !!

Visions West is open Monday–Saturday, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm – Phone: 303.292.0909
http://www.visionswestgallery.com

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

(Images: upper left, Rocky Hawkins, Yellow Wolf Howl (12x12 oil on board); right, Robert McCauley, A Brief History of Westward Expansion (29x35 oil on canvas); lower left, Mary Roberson, Omega Serenade (22x14 oil on canvas)

Remembering Edward James . . . eccentric English Poet, artist, and patron of the Surrealist movement

2010-03-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

Deep in a tropical rainforest about seven hours’ drive north of Mexico City, in a region seldom visited by tourists, lies Las Pozas (The Pools), the larger-than-life fantastical, surrealistic home and gardens developed over a period of some 35 years by eccentric English poet, artist, and patron of the Surrealist movement, EDWARD JAMES.

Edward James, born in England in 1907—the same year as the well-known artist Frida Kahlo and the not-so-well known but marvelously talented Annette Nancarrow (see sidebar about my book in progress)—grew up the only son among five children and inherited considerable wealth upon his father’s death. He attended fine private schools, including Christ Church, Oxford, where he was a contemporary of Evelyn Waugh, and is best known as a passionate and early supporter of Surrealism. In 1938, he sponsored Salvador Dali for a year and René Magritte stayed in his London house to paint. His personal collection of paintings and art objects subsequently became one of the finest in private hands and he appears in one of Dali’s paintings and two of Magritte’s, and sculptor Isamu Noguchi created an early marble portrait of him. His collection included works by Hieronymus Bosch, Giorgio de Chirico, Paul Klee, Leonora Carrington, Pavel Tchelitchew, Pablo Picasso, Giacometti, Max Ernst, and Paul Delvaux, among others.

In 1940 James visited Taos, NM, as a guest of Mabel Dodge Luhan, where he was known for his amusing, clever eccentricity. But his most idiosyncratic personal adventure—Las Pozas—was to begin a few years later, when he chose Mexico as the ideal place to create his vision of “a Garden of Eden.”

Las Pozas lies outside the small village of Xilitla at about 2,000 feet above sea level.

It originally comprised more than 80 acres, but now consists of about 20 acres of towering surrealist concrete sculptures amidst a landscape of natural waterfalls, clouds of butterflies, and cool, clear pools. Between 1949 and 1984, James built 36 concrete structures, including the House on Three Floors Which Will in Fact Have Five or Four or Six, the House with a Roof Like a Whale, and the Staircase to Heaven. Thousands of tropical plants, including orchids (of which, it has been reported, there were 29,000 at one time) were planted and a wide variety of small homes built, plus pens that held hundreds of exotic birds and wild animals from around the world. The compound’s massive sculptures, some up to four stories tall, and winding trails, stairways, ramps, bridges, and narrow walkways crisscross the site. Construction of Las Pozas is rumored to have cost more than $5 million and was financed by the sale at Christie’s of James’s Surrealist art collection. Through the years, he entertained many of the art world’s famous in his remote jungle home.

EDWARD JAMES was a man with a taste for the bizarre, the imaginative, the far reaches of civilization, and he had the resources to explore them. He did things his way and, in his eccentric way, created a world for us to explore and a life to remember.

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

Avery Danziger’s one-hour, award-winning documentary, EDWARD JAMES: Builder of Dreams, is a wonderful introduction to the man, his many amazing friendships in the art world, and the creation of his lifetime, Las Pozas. It’s available on Amazon and also from numerous other venues. Just google “Avery Danziger and Edward James documentary” for other sources.

For a taste of Las Pozas and the film, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA0HUAIvcHo

NOTE: I visited Las Pozas a few years back on a solo adventure of my own and recommend it and the region. It’s a chance to see some unspoiled “old Mexico.” This part of the country, the Huasteca Potosino, is rich in cultural and scenic attractions, including a remarkable vast cave visited daily by a flock of green parakeets, mountains, waterfalls, and traditional villages with special market days. For me, a girl who grew up in Southern California visiting beautiful missions built by Franciscan friar Junipero Serra, a highlight of my visit was seeing several of the first five small missions he built there in the years following 1750. These five, constructed in a baroque style that blends Spanish and Indian cultures, are like architectural jewels holding within them a historic past. Four of them, in the respective towns of Tancoyol, Tilaco, Landa de Matamoros, and Jalpan, are strung out along or near Highway 120 in the state of Queretaro. The fifth, located in Conca, is reached by turning off in Jalpan onto Highway 69, which is the way to Río Verde. For more information about the missions and other treasures of the region: http://www.xilitla.org/gettingthere.php

Geoffrey Gorman’s “Creatures of Curiosity” opens in Santa Fe

2010-02-09T09:44:00.000-08:00

This Friday night, February 12th, a show featuring the imaginative whimsical works of Geoffrey Gorman will kick off what’s sure to be a fabulous, fun 2010 season at Jane Sauer’s gallery in Santa Fe. The artist will be present for the opening reception from 5–7 pm and the show will run until March 16th. On Saturday, 2/13, at 2 pm, Gorman will give a talk.

The Jane Sauer gallery is one of a handful that are at the top of my list

when I visit Santa Fe—I can always count on falling in love, that excitement art lovers feel when seeing work they know they won’t forget. Sauer has done extensive refurbishing and remodeling over the past few months and I’m looking forward to seeing what new surprises await. Jane is known for her discerning eye and ability to discover fine talent.

Here’s what the gallery has to say about Geoffrey Gorman’s work:

The artist typically folds together history, real life experiences, and his own colorful imagination. He is always ready for an adventure and needs little encouragement to travel to unknown places, whether in his mind or in reality. "Creatures of Curiosity" is one of Gorman’s journeys and you are invited to come along.

Whether it is a rabbit poised to spring, two birds huddled together, peering felines, quizzical canines, pondering armadillos, a miniature running antelope, or crawling lizards, they will all beckon you to follow them into the shadows of Gorman’s realm of the curiously outlandish and bizarre.

Gorman employs such diverse materials as gnarled tree branches, which "bleached from sun and rain, make me think of weathered bones”; stained strips of cloth; wax; and found objects, all assembled and fashioned by the artist’s free-ranging curiosity into intriguing shape-shifted works of art. He’s been greatly influenced by creations from previous cultures and by experiences deep within nature’s meditative places.

For more details about Geoffrey Gorman, the Jane Sauer Gallery, and the other artists presently being featured or upcoming shows: http://www.jsauergallery.com

Video of artist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqai9nqgU1A&feature=channel_page

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

Dallas Art Fair: The place to be this weekend . . .

2010-02-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

Beginning with a preview Gala on February 4th, the second annual 2010 Dallas Art Fair (DAF), celebrating modern and contemporary art, will showcase paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints and photographs from postwar artists represented by over 50 prominent national and international art dealers from over 15 cities, the United Kingdom and Canada. Previous artists exhibited include Chuck Close, Joan Mitchell, Sol LeWitt, Damien Hirst, John Chamberlin and Rufino Tamayo.

Located at the Fashion Industry Gallery, the DAF is within walking distance of the world-class cultural institutions of the Dallas Arts District including the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, AT&T Performing Arts Center, the Trammell and Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art and the Meyerson Symphony Center. Co-founded by John Sughrue and Chris Byrne, in its first year over 5,500 art lovers attended the DAF, and the events drew established and aspiring art collectors and enthusiasts from throughout the nation. For more information, visit http://www.DallasArtFair.com.

An exciting feature of this year’s program is the “Finding Frida” Symposium to be held from 10 a.m.–12 noon, 2/6 and 2/7, Saturday and Sunday. A controversial collection of Frida Kahlo material will be the subject matter discussed by an international group of noted panelists. They will debate the authenticity of the Noyola collection of approximately 1,200 drawings, journals, letters, paintings, and other items whose owners maintain are handmade by Frida Kahlo, but which others have denounced as fakes. The panel will also present an overview of the challenges of authenticating newly discovered works of art purported to be by famous artists. This is a not-to-be-missed event!

The Dallas Arts District is a unique, 68-acre, 19-block neighborhood in the heart of the city. A rare jewel that is the centerpiece of the region's cultural life, the district is home to some of the finest architecture in the world. Enhancing the downtown Dallas skyline are buildings by Pritzker Prize winners I.M. Pei, Renzo Piano, Norman Foster, Rem Koolhaas and AIA Gold Medal recipient Edward Larrabee Barnes. In addition to the Fashion Industry Gallery, other superb features of the district are the Annette Strauss Artist Square, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (where the “Finding Frida” Symposium is to be held), Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Theater Center/Arts District Theater, Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Nasher Sculpture Center, and the Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art.

Art in the District, a satellite art show offering exceptional pieces by nationally and internationally known artists alongside emerging and breakthrough newcomers from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area will be taking place simultaneously at the Fairmont Dallas Hotel, 1717 N. Akard St., Feb. 5–7. The event space will be open from 12 p.m.–9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m.–4 p.m. on Sunday. For more information: http://www.artinthedistrict2010.com

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

ELVIS at 21: Remembering The King at the beginning . . .

2010-01-21T16:15:00.000-08:00

There’s an exciting new Smithsonian traveling exhibition titled Elvis at 21: Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer at the GRAMMY MUSEUM in Los Angeles. On January 8, 2010, Elvis would have been 75 years old—can you imagine? Better for us fans to remember the sexy, iconic vocalist as he was when he burst onto the music scene long ago.

In 1956 photojournalist Alfred Wertheimer was hired by RCA Victor to shoot promotional images of a recently signed recording artist. The artist was ELVIS and Wertheimer tagged along with him after the assignment, continuing to photograph what would be a shooting star—brilliant, stunning, and, way too soon, disappearing into the dark sky. These images bring his early sweetness and sexy appeal back full force and, whether you remember those days clearly or have simply heard about them, you won’t want to miss this exhibition either in LA or when it comes to a venue near you.

Developed collaboratively by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, and the Govinda Gallery—and sponsored nationally by the History Channel—Elvis at 21 will follow it’s Grammy Museum closing date of March 28th with sojourns in museums around the country through 2013.

Wertheimer spent time with Elvis on the road, backstage, in concert,

in the recording studio, and at home in Memphis, taking these photographs in the brief period before “Colonel” Tom Parker, Elvis’s manager, restricted access.

These were the days before Elvis was a celebrity hounded by paparazzi and fans everywhere. The hope and longing, the teasing good humor of a down-home boy from Tennessee, are readily apparent—and raise our own hopes and longing for unspoiled talent, real people achieving their dreams in a time before big media corrupted the system.

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

Tom Killion—Elegant Detail with a Classic Japanese Influence

2010-01-03T18:53:00.000-08:00

I’ve always enjoyed the spare, stylized art of such classic Japanese artists as Hokusai and Hiroshige. Imagine my pleasure when I discovered the art of Tom Killion, born and raised in Mill Valley, CA—as he puts it, “on the slopes of Mt. Tamalpais”—who employs these traditional techniques in a fresh, contemporary manner. He combines two of my favorite things—amazingly skilled craftsmanship with a Japanese influence and the dramatic scenery of the Big Sur, Marin County, Northern California landscape. I have spent many wonderful days meandering among these scenes over many years and never tire of them. To see them in Killion’s art is so appreciated. I thought a post about him and his art to be the perfect way to start off the new year!

From an early age Killion was drawn to making landscape prints using linoleum and wood. While studying at UC Santa Cruz, he was introduced to fine book printing by William Everson and Jack Stauffacher. He found that these two niches fascinated him, could be combined creatively, and never failed to inspire him. In 1977, he founded Quail Press after traveling extensively in Europe and Africa. His sketchbooks and travel journeys in these countries provided the basis for many fine works (as can be seen on his website).

Killion carves his images into cherry, all-shina plywood, Amsterdam linoleum, and other block materials using Japanese hand tools. He prints his images on handmade Japanese kozo papers using oil-based inks and a German hand-cranked proofing press. He relates the labor-intensive details of how he moves from concept to completion on his website and it makes for fascinating reading! His skillful blending of oriental style with Western and African themes and craftsmanship has developed a unique and compelling body of work.

The artist’s limited editions frequently sell out and he produces monotone as well as multicolored images, and has produced or illustrated numerous handmade books. Many of these master works are in rare book collections of major libraries.

Tom Killion has a snail mail list you can join. What a thrill for me when a card arrives with one of his new images! Check this artist out—you’ll be glad you did.

In the meantime, I’m wishing everyone all art all the time in 2010—

-- Rosemary Carstens
Carstens Communications

(Images: top, City from Yellow Bluff; left, Bolinas Ridge; right, Tom Killion)

Seventy-five years and stronger than ever . . . Looking Forward at SFMOMA

2009-12-22T12:21:00.000-08:00

January 18, 2010, marks the 75th anniversary of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). There are many exhibitions, programs, and events planned in celebration of the museum’s constant efforts to excel. The history of SFMOMA includes stories of the artists, collectors, and San Francisco leaders who founded and built this world class showcase for contemporary art, as well as those who helped to maintain its vitality. This coming year there will be many wonderful opportunities to explore.

This past Sunday, the Anniversary Show opened and will be on view until January 16, 2011. It will include images that reveal the arc and history of the collection and the first complete reinstallation of the second floor galleries since 1995. A recent press release states:

Paintings, sculptures, works on paper, photographs, video works, architectural models, and design objects will be supplemented by archival material orienting visitors to the timeframe and context in which these works were first shown and acquired. From mounting Jackson Pollock's first solo museum exhibition in 1945 to championing the emerging Mission School scene in the mid-1990s to exhibiting snapshot photography in 1998, SFMOMA has consistently broken new ground, challenging conventional wisdom of what an art museum should present and collect.

If you plan to be in or near San Francisco during the coming year, try to fit in a visit to SFMOMA. You won’t be sorry!

For full details of ongoing events: http://www.sfmoma.org/exhibitions/401

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

Come Bearing Images . . . Art Books for 2009

2009-12-06T15:18:00.000-08:00

Art books make wonderful holiday gifts for family and friends who are deeply interested in arts, crafts, artists, and design. These are large format books that can be dipped into time and again to delight the recipient with their stories and images. The images alone can prompt new creativity among those moved by color, fine craftsmanship, and imaginative works of art. Each issue of FEAST, the award-winning online magazine, suggests a few books in this genre. Here are our favorites for 2009:

Earthlings: The Paintings of Tom Palmore, Susan Hallsten McGarry, foreword by Adam Harris. University of Oklahoma Press 2008. Tom Palmore has taken the 1970s photorealist movement in new directions, to include not only detailed portrayals of the animal kingdom but a wonderful, humorous spin on the critters’ inner lives and vanities. No one who views his gorillas, foxes, cougars, or chickens, among many others, can fail to appreciate his ability to render each perfectly right down to their last hairy toe nail; you almost expect them to jump from the canvas. But Palmore has a feeling for what he calls these “earthlings with whom we share this planet.” Each portrait incorporates incongruous juxtapositions of the real and unreal, of drawing-room settings or unlikely, whimsical companions—such as the fox with the chicken wallpaper behind him. This is art all can appreciate, for its technical virtuosity as well as its imaginings of animal’s personalities.

A Museum of Their Own: National Museum of Women in the Arts, Wilhelmina Cole Holladay. Abbeville Press 2008. With text contributions by Philip Kopper. Wilhelmina Holladay is the founder of this very special and unique Washington DC museum. This book is, in effect, a memoir of its conception, organization, incredible cast of contributors and supporters, and the Herculean effort required to make the museum a reality. But don’t think it is just a dry relating of dates, dollars, and donations—Ms. Holladay tells this story with humor and humility and shares delightful tales behind the museum’s development and its major acquisitions. She introduces us to some of the world’s most talented painters (who happen to be women) that have gone mostly unrecognized through the ages. No art history or art education can be considered complete without their inclusion and once you read this book and pour over its images you will be astounded and eager to visit the museum on your next trip to DC! Much more can be viewed at the museum’s website: http://www.nmwa.org

Geoffrey Holder: A Life in Theater, Dance, and Art, Jennifer Dunning. Harry N. Abrams 2001. A glorious book about the amazing creative life of Geoffrey Holder, a man who lives fully, richly, and focuses on cultural pursuits in a way that is quite unusual today. As he says about his growing up years in Trinidad, “If you played under this tree as I did as a child, you too would believe in fairytales.” Holder is a larger-than-life figure in every way. His whole philosophy is that “you should do everything” regardless of age. Born in 1930 on the cusp of one of America’s most creative moments yet one of its most economically deprived times, Geoffrey grew up “dancing, singing, painting, and designing clothes . . . danced his way out of Trinidad and on to New York City.” A tall black man with a magnificent body and ready, joyful smile, Holder’s style in everything he does is audacious and colorful, from his dancing to his design and choreography for such productions as The Wiz, to his dynamic, masterful portraits and imaginative art works. This book inspires us all to grab life, hold on tight, but let your feet fly out behind you as the ride begins! http://www.abramsbooks.com/

Face of the Frontier: Photographic Portraits from the American West, 1845–1924, Frank H. Goodyear III, with an essay by Richard White (University of Oklahoma Press 2009). The often dramatically imagined “Old West” as seen through more than 120 photographic portraits. Face of the Frontier surveys the complicated character of the variety of people who helped transform this US region between the end of the Mexican War and the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act. Images are drawn primarily from the National Portrait Gallery collection and are accompanied by an introduction and two essays that provide historical context and interpretation. This book would be a great choice for anyone who loves the West and its history, anyone who has long imagined these people who are symbolic of a time and lifestyle long past.
http://www.oupress.com

John Nieto: Forces of Color & Spirit, Susan Hallsten McGarry (Fresco Fine Art Publishers 2009). One of the most original painters of his time, John Nieto is recognized worldwide for his bold, iconic representations of his Native American heritage. At last there is a book that does his work justice. More than 180 color plates present a cross-section of this prolific artist’s work and depict people and animals in a joyous mélange of vibrant color. Whether you select this book for someone already familiar with Nieto’s style or for someone who will be discovering it for the first time, they will be dazzled by his vigorous color work, his energetic flurries of masterful brushwork, and the glimpse into an, original, imaginative mind. Trade, deluxe, and collector’s edition with an original painting are available. http://www.frescobooks.com

Celebrate the holidays with books!

--Rosemary Carstens
Editor, FEAST

Exploring the Elder Years Through Art . . .

2009-11-21T10:09:00.000-08:00

Alice and Richard Matzkin, she a painter and he a sculptor, live and love in a rural area of Ojai, CA. Twenty-six years married, they now share a studio and are engaged in interpretive expressions of figures in the midst of their elder years.

Alice, after a 22-year hiatus while she raised their two children, returned with passion to her paints and canvas and began to focus on women as subjects, most recently aging women, some nude, at ease with their bodies.

Two of her paintings—one of the famous potter and sculptor Beatrice Wood at age 100, and feminist Betty Friedan—were purchased by the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution and are in their permanent collection.

Richard was immersed in visual arts as a child, but pursued a long career in music and psychology before returning to art and falling in love with sculpture. He feels his life has now come full circle and, lately, he, too, has begun a dialogue through his work, focusing on elderly people as subjects, exploring and interpreting what it is to age in our society. One of his pieces was selected for the art book The Great Age, published by UNESCO during the United Nations International Year for Older Persons.

The couple has produced a book titled THE ART OF AGING: Celebrating the Authentic Aging Self (Sentient Publications), which “takes a penetrating look at aging through a series of projects that confront fear and curiosity about growing old. We explore physical changes, sensuality and relationships, aging parents, spirituality and death. Drawing on our personal experiences and the wisdom of older mentors, we conclude that our elder years can be a time of ripening and harvest. Look for the book at bookstores everywhere, as well as online.

Additional images of Alice and Richard’s poignant and thought-provoking work may be seen on their website at http://www.matzkinstudio.com

Here's a fantastic video where the couple describes their philosphy and process and you can get a glimpse of their warmth and commitment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOhx1qHyMNO

-- Rosemary Carstens
Carstens Communications

(Above right: Richard in Bed with Cat, Alice Matzkin; above left: Untitle Lovers series, Richard Matzkin. Couple photo is by Donna Granata, Focus on the Masters, Series 2008)

Artist Darlene Olivia McElroy puts “juicy thoughts” to work . . .

2009-11-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

Mixed media artist DARLENE OLIVIA MCELROY creates works of vision and imagination in her Santa Fe studio. She fashions her richly textured, sensuous paintings using an amazing array of found objects, photo transfer, gold leaf, paint, collage, and, as she puts it, “juicy thoughts.”

McElroy doesn’t just put a bunch of disparate objects on canvas or board, she excels at telling stories utilizing history, symbolism, and iconic images. Color and texture constantly inspire her and she’s something of a magician as she conjures up new techniques that add depth and interest to her exceptional work.

“There’s something about the look people had in old photos, the life an object had before it landed in my hands, the honoring of what came before and how all of this can be reinterpreted . . . I think I am part magpie. There is something about a corroded piece of metal, an old button, keys, the odd things that make me want to take [them] to a new place.”

Darlene McElroy was born and raised in Southern California and is descended from an old New Mexico family of artists and storytellers. Visions of summers spent growing up on her family’s Santa Fe ranch, with its “rich tapestry of Hispanic life,” dance constantly in her head and influence her work.

This weekend, November 14-15, Saturday from 10-5 and Sunday 11-4, McElroy will be participating in the Santa Fe Studio Tour. She and artists MARY PARKER (acrylic and oil demented still lives) and LINDA FILHARDT (monoprints) invite you to stop by, enjoy treats and special studio pricing. Go to http://www.santafestudiotour.com for a list of participating artists. McElroy’s studio is #15—directions are on the website, or you can call 505-471-8300.

To see more of McElroy’s images, for technique tips and workshop dates, to read her blog or purchase books and videos, visit her website at http://darleneoliviamcelroy.com.

-- Rosemary Carstens
Carstens Communications

Telling Secrets: Codes, Captions, & Conundrums . . .

2009-10-09T13:48:00.000-07:00

The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) opens its fall exhibitions today and all three sound fascinating! They will run from October 9, 2009-January 10, 2010. If you are in Washington DC during these dates, I strongly recommend you put this unique jewel of a museum on your schedule.

NMWA has a knack for mounting shows that are unique, that focus on fresh, innovative themes. The one that first caught my eye among the fall exhibits is Telling Secrets: Codes, Captions and Conundrums in Contemporary Art. Its theme was inspired by the variety of mediums and techniques used by many of today’s artists to convey layered meanings in their work. Collage, symbols, text, marks, and mixed media such as encaustic, oils, ink, and found objects are often combined, worked and reworked, in sophisticated additive and reductive processes that create a sense of depth and mystery. Compelling and intriguing even at first surface glance, the art in this exhibit draws the viewer back again and again as more is revealed.

Alison Saar (see image above left), Leonora Carrington, Jane Hammond, Robin Kahn (see image right), Hung Liu, Shirin Neshat, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, and Adriana Varejão are among the 23 featured artists in this show. This is an evocative, culturally diverse presentation that represents a wide range of complex themes. And yet, there is a sense of unity among them. These artists are not only skilled at their craft, they are storytellers, weaving plot and subplot, passion and mystique, with masterful literary genius.

The other two fall exhibits on display through January 10, 2010, are:

Elements of Nature: Equines and Still Lifes by Clarice Smith, featuring 20 paintings that portray the artist’s elegant vision of nature’s abundance rendered in her inimitable classic European style.

Lands of Enchantment: Australian Aboriginal Painting, presenting 26 works by Australian painters who explore aboriginal dreamtime traditions through the use of elaborate symbols and signs that translate and interpret generations of layered meanings. These paintings have never been exhibited publicly before.

For more about the NMWA, its history and mission: http://www.nmwa.org/

THE WOMEN'S MUSEUM ®
1250 New York Ave., NW Washington, DC 20005-3970
202-783-5000, 1-800-222-7270
Two blocks north of Metro Center

NOTE: There is a wonderful new book, A Museum of Their Own, written by founder Wilhelmina Cole Halladay, that delightfully reviews the conception and history of the NMWA. It’s available in an autographed copy through the museum shop, or at bookstores nationwide.

-- Rosemary Carstens
Carstens Communications

(Above left: Alison Saar, Snake Man, 1994. Woodcut and lithograph on paper, 33 1/2 x 42 1/2 in. – Above right: Robin Kahn, Victoria’s Secret, 1995. Mixed media on canvas, 68 1/8 x 28 1/8 in.)

Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About . . .

2009-09-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

The Jane Sauer Gallery is one of my favorites in Santa Fe and I never fail to visit them when I’m in town. They feature high-quality, innovative, and exceptional work by carefully hand-picked artists. I always find something that delights me!

This month, mixed media artist MARY O’SHAUGHNESSY is featured and her show, “Daughters of Memory,” opens this Friday, October 2, with a reception for the artist from 5-7 p.m. The show runs through October 27th.

O’Shaughnessy’s work grounds itself in the curvaceous female form and makes fresh use of such materials as handmade abaca paper, neon, wood, doll furniture, beeswax, metal and text. Each is a narrative work, often related to the ironic aspects of being a woman, and frequently revealing the artist’s wry sense of humor.

Mary recently spoke with Jane Sauer about her work:

The figures look like torsos, the iconic headless, armless torsos that we associate with classic art, but I see them as the external manifestation of these internal dialogues. As a woman, I have struggled to overcome these internal dialogues, and see myself for who I am, not through the critical eye that was created by me as a reaction to words or events that have happened. . . . I know that we all have these demons, and by creating sculpture that addresses some of these universal concerns, in a humorous way, I hope to let others know they are not alone, and that they can move beyond the circular thinking that keeps them from moving forward.

If you are in Santa Fe, drop in and see these poignant, skillfully crafted "herstory" creations for yourself. You may find you can’t live without at least one!

Winter Gallery Hours:
Tuesday through Saturday 10-5; closed Sundays & Mondays

To see more images: http://www.jsauergallery.com

-- Rosemary Carstens
Carstens Communications

(Images: Left, "You Can Never Be Too Rich or Too Thin," 31" x 17" x 13"; right, "Bingo! Life Is a Game of Chance," 33" x 17" x 18")

Zooming in: James Atherton

2009-09-19T16:39:00.000-07:00

Slender and fit, with silver-white hair and beard, Jim Atherton often appears from the outside to be deep in thoughtful repose. But if you had the super hero gift of reading minds, of “seeing” what is going on inside his head, you might rear back in surprise. Jim’s brain is on steroids—he’s seeing line and form, light and shadow, pattern and design as only a fine art photographer can. You can almost hear the click and whir of digital ASA settings and shutter speeds crackling through his brain as he calculates frame, angle, and negative space.

Atherton works in a private studio in Boulder, Colorado, which he says “becomes a stage where intimate performances play out under lights and in front of backdrops.” Because he does not want to simply report what he sees, but to penetrate the emotion and essence behind his subject matter, Jim loves photographing people. He works directorially, with a light hand, coaxing his subjects to forget he is there and to drop any self-consciousness or inhibition. He seeks revelation, something in the eyes, the line of a belly, the electric connection between people. Although Atherton says his passion is photographing people, the elegant shot to the right speaks volumes about his skillfully rendered still lifes.

Whether photographing individuals, mothers and their babies, a ruby-red cluster of tulips patterned against a stark black background, or the clasping of time-weathered hands, Jim Atherton (to the left) brings sophistication and an empathetic eye to the finished product, bridging the gap between subject and ultimate viewer with a message beyond the surface.

To see more of this fine art photographer’s work or to contact him: http://www.jamesatherton.com

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

David Pearson: Grace, Dignity, and Delight in Bronze

2009-09-13T11:26:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, September 14, an exhibition of NEW WORK BY DAVID PEARSON will open at the Patricia Carlisle Fine Art gallery on Canyon Road in Santa Fe, NM. It will run through September 23, with an opening reception this coming Friday, 9/18.

Pearson's work is about beauty, litheness, and eternal grace. He brings an element of emotion to each piece that must be seen personally to be fully engaged. To him, creation is a circle of connectivity between the artist, the gallery, and the collector. Pearson feels it is that circular energy that “completes the communication,” and there is no doubt that his figurative work inspires communication, creating a silent dialogue between viewer and sculpture that is fresh and exciting.

Through his imaginative use of proportion, abstraction, exaggeration, and minimalism Pearson captures a classic, renaissance aesthetic in his pieces. He sculpts ethereal figures that unfailingly portray a range of quiet emotions, figures caught unawares, in repose, in a moment of contemplation or unselfconscious pleasure.

Pearson’s mastery of his craft and his in-depth explorations of art history have led to his continually growing international reputation as a master craftsman. He built his studio on acreage outside Santa Fe that he and his wife purchased in the 1990s, and his work ethic is legendary. It is not unusual for him to work from sunup to sundown.

While his ability to bring his visions to fruition is a testament to his skill, he has said in interviews that his signature elongated, elegant figures “flow” out of him, inspired by mythology and history, the Etruscans, and by such artists as Modigliana and Giacometti. But, in the end, they are all Pearson, the stunning product of a rich mind and impressive talent.

More images can be seen at Carlisle Fine Art & on David Pearson's website.

-- Rosemary Carstens
Carstens Communications

(Top left: mirothea, 28”; right, misceo, 40”; bottom left, the artist; right, his studio)

Discovering Shawna Moore . . .

2009-08-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

Wandering around Canyon Road during my last trip to Santa Fe, I stopped in at Darnell Fine Art at 640 Canyon and discovered the intriguing work of Shawna Moore. If you haven’t seen her paintings, you have a treat in store! The more you gaze, the more their depth and intricacy reveals itself in her skillfully crafted encaustic work. About her present show “MOSAIC,” the artist says the work “deals with bringing together individual parts that when viewed in isolation have a less recognizable value, but when combined in the montage of a multilayered painting, the separate parts unite to make a whole.”

Moore has been including elements of cursive handwriting and random marks in her recent work, layering, obscuring, revealing them to create mysterious, almost spiritual elements in her paintings. At times they seem to emerge from some deep geography of the mind, a blending of nature and literature. She continues to draw from a deep well of daily experiences and discoveries both in her home state of Montana and in her international travels. These images and memories are as essential to the final product as the long hours she spends melting, coloring, and manipulating wax. As she puts it, “Mosaic describes the constant evolution I desire in my work and is based on the change and buildup of all the influences that have come before.”

Educated in fine art, architecture, and drawing, Shawna Moore’s paintings are at first glance large and bold, totally abstract. But if you take a moment to sit quietly in front of them and look deeply you will be drawn into their mystery, their swirling colors, text, and markings that blend together in textured layers to create something entirely fresh.

If you are in the area, stop by and take a look for yourself!

To view more images, go to the Darnell Fine Art website, or
visit the artist's website at http://www.shawnamoore.com
or her blog: http://www.shawnamoore.blogspot.com/

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

(Top left, “Whisper,” 40 x 20; Right, “Token,” 40 x 40; Lower left, “Prayer Flag Yellow,” 20 x 20. All paintings are encaustic on panel)

The Power of Personal Statement: MATT SESOW

2009-08-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

MATT SESOW is a full-time painter, living and working in Washington, DC. His powerful, expressionistic “outsider” art is the talk of the town. Six years ago, Sesow began his annual “31 Days in July” project and this year’s results are just out. Each day during the month, the artist begins a unique 30” x 40” painting in response to an article or series of articles on the front page of the Washington Post print edition. All 31 paintings are completed by midnight July 31st. Most of these will be available for sale to collectors and galleries. The images here are from this year’s marathon month and you can see all 31 paintings at http://www.sesow.com/31days.htm

The image to the left is “Line of Fire” and was inspired by a story on children and civilians shot in Iraq, postal service changes, and the “bottom line” on health care. The image to the right is “Sting” and was inspired by a front page story with the headline, “Bernanke Jabs Back at Fed’s Criticism.” Born in Omaha, NE, Sesow suffered a tragic childhood accident when he was struck by a landing airplane near his rural home and a propeller severed his arm. Doctors were able to reattach it at the hospital, but his dominant hand had to be amputated. He achieves more with the remaining hand than most do with both. Sesow’s work is explosive and bold. His paintings come from the gut and are filled with tension that is immediately arresting. Each stroke appears to be blasted onto the canvas and his portraits are particularly gritty, expressive, and in-your-face. No hearts and flowers scenery here, the artist strives for emotional, personal interpretation and achieves it heartily. Take a look!

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

Here’s a video interview of the artist:

Accessing Nature’s Dreamscape

2009-07-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

Artist CHRIS REILLY fine tunes an encaustic process to portray nature’s eternal transformation and interdependent survival. Drawing inspiration from iconic eastern and western imagery, the artist is fascinated by nature’s duality, the amazing and profound character of plant and life cycles. He incorporates creatures such as frogs, dragonflies, and jellyfish into his paintings, as well as foliage, seeds, and blossoms to reveal or symbolize the constancy of death and renewal around us.

Utilizing a quiet, delicate palette, Reilly’s ethereal work combines realistic representation with immersion into an imagined, mysterious dream space. He begins with a white gypsum ground on canvas or panel and uses pastels and watercolor as an underpainting, which he then seals with molten wax. Layers of encaustic are applied to the foundation, each layer fused with a heat gun. Sometimes he adds opaque watercolor, selectively removed here and there to reveal the original layers. The effect is one of swimming through the sea, coming upon a magical coral reef where you hover, suspended within beauty, gazing enchanted at the seen and the almost seen, accessing dreams of worlds beyond worlds.

Christopher Reilly was born in New York in 1967, attended the School of Fine Arts there, and currently lives and works with his wife MICHELLE HAGLUND, also an accomplished artist, in California.

More images of Reilly’s work, as well as those of Michelle Haglund, can be viewed at: Meyer Gallery: http://www.meyergallery.com

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

(Top left: Dansel Flies; right, Untitled Branch)

Sharing the planet—the work of Isabelle du Toit (Rouaud)

2009-07-10T16:04:00.000-07:00

Born in France, moving to South Africa at age 10, back to France at 12, then back to South Africa once again at 16, where she completed a university education before moving to the United States, living first in Chicago and now in Texas, ISABELLE DU TOIT (Rouaud) knows a lot about changing environments. She’s learned to look piercingly at the world around her, far beyond the surface details of her subjects’ surroundings, to the beating heart of their individuality.

Du Toit paints meticulous portraits of primarily birds and animals. She is an avid birdwatcher and has spent many hours in game parks observing nature, absorbing the interaction between man and his environment, and even countless more hours researching her subjects. Every feather, every nuance, color and texture matters and is an inseparable part of the whole. Although she began painting with acrylics, she now uses oils, preparing her canvases with repeated coats of white gesso, sanding between each application—much as Georgia O’Keefe did—to create a smooth, brilliant ground upon which to create her stunning pieces. The artist is deeply engaged with each of her paintings and it is hard to let them go when completed. Until recently she signed them “Rouaud,” her grandmother’s maiden name, in honor of her earliest role model.

It is by considered choice that duToit places her subjects against minimal manmade backgrounds rather than in their natural outdoor settings. This contrast of a living creature, portrayed with infinite detail, against a background of scarce distraction emphasizes its beauty and miraculous creation. For the artist, these are not merely reproductions of birds or animals; they deeply illustrate the plight of nature in the hands of an indifferent humanity. They give the viewer pause for thought, a quiet, contemplative space for considering how empty the world would be without diversity of life.

(Upper left, American Kestral, 24 x 30; right, detail from American Kestral)

More of Isabelle du Toit’s work can be seen at:

http://www.rouaud.net

http://www.klaudiamarrgallery.com in Santa Fe

-- Rosemary Carstens

http://www.CarstensCommunications.com

At the Edge of the Spotlight . . . Remedios Varo

2009-06-30T17:18:00.000-07:00

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 . . .

2009-06-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

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

Extinction: Artists Respond

2009-05-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

Colorado artist DAWN SIEBEL will be a featured artist in this stunning exhibition taking place at the Denver Botanic Gardens May 23 to July 26, 2009. The opening reception will take place May 28, 5:30-8 p.m. (RSVP to exhibits@botanicgardens.org or 720-865-3636).

Juried by Simon Zalkind, curator, and Ivar Zeile, this exhibition highlights 17 contemporary artists’ interpretation and visual commentary on the concepts and issues raised by the potential extinction of species.

DAWN SIEBEL’s Reef Madness (image above, oil on canvas, 48” x 96”) is a magnificently crafted statement about the effects of global warming and environmental destruction on teeming, vibrant reef life around the world. The artist loves stories, feels they are “wisdom holders, cultural glue . . . personal stories shape identity." She is well known for incorporating collaged photographs into iconographic cultural settings. Dawn says, “I am playing with history and finding it a pliable thing.” Using bold imagery and size to create an impressive statement and visual narrative, the chance to see this piece in person is worth a visit to the exhibition all by itself.

Denver Botanic Gardens is a lovely place to spend a day with or without your family. An amazing range of events take place over the spring, summer, and fall, and there is something for everyone—check out their website for listings. Or just wander the beautiful garden areas, sit in the shade and enjoy the scents and sounds of the grounds, have lunch, explore the gift shop.

Denver Botanic Gardens

1005 York Street
Denver, CO 80206

Hours: now through Sept. 13
Saturday through Tuesday - 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday through Friday - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

--Rosemary Carstens

http://www.carstenscommunications.com/

Inside My Head Excites the Mind . . .

2009-04-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

The California African American Museum is showcasing work by 32 contemporary artists of African descent, May 7–September 27, 2009. The exhibition includes paintings, sculptures, collages, assemblages, photographs, videos, dolls, garments, and jewelry. It’s FABULOUS!

These images will excite your imagination as the artists have applied their considerable technical virtuosity and expertise to explore their connection to ethnicity. If you are in the Los Angeles area on business or pleasure during the run of this show, treat yourself. You’ll come away supercharged by the unique range of ideas, styles, and intuitive creativity.

Exhibiting artists: Jaami Abdul-Khaliq Abdul-Samad, Donna Angers, Floyd Bell, Patricia Boyd, Angela Briggs, Tracy Brown, Yrneh Brown, Ronn Carrington, Chukes, Madi Comfort, Charles Dickson, Dorothy Elliott-Taylor, Graham Goddard, Deidre Greene, Mamie Hansberry, Stephen Hardy, Sy Hearn, Elton Henderson, Ronald Jackson, Michael Massenburg, Bridgitte Montgomery, Dominique Moody, Anne Myatt, Elliott Pinkney, Noah Purifoy, Aydeé Rodríguez, Toni Scott, Karen Seneferu, Malik Seneferu, Cola Smith, Teresa Tolliver, and Timothy Washington.

A number of programs associated with this exhibition offer opportunities to create art with some of the featured artists. For more details, check their website or call (213) 744-2024.

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

Images: Left – Earth Mother 2007, Cola; Right – Wild Thing 2008, Teresa Tolliver

Gallery without a Ceiling Opens at San Francisco MOMA

2009-04-18T11:34:00.000-07:00

At last, the long-awaited ROOFTOP GARDEN at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art opens on May 10th. Providing space for large scale works, this “gallery without a ceiling” offers an inviting open-air venue for experiencing art. With the city by the bay spread out around you, there will be plenty of room to relax, reflect, enjoy a coffee, and to view sculptures spanning the last five decades by some of the best-known artists of our time.

Artists to be featured in the Rooftop Garden's inaugural exhibition include Robert Arneson, Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Luciano Fabro, Ellsworth Kelly, Mario Merz, Juan Munoz, Barnett Newman, Joel Shapiro, Ranjani Shettar, and Kiki Smith (see image to left). Sculptures will comprise works from the museum's collection that were either recently acquired or that are rarely seen. Also on view will be recent gifts of artwork donated specifically for display in the new space, including The Lens of Rotterdam (1988) by Mario Merz and Joel Shapiro's Untitled (1983–87).

"The garden will act as an entirely new kind of gallery, adding a fresh dimension to the museum experience," said SFMOMA Director Neal Benezra. "The grand scale of this remarkable space will enable us to exhibit large works—and even to extend and play off of the special exhibitions on view in our fifth-floor galleries."

The Rooftop Garden is partially covered but primarily open air and adds 14,400 s.f. to the museum. On its western side, it shares a panoramic glass wall with the museum's fifth-floor galleries, providing them with natural light and views of the garden. Access will be via an enclosed glass-and-steel bridge, where the reinstalled contemporary painting and sculpture exhibition Between Art and Life will be on view along with a specially commissioned project—an evocative painting depicting draped fabric reminiscent of marble sculpture—by former SECA Art Award recipient Rosana Castrillo Diaz.

For more information: San Francisco MOMO, 151 Third StreetSan Francisco, CA 94103
415.357.4000 - http://www.sfmoma.org

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

(Photo of Virgin Mary by Kiki Smith, 1993; Collection Vici and Kent Logan, fractional and promised gift to SFMOMA; © Kiki Smith)

2nd Annual Taos Art Glass Invitational – Summer of Love 2009

2009-04-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

Fast becoming a tradition collectors don’t want to miss, the Taos Annual Art Glass Invitational, a juried show featuring the works of national, regional, and local artists working in glass will take place July 18 through August 16th in conjunction with the Taos Summer of Love Festival (May through September). This year’s invitational theme is “40 Years of the Studio Art Glass Movement.”

The studio art glass movement emerged in the US in the late 1960s with the advent of scientific advancements in glass that enabled studio artists to work in the medium as never before. Artists such as Harvey Littleton, Marvin Lipofsky (his image at left), Edris Eckhardt, Dale Chihuly, Mary Shaffer, Jay Musler, and so many more over the last forty years have created a plethora of techniques and have paved the way for later artists to begin working in the medium by generously sharing their discoveries. The hottest contemporary medium around, this summer’s events will showcase stunning pieces by masters and emerging artists alike.

Throughout the run of the show, the Taos Institute of Glass Arts will present a comprehensive series of workshops, lectures, and demonstrations in glass arts in the newly revised studios first set up by Dale Chihuly.

Due to the success of last year's show and the expansion of the event, this year's invitational will involve several top Taos galleries. Travel packages, including gallery, artist, and educational experiences will be available to travelers, and special events and walking tours will be available to locals and Taos guests alike.

The entire event is sponsored by GLASS ALLIANCE – NEW MEXICO and the Taos Institute for Glass Arts. For more information on the event or to receive the call for entries prospectus, contact the Taos Institute for Glass Arts at 575.613.6484.

-- Rosemary Carstens

http://www.CarstensCommunications.com

Twitter: @tweets2go

Groovin’ at the Denver Art Museum . . .

2009-03-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

It’s time to rock n’ roll in Denver as Psychedelic Experience: Rock Posters from the San Francisco Bay Area, 1965–1971 opens today and runs through July 19, 2009. Three hundred fabulous psychedelic posters of bands and rockers of these years create a stunning recollection of an era that has obtained legendary status.

Enjoy the music, art, and culture of a unique moment in American history. Those of you who were around then will have tons of memories evoked as you stroll through this exhibit drawn from the treasury of San Francisco’s Wolfgang’s Vault collection. Those of you who came later, well, eat your hearts out that you couldn’t be there! Still, here’s a chance to live it vicariously, to tune in and turn on, wear your bell bottoms and tie dye, think about free love in the Age of Aquarius, and connect with the dreams for peace and equality that ran side-by-side with the music.

Don't miss the Psychedelic Side Trip that sets the scene with a wall of sound, do-it-yourself liquid light show, and psychedelic poster-making station.

Exhibition tickets are free for DAM members (limited by membership level). Not a member? Join today to take advantage of free tickets and a year of great benefits.

ORDER TICKETS NOW

For a fun preview of the show in case you can’t get to Denver: http://exhibits.denverartmuseum.org/psychedelic/

Image credit: Bonnie MacLean, Yardbirds, Doors, Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, 1967. Partial gift of David and Sheryl Tippit; partial purchase with Architecture, Design & Graphics Department Acquisition Funds; and Volunteer Endowment Funds in honor of R. Craig Miller; (c) Bill Graham Archives, LLC. www.Wolfgangsvault.com

-- Rosemary Carstens

http://www.feastofbooks.com/

Judy Chicago Presents A Stitch in Time: A Conversation with textile artist Pat Rudy-Baese

2009-03-05T14:10:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 21, 2009, 2:00 PM
Through the Flower
107 Becker Avenue
Belen NM
(505) 864-4080
info@throughtheflower.org

Most people immediately think DINNER PARTY when the name Judy Chicago comes up. Of course, that iconic project, a huge multimedia installation created by Chicago and hundreds of volunteers between 1974 and 1979 is a never-to-be-forgotten treasure that has toured the world to 15 sites, 6 countries, and been viewed by more than 1 million people. It is now permanently housed in the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum in New York. I saw it there and I was awestruck. The number of participants, the incredible detail and thought that went into each individual place setting, the history it represents—all of this and more made a big impact on me.

But Chicago has never been one to stand still. Her work has continued and expanded in the decades since she created the Dinner Party and I recently was fortunate enough to see an incredible carved, etched, and painted, one-of-a-kind, studio glass piece by Judy, done in collaboration with Norm and Ruth Dobbins, displayed prominently in a private home.

Her other pursuits, too many to go into detail about here, now include needlework images that provide narrative for multicultural and contemporary feminist perspectives. If you can get to New Mexico for this presentation, it promises to be quite interesting and is accompanied by the exhibition Judy Chicago in Needlework.

NOTE: The New Mexico Rail Runner now gives you rail access from Santa Fe in the North to Belen in the South, and many points in between. Fly or drive in, jump the rail and relax—art is on the way!

-- Rosemary Carstens

http://www.carstenscommunications.com/

KEVIN GORDON – Incredible Artistry Inspired by Marine Life

2009-02-19T14:56:00.000-08:00

Pack your bags and head to Santa Fe next month! For all the usual reasons—great restaurants, beautiful New Mexico setting, fabulous art—but most especially because internationally reknowned Australian glass artist Kevin Gordon will be present for the opening reception of his new work on Friday, March 13th (lucky Friday), from 5–7 pm at Jane Sauer Gallery on Canyon Road. The exhibition continues through April 10th.

SYSTEMA NATURAE is stunning work, as you can see from the images here. Based on a close study of select marine specimens in the natural science collections of the Western Australian Museum, Gordon has captured the unique and wondrous characteristics of these underwater treasures in a magnificent body of work featuring the intricate, detailed forms of invertebrates such as sea urchins, coral, and shells. Each piece is poetry in glass, sophisticated and technically perfect.

Gordon has exhibited worldwide in solo and group exhibitions and his work is held in many private and public collections, including the Sir Elton John Glass Collection, London; The Mobile Museum, Mobile, Alabama; Australian National Art Gallery Collection, Canberra, Australia; and Australian National Glass Collection Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia. He has been an eleven-times finalist for the prized Ranamok Glass Awards, has won three People’s Choice awards and many other national prizes.

This is Kevin Gordon’s first solo U.S. show, and Jane Sauer says, “In this body of work, Gordon distills the complex structures he finds in nature, creating his own mathematical repetitions and organic variations. The complexity of each piece demonstrates Gordon’s rare talent to push the capabilities of glass, working skillfully with it both hot and cold, and continuously opening up new thinking and approaches in glass.”

For more information about the exhibit: http://www.jsauergallery.com/

Kevin’s website is at http://www.kevingordon.com/

-- Rosemary Carstens

http://www.feastofbooks.com/

Earth, Wind, and Fire . . . Glass Alliance – New Mexico

2009-02-01T14:40:00.000-08:00

The creation of beautiful art in the medium of glass is one of the most difficult challenges an artist can aspire to. It is demanding, filled with trial and error, and usually involves a support team. But the results can lift the heart, illuminate a concept, and provide reflection, refraction, and color in a way no other medium does.

The Glass Alliance – New Mexico, founded by Betsy Ehrenberg, is a regional chapter of Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass. Its mission is to gather collectors, artists, gallery owners, and the general public in a coordinated venue to visit artists’ studios, tour galleries, view private collections, and learn about the medium through lectures and demonstrations from both New Mexico master artists and well-known masters from around the United States.

Member artists range from the already established to those just emerging in the field. This post highlights the imaginative, impressive work of three women members: Delinda VanneBrightyn, Elodie Holmes, and Lucy Lyon.

DELINDA VANNEBRIGHTYN creates contemporary figurative and abstract pieces such as “Revealed 2,” from her Consciousness series (see image 1). She works in kiln-cast glass and bronze in her studios in Taos and, as she says, “I aspire to create works that speak of grace and clarity, inspiring deep reflection into the root and beauty of the human spirit.”

ELODIE HOLMES is no novice to the medium, having been blowing glass in Santa Fe for some 25 years. Her pieces are described as events “frozen in time.” As can be seen in the pieces to the left, each incorporates a luminous blending of color, transparency, and radiance (see image 2). Her studio/gallery, Liquid Light Glass, is located in the Baca Street Art District.

LUCY LYON is the mistress of figurative, gestural cast-glass pieces that capture the beauty and line of the most essential elements of the human form (see image 3). Each piece suggests a narrative, a story behind the glass, or, as the artist might express it, “a state of mind.” Lucy lives and works in Jaconita and her work is nationally known.

These three accomplished artists are only a small sampling of the talent and accomplishments to be found among Glass Alliance – New Mexico’s members. Check out their website, surf around to see the work of other artists, and DO sign up for upcoming events. The alliance will be an active participant in SOFA – Santa Fe to be held June 11–14, 2009.

-- Rosemary Carstens

Heritage and Landscape . . . the art of JAMES LAVADOUR

2009-01-18T09:40:00.000-08:00

From his home in the rural village of Cayuse in northeastern Oregon, James Lavadour spent much of his childhood exploring the hills, valleys, and canyons of the land around him, hiking, hunting, and dreaming. Today, the land still speaks to him and brings to his powerful works an energy and dynamism not often found in landscape painting.

Jim recreates what he sees in the natural environment, then further interprets it in terms of its history, memory, and role in the universe. He is influenced by the ancient Chinese artists, whose “symbols of eternity” led him to create a dialogue with the land, elaborating on its meaning and man’s role within it. Often, he begins with a straightforward focus on the geology and topography of a scene, how light and shadow interact; from there he extrapolates in ways that express universal energy and the physics of paint, using such devices as scrapings, texture, and glazes to create what he calls “windows” and “doors” into the heart of the work. The result is compelling and is attracting collectors from across the United States.

Lavadour has won many awards and been exhibited nationally in museums and galleries, plus his work is in numerous private and public collections. After a stint at Rutgers Brodsky Center for Innovative Print and Paper, Lavadour became one of the founders of Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts, a nonprofit art facility, to bring technology, instruction, and cultural exchange to artists on the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

(Images from top: Blueback, 36x48; Blast, 24x30; Hummingbird, 48x60 - all oil on panel)

For more images and information on this fascinating artist:

PDX Contemporary Art Gallery, Portland, Oregon – http://www.pdxcontemporaryart.com/
Cumberland Gallery, Nashville, Tennessee – http://www.cumberlandgallery.com
Grover Thurston Gallery, Seattle, Washington – http://www.groverthurston.com/

-- Rosemary Carstens

http://carstenscommunications.com

“Earthlings with whom we share this planet . . .”

2008-12-27T10:39:00.000-08:00

Just out this month, EARTHLINGS: THE PAINTINGS OF TOM PALMORE (University of Oklahoma Press 2008), by Susan Hallsten McGarry and with a foreword by Adam Harris, is a compilation of the real, the surreal, and the stunning virtuosity of an artist who imaginatively approaches the complexity of nature in his work.

Tom Palmore emerged from the 1970s photorealist movement, using it as a springboard to reach far beyond its obvious parameters. It is amazing, of course, to be able to reproduce any of nature’s creations so clearly that viewers often remark, “It feels like you could touch that cougar’s nose.” But Palmore only pauses slightly at that level of perfection—he brings to his work a passion for those animal-kingdom dwellers that share our planet and extends his technical virtuosity to provide new ways of thinking about and seeing these other living beings. His juxtapositions of animals and settings are unexpected, sometimes humorous, always thought provoking.

This is the first book to record Palmore’s four-decade career. Author Susan Hallsten McGarry introduces us to the stories behind the paint, to the artist’s philosophy, process, and themes. McGarry, independent curator and author of numerous catalogs and monographs on American artists, was editor-in-chief of Southwest Art magazine from 1979 to 1997. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Adam Harris is curator of art at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming.

-- Rosemary Carstens

http://www.CarstensCommunications.com

Imagining Two Cultures . . .Alfredo J. Sanchez

2008-12-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

Now calling Wimberley, Texas, his home, Latino artist ALFREDO SANCHEZ creates vibrant works of art by drawing from a rich well of memory and cultural history. Growing up in San Miguel de Allende, a renowned art colony a few hours by bus north of Mexico City, it was not unusual for him to see artists working in the town’s main plaza, painting the colorful colonial district, the street scenes, all the traditional activities of the community. Alfredo loved watching them work and spent many quiet hours drawing in the courtyard of his home. At age seven, he learned to paint in classes taught at the library by San Miguel’s artists.

As Alfredo says today, “My paintings express memories, images and patterns from this place where church spires touch the sky and magical occurrences are daily events.” He loves to paint “beauty in the abstract,” simplifying forms, using geometric shapes to capture the essence and gestural qualities of a subject. He looks for patterns in the shapes and sees forms in the shadows. “As I work, I play with color. I see a multitude of colors in the natural world but rarely do I see a solid color. There's a freedom in choosing which colors to intensify, to alter, and which to imbue with emotion. I like to paint in layers of color, where sometimes jarring tones lie side by side, but are tamed slightly when the eye blends them.”

Sanchez paints everything around him, from stunning abstracts to landscapes and portraits. His small abstracts and a series of prints reflect scenes from his childhood—recollections of summer afternoons spent in his grandfather’s garden, playing amidst fruit-laden trees and masses of flowers, the hum of bees often on the air; stately town processions on holy days; the main church’s spire against a cerulean sky. More recently he has begun a series of mixed-media collages, such as the one pictured here, combining acrylics, a bold palette, and scraps of silk and batik to create compelling images drawn from the natural world. He is married to American textile artist SUSAN CRANSHAW and the two of them find their individual work enriched by their dual culture and history. Alfredo’s canvases carry a subtle narrative beneath their skillful rendering—stories, not only of his past but of his present. Stories that lend themselves to interpretation, that engage and intrigue us as we make them our own.

To see more of Alfredo Sanchez’s work and learn more about his unique paintings:

http://www.alfredojsanchez.com/

Gallery on the Square, Wimberley, TX – (512) 847-9904
http://www.galleryonthesquare.com/

New Braunfels Art League Gallery, New Braunfels, TX – (830) 629-8022
http://www.newbraunfelsartleague.com/

--Rosemary Carstens

MARLENE ROSE – Creating Life from Heat and Light . . .

2008-11-21T09:53:00.000-08:00

From an early age, Marlene Rose envisioned her art as a means of forging past, present, and future. Her innovative sculptures are sandcast by hand from molten glass in an impressive fusion of heat and light. Adding to the uniqueness of each creation is her inclusion of found objects, making each piece simultaneously ancient yet contemporary. Drawing on a Buddhist tradition, she often expresses her desire for peace through her work.

In the end, Marlene’s process celebrates the exceptional properties of glass—transparency, reflection, and luminous color—while each piece also retains the shape and texture of the materials that molded them. Within each, as the artist says, are “kept moments, shards of what I have seen, unnamed emotions, visions, concepts, and memories.” Her goal as an artist is to inject life energy into whatever she makes.

Marlene’s work is in the permanent collection of the Gulf Coast Museum of Art, Largo, FL, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Yerevan, Armenia. She’s had museum shows in Largo, FL, Santa Fe, NM, and Mobile, AL, and her work has been exhibited in galleries across the nation with many more to come in the months ahead. For more about Marlene Rose, visit her website at http://www.marleneroseglass.com .

Paul Mobley captures life in between the coasts . . . American Life

2008-11-03T15:54:00.000-08:00

As some of you may know, in 2003, I set out to follow a dream of traveling solo from Longmont, Colorado, to the West Coast, by motorcycle. I had visions of dipping my road-worn boots in the Pacific Ocean and feeling a strong sense of accomplishment. I ended up riding 3,800 miles through 8 states, not only from Colorado to the Pacific Ocean in northern California, but up through Oregon and across the river to Washington State before turning back east. I was gone 3 weeks and it was wonderful. Sure, there were times when I wondered what the heck I was doing so far from home all alone, especially when my only company on the highway was the wind (doing its best to blow me down) and the occasional semi roaring past and shaking me to my toes with its jet stream. But the very best thing of all, next to waking up each morning and taking off for a day of unknown adventure, no computers, cell phones, or telephones, was all the small towns, independent coffee shops, and local people I saw along the way.

We get so much scary news all the time; this administration has cultivated an atmosphere of fear. What I saw out there across the country renewed my belief that most folks are just like us, concerned with getting a day’s work done, caring for family, doing right by those around them. Every other person isn’t a serial killer, a con man, a doper, or a rapist, contrary to the nightly news and the majority of prime time TV programs. I especially loved the faces, the weather-worn faces of old farmers, waitresses, young people, parents—of all sizes, ages, and colors. These were faces of people I grew up with, who had seen rural life as I’d seen it. I felt comfortable and never felt anything but welcome. It seems that Paul Mobley saw and experienced the same thing.

About a year after my trip, PAUL MOBLEY was in a coffee shop in rural northern Michigan when the idea came to him as he looked around and saw all these weathered, salt-of-the-earth faces: He knew he had to photograph them. That idea took him on a 100,000 mile trip down back roads, small towns, farmland, and prairie in 35 states. From more than 32,000 photographs, he chose 300 that appear in his new book, American Farmer: The Heart of Our Country (http://www.welcomebooks.com/). His work is so beautiful, his subjects so diverse, so representative of the faces of America today. I thought you might like to know about him and his work. You can see more by visiting his website at http://www.paulmobleystudio.com/ .

-- Rosemary Carstens

Museum of Latin American Art Announces Award Winners!

2008-10-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

Six awards were handed out this past weekend during MOLAA's 2008 invitational juried art competition for merging and midcareer contemporary Latin American artists. Invitations went out to 83 artists from Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean and winners will not only receive cash prizes, but will have the opportunity to achieve greater exposure to new audiences for their work. Each artist donates his or her entry to the museum and the winners become part of their permanent collection; the others are offered during Auction 08 for acquisition by collectors. All proceeds benefit the museum's ongoing exhibition, collection, and education programs.

Top award winners for 2008 are: Best of Show ($20,000), Leyla Cardenas (Colombia); Painting and Two-Dimensional Mixed Media ($5,000)(see image above), Rocio Rendon Castaneda (Peru); Sculpture and Three-Dimensional Mixed Media ($5,000), Angel Delgado Fuentes (Cuba); Works on Paper ($5,000), Mayra Barraza (El Salvador); Photography and Video ($5,000), Claudio Castillo (Cuba); and Honorable Mention went to Daniel Fiorda (Argentina).

More than a museum, MOLAA is a renowned cultural center that presents a wide array of special events and educational programs. It is located in the heart of the East Village Arts District of Long Beach, CA. If you in the LA area for any reason, consider dropping in to see this jewel of a museum and its fascinating collection! For more information: http://www.molaa.org

Fire Light: The Life of Angel De Cora, Winnebago Artist

2008-10-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

This amazing book, just out, is written by Linda M. Waggoner, an independent scholar, who resides in the bay area and published by the University of Oklahoma Press. This is the first biography about Angel De Cora, an important artist, teacher, and Red Progressive, born in 1869 in Nebraska. Waggoner does an exceptional job of scholarship, digging deeply into archives and letters, following every lead to turn up more, and yet this is not a scholarly read. Waggoner shows herself to be an artist as she paints for us a vivid picture of a flesh and blood woman who became one of the first American Indians to be accepted within the mainstream art world, a woman who significantly influenced the American Arts and Crafts movement. The life story of Angel De Cora is embedded in the history of the times and reveals some startling facts about prevailing ideas of race and education, and about a woman’s place in both. The book features more than forty illustrations, including a reproduction of Fire Light, which Angel painted to depict nostalgic memories of her childhood.

-- Rosemary Carstens

Author’s website: http://www.angeldecora.com

To purchase this book NOW, go to: Fire Light: The Life of Angel De Cora, Winnebago Artist

Author, Linda M. Waggoner

New Mexico Ceramist Inspires with Creative Visions

2008-09-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

Santa Fe ceramist Deborah Rael-Buckley creates life-size chair and figure ceramic sculptures layered with meaning and rich symbolism. Each stoneware piece features branches, bones, ropes, writing, and symbols intertwined to create a thought-provoking play of light, shadow, and story. Beneath the obvious beauty and innovation of Rael-Buckley’s work lies a narrative about culture, religion, and family.

Deborah is an award-winning artist, born under the hot New Mexico sun, who has lived, studied, and worked in such diverse regions as Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Cortona, Italy, and, most recently, in Brussels, Belgium. Her work can be seen in museums, private collections, in her studio, on her website, or at Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe.

The artist’s newest work is informed by research into her ancestors, by her travels, and by her journey home to her birth place: “I love the New Mexican landscape and the state’s varied cultures. My work relates to that and my feeling of being rooted here.”

To learn more about this artist and her imaginative work: http://www.deborahraelbuckley.com

Traveling to the West Coast this fall? Don’t Miss MOLAA’s Auction/Awards 2008!

2008-09-07T12:13:00.000-07:00

September and October present an amazing opportunity to add contemporary Latin American art works to your collection. Each fall, the Latin American Art Museum (MOLAA) in Long Beach, CA, holds its premiere auction event, consisting this year of an exhibition of 240 works of art, all generously donated by artists and collectors to support the museum’s programs and to allow public access to art otherwise difficult to acquire. All pieces will be on view in the Main, Long, and Lexus exhibition galleries from September 20-October 17, and can also be previewed on the museum’s website at http://www.molaa.org. They will be auctioned during the silent and live auctions held on the weekend of October 18 and 19.

This is also the season for the annual MOLAA awards, an invitational juried art competition that invites mid-career artists from Latin America to share their work with the museum’s audience. The competition recognizes the achievement and merit of five artists and the winners will be announced on Saturday, October 18. Award-winning pieces will become part of the MOLAA Permanent Collection.

For fans of the amazing art coming out of a full range of Latin American countries, plus work created by Latino/a artists in North American, this is a fabulous chance to see your favorites firsthand. For those unfamiliar with this segment of the art world, prepare to fall in love! For all, it is a chance to include unique and imaginative work to your collection!

--Rosemary Carstens

Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters

2008-08-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

In the mid-19th century impressionists such as Monet, Manet, Renoir, and Degas, took their paints and easels outdoors to better capture the effects of light and air. Thus was the technique of plein air painting born and artists worldwide have been doing it ever since. One contemporary group of plein air painters in the Western United States are particularly drawn outdoors by the Rocky Mountains. Since the founding of the Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters (RMPAP) in 2001, it has maintained an active schedule of demonstrations and paint-outs (painting events with a show/sale). One of its biggest and most enjoyable events took place in Winter Park between July 26th and August 3rd this year and involved 40 invited artists and over 250 newly created paintings done in the incredibly beautiful Frasier Valley/Winter Park area.

MORNING TREASURE, shown here and painted by Jake Gaedtke, was awarded Best of Show and is but one example of the fine work produced during the event. More of Gaedtke’s remarkable ability to bring to life the Rocky Mountain landscape, his consistently lively brushwork and eye for detail and color, can be viewed at http://www.landscape-art.com/.

Lam and Luna, two innovative Cuban artists, on view at Long Beach’s fabulous new Museum of Latin American Art --

2008-08-07T14:14:00.000-07:00

June 15–August 31, 2008

Born in Cuba in 1902, dying in Paris in 1982, Afro-Chinese Cuban artist WILFREDO LAM is well known throughout Latin America for his innovative work. A master among the mid-20th-century modern artists, he drew from both Picasso’s cubism and Andre Breton’s surrealism, yet gave these styles a unique twist of his own. As it says on the MOLAA website, “His visual language is a synthesis of Cubism, Surrealism, primitivism, . . . Afro-Cuban history and ethnicity, and the religious practice of Santería.” It is as striking today as it was in his lifetime. Sixty-five of his most important paintings, gouaches, and drawings from a traveling exhibition curated by Curtis Carter will be on view.

During the same period, an exhibit featuring the work of CARLOS LUNA is at MOLAA. Another Cuban artist, he is known for his iterations of Manichean duality. He was born in 1961 in Cuba and became a part of the 1980s artistic rebellion. He relocated to Puebla, Mexico, in 1991, and his years there added a Mexican muralism narrative to his Cuban-Havana School heritage.

Luna's exhibition in MOLAA’s Focus Gallery presents a selection of seventeen paintings recently created by the artist. The central masterpiece is Luna’s work titled, El Gran Mambo. Essayist Enrique Garcia Gutierrez states, “his ‘gran mambo,’ his grand theater, could not exist without the tragedy and pain of the political exile, which is the blood that gives life to this masterpiece.”

The work of these two fine Cuban artists should not be missed. It will crack open your mind and introduce you to dynamic new ways of thinking about color, juxtaposition, cultural expression, and the use of rhythm in visual art.

— Rosemary Carstens

2008-02-28T16:05:00.000-08:00

2008-02-22T13:41:00.000-08:00

FIRST ANNUAL MOLESKINERIE EXHIBIT - CHECK IT OUT!

http://www.moleskinerie.com/2008/01/welcome-to-the.html

If you love to explore artists' sketchbooks, write in journals, doodle on napkins, play with color on your travels, you will love this exhibit of images submitted by those who write in Moleskin journals. Rosemary

2008-02-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

UPCOMING EXHIBITS TO KEEP IN MIND

Philadelphia Museum of Art - A Unique Double Header

More info: http://www,philamuseum.org/

Frida Kahlo
February 20, 2008 - May 18, 2008

Here is what the museum has to say about this extraordinary exhibition:

Organized in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the artist's birth, Frida Kahlo is the first major Kahlo exhibition in the United States in nearly fifteen years. It presents over 40 of the artist's most important self-portraits, still lifes, and portraits from the beginning of her career in 1926 until her death in 1954. Rendered in vivid colors and realistic detail, Kahlo's jewel-like paintings are filled with complex symbolism, often relating to specific incidents in her life. In her iconic self-portraits the artist continually reinvented herself. . . .The exhibition includes loans from over 30 private and institutional collections in the United States, Mexico, France, and Japan, several of which have never been on public view in the United States. [The exhibit] also features a selection of nearly 100 photographs of Kahlo and her husband, Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, by preeminent international photographers of the period, such as Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Lola Alvarez Bravo, Gisele Freund, Tina Modotti, and Nickolas Muray.

Curators:
Hayden Herrera • Frida Kahlo scholar and biographerElizabeth Carpenter • Associate Curator, Walker Art Center, MinneapolisAt the Philadelphia Museum of Art:Michael Taylor • The Muriel and Philip Berman Curator of Modern ArtEmily Hage • Modern and Contemporary Art

Fragile Demon: Juan Soriano in Mexico, 1935–1950
February 16, 2008 - May 11, 2008

At last an opportunity to view the work of this intriguing artist! Here is the museum's description of the exhibit:

[This exhibit] examines the early work of one of modern Mexico’s most intriguing artists. Although Juan Soriano (1920–2006) holds a critical position within the history of Mexican painting and sculpture from the 1930s until his recent death, his art is curiously almost unknown outside of Mexico. While recent exhibitions on Soriano have examined his paintings and sculpture from 1950 onward, very few have focused on the artist's exceptional paintings from the 1930s and 1940s. These works—portraits of friends and family, images of children, still-lifes, and landscapes—offer a distinctive variation on the themes and artistic styles that preoccupied Soriano's contemporaries. When Soriano moved to Mexico City in 1935 he entered into a lively visual and personal dialogue with Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Jose Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, among others. In addition to responding to the work of these prominent Mexican artists, he drew upon his deep interest in popular and indigenous arts, as well as Cubism, German Expressionism, Fauvism, and Surrealism, creating his own personal style of romantic realism.

Curators:
Edward J. Sullivan • Professor of Fine Arts, New York University
At the Philadelphia Museum of Art:
Michael Taylor • the Muriel and Philip Berman Curator of Modern Art
Emily Hage • Modern and Contemporary Art

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LIKE TO COMBINE ART AND TRAVEL? Read award-winning author and actor Ron McLarty's blog post at http://carstensFEAST.blogspot.com about bringing endurance to the table.