Artist at the Altar of Modern Art

Here is my latest work in my evolving marriage of traditional art with electronics. This could possibly be my favorite work of art in my seminal exploration of the marriage of art and technology. It has everything that I strive for: technical skill, narrative, a sense of place and something that really pulls someone into the work.

This piece is watercolors, acrylic, charcoal and an embedded digital player that every five seconds dissolves a new image from the art stock of 20th century masters and near masters... Pollock, Rothko, Mondrian, Washington Color School dudes, Basquiat... and hacks like Still.

It will make its debut next Wednesday at the Affordable Art Fair in New York City. Anyone in need of some passes, send me an email.

I'm confident that this work will find a home in NYC once someone with some sharp eyes for what the future of painting/drawing looks like notices it!

Artist Worshiping at the Altar of Modern Art (Version II)
17 x 35 inches. Watercolor, acrylic, charcoal and gesso on paper.
2013 by F. Lennox Campello

Mmm...

Photographers across the country can breathe a sigh of relief. The U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York dismissed collector Jonathan Sobel’s lawsuit against photographer William Eggleston. The case, art law experts say, has broader implications for all artists who incorporate old photographic negatives into new work — and the collectors who support them.

Filed last April, the complaint alleged that Eggleston diluted the value of Sobel’s collection by printing larger, digital versions of some of his best-known works and then selling them for record prices at Christie’s.

 Read about it here.

It took 32 years to sell this painting...

When I was an art student at the University of Washington School of Art in the world's greenest city, the beautiful Seattle in the other Washington, one of the classes that we had was to create works in the style of "masters."

Back then I was in the ecstasy of having just discovered the works of Frida Kahlo, and being the talented antagonist that I am, I delighted in working the now iconic visage into as many art school assignments as I could.

This drove a lot of my art school professors batty, as control is always part of being a professor of anything, even though in art (at least back then) it was all about about freedom of doing whatever you wanted.

One week, the assignment was to paint a canvas in the style of Jackson Pollock, which as most art hacks now, can essentially be done with you eyes closed in zip time.

I delivered a four foot by four foot square canvas which delighted the Prof. -- him and I having had a few discussions about "following directions..." -- There was no Kahlo visage in sight! No eyebrows anywhere in the dripping of colors.

I got an A for the class.

Here's the painting below... it's actually a mediocre Pollock, but a brilliant drip painting in the style of the guy who was teaching the class and who was a drip painter... cough, cough; but there's more to the story.

Frida Kahlo in a Jackson Pollock Universe
F. Lennox Campello, oil on canvas, 4 ft x 4 ft, circa 1981

Dude should have been suspicious of the title... heh, heh... but usually people want to see what they want to see...

And below is an image of the painting once the hidden flap in the center is removed...

And here's what's in the middle, under a most clever flap...

When I (of course) showed the hack (after grades had been recorded) the "real" work... he was furious at first... and then he laughed and congratulated me on my assholishness...

That painting has had a long and very cool provenance... it was exhibited back then at the University of Washington, and decades later at the Fraser Gallery show Passion for Frida: 27 Years of Frida Kahlo exhibition that got loads of coverage (for the DMV anyway), with a nice review in the Washington Times and a profile on the Washington City Paper.

After that it was everywhere! Santa Fe, New York, Miami...

And then, out of the blue (well... not really) ... it's now heading to a major art collector in Bryn Mawr, PA.

It took Frida and Jackson's marriage 32 years to find a home... but a home they have found!

Saltz on the Death of the Gallery Show

"Art doesn’t have to be shown in New York to be validated. That requirement is long gone..."

 Read the whole article here.

Jobs in the Arts

Various job opportunities at the Guggenheim Museum: NYC, USA.Deadline: asap.
http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/about/jobs/full-time
Current available positions at The Museum of Modern Art, MOMA NYC: NYC, USA.Deadline: asap.
http://www.moma.org/about/jobs

Current available positions at The Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC. USA.Deadline: asap.
http://whitney.org/About/JobPostings

Civilian Art Projects' director Jayme McLellan has been working with the Embassy of The Kingdom of Spain to help promote the LATINO/US Cotidiano exhibition. They've worked hard to produce the show, and props to Bridget Sue Lambert who printed all of the photographs. Opening details at the bottom.

'LATINO/US Cotidiano'

A national traveling exhibition and photobook visualizing the U.S. Latino experience today through 12 of the most talented photographic voices working internationally.

SPAIN arts & culture is pleased to present a national traveling exhibition and book, LATINO/US Cotidiano. Literally meaning "everyday life," Cotidiano is a dynamic look at the rapidly changing nature of the Latino experience in America.

The Hispanic population in the U.S. has reached the 50 million mark, making the Latino community the largest minority in the country for the first time. One out of every six Americans is now of Hispanic origin, an impressive social transformation with enormous political, economic, and cultural consequences. Outdated stereotypes, racial profiles, and past cultural archetypes no longer accurately reflect a nation enriched by a growing and diverse population. But what does it look like today?

To better understand this culturally shifting phenomenon, SPAIN arts & culture commissioned Claudi Carreras, one of the foremost experts on IberoAmerican Latino photography, to research and gather the strongest photographic voices working today on issues of Latino identity. For LATINO/US Cotidiano, Carreras selected established and emerging photographers of Latino descent who embrace the theme and also excel at their craft: Carlos Alvárez Montero, Sol Aramendi, Katrina Marcelle d'Autremont, Calé, Ricardo Cases, Livia Corona, Héctor Mata, Karen Miranda, Dulce Pinzón, Susana Raab, Stefan Ruiz, and Gihan Tubbeh.

Join us also for a book presentation, Q&A and signing on April 3, 2013 at 6 pm at the National Portrait Gallery with Associate Curator of Photographs Frank Goodyear, LATINO/US Cotidiano curator Claudi Carreras, and photographers Ricardo Cases and Susana Raab, moderated by Carlos Tapia, Professor at American University. 

WHEN

Opening Preview April 4, 2013 @ 6:30-8:30 pm  Exhibition on view April 4-May 12, 2013 Wed-Fri: 5-8 pm Sat: 11 am - 8 pm Sun: 11 am - 6 pm

WHERE

Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain

2801 16th St NW

Washington, D.C. 20009

Map it

+ INFO

This event on spainculture.us

RSVP

RSVP required for the Opening Preview:contact@spainculture.us Free and open to the public.

More bucks for DC public art

The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) has just announced a proposed $2.3 million increase to the city's public art budget in the most recent Capital Improvements Plan by Mayor Vincent C. Gray. The proposed budget increase, which will take effect in FY 2014, will allot a $5 million annual capital allocation for public art over the next six years.

The DCCAH administers public art in the District through its DC Creates! Public Art program. This program, which is funded by the city's Capital Budget purchases, commissions, and installs artworks for public sites throughout the District of Columbia, including parks, libraries, community centers, government offices, bridges and other public venues. The collection includes more than 100 permanently sited and integrated works and over 2,600 portable works in District Government offices.

"The mayor's $2.3 budget increase is a significant investment in making the District of Columbia a world-class arts and culture destination," said Lionell Thomas, Executive Director of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. "Investing in the aesthetic qualities of this city provides for a improved quality of life, creates cultural attractions as well as develops a sense of place in our neighborhoods."

Sleepout at the Capitol Skyline Hotel

Pencil it in: April 20

DC's own WPA is hosting an art-filled, art-music-and-film-fueled sleep-out at the Morris Lapidus-designed Capitol Skyline Hotel!  

There will be installation art by Megan Blafas, embarrassing opportunities in karaoke with Jeremy Flick, and performances by the very cool Calder Brannock, Maida Withers' Dance Construction Company, chukwuma agubokwu, and the very fair and talented Kathryn Cornelius!

Get your tickets here !

When sailors drink...

Here's a puzzle that has confounded Sailors for decades... even the brightest among us.

You are on a Horse, galloping at a constant speed.

On your starboard side is a sharp drop off.

And on your port side is an Elephant traveling at the same speed as you.

Directly in front of you is a galloping Kangaroo and your horse is unable
to overtake it.

Behind you is a Lion running at the same speed as you and the Kangaroo.

What must you do to safely get out of this highly dangerous situation?

After years of research, the DoD has come up with the answer to this rather odd, but unusually common situation... been there and done that.... scroll down for the answer...






























Hey Squid!!! Get your drunk ass off the merry-go-round!

Trawick Prize Deadline is Monday!!!

The deadline for TheTrawick Prize: BethesdaContemporary Art Awards is next Monday!  

This annual juried art exhibition awards $14,000 in prize money annually to the top four artists. A group exhibition of the finalists’ work will take place in September 2013 at Gallery B in downtown Bethesda. With a top prize of $10,000, The Trawick Prize is one of the largest and most prestigious contemporary art awards in the nation.

The 2013 competition will be juried by Cynthia Connelly, Visual Arts Curator at Artisphere in Arlington, VA; Alexander Heilner, Associate Dean of Design and Media Studies at Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore; and Vesela Sretenović, Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.

Artists must be 18 years of age or older and residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C.  Original painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, fiber art, digital, mixed media and video are accepted.  The maximum dimension should not exceed 96 inches in any direction. No reproductions. Selected artists must deliver artwork to the exhibit site in Bethesda, MD. All works on paper must be framed to full conservation standards. Each artist must submit five images (10 for 3-D work), application and a non-refundable entry fee of $25.

Artists may apply online or download an application at http://www.bethesda.org/bethesda/trawick-application.

Abstraction at Foundry

 

OUTLOUD!  ABSTRACT ARTISTS

Non-representational, intuitive paintings range from bold, explosive multimedia collages to subtle, many layered mysterious paintings.

Judith Baldinger, Amy Barker-Wilson, Shaune Bazner, Tory Cowles, Jacqui Crocetta, Donna Grossman, Carol A. Jason , Donna K. McGee, Michiyo Mizuuchi, Bobbie Salthouse, Roger Strassman  

Wed., Apr. 3 - Sun., Apr. 28, 2013 

Opening Reception -- Friday, April 5, 6 - 8 pm

 

1314-18th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20036

202-463-0203

www.foundrygallery.org

Corcoran College of Art and Design 2013 Graduates

Fast Forward:  

Corcoran College of Art and Design
2013 Graduates

Dates: April 22 - April 27, 2013   

    

Closing Reception: 

Saturday, April 27, 2013; 5-8pm
in the Brentwood Arts Exchange
with performances in the 39th Street Gallery    

Location:  
Brentwood Arts Exchange
in the Gateway Arts Center
3901 Rhode Island Ave.
Brentwood, MD 20722

Contact:
Phil Davis; Acting Director; phil.davis@pgparks.com; 301-277-2863

The Brentwood Arts Exchange presents Fast Forward: Corcoran College of Art and Design 2013 Graduates from April 22 - April 27, 2013.  This exhibition, hosted in partnership with the Corcoran College of Art and Design and the Gateway CDC, invites graduates from Corcoran's 2013 class to take over the gallery for an exciting week-long exhibition. Featured artists include Mazin Abdelhameid, Julia Bancroft, Kyrae Cowan, Annie Hanson, Jeremiah Holland, Rachel Hrbek, Deshaundon Jeanes, Katelyn Kang, Daesik Kim, Jessica Levin, Armando Lopez-Bircann, Dandan Luo, Katie Macyshyn, Rene Medrano, Gabriel Mellan, Micah Myerov, Judas Recendez, Morgan Roberts, Bryana Robinson, Rostin Rostai, Jordan Sanders, Hope Sorensen, Cynthia Tidler, Indigo Wakatama, Robert Yi and Jisun Yoon.

Don't miss this!

WILMER WILSON IV: THE FOREVER AFTERMATH

Curated by Laura Roulet
WED APR 3 – SUN JUN 30
FREE

Opening Reception: Thu April 18 / Free / 5-7pm
Curated by Laura Roulet

Seizing on a dynamic moment in D.C. performance art, the exhibition titled Wilmer Wilson IV: the FOREVER Aftermath culminates Wilmer Wilson IV’s performance art series Henry “Box” Brown: FOREVER, and provides through innovative programming a forum for other DC-area artists to explore the evolution of performance as an art form. The exhibit and forums focus on the aftermath of performance art. On display is a rotating selection of documentation and detritus from the Henry “Box” Brown: FOREVER performances, which were commissioned by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities as part of the spring 2012 5x5 temporary public art project.

Inspired by the historic figure Henry “Box” Brown, a 19th century slave from Richmond, Virginia, who mailed himself to freedom, Wilmer Wilson IV used his own body to examine what freedom means. Artisphere’s Artist in Residence Studio becomes a platform for a discursive, flexible exhibition, collapsing the working space of an artist’s studio and an exhibition gallery, and rethinking spectatorship.

Wilmer Wilson IV: the FOREVER Aftermath helps kick-off of the Rosslyn-wide SUPERNOVA, a performance art festival, June 6-9, curated by the Pink Line Project and commissioned by the Rosslyn Business Improvement District. Wilmer Wilson IV: the FOREVER Aftermath is made possible by the Rosslyn BID and supported in part by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities' DC Creates! Public Art program.

PERFORMANCE: AFTERMATH
Thu April 18, Thu May 16 and Sat June 8 / Free / Dome Theatre
Performance: Aftermath coincides with Wilson's residency and addresses the ongoing life of performance art. Local performance artists are invited to collaborate and present their practices in whatever inventive format they choose. During the weeks leading up to each forum, videos of the presenting artists’ work will be rotated on Artisphere’s Video Wall.

MPAartfest Call for Entries

MPAartfest 2013
Call for Entries now online!
click here for PDF

Mark your calendar for this year's show!

Sunday, October 6, 2013
10 am - 5 pm
in McLean Central Park
(rain or shine)


For more information contact:
Amy Swaak
MPAartfest Director
aswaak@mpaart.org

Another reason why Communists suck...

Warhol’s Mao Works Censored in China!

Mao Zedong’s [otherwise known as history's biggest mass murderer: Mao Tse-Tung] face has long graced trinkets and kitsch sold at tourist markets across China. But in the country’s top art museums, his most famous portrayal by a Westerner isn’t welcome.

Sorry, Andy Warhol.

Although the scion of Pop Art passed away in 1987, Warhol is still generating controversy. A vast traveling retrospective of his work, “Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal,” has already made stops in Singapore and Hong Kong as part of a two-year Asia tour, but when it moves to mainland China next month, the artist’s Mao paintings won’t be coming along.

Read about it here... this is what happens when the government decides everything for the good of everyone... cough, cough...

Artist Studio Space Available

Pyramid Atlantic is currently offering a private studio work space for an artist (or artists) to share.  The 200 square foot studio space has great lighting, access to water and free WiFi access.  Rent is $350 per month.  

 

Artists working in all mediums are encouraged to apply.  

 

Artist interested in applying for the private space should contact jdominguez@pyramid-atlantic.org.

Simon Monk

Alida Anderson Art Projects represents the work of British painter Simon Monk... he will be showcased next month at the Affordable Art Fair in New York. Scroll to the bottom to see a video of the artist discussing his work.



Trapped Batman. 2013. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).


Peter Parker. 2011. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).


Clark Kent. 2011. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).
In a private collection in Miami Beach, Florida.


Bruce Wayne. 2012. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).
In a private collection in Long Beach, California.


Tim Drake. 2012. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).


Steve Rogers. 2011. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).


Tony Stark. 2012. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).
In a private collection in Seattle, Washington.


Dr. Donald Blake. 2011. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).
In a private collection in Seattle, Washington.


Dr. Bruce Banner. 2011. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).


The Carrier Bag Week - Tuesday. 2011. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).
In a private collection in the United Kingdom.


Superhero Bag. 2007. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 24 x 18 cm (9.5 x 7 inches).
In a private collection in the United Kingdom.


The Witching Hour. 2006. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 50 x 35 cm (19.7 x 13.8 inches).
In a private collection in the United Kingdom.


The Phantom Stranger. 2006. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 50 x 35 cm (19.7 x 13.8 inches).
In a private collection in the United Kingdom.

Trawick Deadline Coming!

Deadline: Monday, April 1  

The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards is a visual art prize produced by the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District that honors artists from Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia. The annual juried competition awards $14,000 in prize monies to selected artists and features the work of the finalists in a group exhibition.

Click here to get more information and apply.

Let the Games Begin...

Opportunities for Artists

Deadline: April 5, 2013

The Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center located in historic downtown Frederick, Mayland announces the 2013 Annual Juried Exhibit. Dates: May 4 - June 23. Open to any artist living or working in the United States, all media is eligible, no size restrictions. $1150 in prize money awarded, $500 first prize. Juror: Gerald Ross, Director of Exhibitions at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore, Maryland. For details on how to enter: http://www.delaplaine.org/exhibits/exhibit-opportunities/