Projects Gallery

Adding to my list of Mid Atlantic area art galleries and private dealers heading to Miami next month, Philadelphia's Projects Gallery will be at Bridge Art Fair Miami at the Catalina Hotel & Beach Club - Room 212.

They will be featuring artists Steve Cope, Peter Gourfain, Tom Judd, Frank Hyder, Florence Putterman and others.

Projects Gallery also has "surprising and unusual works by big-name artists" in an exhibition titled "little secrets." First Friday reception on Friday, December 1st, 2006 5 - 9 PM and running through December 1st - 22nd, 2006. The exhibition includes works by Chuck Close, Sidney Goodman, Peter Gourfain, James Havard and James McGarrell.

The Rise of Gaming

Interesting editorial in the WaPo today.

"The Rise of Gaming - The 21st century's oil painting?" offers the suggestion that "Social observers are beginning to deem video game design an emerging art form, especially as companies ratchet up production values."

Fair enough, but the 21st century still has oil painting... and acrylic painting, and encaustic painting, and spray painting, etc.

Nowhere in the editorial is the practice of painting mentioned. But the fact that it is in the subtitle greatly indicates what the WaPo's management thinks about the function of the fine arts in our society today.

And I keep hearing through the grapevine that the coming changes in the WaPo, including the fact that "work is underway to create a new Sunday Style and Arts section," will actually mean less fine arts coverage by the newspaper.

This is not good.

Caroline Altmann Story

"Reflecting on My Retrospective" by Caroline Altmann is presented below, and it is without a doubt one of the most interesting introductions (by the artist) to the exhibition space's "official" news releases that I've read in a long time.

Caroline Altmann on Becoming An Artist

What is a portfolio manager doing twisting, turning and shaking around cacti, hydrangeas, and hostas? Five years ago, I left Wall Street to raise my children near their grandparents. (They live in Mount Vernon.) I then sat down to meditate, something I was too busy to do while managing $2 billion in assets for Bankers Trust. Every time I sat down, complete art ideas rushed into my mind. It was as if a door to a creative bank vault had burst opened. So, out went the notion of starting a new career at the World Bank and in came the idea of becoming an artist.

This change was in fact a bridge to an earlier phase in my life. My parents were collectors of baroque sculpture. Art was the fabric of my Brazilian birthplace’s culture. A family move to England brought new sensibilities – rawness of punk aesthetics and classical sophistication of European capitals. Museum outings to the Prado, for example, were highlights. Then at Tufts University, late nights increasingly devoted to the darkroom rather than early mornings to US diplomatic history precipitated a change in majors -- from international relations to art history. I studied photography at the joint program with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Thereafter, I found work in local galleries and interned at the museum. But that didn’t bring me enough satisfaction. I continued to photograph but I wanted to collect. Gallery pay was low during those recession years. So getting an MBA seemed a good idea. But it came at a cost. No more time for making art. And, after living in Japan with no possessions, I lost the urge to collect. Fifteen exciting years were marked by the Tokyo Stock market crash, the 90’s Bull Market, a new fabulous husband. With a 9 month-old baby in my belly, I move away from New York to Virginia where grandparents and a new career awaited. After we were settled, I attempted to leap from managing money to making art.

That change was as overwhelming as blank canvas can be. How do I become an artist? Do I deserve to become an artist? Shouldn’t I have known from an early age that this was the only thing I could do? And then, struggled for years? Artistic myths, hmm. But the voice of the budding artist tentatively suggested, “Roy Lichtenstein only turned to fine arts in his late thirties. And, how about Philip Johnson? He only got his architecture degree later on in life.”

I called Ingo Günther in New York. He is a successful international artist and dear friend. "Ingo, I am going to be an artist. Do not discourage me. Tell me how to do it." I blurted. I ordered the book, "The Artist’s Way," joined a couple of art groups, Secondsight, for women photographers and WCA-DC, recommended by a neighbor for women artists. The closest I have come before to joining groups was adding my name to business directories. And then I got lucky.

The woman who founded Secondsight, Catriona Fraser, also sponsored a seminar, "Success As An Artist." The all day event was a neatly organized agenda of all the lessons she and Lenny Campello (of "dcartews" blog fame) learnt over 20 years, plus a fabulous packet of resources. I started sculpture and then dove back into photography – a passion at college. Then I got lucky again.

Late for a lunch in Georgetown, stopping too quickly at a stop sign, a police officer gave me a moving violation. To boot, my lunch date called, postponing by an hour. I felt so foolish and mad at myself that I was determined to make something good of it. So I went into several high-end furniture showrooms with perfect walls to sell my multi-piece compositions. Two places said, “Yes!” One space is so large that I will have over 50 pieces in it. A showing of that size is unique. So after a few years of struggling, I’ve got my first solo show and it’s a retrospective!

What is an ex-portfolio manager doing twisting, turning and shaking around cacti, hydrangeas, and hostas? Come see the work – it is a unique portrait of nature moved, turned and swayed. There are also examples of my studio work where movement comes from posed dried flowers. The opening is on December 7th at Poltrona Frau at 1010 Wisconsin Avenue at 6:00PM. Please rsvp to info@frauwashington.com or call 202 333-1166. My work can also be seen on www.altmann.us

Where: Poltrona Frau Washington 1010 Wisconsin Avenue, NW in Georgetown

When: From December 8, 2006 to March 8, 2007

Contact: 202 333 1166 or info@frauwashington.com

Artist: Caroline Altmann

Exhibit Title: “Undercurrents of Pure Joy”

Hirshhorn Museum Acquires 24 Contemporary Works of Art

From the Hirshhorn news release:

The Hirshhorn Museum has acquired 24 new works of art—many of which complement current holdings and reinforce the Hirshhorn's commitment to collecting key artists' work in depth, as the Museum’s founder, Joseph H. Hirshhorn did. Several of the works were included in recent exhibitions at the museum. Most notable among these acquisitions are 13 photographs from the "Seascape" series by Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto, which were installed in one long dramatically lit gallery last winter as part of the acclaimed "Hiroshi Sugimoto" exhibition. These large-format photographs are the gift of The Glenstone Foundation, founded by Mitchell P. Rales. One photograph, "Caribbean Sea, Jamaica," (1980) was given in honor of Kerry Brougher, chief curator and director of art and programs at the Hirshhorn, who organized the Sugimoto exhibition.

"We are immensely grateful to The Glenstone Foundation for this generous gift. These works will be a highlight of the Hirshhorn's growing contemporary collection—and because Glenstone has given the entire seascape room from the exhibition, we will have the opportunity in the future to recreate the original installation in addition to presenting the photographs in other contexts," Brougher said.

Two of the new acquisitions are purchases from "The Uncertainty of Objects and Ideas: Recent Sculpture," the exhibition currently on view at the Hirshhorn: Rachel Harrison's "Pretty Discreet" (2004) and Isa Genzken's "Untitled" (2006). Works by Jim Lambie, whose recent site-specific "Directions" project transformed the museum's lobby into a lively, interactive space, were also acquired: "Male Stripper" (2003), a black-and-white striped floor installation, and "Boobaliscious" (2004), a sculpture made from glitter, PVC pipes and sequined tube tops.

A brightly painted and sculpted canvas by Washington artist Sam Gilliam, "Ruby Light" (1972), a museum purchase and partial gift of the artist and Marsha Mateyka, and a stacked and cut paper installation by Uruguayan artist Marco Maggi, "Hotbed (DC)" (2006), the gift of the artist, will increase the Hirshhorn's holdings of these artists, giving visitors a deeper understanding of the breadth and scope of their artistic production.

Several purchases by the museum bring artists into the collection for the first time, including three photographic works by Christopher Williams, a triptych by Troy Brauntuch and a framed collage by Al Hansen.

The Glenstone Foundation, was established by DC area ubercollector Mitchell P. Rales, who also happens to be on the Hirshhorn’s board.

Heading to Miami Beach

Many Mid Atlantic area art galleries and dealers are heading to the December Floridian arts extravaganza centered around Art Basel Miami Beach.

Here are some; email me if you want a shout out here for your gallery's booth.

Philly's Pentimenti Gallery will be at Bridge Art Fair Miami, Booth #206. Also from Philly, Ashley Gallery will be there (and in SCOPE).

Potomac, Maryland's hard-working (and world travelling) dealer Rody Douzoglou will be at SCOPE Miami, where you will also find Richmond's ADA Gallery, Philly's Ashley Gallery, the District's Curator's Office, as well as Conner Contemporary's new "gogo art projects." Scope Miami seems to be overloaded with NYC and German galleries.

Update: Conner Contemporary will also be at Pulse Miami

Artist Websites

Artists are always emailing me and asking me at various forums questions about website design for their art.

The KISS rule really applies here: Keep It Simple Stupid.

Avoid cute little buttons; have your contact info on every page; keep the site clean and minimalist and professional; and offer (not force) info. Above all, avoid cute little musical backgrounds and annoying flash loaders.

In the 21st century, the digital footprint is as important as a telephone and a business card, so everyone who is serious about their artwork should and must have an online presence.

DC area artist Rosetta DeBerardinis, a proud Vassar alumni (I discovered that in her website), has a new website and it is a perfect example of good and easy design that offers all the visual info needed for an artist website.

According to the website itself, it was designed by www.websiteforartists.com, so consider this an unrequested plug for them.

Visit her new website here.

Notes, Icons, and Symbols

Remember the Rockville Arts Place (RAP)? Well, they are now called VisArts and opening with a reception from 3 to 5 on Sunday, November 19 (the exhibit runs through December 16, 2006), they have what sounds like a very interesting show.

The exibit is "Notes, Icons, and Symbols," and as his contribution to the exibit, the very talented John Borstel will be presenting a new installation titled "Closet Opera" which has been described as a "grand romantic and Fairy opera in 40 fragments."

According to John, "the piece features a series of photo-based images in which the artist himself portrays nine characters, altering his appearance through the use of simple props, accessories and a single costume manipulated into various distinctive configurations."

Notes, Icons, and Symbols also features work by Sharon Murray and Carien Quiroga. A panel discussion with the artists, titled “A Question of Identity” takes place on Sunday December 3 at 3pm.

VisArts is located at 9300 Gaither Road, Gaithersburg, MD. Further information is available at www.visartscenter.org or by calling 301-869-8623.