Thinking About Art

Solo Shows at Arlington Arts Center

A couple of weekends ago we visited the AAC to see the current crop of solo shows. A mixed bag, perhaps, but some interesting work. I captured some images of things that caught my eye:

Erin Williams, a Philadelphia artist, creates faux museum displays for the fictitious creations of her great-grandmother, Minnie Eureka Young, who, according to Williams, invented large, fantastic Victorian-era medical devices made of brass, copper, and wood.

Williams' work interested me quite a bit. These sculptures were far more intriguing than the associated photographs and prints (I think there were prints), but I do like that she has contributed supplemental materials to the sculptures. It creates a more interesting "story."

The room in which the work was installed did little to help the sculptures (see the electrical outlets in the second image for an example) but there's not much to be done about that.

Jeremy Drummond, a Richmond-based, Canadian-born artist, illustrates the unlikely intersection of the dreams of developers and those of the people who eventually occupy their pre-planned communities through video portraits, lists of accepted and rejected street name proposals, and aluminum panels painted in colors from the Martha Stewart living collection.

This artist certainly made the most of being given the prime gallery at AAC. So much of this work seemed redundant, but I doubt it's a stretch to think that was at least partially the goal given the subject matter. For more on Drummond's body of work, read this essay. It appears that essentially the same group of work was exhibited at Drake University in 2006.

Jennifer Mattingly, a Kensington, Maryland artist, meticulously constructs tiny playful dioramas out of matchboxes often recalling early modernist work by Joseph Cornell, or collage novels by Max Ernst. Both the matchboxes themselves and large photographic prints of them will be on display.

These matchbook sculpture-meets-collage pieces were incredibly cute and playful, and I enjoyed them very much. Like Williams' installation, Mattingly included enlarged photos of the matchbooks in the show to supplement the real thing. Several works had sold for mid-three figures... quite good on a square (or cubic?) inch basis.

Laure Drogoul, a Sondheim Prize winner, orchestrates all sorts of curious happenings and installations - from performances with amplified knitting orchestras, to devices with which to sing to - and possibly charm vitrines full of earthworms, to a traveling museum of smells called The Olfactory Factory. For this show, the Baltimore artist conducts a video seance, calling out to the civil war dead in nearby Arlington Cemetery.

Drogoul has built a reputation of making art that freaks you the hell out. Knowing this, I was most interested in seeing the AAC installation. Sure enough, Drogoul delivers the freaky goods. Stacey had to leave the room due to the energy present and I just stood there with my jaw dropped. I'm not sure what Drogoul is getting at with this work, but the experience itself is memorable. I won't soon forget it. This is the solo show that makes a trip to the AAC worthwhile.

There are two other solo shows at AAC but I neglected to snap any pictures of them. Here are the summaries for them:

Jacklyn Brickman makes installations that resemble science museum displays and illustrate relationships between people, food, corporations, and chemistry. Here the Newark, Delaware-based artist focuses her attention on corn, a crop that's been redesigned by scientists into a super-starchy alien foodstuff.

Jennifer Fleming's Poems: Public Places series examines roadside developments along interstate highways. The Baltimore artist takes 4 X 6 photos of chain restaurants, convenience stores, and other signs of workaday ugliness along Route 1, then cuts these pictures and assembles them by hand into long, panoramic collages. These "poems" are also offered for sale as refrigerator magnets, postcards, and other ironic souvenirs commemorating sprawl.

Lucy Hogg @ Flashpoint Gallery

It was recently requested that I go see the Lucy Hogg solo show at Flashpoint Gallery. And so this past Saturday, Stacey and I saw the show. We took the following pictures and I've provided text from the show's press release for a comprehensive view of the work.

"As in earlier work by Hogg, these paintings are excerpts sourced from Old Master paintings. This time, the criterion for selection was a search for what she calls 'the proto-photographic moment.'"

"Hogg illuminates fugitive expressions in the portraits that deny the duration of a portrait-painting session and invoke the fiction of the fleeting glance. Rather than the stilted pose which can be the product of a long sitting, Hogg’s found expressions capture fleeting moments of emotion or attitude, and as a result highly particularize the sitter."

"Read through the filter of our understanding of the later photographic moment, the portraits seem 'alive.'
Treated as saturated monochromes on portrait ovals, the heads float."

"By removing historical signifiers such as ruffs, hats, cravats or elaborate hair, the faces become timeless and can exist as contemporary countenances. This project, begun in 2004, is the last in a series of projects Hogg has undertaken since 1990, in which she has tried to put the history of painting into the present tense."

There you have it. I, too, suggest you see these paintings in person. I don't think you can truly appreciate them otherwise.

Conflict @ GRACE

On my lunch break I walked over to the Greater Reston Arts Center to have a look at their latest exhibition, Conflict. The final touches were being put on the show but I must say, it looked good. I didn't have my camera with me so I will have to return later.

There is an opening reception tonight from 6-8pm so if you can work it into your evening plans, I highly recommend it. Keep an eye out for a collaborative video by Jefferson Pinder and Matt Ravenstahl. It certainly made me uncomfortable.

Lisa McCarty @ DCAC

Unfortunately I don't have much time to say a lot about this show, but it certainly is worth sharing images. Lisa McCarty is a young artist/curator to watch here in D.C. This show illustrates Lisa taking her work in a new direction. Here we see the photo transfer technique for which she has become known, but this time the subject matter extends to small, rowdy rock concerts.

The effect, for me, was of being in the crowd and trying to look through the fog, heat and lights of a rock show in order to see the lead singer. Although such drastic obstacles really don't exist, it can sure feel that way. The result of these works are that we're getting just a glimpse of the action. It's been frozen in time for us though we can't see a lot. But we can see enough.

Here are the images:

The show remains up until March 23. Go see it!

D.C. Gallery Shows

Continuing what I started with the Arlington Arts Center post, what follows are some images and thoughts about gallery shows in D.C. that caught my eye.

Up at Hemphill is a solo show by Joseph Mills. The work demonstrates Mills' unique vision of mixing photographs with found wooden implements. Gritty at heart, the glossy finish gives the pieces - sculptures, really - an elegant glow.

Here Mills uses an interesting wooden object as the mount for the photograph. I loved the shadows cast by the legs(?). An obvious, yet compelling, correlation between the legs of wood and the figure's arms, sealed the deal for me liking this piece.

At Irvine is a solo show of Phil Nesmith's old-school-meets-new-school photographs. These should be familiar (in broad terms) to readers of this site as I presented his work last year at H&F Fine Art as part of a three-person group show called "Place, Space and Time."

Nesmith is quite concerned with the presentation of his work and this installation bears that out. The photos are strong, as always, but the presentation is where the show stands out. The framing relates to the work very well.

One small thing I noticed with the framing was that the brass corners holding the glass plates in place were sometimes out of square by a few degrees. I didn't notice it often but when I spotted it, it was distracting. It's a minor detail, but with such exacting presentation, slight issues like this stick out.

In the front room at Irvine is a group show of gallery artists. This painting by Lori Esposito was the most interesting to me.

Local artist Matthew Langley has a solo show up at DCAC. Based on images I had seen online I thought I would enjoy the show. And I certainly did. I think it's one of the more interesting shows up in D.C. right now.

Kriston Capps wrote about the show in the City Paper. I think he captured the show pretty well. I agree with his assessment.

The paintings call back to the days of minimalism but Langley's touch introduces some intriguing painterliness. Details abound. Black isn't just black. These minimalist paintings aren't just minimalist.

One thing I did notice in the show was that the works were hung awfully low. After installing several shows in the last year (almost always with a center line of 60"), I am attuned to the height at which paintings are hung. I noticed immediately how low Langley's works were hung and assumed that it was done intentionally for some purpose. After checking with Langley via email, the show was hung at its present height intentionally but I was not given any specific reason except that it seemed about right. This is a perfectly fair reason for hanging works at any given height, but for me, it was a bit distracting. Had the work not been as good or as powerful, I think it would have impacted my take on the show. As is, it's only mildly distracting.

Titled "Stylus," this piece was easily my favorite in the show. It's a stable composition knocked off balance by the three black squares, and infused with a sense of life as a result. The yellow, gray and black color scheme is unusual but simply works.

Based on Langley's art resume online he has not had extensive solo show experience (his last solo was in 1995). Something tells me that will change going forward.

Collectors Select @ AAC

Up now at the Arlington Arts Center is a set of shows that fall under the umbrella of "Collectors Select." The AAC has invited prominent collectors in the D.C. area to curate individual shows. What results is a mixed bag, I feel, but it's an important show for the D.C. artworld. Let's take a look at some images. I'll provide some brief commentary.

In a gallery on the lower floor is a show curated by Philip Barlow, a very popular guy right now. After all, he has a group show dedicated to him at Curator's Office. In my opinion, this was the strongest show out of the lot. It didn't try to do too much. It's simply a good show.

From AAC's web site:

Barlow explores the themes that have long driven his collecting—and curatorial—habits: Geometric abstraction, architectural ornament, and numbers or codes. Featured in the show are paintings and drawings by Simon Gouverneur, Wayne Edson Bryan, Tomas Rivas, and Michele Kong.

Tony and Heather Podesta's gallery. From AAC:

In this show, the Podestas highlight work that includes references to the natural landscape. The show includes photographic works by D.C. performance artist Kathryn Cornelius; traditional, technically exquisite landscape photography by Steve Alterman; and a site specific stone and wire sculpture that will flow dramatically from floor to ceiling by Barbara Liotta.

Daniel Levinas' gallery. From AAC:

Levinas, an avid collector of avante-garde Latin American art, brings an international art star to the Center: León Ferrari, winner of the Golden Lion in the 52nd Venice Biennale in 2007. Ferrari will exhibit his heliographs—large prints that resemble labyrinthine city plans, and reflect on the political oppression of the Argentinean military dictatorship in the 1980s.

Phillipa Hughes' gallery. Yep, that's graffiti in a room with Tiffany windows. Tiffany 1, graffiti 0.

While graffiti in a gallery setting is far from breaking new ground, I'm sure this the first time that Tiffany stained glass windows have cast light on graffiti. Look at that light on the ground!

I thought hanging canvases on the wall and then painting over them and offering them for sale was pretty interesting. I can't imagine buying a canvas for the "art" of that specific canvas, but I imagine it's difficult to profit off graffiti. This is a solution to that dilemma.

Graffiti on toy trains! Now that's cute. I liked these little guys and apparently others did too as they both sold. From AAC:

The Pink Line Project’s Philippa Hughes showcases Washington, D.C. graffiti artist Tim Conlon—who, along with his crew, will work directly on the walls of the Tiffany gallery, making a large mural that will provide a jarring counterpoint to the Center’s 1930s floor-to-ceiling lead Tiffany windows.

A nice textured painting that was part of the Center's resident artist show on the upper floor. I neglected to get the artist's name. This piece held its spot on the wall very strongly.

Opposite the textured painting above is Lisa McCarty's large black painting seen here. It has a texture of its own as seen below.

McCarty will be having a solo show at DCAC opening on February 22. I think it will be a strong showing by this young artist. She's an artist/curator to keep an eye on.

More D.C. posts will follow soon!

Mini Gallery Crawl - 11/3/07

This past Saturday I was able to make it to the 14th St galleries before the opening reception madness ensued. I wanted to share some images from the new shows.

James Huckenpahler @ Hemphill

A strong showing for sure. James' new work is advanced and seems more compositionally complex. The work is challenging to look at... like Op Art hyped up on technology steroids. The grainy images don't do as much for me as the more crisp pieces, but the show overall is fantastic.

Linn Meyers @ G Fine Art

I've been anxiously awaiting Linn's show and it certainly didn't disappoint. Recently acquired by the Hirshhorn, Linn is doing very well right now. The show contains large works that sing with fluidity and charm (save for one piece that feels a bit too graphic to me), and small works that seem more experimental (overlaying lines on printed graph paper). It's an elegant show and demonstrates why Linn is being acquired by top museums.

D. Billy @ Transformer

D. Billy may have left us for the greener pastures of NYC, but we are lucky to have his work at Transformer. There are really two types of work here: collage/drawings with cartoon influence and photographs of D.Billy interventions on NYC streets. We're pretty familiar with D.Billy's small collages so it was particularly refreshing to see the photographs. These were a fresh take on graffiti for me. They are lighthearted and funny, and although it's a cliche to say so, these works show us the world around us in a new way. I look forward to seeing where he takes these.

Kahn & Selesnick @ Irvine Contemporary Art

I loved the last solo show by Kahn & Selesnick so I knew I'd be in for a treat if this show exceeded the last. Unfortunately, it didn't measure up quite as well to me. I missed the rich black and white photos in particular. In this new space, the show felt more haphazard. I wasn't able to get into a rhythm viewing the show and felt that prevented me from truly engaging the work. The show is smart and sophisticated, but unfortunately it just didn't connect with me. Art can be hit or miss that way.

14th St. is strong right now. Go visit!

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.

"Space, Place and Time" - Opening Night Photos

On Friday night, H&F Fine Arts held the opening reception for "Space, Place and Time." Featured in the show are three great young photographers: Shannon Chester (B&W), Joanna Knox (color) and Phil Nesmith (dry-plate ferrotypes). We had a great turnout. Here are some photos:

(L to R): Chester, Nesmith, Knox, Chester

(L to R): Nesmith, Knox, Chester

(L to R): Chester, Knox

(L to R): Knox, Chester

(L to R): Knox, Chester, Nesmith

Knox

Chester

Nesmith

Reminder: "Space, Place and Time" @ H&F Fine Arts

Friendly reminder about "Space, Place and Time" at H&F Fine Arts. The show opened today and the reception is tomorrow (Friday) from 6-9pm. Come on out and enjoy the show!

Space, Place and Time: Joanna Knox, Shannon Chester, Phil Nesmith
Dates: August 9 – September 8
Opening reception: Friday, August 10 from 6-9pm

H&F Fine Arts is pleased to announce a group show of photographers Joanna Knox, Shannon Chester, and Phil Nesmith, each of whom are interested in exploring the delicate interplay between the places that define our lives, the spaces we inhabit, and the relentless passage of time that propels us through our days. Space, Place and Time runs from August 9 to September 8. An opening reception will be held on Friday, August 10 from 6-9pm.

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.

Shannon Chester examines the intimate relationship between setting and inhabitant. Her subjects, often in repose, harmonize with their surrounding as if contiguous, organic elements of the space—whether a room, a bed, or a lush wash of foliage. Chester approaches her subjects with soft focus, capturing the profound intimacy and quiet of stillness. In contrast, her artful use of long exposures deftly reveals the inevitable, almost unconscious movement of our bodies through time—and space.

Former U.S. Army paratrooper Phil Nesmith volunteered for service in Iraq and spent a year shooting photos while living among soldiers in combat. The resulting work is vivid, honest, and unflinching—a bold presentation of the best and worst of human capability. Nesmith’s finished pieces are hybrid dry-plate ferrotypes made from digitally captured images. The result is a glimpse of modern conflict in the aesthetic of civil-war era photography; this disquieting compression of time speaks to the inevitable sameness of human conflict over eras.

Combined, the work of Knox, Chester, and Nesmith vibrates with the haunting collision of these themes, revealing the inextricable links between our temporal experience and the spaces we inhabit. The exhibition provides a unique glimpse through the eyes of three emerging artists whose work reveals a talent and vision that belies their youth.