Thinking About Art

Dig @ H&F Fine Arts

The next show at H&F is fast approaching. Fiona Ross' brilliant show is still up so be sure to that. But coming up is "Dig," a guest-curated show of Philly-based artists. For this exhibition I asked Roberta Fallon and Libby Rosof, publishers of Artblog, to curate a show of Philadelphia artists. Philly is only 2.5 hours away so I wanted to connect D.C. art enthusiasts to the fascinating scene going on up North. I think Roberta and Libby have assembled a wonderful roster of artists. Plus, who knows Philly artists better than them?

Here's the postcard:

And here's the press release:

Dig
Curated by Roberta Fallon and Libby Rosof
October 18 – November 24
Opening Reception: Saturday, October 20 from 4–7pm

H&F Fine Arts is pleased to announce Dig, a group show of eight Philadelphia-based artists guest-curated by Roberta Fallon and Libby Rosof of artblog—named one of the best art blogs in the country by Art in America.

In the first of what will be a biannual series of guest-curated shows at H&F, Fallon and Rosof present work representative of the dynamic Philadelphia art scene. Dig runs from October 18 to November 24. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, October 20, from 4–7 pm.

The eight artists represented by Dig range from major award winners to emerging talents. Whitney Biennial (2006) standout Zoe Strauss, Barbara Bullock, and Candy Depew are each winners of Pew Fellowships in the Arts. Fleisher Challenge Award winners Depew and Kip Deeds have had prestigious solo shows at the Fleisher Art Memorial. Dig also features work by Nick Lenker, Jen Packer, Thom Lessner, and Jayson Scott Musson. Together, the artists represent a rich cross-section of today’s Philadelphia art scene.

Exploring and embracing the cultural and artistic kinship between New Orleans and Philadelphia (temporary home to many post-Katrina evacuees), Candy Depew creates dazzling ceramics with Mardi Gras flair, including memento mori sculls. Barbara Bullock's cut-paper homages—a direct response to Katrina—celebrate New Orleans and its rich jazz legacy. Longtime chronicler of the Philadelphia Mummers, street photographer Zoe Strauss photographed post-Katrina New Orleans, capturing the ravaged city through her unflinching lens. In direct inversion of the long tradition of academic realism in Philadelphia art, clay sculptor Nick Lenker invokes fairy tales and video games in constructing colorful, fantastical installations. Figurative painter Jen Packer draws grist from psychological conflict in creating works suggestive of early Diebenkorn. Artists Thom Lessner and Jayson Scott Musson both exploit the overlaps between art, music, and pop culture. Lessner's vivid, graphical depictions of celebrity culture blur the line between art and parody, while Musson's edgy poster art pushes boundaries of tolerance by deliberately tweaking the nerve of social propriety. In striving to create authentic depictions of perception, Kip Deeds blends fiction and fact in the service of truth; his works rewrite the past and present, placing the artist within the narrative arc of American history.

Philadelphia’s recent emergence as a major player in the art world follows a decade of enhancements to arts funding, leadership, and education; growth of the city's gallery culture; and economic factors (including skyrocketing New York rents) that have brought young, innovative artists to town.

Curators Roberta Fallon and Libby Rosof, the most prolific art reviewers in Philadelphia, write for their online publication roberta fallon and libby rosof's artblog, http://fallonandrosof.blogspot.com. They are also the creators of the Zero.1% for Art Commission, an ongoing art project that aims to subvert the traditional role of art as the exclusive purview of the elite by distributing free, inexpensive, impermanent artworks on the streets throughout Philadelphia.

High resolution images are available upon request.

The One Word Project - More Photos

Greg Staley, a fantastic photographer here in D.C. who has seemingly shot every D.C. artist's work at some point, was kind enough to shoot the One Word Project at the Arts Club. The show is up for another week (closes on Sept. 29) so be sure to see it soon.

Here is a slideshow of Greg's images:

If you are an artist or arts organization I hope you'll consider using Greg for your photography needs.

A Picture or a Painting?

Ed Winkleman turned me on to a wonderful interactive feature on the NY Times Web site today. It's a guided tour for the Met's exhibition, "The Age of Rembrandt," by critic, Holland Cotter. See it here.

In some of the audio excerpts, Cotter uses the term "picture" when discussing a painting. I've noticed this quite a lot recently for curators and critics alike. I'm curious what is the genesis of this phrasing. Is it common slang? Is it artworld speak?

To me it has a negative connotation. Clearly it isn't meant that way by the critics or curators using the term, but I don't understand why it's used. Not all pictures are paintings, but are all paintings pictures?

Anyone know the history behind the use of "picture"?

Options 2007

Last week I attended the opening reception for Options 2007, the WPA\C's biannual jurored show for emerging artists in the D.C. region. Many of you will remember the 2005 version of the show and the struggles it endured: a fired juror and an awkward space (a former retail space in Georgetown). I felt that that version of the show was quite inconsistent (some places pretty good, others quite awful).

The 2007 Options did not suffer from the same inconsistencies as 2005. The juror, Paul Brewer, put together a mostly cohesive show. Mr. Brewer is the Director of the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art. The location for the show, Pepco's Edison Place Gallery, was also much better.

Overall, I walked away with the same feeling as Alexandra. That is, the show feels "contemporary." I don't mean 2007 "contemporary," but from today to perhaps 10 years ago. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just what the show conveyed to me.

When I first entered the space I was put off by my first impressions of the work I saw. Tired of being disappointed by art, I began looking for the positives. What I found was the work of a young VCU grad student named Eli Kessler.

Eli's work at first seemed a bit ridiculous. When surrounded by people engaged in conversation and celebrating the opening, it prevented focused consideration of his sculptures. Once I got away from everyone else and isolated on the work, I suddenly saw it and it was allowed to make an impression. Here are the three sculptures in the show:

I would love to see Kessler's work in a dark warehouse type of space. In an elegant gallery setting like this, the work feels out of place. Regardless, in my opinion Kessler's work is at once sinister and silly. The large bust on the wooden platform calls to mind a Mardi Gras float and a hanging platform (I expected to find drop doors in the floor). The dismembered old lady prompts concern of some killer of really large old women, yet the blue-haired head sitting on the floor is just fantastical. The awkward little arms don't make any sense with the enormous red dress. The leg brace sitting off to the side made me think about what must be wrong with the owner if they require such a device to walk. Then, of course, I realized that the brace is just sitting in the gallery with a spotlight on it. Apparently no one needs it. Certainly not the fat blue-haired woman on the floor.

I saw Kessler speaking extensively with Leigh Conner of Conner Contemporary Art. It would be great to see what Kessler could do with the large warehouse space recently acquired by Conner in Northeast Washington. Who knows... maybe we'll get lucky.

New to the Collection: Joanna Knox

Joanna Knox's work was included in "Space, Place and Time" at H&F Fine Arts. That show just ended on Saturday to make way for Fiona Ross's solo exhibition.

Joanna's work intrigued me very much from the first time I saw it. Joanna's artist statement reads:

“Past Presence”

“The history of this house is hear-say, passed down through the generations. I have done much research on this land and family but have not been able to authenticate the house.”
-- (Eileen R. Walters, Old Rogers House lineage document)

A layer of dust had collected on the walls of Mr. Rogers’ house. Upon a closer look a faint handprint is revealed and the purity of the white wall underneath. Like an archaeologist, I search for details of another time. I want to learn what life was like back then. Instead of finding something that is tangible, I find a spirit, a trace. The interiors of these abandoned structures are symbols of our own mortality. They remind us of our past and simultaneously foreshadow old age and death.

The force that drives me is my fascination with the effect that time has on places. Abandoned houses lure me inside to photograph what the walls are striving to protect. The subjects of my photographs are not the walls themselves, rather the light contained by them. I let the light choose what it wants to reveal. A building, once ornate, becomes simple. White is never white due to variations, and the effects of weather and time. Filtered, diffused light endows a sacred atmosphere where everything is stripped down to its purest, essential form. The few remaining pieces of furniture and personal items embody the former occupants. If there is a connection between a house and a human soul, I am searching hard to find it.

The press release for "Space, Place and Time" described her work thusly:

Fascinated by abandoned structures, Joanna Knox explores vacancy and physical decay as symbols of human transience and mortality. Her evocative images of crumbling interiors study the subtleties of light and what it can reveal about the nature of change. Reverent of the spaces she examines, Knox’s haunting compositions mourn the absence of departed inhabitants while invoking the sacredness of space that once held life and lamenting the untold stories that resonate among the ruin.

Put simply, there's a quiet and subtle beauty in Knox's work. That's what first appealed to me.

Here are the pieces I acquired:

Parlor, Forest Glen, MD
Color photograph
16" x 20"
2005

Mr. Davis' Replica Bed, Walthourville, GA
Color photograph
10" x 8"
2005

Mr. Davis' Replica School, Walthourville, GA
Color photograph
16" x 20"
2005

Danny Norman's Train, Walthourville, GA
Color photograph
8" x 10"
2005

Concurrent with the show at H&F, Joanna enjoyed a show at the Blackrock Center for the Arts in Germantown, MD. Claudia Rousseau reviewed the show here.

Keep an eye on Joanna's work. I truly believe she will continue to do great things.

Fiona Ross: a line is a thing that moves in time

Opening this Thursday with a reception on Saturday (4-7pm), H&F Fine Arts will be host to Richmond artist, Fiona Ross. You may remember her from the past Bethesda Painting Awards. Fiona was selected as a finalist for the award although her work wasn't quite painting enough. Or something.

Regardless, some great works are included in this show... from ceramics to drawings to paintings. There's one piece that is classic "Fiona" and then several new pieces that represent a strong new direction in her work.

Being the professional that she is, Fiona brought to the gallery an abundance of work from which to edit. Shown below is a slideshow of the installation process as well as some shots of the resulting show (pre-lighting). Be sure to check out the 16' long wall sculpture configured specially for this show. It's a true standout.

Here's the press release for the show:

Fiona Ross: a line is a thing that moves in time
September 13 – October 13
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 15 from 4–7pm

H&F Fine Arts is pleased to announce a solo exhibition by Richmond, VA artist Fiona Ross. Applying innovative approaches in both ceramics and sumi ink painting, Ross makes urgent inquiries into the dynamic interplay between the stable and the volatile. a line is a thing that moves in time runs from September 13 to October 13. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, September 15 from 4-7pm.

The exhibition title, a line is a thing that moves in time, suggests a breach of dimensional schema, from the flattened space of the inert line to the temporal sphere of reality in motion. Whether exploring the interplay of balance and imbalance in poignantly wasted clay forms or the topographic influence of ink on paper during its transition from wet to dry, Ross works in constant interrogation of polar states, revealing how the countervailing forces that propel us through the world undercut the illusion of stability.

Eschewing the traditional centrality of water in ceramic process, Ross places dry, pulverized mineral blends in heat-resistant molds and subjects them to multiple firings. At high temperatures, stable solids become kinetic liquids, melting, boiling and slumping within molds before hardening again into shapes that bear haunting witness to the violence of transition.

Drawn to sumi ink for its behavioral resemblance to porcelain slip, Ross is fascinated by the dynamic union of paper and ink. Her multi-layered sumi paintings blur the lines of dimensionality: ink on flat paper yields to the unpredictable contour that results from leaching and drying as two-dimensional fractal patterns ride the ripples, crackles, and puckers of Ross's implicitly sculptural paintings.

Visually arresting, Ross's work is equally rich in conceptual elegance. As each piece vibrates uncomfortably on the brink of becoming, so does her body of work enact a cautionary tale about the dangers of trusting the appearance of stasis.

Ross has shown widely in solo and group exhibitions throughout the Mid-Atlantic and beyond, and has been recipient of many fellowships and accolades—including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Professional Fellowship, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts Fellowship and a Tyrone Guthrie Center Fellowship (Ireland). Her work as been shown internationally in South Korea at the Daegu Cultural Arts Center and at the Seoul Hae-Tae Gallery, at the Shang Shang Gallery in Beijing, China, at the Museum of Modern Fine Arts in Minsk, Belarus and at the All India Gallery in New Delhi, India. Most recently, Ross was a finalist in the 2007 Bethesda Painting Awards show at Fraser Gallery and her work was published in the 2007 Mid-Atlantic edition of New American Paintings.

High resolution images are available upon request.

The 14th St. galleries all have opening receptions on the same night (6:30-8:30) so go ahead and drive up Rhode Island Ave to H&F Fine Arts first, and then back down to Logan Circle.

OWP - Bullet Points

Given some of the questions I received on Friday night about the One Word Project Show, it seems that some bullet points might help clarify the genesis of the show and how it has evolved over the past 3 years.

- The idea for the project came in 2004 when I got more heavily involved in online art writing. Particularly, I found many artist interviews that interested me very much. One thing that bothered me, however, was interviewers who seemed to use the interview for their own gain. They would write on and on, and then finally ask a very pointed question. Sometimes it would seem that the interviewee could only answer one way. I found that frustrating... what does the artist really want to say?

In the past week I have seen two interviews conducted by bloggers. Here are how the stats compare:

Interview A
Number of questions: 18
Total words in questions: 202
Average # of words per ?: 11.2

Interview B
Number of questions: 6
Total words in questions: 201
Average # of words per ?: 33.5

In Interview A, the interviewee touched on a large number of subjects and we got a great picture of them. In Interview B, sometimes the question was longer than the answer and the answers rarely surprised. It's not a scientific study, but this is what the One Word Project addresses. The average number of words per interview question in my project is, well, one.

- The project started in 2004 with an open call posted on this blog for participants. Ultimately 42 artists chose to participate. I asked artists who responded to provide me with a selection of their work. Upon viewing their work, I thought of a single word in response to their work. Sometimes this word came immediately, sometimes not. Responses were posted on TAA along with 2 images of the artist's work selected by the artist. The project concluded in 2005.

- In 2006, I decided to assemble the project in book form. 39 of the original 42 artists chose to participate in the book. The book included their writing and an image of their work. Where possible, we included an image from the blog posting in the book. The book was published via Lulu Press.

- In late 2006 I wanted to assemble a group show of the OWP. Fortunately, the Arts Club of Washington saw merit in the concept and agreed to host the show. I approached the 39 artists in the book about participating in the show. Ultimately, 33 of the 39 artists chose to participate in the show. Given that the exhibition would be up to 3 years after some artists first participated in the project, I allowed the artists to select any piece they wanted for the show. I asked that they keep in mind their given word when they chose the piece. All the work in the show was selected by the individual artists.

The timeline looks something like this:

2004: Word selected by curator for current body of work
2007: Artwork selected by artist for show/word

- The physical show at the Arts Club includes the artist's work and their writing from the book. It's important to reiterate that the word (which is in large font at the top of the placard) is in response to the artist's body of work, and really, the body of work first seen in 2004. For the most part no one's work has changed too dramatically.

So at a high level I feel the project allows the artist freedom to express themselves verbally about their work. With just a minimal prompt, the artist gets to tell you what they want you to know. This can be a great addition to the work hanging on the walls.

Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

One Word Project - Review and Images

Despite there being several large openings on Friday night, we had a great turnout for the One Word Project reception. It was great to see so many of the participating artists and I was pleased by the response to the project.

Over the weekend, Mid-Atlantic Art News' Shauna Lee Lange published a review of the show. Thanks for seeing the show Shauna!

Below is a slideshow of the exhibition that I hope gives a sense of the space, the installation and the work included. You can find the full photo set here (larger images available there). Enjoy!

The show will be open until Sept. 29. The Arts Club of Washington is located at 2017 I St, NW.

Reminder: "The One Word Project" @ Arts Club of Washington

As if there isn't enough shows opening tomorrow night, but The One Word Project opens at the Arts Club of Washington as well. The reception is from 6:30 - 9:00pm so that provides 2.5 hours to make it around town and try to fit them all in. We'll be doing an artist talk at 7:30 if that helps you decide when to visit.

The show was reviewed by The Georgetown Voice today. Read that review here. Elsewhere, Heather Goss included the show in the Arts Agenda for DCist. Apparently I think I "view art better than you," but don't let that deter you from seeing the show for yourself. I think you'll be able to view it just fine.

See you then!

Here's the press release for the show:

The One Word Project
Curated by J.T. Kirkland
August 28 – September 29
Opening reception on Friday, September 7 from 6:30–9:00pm

The Arts Club of Washington is pleased to announce The One Word Project, a group exhibition that is the capstone of a three-year exploration of the triangular dialogue between artist, work, and viewer. Featuring more than 30 artists and a wide array of media, the show runs from August 28 to September 29; an opening reception will be held on Friday, September 7 from 6:30-9:00pm.

Begun in 2004 as an online forum for stimulating artists to speak freely about their work, The One Word Project is a deliberate enactment of the 'conversation' between artist and viewer. Interested in seeking new ways to capture pure creative response, curator J.T. Kirkland distilled the traditional artist interview to its most basic element: a single word. After digesting the work of a self-selecting group of artists, Kirkland prompted each with a word of his choosing, to which each artist was asked to respond in approximately100–500 words. The resulting statements—which vary in length, approach, and relevance to the original word—offer a written correlative that informs and enhances the viewer's appreciation of the artist's work.

For Kirkland, the process of making art is as valuable and interesting as the work itself. The One Word Project reveals a fascination with the translation from artist mind to realized art object. The single word prompt minimizes the polluting influence of the viewer's agenda; spurred by an intentionally open-ended stimulus, the resulting self-articulation offers unfiltered insights into process.

In 2006, the work and words of The One Word Project artists were collected in a full-color art book of the same title. The current exhibition represents the natural conclusion of this three-year arc. Each piece is accompanied by Kirkland's word and the artists' response, offering a rare glimpse into the mind of the artist by both visual and verbal avenues. Viewers are encouraged to add their own impressions to the 'conversation'.

The exhibition features work by James W. Bailey (VA), Rachael Baldanza (NY), Joseph Barbaccia (VA), Gregg Chadwick (CA), J. Coleman (DC), Anna Conti (CA), Warren Craghead III (VA), Rosetta DeBerardinis (MD), Greg Ferrand (DC), D. Keith Furon (CA), Matt Hollis (DC), Candace Keegan (MD), Angela Kleis (DC), Tara Krause (CA), Andrew Krieger (DC), Prescott Moore Lassman (DC), James Leonard (NY), Nathan Manuel (DC), Jennifer McMackon (Ontario, Canada), Jennifer Miller (DC), A.B. Miner (DC), Charles Neenan (VA), Peter Reginato (NY), Jose Ruiz (NY), Wayne Schoenfeld (CA), Kathleen Shafer (DC), Alexandra Silverthorne (DC), Marsha Stein (MD), Trish Tillman (NY), Kelly Towles (DC), Bryan Whitson (DC), and Jamie Wimberly (DC).

High resolution images are available upon request. Books will be available for purchase at the opening reception.

Arts Club of Washington
2017 I Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006

(202) 331-7282

Tues-Fri 10-5; Sat 10-2
http://www.artsclubofwashington.org

Press Contact: J.T. Kirkland (Curator) @ (703) 209-3435 or jtkirkland@gmail.com

Mood: Annoyed

I've always thought that blog entries with "Mood: ____" or "Reading: ____" are funny. Not sure why, but I do. Anyways, I am presently annoyed. I know you're dying to know why so I won't drag this out any longer. I am presently annoyed by the submission process associated with some juried group shows. I've been more focused this year on curating and directing H&F Fine Arts, and have been less involved pushing my own work.

So sure enough, I sit down to submit work to a national drawing show and the process turns out to be annoying. Let me get the positive out of the way first... the entry fee is only $10 for 3 images and the juror in question is relatively well known. That's good, right? Well, here's what I'm annoyed by: it is required to submit an artist statement and a one-page resume. I'm wondering just how important the statement and resume is to the process of selecting the work for the show. The way I might juror a show is this:

1) Review the work and group submissions into 2 buckets: yes/maybe and nope
2) Take a closer look at the surviving group of artists to see if a cohesive show emerges of strong work
3) Separate out yes, maybe and no work again.
4) Yes work is in the show. I'd then glance at the statements and resumes to see if that helps me distinguish between maybe works.

Granted all jurors aren't the same, but why would I NEED to have an artist statement and why could I only be bothered with one page resumes? I've read more and more artist statements this year and I still haven't found one that convinced me of the work's merit. As for the resume, I could care less if you send me a one page resume or a 20 page resume. And yes, I've received a 20 page resume. It doesn't take a genius to identify the important parts of the resume. It's quite simple really.

Ultimately, the requirement of the artist statement and a one-page max resume presents an unnecessary burden on the artist. If I were to submit to this show, I'd have to spend about 2-3 hours drafting a statement that contained the proper amount of art jargon BS. Then, I'd have to spend another hour or two to condense and reformat my resume to be only one page. Do I really want to spend 5 hours for prepping a submission that likely won't be accepted anyway?

I can understand the need for a one page resume in the real world. In order to get a job, the resume is the first line of review. HR people spend roughly 15-30 seconds on each resume. One page is all they have time for. But in art, the first line of review should be the artwork itself. In 30 seconds, you can bucket the work into yes/maybe and no. Once the number of artists under consideration is reduced, the time required to review statements and resumes is reduced. Why not get the full picture? Why should the artist (potentially) spend up to 5 hours for the submission? The juror is getting paid to do the selection process. A little extra reading won't kill you.

Going forward I am going to put these ideas into practice. An artist statement will always be optional. A resume will have no length restrictions.

I also think I'll pass on submitting my work to this show.