Tomorrow at Strathmore
For the last few months, together with DC area art uberstars Susana Raab and Tim Tate, I have been mentoring emerging Washington, DC area artists Minna Philips, Solomon Slyce, Wilmer Wilson IV and Brittany Sims, as part of the Strathmore Fine AIR program - a very cool program which offers local visual arts talent in the DC area a mentoring hand by pairing emerging artists with established professionals in the community.
I was absolutely blown away by the talent of these four young artists, and after all the meetings, discussions, reviews and talks, they conclude their residency experience by unveiling new works in the Strathmore Fine Artists in Residence Exhibition, which opens tomorrow and runs through August 20 at the gorgeous Strathmore Mansion on Rockville Pike.
According to the Strathmore release, in describing the four artists, we learn that Minna Philips “plays with perception by recontextualizing paradoxical objects, challenging the viewer to create original and unfettered interpretations of her work. She furthers this exploration by presenting an obscure and little-known Strathmore artifact, the grotto, in an equally obscure way. Minna distances the grotto from being identifiable by photographing it from a variety of angles and perspectives, scanning the images and, finally, meticulously sketching them on velum using pencil to recreate the look of black and white photography. The images are randomly mounted in a giant, gridded window in the Mansion, alluding to the exterior campus which inspired for the work. The final assemblage appears fragmented and abstract, further veiling the identity of a structure which is already out of context with the current use of the Mansion. Strathmore’s grotto was formerly a place of worship for the nuns of St. Mary’s Academy, who used the Mansion as a convent and school under the name St. Angela Hall. Minna will also present mixed media pieces that include glass prisms installed in shadow boxes. Using special lighting and mirrors, the glass prisms will reflect and distort drawn images.
Solomon Slyce creates a dialogue about sensitive and emotionally-charged social issues through satirical photography. Seemingly benign and disarming, even comical, upon further inspection Solomon’s work incorporates nuanced themes such as interracial marriage, immigration, financial corruption in religious institutions and other themes germane to his identity as an African American male, city dweller and urban schoolteacher. He exercises supreme artistic control over his photographs to create carefully-staged environments, overseeing every detail, from costume, props and actor selection to set design. The Fine Artists in Residence Exhibition will feature existing work from his portfolio, as well as new pieces in which he addresses social issues and stereotypes by creating digital photographs in the likeness of distinctive techniques by iconic artists such as Andy Warhol, Irving Sinclair and Grant Wood.
Installation artist Wilmer Wilson IV creates site-specific sculptural works using accessible consumer goods. By making use of everyday materials in his work, he transforms everyday experiences into aesthetic ones. In the Mansion he will use more than 1,000 inflated paper bags to create a room-filling organic form. The installation will explore the implications that one oft-overlooked and mundane object can have when amassed in one place. Also included in the exhibition are photographs of his previous works, depicting paper bags pervading all aspects of his life. The images serve as documents of his non-permanent installations and also as contemplative compositions in themselves.
Environmental catastrophes inform Brittany Sims’ ominous paintings. A student at Tulane University in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina decimated the city, Brittany felt a connectedness to the devastating tornado that ravaged Joplin, Missouri in May. She appropriates photographs from newspapers and from personal Flickr pages, recreating them with acrylic paint on shower curtains, an extension of her experimental painting on different canvas materials and shapes.”
Since I had been deeply involved with these artists for a few months, I thought that I knew what was coming to the exhibition, and yet I was completely blown away when I actually got a peek sneak at the show – while delivering my own work – did I mention that the show also features work by the three mentors?
What Wilson delivered by the intelligent use of the air from his lungs is beyond visual belief – this young man is a genius and you should all start following his work now. His marriage of the always slippery world of the great conceptual idea and the actual delivery of that idea is as close to perfection as I have ever seen in these minimalist artists who find their materials where the rest of us fail to see art – remember this name.
Slyce is a modern version of the photographer who sets up his scenes; he’s a marriage of the genius of Hollywood with the genius of such photog-stars as Cindy Sherman, etc. His images come in sets of two – his look at gambling looks at cool cheaters paired with symbols of gambling – humor, a sorely missing part of contemporary art, is part of his work, and it is Slyce’s brilliance which comes through in this difficult handshake.
Both Phillips and Sims surprise the viewer by taking the art out of the expected context – Phillips does it by her dexterous handling of vellum to almost make it seem like a photographic installation. Sims does it with an understated elegance that push what Sam Gilliam did decades ago to a new contemporary dialogue.
My kudos to both this great new program and to these four rising new stars. The opening is tomorrow from 7-9 PM.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Al vaiven de mi carreta
Classic Cuban "country music" or a "son guajiro" about the hard work involved in being a "carretero" - Interesting how the version made famous by Eliades Ochoa through the Buena Vista megahit is slightly different from the original version from the 30s.
The original is first...
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Elizabeth Ward: The Virtue of Strathmore's Visuals
In DC, Strathmore is usually where one goes to listen to the incredible Baltimore Symphony, experience contemporary dance, or even take in a popular musician’s concert. But Strathmore is not just for the performing arts anymore. In fact, one big reason to take a visit to Strathmore is to get to know Strathmore Fine Art and its Fine Artist in Residence (Fine AIR) Exhibition.Read the piece at the Pink Line Project here, and check out the exhibition here, and then come to the opening this Friday from 7-9PM!
Yes, Strathmore has fine visual art! Its Fine AIR program cultivates local visual arts talent in the DC area by pairing emerging artists with established professionals in the community. Here’s how it works: For six months, these young artists build an audience, hone their craft, and premiere a new body of work – all while being guided, critiqued, and taught by stellar local mentors.
Book Release Party: 23 July
The 100 Washington, DC Artists book should be available at most DMV area bookstores very soon and the book release party will be July 23rd at Conner Contemporary in DC.
The book release party is by invitation only, so please RSVP to me at lenny@lennycampello.com if you'd like to be added to the invite list or RSVP on Facebook here. Most of the artists will be there, so this is your chance to get your copy signed by them. You can bring your own copy or a very limited number of books will be available for sale at the party. If you'd like to reserve a book, please email me, as I am only bringing a limited number and a lot of them have been reserved already.
The book is also available online at the usual sites (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, etc.) or directly from the publisher.
If you want to support your local bookstore, you can have them order it for you here.
Location
Conner Contemporary Art
1358 Florida Ave, NE
Washington, DC
Date: Saturday, July 23, from 3-5 PM
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Kuba Kuba in Richmond: Fail!
I had heard a lot of good things about this restaurant from my Richmond friends, so a while back, while delivering some artwork to a local collector, I dropped by and had dinner.
The atmosphere is very trendy and somewhat hip, which is something different from most Cuban restaurants outside of NYC. It looked like a very cool restaurant which happened to serve (I was told) great Cuban food.
I knew that something was wrong when I was served a basket of chips and salsa as soon as I sat down.
I rationalized it as the fact that in Richmond, even a Cuban restaurant has to "normalize" and come down to the fact that a lot of people think that Mexico starts south of the border and there are no other culinary traditions elsewhere in the twenty-something other nations in the Americas... maybe they got tired of people asking for chips and salsa.
Notice to Kuba Kuba: Cuban food does not include chips and salsa... perhaps a serving of mariquitas (fried, thin chips made out of plantains), but not Mexican tortilla chips - in a Cuban cuisine, a tortilla is an omelet.
I ordered the most basic of Cuban dishes, which of course, came with the staple of Cuban food: white rice and black beans.
There is a long cultural tradition assigned to this dish, and even its Cuban Spanish name (moros y cristianos or "moors and christians") tell you something about the dish (rumored to honor the 100th anniversary in 1592 of Queen Isabella's final victory over the Moors in 1492).
I was horrified when my moros y cristianos was brought to me with the black beans piled atop the white rice.
HUGE cultural gaffe! These two parts of this key Cuban dish are always, always, always served in separate dishes and only the eater can mix them, if he/she desires to mix it.
When cooked together, a different dish, called "congri" is the result: Different dish, different flavor, different recipe.
Overall, the food was acceptable, but far from stellar or memorable, although it is probably one of the few variants of Latin American food available to Richmonders... too bad the owners (I am willing to bet they're not of Cuban ancestry) miss the rich cultural tradition that goes along with proper Cuban food.
Fail!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Back Cover
Here is the back cover of my 100 Artists of Washington, DC book.
I am told that Amazon has been telling all those of you who pre-ordered the book that it will arrive to you either (1) this weekend or (2) mid August. Not sure what the deal is, but it is available now directly from the publisher and they ship it right away.
I will have 20 copies that I've ordered (and received right away) for sale at the book opening party (July 23rd from 3-5 at Conner Contemporary, RSVP required), and some of those have already been reserved, so if you'd like me to reserve one for you for the opening so that you can get it signed by the attending artists, send me an an email.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Things we see in Ebay
This seller has lucked out in discovering a trove of "after" unknown works by most dead blue chip artists on the planet.
He does state in bold words:
SELLER DOES NOT ASSUME ANY LEGAL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE AUTHENTICITY, QUALITY, ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR USEFULNESS OF ANY ITEMI know what Richard Pryor would have said...
Goldstein on (e)merge
This city long recognized for art that is old and historic is, it appears, becoming a hub for art that is bold and new.The WaPo's Jessica Goldstein writes about (e)merge; read it here.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Why D.C. Needs an Emerging Art Fair?
Why start a new fair for emerging art in Washington, D.C.? As collector Mera Rubell puts it, "Politics is not the only game in D.C., just like Hollywood isn't the only game in L.A. Washington spends more money on art than any other place on earth. Culture is a monster industry here, and D.C. is poised to become a powerful art destination. This city is a diamond in the rough."Read the whole article in ArtInfo here.
As the creators of the (e)merge art fair, which will debut in D.C. this September 22-25, we believe that the nation's capital is a burgeoning market for contemporary art. In recent years, D.C.'s art community has grown and diversified, while strengthening its interconnections and forging new relationships with the business community. Along with artistic advancement, the region's private business and tech sectors have expanded. The mutually reinforcing factors of creative artistic energy, entrepreneurial innovation, and economic growth provide a stimulating environment for emerging art. With enthusiastic support from D.C.'s museums, galleries, collectors, nonprofit spaces, city officials, and residents, this event is positioned to tap directly into the region's evolution.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Come to this opening
As I've noted before, Susana Raab, Tim Tate and I have been mentoring some exceptional young artists as part of the Fine Artists in Residence program at Strathmore.
I've had a preview of the final exhibition and I can tell you that these four young artists have left me speechless with what they have created for this final show. Come and visit and prepare to be impressed!
The opening is Friday July 22, 2011 from 7-9PM. I have a brand new video drawing in the exhibition.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Opportunity for Artists
Are you an artist who would like to exhibit your outdoor sculpture work or other installation for an entire month? Are you a homeowner who would be interested in hosting a beautiful work of art in your front yard throughout August? If so, then the North Capitol Main Street Art + Music Walk wants to hear from you!
Now in its third year, the annual North Capitol Main Street Art + Music Walk (formerly known as “First On 1st”) brings together residents of DC’s North Capitol neighborhoods with local businesses, artists and other creatives, and showcases the area as a whole to the entire District. Homeowners in Bloomingdale, Eckington, and Truxton Circle graciously offer up their lawns to serve as pop-up installation spaces throughout the month of August, as the neighborhood celebrates its culture of community – and its community of culture – by showcasing live music, great art, and fine foods from area restaurants.Details here.
This year, we have a goal of including twenty (20) artists and homes to display art, and there will be four stages set up to feature live performances during the kick-off celebration on Saturday, August 6.
If you’re interested in taking part, please e-mail josef@pinklineproject.com to get involved — and we`ll see you at this year’s North Capitol Main Street Art + Music Walk!
Peter Anton
Click on the image below to get a better view of the curious case of American artist Peter Anton and his former German dealer.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Artomatic @ Frederick Announces Dates!
Artomatic @ Frederick will take place this fall from September 28 - November 6, 2011.
Tours of the space at 115 East Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701 will take place on the following days in July:
July 16 at 9,10 and 11 AM
July 23 at 9,10 and 11 AM
July 24 at 10 and 11 AM
July 30 at 9,10 and 11 AM
July 31 at 10 and 11 AM
Artist Registration begins August 1st.
Information: www.artomaticfrederick.org
Questions: aom21701@gmail.com
Phone: 240-285-3758
Saturday, July 09, 2011
New space for Cross MacKenzie
Join them at their gorgeous new space. Their first show there is "Summer Selections". Join them for summer cocktails in their new gallery space on July 14th 6-8pm.
Friday, July 08, 2011
Gorgeous drawing up for auction
A British art dealer has this gorgeous charcoal drawing of mine, circa 2000 up for auction here and it's going for a steal!
Hurry, the auction ends in less than 2 days!
