Thinking About Art

Interview at PDX Art

Richard Schemmerer, who recently participated in the Artists "Review" Artists Project, conducted an interview with me and posted the results on his site, PDX Art.  I very much enjoyed taking part in the interview and I hope you'll check it out.  Click here for the interview.

Artists "Review" Artists: Chris Rywalt on Demetrius Romanos

The Artists "Review" Artists Project was launched on June 30, 2008.  Below is a "review" of Demetrius Romanos' work, Runway 3, written by Chris Rywalt.  Demetrius provided the second jpeg, an image of Runway 2, as well as a brief response to Chris' "review."

Demetrius currently resides in Cincinnati, OH, and Chris lives in New York, NY.

If you would like to participate in this project, please email me at jtkirkland [at] gmail [dot] com.

                
Runway 3
acrylic, colored pencil & collage on wood panel
16" x 26"
2008

The "Review"

"Runway 3" tackles something that's occasionally interested me as an artist:  The nighttime urban landscape.  Airports especially always make me think of capturing their beauty -- every time I drive past Newark International I imagine getting the swirl of lights and clouds and energy bursting through the never-dark of northern New Jersey's night.

Maybe that's why I'm disappointed in this painting.  It's always hard to tell from a reproduction, but it seems to fail to vibrate as it should.  The painting lies there, kind of flat and even-toned, lacking texture or excitement.  It's muted, more baggage handler than traveler.

I wish the JPEG was higher resolution; I can't make out what's happening in the middle ribbon of light gray.  Is the horizon line below that or above it?  It's ambiguous in the JPEG, and I suspect it is in the original as well.  This ambiguity isn't helping the painting.  In fact the whole thing hovers between realistic and farcical; the planes look like planes but are lined up in the air as no passenger planes ever are.  The letter G is no doubt seen on runways, but this one is clearly collaged on.  The lights could be real lights but they're in more of a Benday dot pattern.  These contradictions don't add up to a mood; they come together as something less than themselves.

The painting works well at first glance, though.  It's fine to skim, just not much to read.

By Chris Rywalt

        
Runway 2
Acrylic on canvas
30" x 40"
2008

The Response

A craftsman should never blame their tools, but in this case a sub-par photograph has netted a sub-par review.  Runway 3 is part of a series of paintings inspired by staring out of an airplane window while grounded during a storm.  What struck me as I committed the images to memory was the refraction and pixilation that occurs when light is seen through beaded up rain.  Seen in person, this painting exhibits tremendous depth and texture that is lost in this photo.  The ambiguity of the reflections and horizon line however are intentional.  Having had completed a series of collage pieces just prior to this, the 2 collage elements here were meant to serve as a bridge to this series of paintings and in my opinion give some context that add to the overall graphic quality I was aiming for.  The result is heavy in atmosphere and overlaid with simple, graphic elements that capture the essence of the view.  Not having the opportunity to study the piece live, I will at least credit the reviewer with identifying the correct location.

By Demetrius Romanos

Previous "Reviews":
Pam Farrell on Ken Weathersby
Paula McCullough on Aric Calfee
Lee Gainer on Leigh Waldron-Taylor
Aric Calfee on Paula McCullough
Matthew Ballou on Heather Levy
Giovanni Garcia-Fenech on TJ Norris
TJ Norris on Giovanni Garcia-Fenech
Susan Tolbert on Mary Klein
Heather Levy on Gail Vollrath
Sharon Butler on Matthew Ballou
Mark L. Power on Steven Alexander
Steven Alexander on Mark L. Power
Molly Norris on M. Trigos
Ken Weathersby on Joseph Barbaccia
Sondra Arkin on Susan Tolbert
John M. Adams on Sharon Butler
Michael Paul Oman-Reagan on Brent Hallard
Daniel Mafe on Pam Farrell
Joanna Knox on John M. Adams
John Lucien Grillo on Joanna Knox
Brent Hallard on Lisa Klow
Joseph Barbaccia on John Lucien Grillo
M. Trigos on Michael Paul Oman-Reagan
Mary Klein on Imants Ozers
Richard Schemmerer on Michael Konrad
Michael Konrad on Richard Schemmerer
Jennifer Mawby on Lee Gainer
Lisa Klow on Molly Norris
Bob Barbera on Jenn Figg
Tom Wagner on Kimberley L. Lindsley
Michelle Hunter on Aaron McMasters
Gail Vollrath on Daniel Mafe
Aaron McMasters on Michelle Hunter
Demetrius Romanos on Chris Rywalt

Artists "Review" Artists: Demetrius Romanos on Chris Rywalt

The Artists "Review" Artists Project was launched on June 30, 2008.  Below is a "review" of Chris Rywalt's work, When she woke up, she found I'd gone for a walk, written by Demetrius Romanos.  Chris provided the second jpeg, an image of Visionary, as well as a brief response to Demetrius's "review."

Chris currently resides in New York, NY, and Demetrius lives in Cincinnati, OH.

If you would like to participate in this project, please email me at jtkirkland [at] gmail [dot] com.

               
When she woke up, she found I'd gone for a walk.
Oil on panel
16" x 24"
2007

The "Review"

My first reaction to this piece was the overall balance, which is one of the most evident signs to me that an artist has talent.  Being an artist myself, I don't judge art on whether it appeals to me or not as I tend to believe that art is for the artist that created it.  So, with that, I find it more telling to judge composition and balance rather than subject or palette.

As far as this piece goes, although simple, the artist has composed a sophisticated balance of color, energy and shape.  Color – in the subtle juxtaposition of complementary hues which set the subject off of the background.  Energy – in the careful yet gestural line quality of the figure (cleverly only delineating the body and hair).  Shape – in creating a sense of verticality in a horizontally executed piece through proportioning of the windows and walls, creating lines that carry through the hair, arms and torso.  In fact, the more I study the piece, the more I find harmonious.

There are all sorts of examples throughout history of reclining nudes captured in all variety of styles and media.  What is fascinating to me is the way that each artist interprets the figure and captures the moment.

By Demetrius Romanos

       
Visionary
Oil on panel
18" x 24"
2007

The Response

[No response provided.]

By Chris Rywalt

Previous "Reviews":
Pam Farrell on Ken Weathersby
Paula McCullough on Aric Calfee
Lee Gainer on Leigh Waldron-Taylor
Aric Calfee on Paula McCullough
Matthew Ballou on Heather Levy
Giovanni Garcia-Fenech on TJ Norris
TJ Norris on Giovanni Garcia-Fenech
Susan Tolbert on Mary Klein
Heather Levy on Gail Vollrath
Sharon Butler on Matthew Ballou
Mark L. Power on Steven Alexander
Steven Alexander on Mark L. Power
Molly Norris on M. Trigos
Ken Weathersby on Joseph Barbaccia
Sondra Arkin on Susan Tolbert
John M. Adams on Sharon Butler
Michael Paul Oman-Reagan on Brent Hallard
Daniel Mafe on Pam Farrell
Joanna Knox on John M. Adams
John Lucien Grillo on Joanna Knox
Brent Hallard on Lisa Klow
Joseph Barbaccia on John Lucien Grillo
M. Trigos on Michael Paul Oman-Reagan
Mary Klein on Imants Ozers
Richard Schemmerer on Michael Konrad
Michael Konrad on Richard Schemmerer
Jennifer Mawby on Lee Gainer
Lisa Klow on Molly Norris
Bob Barbera on Jenn Figg
Tom Wagner on Kimberley L. Lindsley
Michelle Hunter on Aaron McMasters
Gail Vollrath on Daniel Mafe
Aaron McMasters on Michelle Hunter

Artists "Review" Artists: Aaron McMasters on Michelle Hunter

The Artists "Review" Artists Project was launched on June 30, 2008.  Below is a "review" of Michelle Hunter's work, In One Ear and..., written by Aaron McMasters.  Michelle provided the second jpeg, an image of When I'm Bored at Work I..., as well as a brief response to Aaron's "review."

Michelle currently resides in New York, NY, and Aaron lives in Brooklyn, NY.

If you would like to participate in this project, please email me at jtkirkland [at] gmail [dot] com.

              
In One Ear and ...
Acrylic
20'' x 20''
2008

The "Review"

Elinore was on the couch ruffling through an Ikea catalogue. She looked like Audrey Hepburn. Benny, who looked a little like Brad Pitt after a fight, was on his macbook pro designing an Urban Outfitter's catalogue. They weren't speaking to eachother/ had not spoken for over an hour.

That morning Benny had forgotten Elinore was lactose intolerant, or at least absent mindedly used milk instead of soy. "You don't listen," she had said, dipping her biscotti anyways. "whatevevs," he had replied, his mind on the advance money he had allready spent on an lime green Ikea sofa, the sofa that was now parked in the middle of the room with Elinore, who was shopping for shelving solutions for her extensive collection of fashion magazines. As Elinore sulked, her poster of Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's," began to whisper to her.

"I find its easy to create if you have a general but non specific theme in mind," it said, apropos of nothing.

The poster continued, Audrie's sock puppeted lips coming to eerie but sensual life.

"...relationships, for example. A good theme can cross pollinate and contaminate other themes, like masters come to resemble their dogs, bees, or furniture. Brand people call this glamour "synergy."   I often find synchronicity - two often unrelated elements coinciding, to be compelling, if only on a personal level - my own cosmic joke."

Elinore dropped her catalogue.  The words meant nothing to her. "Shut UP!" she said. Benny looked up, his eyes lost in a a bauhaus grid somewhere off the shores of Orion. "Throw the poster out allready Elly, its not worth the agrivation."

Benny was a good boyfriend sometimes. Elinore struggled to tune out the poster - refusing to acknowledge the batshit craziness of a talking poster was one of the unspoken rules of the relationship. It was the fourth talking poster Elinore had bought, each one with its own voice: Fight Club, Blade Runner, Running Man. She had bought them for Benny.

"How many people out there are gazing into the future with paint chip divinations? Certainly many modern artists are credited with finding personal and universal truths, if not Jungian ontologies, within the square confines of a canvas. Do we situate an artwork in autobiography? How do the things we own represent who we are?

If I find the theme and tone somewhat whimsical, infected with charm, or affecting the carefree nature of what is now, often fashionably used to break the monotony of columns of text, am I to be called a curmudgeon? Or am I pointing out a sophisticated stylistic and thematic affectation - one I see increasingly in fashion?  Some art is dismissed as mere one liner. These same critics seem to think the only cure is to make the work more ambiguous, eliminate the immediate recognition of the figure and instead focus, as other painters often do, on the subtle relationships between blue and orange, green and red, analogous and wholly incompatible."

And with that, Benny threw the poster out the window.

By Aaron McMasters

      
When I'm Bored at Work I...
Acrylic on Stretched Round Canvas
20'' x 20''

The Response

Our bodies are a canvas, an example of natural beauty we can choose to embellish with jewels or tattoos. With that in mind, this painting, "In One Ear and..." turned out to be a really fun piece to create. The inspiration for this painting came from flipping through an anatomy book. An image of an ear struck my fancy and I was looking at what I could do creatively with the curves of the ear. Moments later, the idea of a roller coaster came to mind. The simple background allows the viewer to enjoy the ride along the curves of the ear. Can you hear the screams?

By Michelle Hunter

Previous "Reviews":
Pam Farrell on Ken Weathersby
Paula McCullough on Aric Calfee
Lee Gainer on Leigh Waldron-Taylor
Aric Calfee on Paula McCullough
Matthew Ballou on Heather Levy
Giovanni Garcia-Fenech on TJ Norris
TJ Norris on Giovanni Garcia-Fenech
Susan Tolbert on Mary Klein
Heather Levy on Gail Vollrath
Sharon Butler on Matthew Ballou
Mark L. Power on Steven Alexander
Steven Alexander on Mark L. Power
Molly Norris on M. Trigos
Ken Weathersby on Joseph Barbaccia
Sondra Arkin on Susan Tolbert
John M. Adams on Sharon Butler
Michael Paul Oman-Reagan on Brent Hallard
Daniel Mafe on Pam Farrell
Joanna Knox on John M. Adams
John Lucien Grillo on Joanna Knox
Brent Hallard on Lisa Klow
Joseph Barbaccia on John Lucien Grillo
M. Trigos on Michael Paul Oman-Reagan
Mary Klein on Imants Ozers
Richard Schemmerer on Michael Konrad
Michael Konrad on Richard Schemmerer
Jennifer Mawby on Lee Gainer
Lisa Klow on Molly Norris
Bob Barbera on Jenn Figg
Tom Wagner on Kimberley L. Lindsley
Michelle Hunter on Aaron McMasters
Gail Vollrath on Daniel Mafe

I'm back!

We've finally returned from Europe where we had a fantastic honeymoon.  I'm going to take a few days to get back up to speed before I begin posting Artists "Review Artists Project material and thoughts on Europe.  In the meantime, here are the more art-y photos I took while traveling through London, Paris, Glasgow and Edinburgh.  All of these were captured on my iPhone.