artPark

Wordless Wednesday

 

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The Garage

In this time of downsizing, becoming small is hip. But what does it mean when you are already working with something tiny? Are you uber-cool? That's the feeling I've been getting about Kate Daughdrill and Sam Bush who created, curate and maintain The Garage - the tiniest exhibition space I have ever seen.

The Garage (literally a stand alone one car garage) quietly opened about a year ago – at a time when other art spaces were thinking of closing or changing course. In a short time, this microscopic space has hosted a huge number of successful events and put itself solidly on the map as one of Charlottesville, Virginia's premier exhibition and entertainment spaces. It is also becoming one of the best commercial spaces for emerging artists who are lucky enough to exhibit there. So, keep your eyes and ears open for upcoming events and put The Garage on your must see calendar.

Recently, Kate was asked a series of questions about The Garage for an article in Proximity Magazine (in Chicago). Kate originally posted this Q&A in an art blog, The Art Klatch, but has been kind enough to allow me to reprint it. Here is what The Garage is all about... in Kate's own words:

1. Does the space have a particular feeling, philosophy, or attitude? What kinds of things happen there?

The Garage is an art space/concert venue/amateur film theater/impromptu studio/potluck dining hall that opens up to a public park in downtown Charlottesville. We host monthly art exhibitions by emerging artists, weekly concerts by local and regional bands, occasional film screenings, local potlucks, sing-a-longs, dance parties, artist talks, drawing nights, etc. Creative activities occur alongside the exhibitions, allowing people to connect, make, and question together after the initial presentation of the work. The Garage's strange publicness makes the tiny space wildly accessible and yet incredibly intimate.

2. What factors lead to choosing the physical space? How was it designed?

It actually feels like the space chose us. I just walked past it one day and realized it was an art space. It belongs to the church where some of us go, so we asked the pastor if we could use it; he gave the music minister who was parking there her two-weeks notice that day.

The physical format of the Garage is perfect for presenting artwork in a "public yet private" context. After chiseling up most of the tar from the black cement floor, we installed a new laminate wood floor, which allows us to appropriate a bit of the visual language of a traditional gallery. The square opening of the Garage serves as our "frame" while the amphitheatre-like seating on the hill across the street provides a "viewing platform" for shows, performances, and creative activities.

3. What sorts of projects are in store for the space?

Along with our ongoing exhibitions and concerts, we’re also looking forward to our upcoming ambient-music-and-pancakes sleepover, our first really free market, and an exciting, relational project by Grand Rapids-based artist Adam Wolpa. We try not to plan too far in advance since we constantly have community members coming to us with ideas for shows and projects. We hope to be an organic, relational space that says "yes" as much as possible.

4. What role does the space play in the community?

We provide an intimate setting for engagement with art (and each other) in the public realm. Since it's a fairly small town, most of our regulars are neighbors who walk or ride their bikes to the space. However, each time the Garage's door is open, a baffling number of people passing by stop to ask questions about the space or exhibition and then end up hanging around, experiencing the artwork, and getting to know us. Our shows and activities often feel like mini-block parties that create a temporary site for community, collaboration, and conversation.

5. With unlimited resources, what would you do with the space? What kind of infrastructural support would you want?

Although we like our industrial, clamp-on lights, we would purchase some type of track lighting to simply the installation and gallery sitting processes. We would also buy a few space heaters to keep the space cozy in the colder months and plant a garden in the little backyard behind the Garage. And of course, it would be nice to pay the artists and bands for their time and to have salaries so that facilitating the Garage could be our full time jobs!

6. What are other spaces or places that you like?

The Garage loves the Suburban, InCUBATE Chicago, the Nest of G-RAD.ORG, the Bridge, the Project Lodge, the Experimental Station, and the DAAC.

July Artist of the Month - RUSSELL U. RICHARDS

Okay, okay.  We've got it.  Times are tough.  We've all been suffering through this recession one way or another.  But as bad as you've got it, imagine being an artist.  Now imagine being an artist and suddenly losing the use of both your hands.  Yikes!  That's exactly what has happened to Charlottesville artist Russell U. Richards.

Not long after coming out of a long term illness that literally laid him up for months; back in March, Russell made a hugely successful return to creating and exhibiting some very strong work.  Read my review here.  Unfortunately, while enjoying his new found good health and energy, Russell - an experienced mountain biker - recently went for a trail ride.  This is where we all cringe… Yup, you guessed it: Russell took an awkward spill and freakishly broke both his arms.  He is now stuck in casts for a good number of weeks.  Could it be any worse?

 

Instead of lockering himself at home and simply riding out this bad time, Russell is making lemonade out of his crappy situation.  Throughout the summer, while he is stuck in his two casts and unable to create new work, Russell is focusing his energies on selling the inventory of his current artwork.  And to make it all particularly sweet, Russell is selling his lemonade… er… artwork at a discount!

 

    

 

This is an incredible opportunity for art buyers and collectors.  Russell has turned his misfortune into a gain for us, and I strongly recommend everyone take advantage of it.  Make it a gain for Russell too.

For those of you new to his work… Russell's quirky and electrifying art is uncompromising.  He draws in a frenetic style and captures fantastical worlds from the past and the future.  These worlds, born in Russell's head, are often brutal and sometimes erotic (or both!).  His work is the complete package: imagination, story telling, beautifully crafted, and, of course, unique and creative.

If you are new to Russell Richard's work (or even if you are a long time fan), do yourself a favor…  Take a look at his website.  Visit his studio.  Contact him.  Buy his work.  This is one of those special win/win situations.

 

Images include:

Top:  4th of July - oil and ink on paper, 21"x15".

Middle left:  Perilous Existence - four color etching (edition of 10), 6.25"x5.25".

Middle right:  Dinosaur Swamp - four color etching (edition of 10), 5.5"x4".

Bottom:  Robots (evolution) - four color etching (edition of 10), 4.5"x4.5".

Wordless Wednesday

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Fun with Architecture

Why the heck didn't they have this when I was a kid?

 

Brick by brick, Lego has been building its way out of the near bankruptcy it suffered around the turn of the century. It has done this by a seemingly simple strategy — making awesome product after awesome product. Now it is releasing the almost ridiculously fitting Architecture series, beginning with the Frank Lloyd Wright Collection.  First up is Fallingwater, the iconic cantilevered waterfall-house outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

 

  

 

All I had growing up was the Lego set that had a total of about 5 shapes - all rectangles.  I guess that's why I have such fond feelings for the American Foursquare.

 

 

 

["Agnes" by Tony Cochran.  Distributed by Creators Syndicate.  May 12, 2009]

Art related comics

As a fan of Chuck Close, I got a double chuckle out of this one.

 

["Get Fuzzy" by Darby Conley.  Distributed by UFS, Inc.]

The Affordable Art Fair New York City

The stock market is rising. Consumer confidence is up. And the art is hot! This promises to be a great week at the Affordable Art Fair. May 7-10.

AAF NYC is the place for new and established collectors to discover and buy paintings, drawings, sculptures, video, photography and limited edition prints from distinguished galleries, all priced from $100 - $10,000. This year the Fair will host more than 60 galleries from the US, Europe, Asia, Canada and South America. AAF 2009 will debut at its new home at 7 West 34th Street.

Be sure to stop by Migration’s booth (C-204) and say Hi (mention artPark and we will be extra nice). And take a close look at these artists we will be exhibiting:

  TIM TAUNTON

 MICHAEL JANIS

 BRIAN MALLMAN

 ASHLEY WILLIAMS

 ARTURO MALLMANN

 RANDALL STOLTZFUS

WARREN CRAGHEAD

 

Ashley Williams

Do you ever wonder why people pan for gold? Seems like a lot of time and effort, right?  But when those few nuggets are found – eureka! - all that work pays off. This helps explain why I keep looking at students' artwork. So much of it isn't promising at all. But, once in a blue moon, a discovery is made. This past Fall, Laura and I made one of those rare finds at Univ of Virginia... Ashley Williams is a  rare gem.

Hanging in the hallways outside the artists' studios, two large works on paper caught our attention. We were floored. Craftsmanship, detail, layered imagery, provocative subject, and very very fresh. Ashley's work had it all. Luckily she was in her studio and we were able to introduce ourselves.

  

From there, Laura and I have been working to get Ashley's work out to the public. An obvious decision for us was to take her work to the Affordable Art Fair in NYC. She agreed. We’re psyched. This is the kind of stuff New York needs. And we can't wait to get the reactions.

On a local level, Ashley is currently participating in a student show at the UVa's Ruffin Hall. A reception is being held this evening. I strongly recommend you find the time to attend. See firsthand what has us all aflutter.

A little about Ashley: She is from Roanoke, Virginia and will receive her Studio Art and Art History degrees this spring from UVa. She has already been awarded the prestigious Aunspaugh Fellowship and will continue her studio work at UVa next year. She has studied classical drawing in Italy and has exhibited in various artist shows around Virginia. Ashley is also a gifted creative writer (not hard to imagine based on her painting).

About her work, Ashley says this:

Like the city streets, the modern world floods our bodies with information.  Scientific advancements and improvements in communication technology mean that it has become increasingly difficult to extract the useful from the extraneous.  In response to this, our bodies function as a system that both absorbs and discards sounds, statistics and images.  However, this internal system is inefficient.  We cannot contain everything and the process of filtering out information can cause us to overlook what is most important.  Stillness is sometimes necessary.  My art, in some ways, is about reclaiming what has been filtered out by embracing the confusion, diagramming and displaying it.   It is a process, I think, similar to long-exposure photography.  Like the earliest Daguerreotypes, the lens is left open long enough for images to crowd the picture plane, overlapping each other until, like the famous shoe shiner in "Boulevard du Temple", something important begins to surface.  It is only through observing and accepting the whole, that we eventually find our focus.

JOACHIM KNILL is today's ArtistADay

If one is fun, and twice is nice, then three must be the charm.

First, Randall Stoltzfus was the featured artist on ArtistADay.com. Then, a Migration fav, Susan Jamison, was featured. And now, Joachim Knill, Migration's Polaroid photographer extraordinaire, is today's ArtistADay. We have reason to be excited about this: The attention for each of these artists explodes from this exposure (Randall has received over 13,000 visits and is currently ranked #3 in votes). ArtistADay.com has a very large following, and, more importantly, it is a discriminating following. So, today, go to Joachim's page, take a look, vote, comment, and contact me if you need any more information about his work.

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I find the timeliness of Joachim's selection to be exceptionally appropriate. For starters, the demise of Polaroid has been a hot topic recently. This month's Art and Antiques cover story is titled "Polaroid's Last Shot" (by Sheila Gibson Stoodley). It is filled with great perspectives from some notable artists like Chuck Close, Elsa Dorfman and David Hockney about the importance and uniqueness of Polaroid images. Chuck Close says, "There's so much more information embedded in it than can be seen with the naked eye – unbelievable detail and real physicality."

For those of you who have followed artPark, you are already familiar with Joachim's utterly unique and masterful work (read my early review here). Although many artists rent Polaroid's large format 20"x24" camera to capture their work, Joachim took the extra step and built his own camera. His, however takes 20"x30" photographs. You may read that as a minor difference, but, in reality, it is a monumental. The hoops he had to jump through to convince Polaroid to allow him to use their film in his camera rather than theirs would deter virtually every other artist. Not Joachim. And his persistence has paid off.

Creating his handmade surreal worlds, adding the drama of stage lighting, and capturing them on large format Polaroid film with his one-of-a-kind camera has drawn rave reviews. Laura Parsons of The Hook said, "Say 'Polaroid' and most people envision waving a hand-sized snapshot in the air, drying it as the image emerges... But what Knill's 20x30 single-exposure photographs have in common with those pics is what the Grand Canyon shares with a creek bed – i.e. they're technically created the same way, but the former is, how shall we say, considerably more eye-popping."

See more of Joachim's work here and here.

[Images include:  1) Circus; 2) Armor]

Feeling the love from ArtistADay.com

Some of Migration's favorite artists are feeling the love from ArtistADay.com.  Last week, the site featured the work of Randall Stoltzfus. Today's artist is Susan Jamison. Take a look at both. Vote. Comment.

Based on reports from Randy, this one day exposure gave him a huge bump; and we are still fielding inquires about his work. I assume the same will be true for Susan.

Wonder who will be featured tomorrow? Or next week?

MICHAEL JANIS - April Spotlight artist of the month

Out of the collection of artists Laura and I represent and follow, I can't think of any who have been busier than Washington, DC glass artist, Michael Janis.  In addition to him co-directing and teaching at the wildly successful Washington Glass School, Michael has hit the Spring exhibition season in full stride.

 

Earlier this year, Michael was included in the Corning Glass Museum's New Glass Review - arguably one of the most prestigious and important glass competitions.  Also earlier this year, Michael was nominated as a finalist for the annual Washington, DC Mayor's Art Award.  Michael is currently participating in a group show titled "Dialogues in Glass" at the Mayer Fine Art Gallery in Norfolk, Virginia (runs through May 14). Then, on May 15, Michael opens a two man show at the famed Duane Reed Gallery in St. Louis, Missouri (runs through June 13).  And, finally, Migration will feature his work at the Affordable Art Fair in New York City in May (May 6 through May 10).  Whew!  I'm thinking, at this point, there might be a few artists out there who are a bit jealous.

 

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For the AAF, we anticipate this primarily painting, photography, drawing and printmaking fair to get turned upside down by Michael's glass powder drawn images on fused glass panels.  Michael's melancholic imagery combines the allegorical and the urban, but his materials and process are so elemental.  All of this is brought together by his highly refined technical skills which uniquely bring forth these deeply beautiful and animalian pieces of art.  For more on Michael's process, take a look at this video interview created by the Verizon FiOs creative film production team.

 

From Michael's artist statement:

Inspired by ways we transform ourselves, Michael Janis creates glass pieces that have both visual and spatial depth.  By layering and fusing sheets of glass with overlapping elements, Michael creates an interactive commentary using simple forms with intricate glass powder drawings. 

 

Seamless construction and simplicity of form contrasts with the intricacy of his imagery.  Objects from his “Tarot” series are based on the symbols and forms used in Tarot playing cards. Traditional Tarot cards incorporate icons based on everyday life, religions, astrology and also numbers. The Swiss psychologist, Carl Jung, saw all of the Tarot symbols as "descended from the archetypes of transformation", and used the Tarot imagery in his therapy.

 

Michael’s kilnformed work takes scenes and suspends them within layers of fused, formed and coldworked sheet glass. Using crushed glass powder to create drawings, Michael plays on the elements of light, color and also sequence.  The glass powder is sifted onto glass sheets, and by scraping and scratching the sifted black glass dust he crafts his artwork. The glass panel is then fired in an electric kiln at temperatures up to 1600°F. This time consuming process facilitates drawn out contemplation of often overlooked imagery. 

 4)  5)

 

We will be featuring all the pieces pictured on this page at the Affordable Art Fair (May 6 through May 10).  For more information on Michael and the availability of these pieces and others, please contact us.

 

[Images include: 1)  Full of Uncertainties and Reasons.  Cast glass, steel, glass powder imagery.  18"x36"x2".  $6,000.  2) The Moon - from the Tarot Card Series.  Cast glass, steel, glass powder imagery.  18"x36"x2".  $6,800.  3) The Sun - from the Tarot Card Series.  Cast glass, steel, glass powder imagery.  18"x36"x2".  $6,800.  4)  Seeking Shelter 1.  Cast glass, steel, glass powder imagery.  20"x20"x2".  $3,000.  5) Seeking Shelter 2.  Cast glass, steel, glass powder imagery.  20"x20"x2".  $3,000.]

ArtistADay.com

There's a nice and simple website that promotes artists and their work. It's called ArtistADay.com. Today, the site is featuring the work of Migration artist Randall Stoltzfus. Give it a look. Rate the work (give it a 5). Read the Comments. Leave a Comment.

Interested in seeing the real thing? Migration will be featuring Randall's work at the Affordable Art Fair in NYC from May 6 through May 10. Last year, Randall stole the show at AAF.

Randall is also having a solo exhibition at the Limn Art Gallery in San Francisco from April 18 through May 30.

Hitting both coasts simultaneously means these are busy days for Mr. Stoltzfus – but that's appropriate for an artist of his caliber.

[Image:  "Late" by Randall Stoltzfus.  48"x60", Oil on linen.  $7,000]

The Arts and Innards of Russell U. Richards!

Friday, Laura and I spent a fantastic night out on the town soaking up some art.  Our first stop of the evening was to see Russell U. Richard's exhibit at the McGuffey Art Center titled "The Arts and Innards of Russell U. Richards!"  This was a long awaited for show for Russell.  Simply put, this show made McGuffey look better than I have ever seen it.  Russell provided the full package.  His artwork electrified the space (more on that in a sec.), but what also shined was the execution of the entire concept.  It's the little things.  Russell clearly put a lot of thought, time and effort into the organization and hanging of the show.  Each piece was beautifully framed, hung precisely and lit perfectly.  Too often I have been to McGuffey (and a variety of other galleries) and seen lighting for crap and hanging so poor that I couldn't bear to look at the work on the walls.  Note to all artists:  Presentation is a significant part of your work.  Put some forethought into it as you create your work.  It can make or break an otherwise excellent piece of artwork.

Back to Russell...  I have been aware of his work since first arriving in Charlottesville 8+ years ago and visiting McGuffey where he has his studio.  I liked it then.  I love it now.  Initially, I found myself confused by his frenetic assemblage of lines and flat shapes and colors.  But now I see the importance of the overlapping outlines of his comic-style people and creatures as a process of weaving and layering that ties them all together and tells a multi-faceted graphic tale captured in one frame.

This work is comic book-like, but it is not for children... or the faint of heart.  From afar, the images and concepts are apparent - colorful people, gardens, paths, rooms, monsters, buildings, machines, games, etc.  But closer inspection reveals the real Russell.  He is telling a graphic and often mystical tale.  Much of it is related to his own trying times, but there is plenty about the varied and twisted world he sees around him.  It is a fantastical journey and a beautiful visual story.

 

Russell has the heart and style of the greatest folk artists past and present (think Howard Finster), but he also exhibits the skills of the most refined MFA graduates.  Russell executes his complex ideas with a precise and beautiful craft, and it speaks in a clear and creative visual language.  I am a fan.

 

In addition to the exhibit of his original artwork, Russell has created a book of his life, journey and art.  This is the description:

Russell Richards is an artist known for his fantastical and imaginative imagery. "The Arts and Innards of Russell U. Richards!" is both an art book and memoir tracing his struggles with a devastating chronic illness, and how art helped him live through it, with beautiful full-color reproductions throughout. “Russell Richards’ work is electrifying- sometimes brutal, and always uncompromising. Yet his violent and erotically charged world is tempered with a wry sense of humor (served black.) His complex and original visions have left me gasping for breath and lusting for more for almost 20 years.” -- Daniel Zimmer

See the exhibit.  But Russell's art.  If you can't get to Charlottesville, buy the book here.  $35.00

Images include:  Top, Halloween; Middle, Nude Pool; Bottom, The Arts and Innards of Russell U. Richards (book cover)

The Dot and The Line - Final Weekend

If you haven’t already, please come by Migration this weekend, before we close our exhibition of drawings by Warren Craghead and Brian Mallman called The Dot and The Line.

This show features the work of two contemporary masters of the pencil. The original pages from Warren's book, How To Be Everywhere, and his story, This is a Ghost, are still available. We also have available a selection of Brian's graphite on board drawings from his continued Meetings series.

Both artists have received numerous national awards and accolades for the unique aesthetic of their drawing skills. To call them "creative" is an understatement. In a word, Warren and Brian are breaking barriers and lifting the skill of drawing to high art. Adding a piece or two will compliment anyone's collection of original artwork.

Laura and I are extremely proud to present Warren's and Brian' work. Don't miss this opportunity to see what we believe is the future direction of contemporary art: beauty, creativity, resonance, simplicity and craftsmanship.

 

(Images include: Top, Warren Craghead, page from This Is A Ghost; Bottom, Brian Mallman, Meetings #22)

Laurence Downing - our newest acquisition

During our recent holiday travels, Laura and I dropped into one of favorite galleries - Somerhill Gallery.  Somerhill is located in Durham, NC and owned by the venerable Joe Somerhill.  In the past year, the gallery has moved and settled into a gorgeous new space that showcases the its wide ranging collection of art in a vast and elegant setting.

 

As we strolled through new space admiring any number of interesting pieces, Laura and I simultaneously spotted a clay sculpture by North Carolina artist Laurence Downing. It is titled "Black Eye," and it captured us equally. To us, it speaks of how man's spirituality is born from his relationship with Nature.  The decision to buy it was a no-brainer.

 

  

Laurence Downing received his BFA in Sculpture from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  He has studied with Xavier Toubes and at the Penland School of Craft, the Rhode Island School of Design, and at the Art Institute of Chicago.  Laurence has been widely exhibited and is currently teaching at the Durham Schoolof the Arts and at the Durham Arts Council.

 

About his work, Laurence says this:

 

A Biblical parable cautions the farmer not to build barns and store up wealth for this world. It cautions us not to store up what moth and rust will destroy. Water towers and silos remind me of ways our pasts and stored provisions direct our movement. These towers and silos are repositories for our collected wealth. They are our source for sustenance even if they are misplaced confidence in things and our past gain. We are encouraged also to consider the birds because they do not toil or spin or store up wealth, but depend on God for their provision. The birdhouses and silos point at the dysfunctional irony of birds acting a bit like people. The implied function and loaded imagery are wasted on the birds. They also remind me to focus on more permanent matters.

 

More images of Laurence's work can be found here.

 

The Dot and the Line

Migration celebrated its final Charlottesville exhibition with a reception honoring the drawings of Warren Craghead and Brian Mallman.  Despite falling on the evening after New Year's Day, we had a very nice crowd who all seemed to dive into the detail, beauty and resonance of Warren's and Brian's work. 

The original pages from Warren's book, How To Be Everywhere, and his newest story, This Is A Ghost, jumped off the wall.  Brian's newest additions to his Meetings series of drawings on board caused heads to cock while coming to grips with the the unique quizzical facial renderings.  I even caught a few people trying to mimic some of the portraits (although I'm sure they will deny it).

As part of this exhibition - The Dot and The Line - Warren has flexed his illustrated book skills and created an exclusive book of the same title the cover image is pictured above).  It is free and can only be accessed through the Migration website.  Go here and click on the link.  You will then be able to print out the book and make it yourself.  Trust me, it's worth the minimal effort and time.  Plus, it is a unique opportunity to get a free book.  Leave a comment and let me know how you like it.

Finally, for those of you who were not able to make it to the opening (nursing a New Year's Eve hangover, no doubt), I give you a few images of Warren's and Brian's work below.  Of course, this is nothing like seeing the originals.  Drop by the gallery this month.  The show will close January 26.  Or, if you are out of town, contact the gallery and we will provide you with much more information and additional images.  Buying any one of these pieces will get your 2009 off to an excellent start.  I promise you, owning a Mallman or a Craghead will make your 2009 a special year.

  Warren Craghead - sample pages from How To Be Everywhere, graphite on paper.

Warren Craghead - page from This Is A Ghost, graphite on paper.

Warren Craghead - Portrait of Guillaume Apollinaire, collage,12"x12".

Brian Mallman - from the Meetings series, graphite on board, 24"x24".

Brian Mallman - from the Meetings series, graphite on board, 24"x24".

Brian Mallman - from the Meetings series, graphite on board, 24"x24".

Brian Mallman - from the Meetings series, graphite on board, 24"x24".

Lino Tagliapietra

In this age of over exaggerated expressions of excellence, the term "maestro" is often overused. The reality is, in a lifetime, you and I should consider ourselves extremely lucky to experience the craft of a true maestro. Luckily, I have had a few: Pavarotti (opera), Yo Yo Ma (cello), Dean Smith (coach), Michael Phelps (swimming), and Michael Jordan (basketball). Recently, I added one more maestro to my list: Lino Tagliapietra.

During a weekend trip to Washington, DC, Laura and I did what we always do when we are in DC – we dropped into the Renwick Gallery (of the Smithsonian American Art Museum). Through January 11, 2009, the Renwick is featuring an exhibition titled Lino Tagliapietra in Retrospect: A Modern Renaissance in Glass. This exhibition of 140 individual pieces and sculptures blew my socks off.

  

My first introduction to Lino's work was nearly 20 years ago - back when he worked with Dale Chihuly in Seattle (writer's note: in my mind, Lino was the skill that made Chihuly what he is now). It has been a treat to follow his career and watch Lino take his mastery of Venetian glass-blowing techniques to new heights. Despite being rooted in the traditions of Murano glassworks, the inventiveness of Lino's work keeps it relevant to contemporary aesthetics. It wows me every time.

I highly recommend you to see this show (or, at the least, enjoy this slideshow of the exhibition). However, be warned... After experiencing the breadth and unabashed beauty of Lino's exquisite handwork, you will likely be spoiled for all other high-end glass art.

Images: Left, Mandara (2006); Right, Nubia (2000). Both photos by Russell Johnson.

Let There Be Light

Last Friday, Laura and I kicked off the holidays (i.e. winter solstice) by going to the annual outdoor art exhibit held on the campus of Piedmont Virginia Community College. The show is called Let There Be Light. It is a one night affair and begins at sundown. As you probably guessed, the art displayed is all light-centered. It is a fantastic opportunity to experience art in a non traditional setting.

Although a bit chilly, it was a gorgeous evening – the full moon added a touch of drama and natural beauty. Rarely do we get to see art in so many different forms: paper constructed lanterns gracefully floating over the surface of a still pond powered only by the breeze; a giant screen playing a loop of the effects of light on the eye's dilating pupil; glow-stick clad dancers performing on a grassy hill; a school of fish cast against a classroom building; a pottery kiln made of paper in full fire. And there was much, much more. It was a true visual feast.

Here are some pictures:

  Floating Lanterns by Stacey Evans and John Grant (photo by Stacey Evans)

  Dilate by Rob Tarbell

  Dance Move Burglar by Brushwood’s School of Dance (photo by Stacey Evans)

  School by Fenella Belle (photo by Stacey Evans)

  Paper Kiln by Tom Clarkson

Naturescapes by RANDALL DAVID TIPTON

Migration is celebrating the opening of Naturescapes, the newest paintings by Oregon artist Randall David Tipton, this Friday, December 5 with a reception at the gallery from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

It feels like this show has been a long tome coming. Laura and I have been in love with Randall's watercolors on yupo for many, many months. Although showing a few of his paintings in the past, this will be our first exhibit of Randall's work en mass. We couldn't be more excited - like Christmas has come early.

   

I have written before on Randall's work and his mastery of his chosen medium (read my earlier reports here and here). To this date, I have not come across any painter who can control watercolors with such a loose touch and unabashed expression. The power of movement in each and every one of his landscape paintings is remarkable.

   

A special twist to this show is that we are presenting a large number of smaller pieces. Sizes range from 5"x5" to 6"x6" to 9"x12" to 12"x12". Prices are $95 for the smaller ones up to $350 for the larger ones. Talk about bang for your buck! This is the most affordable art we have carried. The prices simply belie the quality of each piece.

   

Please come to the gallery and experience Randall's explosion of colors and beautiful renderings of west coast landscapes. It will be a great way to kick start the holiday season.

About his paintings, Randall says this:

Throughout my career the landscape has been my guiding orientation. Whether I've tried to reduce its complexity to bands and gestures or to focus intently on a particular aspect, my motive has always been to suggest something fundamental and primal. My impulse comes from a simple belief in the restorative qualities in nature. In the American tradition of Thoreau to Frederick Edwin Church to Arthur Dove and others, I include myself among those trying to expose and explore the transcendental relationship we have with the natural world.

Coming of age in the late 20th century, after the example and sacrifice of the abstract expressionists, I came to also believe in their faith in improvisation as a more direct link to the unconscious and therefore to something more authentic.

Ultimately, this is where my commitment lies; through the process of painting, alert to possibility, my belief in the redemptive essence of the landscape becomes an image.

For more on Randall and his work, go here.

Sarah White taps Laurel Hausler

Right on the heels of me getting all excited about Maggie Taylor's artwork appearing on the cover of Shawn Colvin's new album, "These Four Walls," Laura and I get word from one of our very favorite local artists, Laurel Hausler, that her artwork will grace the cover of Virginia based singer-songwriter Sarah White's new album, "Sweetheart" (buy it here). It’s been 20 years since I’ve gotten excited about album cover art, and now I get a two-fer in a matter of days. Cool.

Sarah's talent for songwriting recently received national accolades at the 2007 Mountain Stage New Song Contest where she won Best Song for "Sweetheart." For those of you who missed Sarah's performance last month at the filled-to-the-brim Gravity Lounge here in C'ville, she will be performing tonight (Nov 14) at Frye Springs Beach Club, and again in Richmond at The Camel on November 20.

As for Laurel… She has been tearing up the visual arts scene lately. Most recently, she had an exceptional solo show at the Nevin Kelly Gallery in DC called "A History of Dogs and Witches." In it, Laurel got to show off her newest series of paintings, ink and watercolor drawings, sculptures and other works – all of which have been described as erudite, evil, haunting, mysterious, beautiful and charming (read an interview of Laurel in the DCist here). Prior to the Nevin Kelly show, Laurel exhibited in the main gallery of the Gallery in the Woods in Brattleboro, Vermont. We also saw Laurel's paintings exhibited in New York at the Affordable Art Fair this past June.

Collaborations like these are win/win/win situations: When the visual arts and the musical arts come together, the painter wins, the musician wins, and the audience wins.

Taubman Museum of Art

There is a new jewel in Virginia’s art museum landscape. The former Art Museum of Western Virginia located in Roanoke has spent the last three years undergoing a complete transformation and is now the grand and spectacular Taubman Museum of Art. The Taubman Museum is celebrating its grand reopening this weekend. Go to Roanoke. Enjoy the dramatic architecture and glorious new exhibition spaces. Be a part of the art.

 

Here are some excerpts from recent Taubman Museum press releases:

The Art Museum’s new 81,000 square foot facility has been designed by emerging Los Angeles architect Randall Stout, principal of Randall Stout Architects, Inc. and an internationally admired proponent of sustainable "green" architecture. The building is a dramatic composition of flowing, layered forms in steel, patinated zinc and high performance glass that pay sculptural tribute to the famous mountains that provide the city’s backdrop and shape the region's spirit.

The new building will house the Art Museum’s permanent collection and feature greatly expanded exhibition spaces and education spaces, including a larger Art Venture, the Art Museum’ interactive gallery and art center for children and families. It also will incorporate a multi-purpose auditorium, a flexible theater/programming space, a book and gift shop, a library and study center, an art studio, and a café with indoor and outdoor seating. A dramatic, spacious atrium will provide a meeting place for the community, as well as a premier downtown venue for special events and receptions.

Summarizing his approach to the design for the Taubman Museum of Art, Randall Stout said, "A guiding principal of this project is creating a powerful relationship to the natural landscape and its influence over life, learning and art in Roanoke. Our references to nature are intended as deeply meaningful ones and are central to the purpose… The beauty of architecture is that it creates a democratic situation by engaging every observer equally and making room for every possible interpretation. Like art, it connects people with their own past experiences and future ambitions, and provokes an intriguing array of responses…"

Public opening is Saturday, November 8th, 10:00 am. 110 Salem Avenue, Roanoke, Virginia.

Check out this full list of opening day events.

Keeping up with... ERWIN TIMMERS

Reported by Laura:

We thought we’d catch everyone up on what glass artist Erwin Timmers is doing. I got a chance to spend a few hours with him at the Washington Glass School a few weeks ago when I made a trip up there to collect a work by another WGS director, Michael Janis. Erwin looked fantastic and energized by all the work he’s been doing. It was my first visit to the studio, which is enormous.

A little background… Erwin Timmers is a co-founder of the Washington Glass Studio and Washington Glass School. Originally from Amsterdam, he moved to California and graduated from Santa Monica College for Design Arts and Architecture. In 1999 he moved to the Washington DC area. His approach to art is multifaceted, incorporating metalwork, innovative lighting and glass design. He teaches glass, lighting, sculpture, and metal work. Industrial salvage and recycling are recurring themes in his work, which he sees as crucial parts to the interaction with one’s surroundings.

60s    70s 

80s    90s

Currently, Erwin is part of a show at Visarts in Rockville, Maryland called Glass Evolving. It will be on view until Nov 16. These images are of new work included in that show. I saw these pieces on my visit, and they are luminous and beautiful. The glass he used in them was tempered glass, so he went through an extensive melting and re-melting process to be able to use it. Even more importantly to my narrative mind, the works have a lot to say. For this series titled "What We Leave Behind" (pictured), what he did was collect a group of objects – sunglasses, battery, portable music device, money / credit cards, and phones among others – from each decade, the 1960s to the 2000s. What we get is a visual historical journey through the items we use every day and how they have changed. These objects are set into the glass as if they were found in rock 1,000 years from now. They are part history, part social commentary, and part beautiful imagery. All the elements of important artwork, although Erwin continues to see himself as more of a craftsperson. Which brings up an interesting point about the line between art and craft and how thin it is getting. But I’ll leave that for another discussion.

 detail of 2000s 

Erwin recently had new work in a show, "The Art of Trash," at the Baltimore Public Works Museum. And he is just opened a new show in Norfolk at Mayer Fine Art Gallery.

Erwin is a very busy artist, and his work is getting better and better. Get a piece while it is still underpriced at one of these great locations, or visit the studio, or give Migration a call and we’ll help you get a great piece.

Keeping Up with… TIM TATE

It’s not easy keeping up with glass artist Tim Tate. He is a true shooting star in the art world. Since we exhibited Tim’s widely collected video reliquaries at Migration this past April (with Michael Janis and Erwin Timmers of the Washington Glass School), Tim has been extremely busy. Some of his highlights include shows at Jane Sauer Gallery (Santa Fe, NM), Marx-Saunders Gallery (Chicago, IL), Donna Saeger Gallery (San Rafael, CA), Pentimenti Gallery (Philadelphia, PA), Habatat Gallery (Berkshires, MA), Billy Shire Fine Arts (Los Angeles, CA), Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery (Pittsburgh, PA), and Maurine Littleton Gallery (Washington, DC). Tim also won the 2008 First Place Niche Award for Blown Glass, and had two of his reliquaries auctioned off for over $40K each. Not a bad year, huh?

Now Tim is going international. Tim’s video reliquaries are included in a show titled "Light & Technology" at The Steps Gallery in London opening this Thursday, Oct 16th. What makes this especially fun for Laura and me is that we were there when this international relationship was conceived. It goes back to April 2007 at the first (and only) artDC gallery fair. The Steps Gallery, Migration and The Washington Glass School all had booths that were next to each other. So while Laura and I were beginning our talks with Tim (and Michael Janis and Erwin Timmers), the director of The Steps Gallery, Davinia Bulford-Cooper, was doing the same. Although the lifespan of that fair may have been short, the relationships developed there have proven to be long lasting and very fruitful.

As stated in their press release, The Steps Gallery says this about Tim’s work:

Tim Tate exhibits handmade glass vessels containing video pieces that depict and address the topic of using technology or human constructs to repair and aid the repetition of natural systems and phenomena.

The Steps Gallery is recognized as one of the UK’s leading promoters and exporters of young contemporary art. Over the years, it has established a reputation for identifying pioneering artists. The comprehensive gallery program is inclusive of innovative media, technology-based work, photography, sculpture and site-specific installations.

Imitation = Flattery

As the saying goes... Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. With that said, you’ll understand why my eyebrows rose as I recently flipped through the pages of my Art & Antiques magazine. An article, titled "State of the Art Market – Through Thick and Thin" by Andrew Slayman (read it here) is a thorough investigation into the world of art as a viable investment tool. My eyebrows hitting the ceiling was due to the fact I had written an article on the same subject last March titled "Art as an Asset" (read it here). Eerily similar. Heck, Slayman and I even used the same Mei Moses All Art Index chart.

Despite having already discussed the subject five months earlier, I very much liked Slayman’s opening paragraph:

While art and commerce have never been strangers, it used to be customary to at least pretend that art was primarily an aesthetic matter. Not any longer. More and more people are speaking of art as an asset class, and few are embarrassed by the phrase "art investment." After all, why should they be? The art market as a whole returned 20% in 2007 versus 5.5% for the Standard & Poor’s 500, according to one art price index, while certain sub-sectors such as contemporary art performed even better. And at least four new art investment funds—which sell shares and use the proceeds to trade artworks for profit—have been announced in the past year and a half.

So if Art & Antiques, a glossy international magazine with a circulation of 153,000, wants to imitate me, I’ll take it. I’m flattered.

JAN ARONSON - "While Rome Burns"

Please join us Friday, October 3, 5:30-8:00pm for a reception with acclaimed artist Jan Aronson as we celebrate the opening of Migration’s exhibition of her newest series of oil paintings called "While Rome Burns."

Jan Aronson’s paintings are internationally recognized and applauded for their sharply colored and textured depictions of basic natural elements: rocks, leaves, clouds, trees and water. She has incorporated those elements into her new series, "While Rome Burns". The ominous title - a reference to Roman Emperor Nero and his legendary apathy in the face of the fires that destroyed the city in the first century- is a sign that Aronson has once again effectively infused her landscapes with her individual perspective. These interpretations result in a visually astounding personal adaptation of the basic elements of nature found around the world. As she explains:

"My work uses nature as its subject matter and my current series under the title While Rome Burns explores the turbulent and seductive elements of water in motion. Many of the pieces take a micro part of a water image and make it macro thus making the viewer confront the interior of the experience. Other works allow a more distant view but the feeling of being a part of the water still prevails. The title of the series While Rome Burns refers to my personal response to current national, international, and ecological events over which I feel I have little or no control."

The directional lines and muscular energy of Aronson’s "While Rome Burns" series reflect her belief that "while forces of the universe are chaotic, they are also balanced".

Aronson’s process begins by taking photographs, many of which are from her world travels. She essentially uses her camera as a sketchbook, taking it back to her studio to construct each painting based on her film record. She paints her scenes in oil or watercolor, or sketches them using graphite and colored pencil.

Jan was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and remained there to major in Fine Arts at the University of New Orleans. She continued her education at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, where she attained her MFA in Painting and a minor in Art History. She now lives primarily in New York City, but enjoys a country home outside of Charlottesville, Virginia with her husband Edgar Bronfman.

Jan has received national acclaim for her landscapes and portraits. She last exhibited in Charlottesville at Les Yeux de Monde Gallery in 2006, and before that at the Bayly Art Museum at UVA in 2001. She has also participated in several exhibits abroad, most recently at the Jan Van Der Togt Museum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Her work is a fixture among permanent collections across the world, and her renown has earned her a place in the list of Who’s Who in the World.

 

(Images include: Top, While Rome Burns - Water #10 oil on canvas 28"x42"; Middle, While Rome Burns - Water #6 oil on canvas 45"x80"; Bottom, While Rome Burns - Water #6 oil on canvas 60"x84")

HUNDERTWASSER

While sitting on my living room couch reading the latest issue of Art & Antiques, I had one of those serendipitous moments: Turning to page 86, I see a feature article on the Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000) written by Rebecca Ascher-Walsh. What made this so special to me was that I got to look up from the pages of the magazine and admire Laura's and my own Hundertwasser painting hanging on our living room wall. For those of you new to the work of Hundertwasser, here are a couple of excerpts from the article:

By refusing to adhere to established art-world mores and eschewing traditional design rules, Friedensreich Hundertwasser developed an enduring eccentric style that he applied to painting, architecture and philosophy.

He wore a uniform of studiously mismatched socks, quirky hats, and patched and handmade trousers and shirts – assuming it wasn’t and occasion when he simply eschewed clothing altogether. He railed against straight lines – calling them "the work of the devil" – embraced exuberant color and rebuffed critics to champion art’s potential for mass appeal. His moniker was a carefully considered nom de plume. By the time of his death in 2000, Friedensreich Hundertwasser was known as an eccentric and brilliant modernist artist, architect, environmentalist and philosopher: a man lambasted by the critics as he was embraced by the public.

Laura and I are terribly proud to own a little slice of Hundertwasser’s work – and we are even more proud to see him get a recognition here in 2008. He was a remarkable artist who lived a remarkable life.

Photography feels so good

Robin Blackshire’s photography exhibit, Repossession, opened last Friday. We had a great reception, and tons of people got a chance to experience her work for the first time as well as meet her. Robin gave precise explanations of her techniques and eloquent stories behind capturing each color rich photo. Laura and I find her art to be conceptually deep, rich with meaning, technically inspiring and, of course, visually beautiful.

While hanging the show last week, Laura and I were inspired to bring out some work of our other photographers. We gave attention to Alan Dehmer, Brian Kosoff, Becky Cohen, Joachim Knill and Peter Filene. It was a real pleasure to put a heavy focus on the art of photography. It is a widely varied medium that appeals to such a broad audience. By the smiles on the faces of our Friday night guests, we made the right decision.

To get your photography fix, come by Migration. Robin’s Repossession will be featured through September 30.

“Repossession” by ROBIN BLACKSHIRE

Nobody likes the repo-man… unless of course Mother Nature is doing the repo. That’s exactly what photographer Robin Blackshire has captured: the natural cycle of manufactured goods being reclaimed by the earth and its elements. In her series exhibited at Migration, Robin uses recollections of her childhood environment in her digitally enhanced photographs. The "junked cars and trucks" that her father frequently brought home and stored in the family’s backyard offered her a plethora of lighting and composition possibilities. The color of the automobile paint and the wear of the metal were always developing, as were the natural elements surrounding the abandoned vehicles. And, the varied effects of the sun’s rays on any given day made a walk through her own backyard an artist’s dream.

Aside from showing the interaction of decay and growth, Robin’s photographs exploit the color of the automobiles using innovative digital scanning technology. The transparent film that Robin uses and the process of oil mount drum scanning allows her to give detailed, individual enhancements to each of her photographs. Slight adjustments to the tones of the hues in the digital files allow each image to become a color study of the original, improve the overall image of each photo, and give a cohesion to the entire series.

 

Robin got her start in photography by chewing bubble gum. As an eleven year old girl she saw an ad on a bubble gum wrapper that said if you saved fifty gum wrappers you could earn a camera. So she chewed gum like crazy until she had enough wrappers to get that camera. She took it everywhere with her, and her love affair with photography began.

Robin earned her BFA in Photography and minor in Graphic Design at Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Robin’s vibrant photographs have been displayed in such high traffic areas as the windows of Tiffany’s in Philadelphia, PA, and Tyson’s Corner, VA. This is Robin’s first solo gallery exhibition.

Migration will celebrate the opening of "Repossession" with an artist attended reception this Friday starting at 5:30pm. Please join us and meet one of Central Virginia’s newest photography stars.

Alex Nyerges

Laura and I received a special visit yesterday at Migration. While in Charlottesville for a meeting at Monticello, Alex Nyerges, the Director of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and his lovely wife, Kathryn, took time from their day’s schedule to tour the gallery.

For those who don’t know, Alex Nyerges has been the director of the VMFA since August 2006. He took the reigns from Michael Brand after Dr. Brand left Richmond to direct the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles (nice step up). With the director’s position, Alex inherited the current 165,000 square-foot expansion of the Museum scheduled to be completed by the end of 2009. This was the first time either Laura or I had met Alex.

In addition to being impeccably dressed, Alex displayed an abundance of grace, good manners, a wealth of knowledge, and, most importantly, a sharp eye for contemporary art. It was a pleasure getting his frank feedback on many of the artists we are currently exhibiting. In particular, he pointed out the beautiful content and design of Alan Dehmer’s gum bichromate printed photographs, the instinctual eye of Robin Blackshire, the subtle beauty of Bill Emory’s black and white photos, and Craig Meacham’s natural artistic and story-telling style.

What really caught Laura and me off guard was how both Alex and Kathryn talked about their frequent visits to the gallery scene in Richmond and in their travels around the country. Throughout my career in the arts, I have known many museum administrators and plenty of directors. As I look back, it surprises me how few of these museum professionals actually spend time in the art trenches (i.e. studios and galleries). Alex clearly has a love of the arts and supports it on every level from the bottom to the very top. Nice.

The Commonwealth of Virginia is fortunate to have Alex Nyerges as its leading steward of the visual arts. He is championing the VMFA into the future with a forward sighted vision and profound respect for the art and history it carries with it. Laura and I are eagerly awaiting the grand opening of the VMFA expansion… and the many parties associated with it.

DAVE SIMPSON, aka “Mr. DaVinci”

This post is part of a continued series distinguishing individuals and groups by presenting a DaVinci award or a Velvet Elvis award for their role in promoting Charlottesville as the "cultural and creative capital of Central Virginia".

 

This DaVinci award goes to Dave Simpson. Most of us know Dave as the long time owner of the C&O Restaurant. Dave is one of Charlottesville’s best restaurateurs, but did you know he is also an art aficionado and an aesthete?

In addition to the restaurant, Dave manages the C&O Gallery - which is located next door to the restaurant. Now, people who know me know that I hate the trend of hanging art in the local restaurants, bars, coffee shops, law firms and chiropractor’s offices and calling it an "exhibition." Quite honestly, I consider it a step below vanity galleries. The C&O Gallery is not this. Dave has a true love of art and its professional presentation. He also has a huge desire to see artists succeed. By making a portion of his space available for exhibiting art (rather than loading the floor space with tables and chairs and selling more food and drink), Dave shows us all his commitment to his passions by using the space as an art gallery.

And don’t think Dave doesn’t have an excellent eye for the best art this town has to offer. He has brought us shows by the likes of Bill Emory, Michael Fitts (the same show that sold out in New York City), Leah Fanning Mebane, Tom Cogill, John Hetzel and others. Not bad for a guy who specializes in food and wine.

The truth is Dave doesn’t have to do this. He owns (in my opinion) the best restaurant and catering service in Charlottesville. The C&O Restaurant combines a top notch menu with the best wine selection I can think of. So, adding the struggles of managing an art gallery shouldn’t be a priority for Dave. But it is. He has admitted his simple love of doing it and the satisfaction he gets from it. To us, it shows.

Some people may think this DaVinci award is based more on personal feelings rather than objective facts. But, bear with me… Dave has been a real champion of Migration and the kind of business we are bringing to Charlottesville. Laura and I have repeatedly been buoyed by Dave’s support and friendship. Thanks, Dave!

Award SCORECARD:

DaVinci – Beryl Solla, Elizabeth Breeden, Rob Tarbell, Maggie Guggenheimer

Velvet Elvis – University of Virginia Art Museum, Charlottesville City Council, Pinkie and cvilleMUSE

A DaVinci Award for MAGGIE GUGGENHEIMER

This post is part of a continued series distinguishing individuals and groups by presenting a DaVinci award or a Velvet Elvis award for their role in promoting Charlottesville as the "cultural and creative capital of Central Virginia".

With a name like Guggenheimer, you know she’s got to have a little of the arts in her. And that’s exactly what Charlottesville is finding out about the Piedmont Council of the Arts’ Executive Director, Maggie Guggenheimer.

  

For those of you who are unfamiliar with PCA… It provides arts information and services, builds and enhances cultural partnerships, and strives to showcase Central Virginia as an arts destination. PCA’s vision is to serve as a "nexus for all things arts-related" in the community and provides services with and for artists, arts organizations, and arts educators.

Maggie took over PCA a little over a year ago when the organization appeared to be rudderless. In just a handful of months she has put PCA back on the map, and we are seeing some of the fruits of her leadership and energy. What impresses me the most is knowing how much Maggie is getting done with very few resources. Thus far, PCA has implemented new arts education and access programs with local government, area educators, and community partners; it recently launched a new and improved website; and it has relocated its offices to the more visible (and appropriate) McGuffy Art Center. All of this on a budget that barely covers wages and rent.

For the future, I envision Maggie taking on a bigger role in PCA’s fund raising and really getting PCA’s goals off the ground (we all know money is what makes things move). Partnerships with nonprofits will expand to partnerships with commercial businesses. Artists, arts organizations, educators, students and the public will all benefit. Although it’s a 30 year old organization, I see Maggie giving PCA a bright new beginning. Gosh, I hope my crystal ball is working.

Award SCORECARD, thus far:

DaVinci – Beryl Solla, Rob Tarbell, Elizabeth Breeden

Velvet Elvis – University of Virginia Art Museum, Charlottesville City Council, Pinkie and CvilleMUSE

ROB TARBELL, a master of all

This post is part of a continued series distinguishing individuals and groups by presenting a DaVinci award or a Velvet Elvis award for their role in promoting Charlottesville as the "cultural and creative capital of Central Virginia".

The history books refer to Leonardo DaVinci as the original Renaissance man. He experimented in many artistic, creative and scientific disciplines and set new standards of excellence in each. Since arriving in Charlottesville, Rob Tarbell has proven to be a modern day Renaissance man. Seems fitting that Rob receive a DaVinci award.

Rob has made his presence in the Charlottesville art scene known with gusto during 2008. Seems you can’t turn around without running into his work. Whether driving down 250 racing past his masterfully whimsical metal sculpture "A Bad Case of the Mondays" (pictured left), or his fantastical porcelain dipped stuffed animal collection exhibited at Second Street Gallery last February (any regular gallery-goer totally screwed up if they missed that one), or his magically delicate smoke drawings at Les Yeux du Monde in April (pictured below), or, most recently, his curated show "The Others" at PVCC’s Dickinson Building.

In Rob’s words:

In my practice, making art is as much directing intent as it is about scientific tinkering. All of my diverse work is linked by the transformation and manipulation of traditional materials and the exploration of non-traditional ones. The loss of an original and the use of elaborate processes are inherent to the creation of the smokes, paintings, and porcelain series. The work intends to both balance accident with control and give permanence to the ephemeral.

In the visual arts world, artists must walk a thin line between exposure and over-exposed. Crowds can be fickle. One day they love an artist’s work; but after they have seen it a couple of times, they tend to give it a luke-warm reception. Rob Tarbell, however, stands far from the risk of over-exposure. His mastery of each diverse project keeps his work fresh, hot, and pushes into the realm of "important". For the past year, he has been giving Charlottesville a top-of-the-line one-man-show. Rob is raising the bar of artistic excellence in Charlottesville, and we are all benefiting from it. I consider Charlottesville fortunate to have him here and even more fortunate that he continues to be prolific pumping out great work both in front of the curtain and behind it.

SCORECARD, thus far:

DaVinci – Beryl Solla

Velvet Elvis – University of Virginia Art Museum

DaVinci – Elizabeth Breeden

Velvet Elvis – Charlottesville City Council

ELIZABETH BREEDEN – a true DaVinci

This post is part of a continued series distinguishing individuals and groups by presenting a DaVinci award or a Velvet Elvis award for their role in promoting Charlottesville as the "cultural and creative capital of Central Virginia".

Elizabeth Breeden has been a poweful cog in the Charlottesville arts wheel for nearly 3 decades. For years, she and her late husband, David, opened their Biscuit Run home to artists and anyone interested in the arts for dinners, gatherings, viewings and just plain old talk. It was a focal point of creative thinking in this town.

Born from some of those hippy-esque gatherings was Art In Place. Art In Place satisfied a citizens’ cry for the promotion of public art in Charlottesville. Elizabeth has been president of the non-profit organization since its inception in 2000.

The primary function of Art In Place has been the selection and placement of numerous large-scale, public art sculptures. Since most of the sites are found on the sides of busy roadways, Art In Place is often referred to as "40 mile an hour art." Although the art gets maximum exposure, viewers get an average of 1.78 seconds to study it, and enjoy it. Better than nothing, I guess.

For me, one of the real beauties of the Art In Place project is that it is "refreshed" on an annual basis. Each year, new work is selected and placed in the set locations throughout the city. So, if you get a little tired of seeing the same stainless-steel towering sculpture on your daily commute to work, fear not, a new one will replace it soon enough (and maybe the next one will be stone or clay or wood).

Recently, Elizabeth was kind enough to invite me to join the panel of jurors for the 2009 version of Art In Place. My first impression was: this is not your normal selection committee. We were a team of eight extremely diverse people charged with selecting the specific pieces to be exhibited. Some had experience in the arts; some didn’t. Some were civic leaders. A couple were there because of their knowledge of landscaping. And a couple… well…. I’m not sure what they brought to the table. Bottom line: Elizabeth did an excellent job of juggling our viewpoints and maintained artistic integrity and civic needs/requirements with the challenges of placing giant sculptural structures. No small feat. And we are all the beneficiaries of her organizational talents and tireless passions for bringing art to otherwise vacant landscapes.

Bravo, Elizabeth, Bravo. For this I award you a DaVinci

(Above photo of Elizabeth by Jen Fariello.)

Scorecard, thus far:

DaVinci – Beryl Solla

Velvet Elvis – University of Virginia Art Museum

And a DaVinci award goes to... BERYL SOLLA

This post is part of a continued series distinguishing individuals and groups by presenting a DaVinci award or a Velvet Elvis award for their role in promoting Charlottesville as the "cultural and creative capital of Central Virginia".

[Sound of fanfare music, followed by a hush, then the tearing of an envelope]  And the winner of a DaVinci is... Beryl Solla.

Since arriving in Charlottesville in 1999, Beryl has been the leading mover and shaker in Charlottesville’s art scene who you probably have never heard of (despite having a cool name). While keeping a moderately low profile, Beryl has been a grass roots supporter and promoter of the arts for many years. Simply put, she is instrumental in what people see, how they see it, and how it is created.

In her day job as Associate Professor of Art at PVCC and heading the art department, Beryl has been instrumental in elevating PVCC’s Fine Arts Department (part of the Humanities, Fine Arts and Social Sciences Department) to national stature through her teaching, curating, and leadership. Recent exhibits found at PVCC’s Dickinson Building included "Let there be Light" (a one-night-only-and-you-should-not-have-missed-it exhibit) and "Wonder Women." Both outstanding shows.

In her more public roles, Beryl is often called upon to assist with the selection and/or judging of local arts in the area. Contributing her keen eye for high quality and evocative art has ensured we see only the best Charlottesville has to offer. Beryl is also a member of various boards and committees. Until recently, she sat on the Piedmont Council of the Arts board during a time when great changes took place in that organization. She is also a member of Second Street Gallery’s Artist Review Panel.

If all that isn’t enough… Beryl has become one of the areas’ biggest proponents of creating collaborations joining various organizations in the community. Keep your eyes open for her next project called "Yard Art" – art installations created in people’s own yards popping up all over town.

No matter what I say about Beryl, I think one of the best sources of unadulterated feedback is directly from her students. Here is a small sampling of what they have said:

Beryl we love you. Take her class or miss out on the best.

awesome, awesome teacher. i love art, and still she made me love it more!!

Lady is off her rocker, but she's firkin great. I learned a lot in a very relaxed and chill environment. I will definitely take her for future classes if possible. She's hilarious.

Excellent professor. She's crazy, and fun, and allows you to express your creativity.

Love Her Class!!! Encourages you to do your best work. Respects her students but enjoys joking around.

you want a real art teacher..beryl is it!

‘Nuf said. Congratulations Beryl. You are a true DaVinci in my books.

 

Keeping Up With… Beth Cavener Stichter

Beth Cavener Stichter reports from her new home in Eastern Washington that she has been back to work following the purchase of and move to a new home, building a new studio, and recovering from a hand injury. Despite the turmoil, she has produced a new body of work that is on exhibit at the Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d'Alene, ID. The exhibit is titled "Apologia." Read a review here.

    

There’s no question in my mind that Beth’s new work is equally as powerful as all that I have seen before. She continues to make some of the most visually and emotionally powerful sculpture seen today.

As part of Migration’s summer show "Conscious Clay", one of our hopes has been to show the varied ways that clay is used in art. In other words – pottery is not just about pots. Although we did not include any figurative work in the exhibit, please consider Beth’s sculptures as a sort of "virtual addendum" to the show.

 

   

Images include: Top left, The Wilderness Within; Top right, Hare Leaping Over Nothing; Middle, A Rush of Blood to the Head; Bottom left, Beth at work; Bottom right, Breathe.

Brian Mallman in Domino Magazine

Domino Magazine has just posted a list of favorite artists its high fashioned reporters gleaned from this year’s Affordable Art Fair in New York. We are proud to see included in the short list of 16 was Migration’s Brian Mallman (see slide #7). Domino states:

Brian Mallman's mastery of the graphite line makes his offbeat drawings as powerful as they are good-humored.

Domino Magazine – The Guide to Living with Style is an international magazine with a total audience of 3,553,000. It was created to help busy, style-conscious people furnish their homes in a comfortable, personal way. The underlying belief of Domino is that your home is the backdrop, the setting, and even the springboard for your life: the more efficiently it functions, the more it reflects your needs and the life you live, the happier you will be.

Domino is a member of the CondeNet group of publications which include The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, Gourmet, Style, Wired, Glamour, Cone Nast, Bon Appetit and Epicurious.

The Narrative pottery of STANTON HUNTER

I said pottery… not poetry.

The ceramic arts have seen creations come in all shapes and sizes: From bowls, plates, teapots, cups and mugs, to a plethora of sculptural forms. It seems there is nothing that can’t be sculpted out of clay. But what about words? Can clay be text? California ceramist Stanton Hunter thinks so.

Over the years, Hunter’s ceramic work has ranged from traditional functional objects and sculpture to installation and site-specific work. In every case, he combines daunting technical skill, a profound commitment to natural elements, and an investigation into the possibilities of the everyday and mundane.

Most recently, however, Hunter is using his skill to turn clay into words – or is it words into clay? – through his "Earth/Sky text translation project." Based on various poems, poetry and verses, Hunter creates wall mounted series made from clay and glass that include shapes for punctuation, colors for nouns, textures for verbs, materials for adjectives, etc. The result is a physical imagery coupled with text that speaks volumes and gives new meanings to old poems and verses.

Hunter relates to the material of clay as decomposed rock or landscape that he transforms back to landscape. Hunter’s second series of wall pieces showing at Migration "his "terrain" work) is an excellent example of this sentiment. Here, raking light expose the peaks and valleys of a distance landscape. On the moon or in the desert. Mountains or the floor of the ocean. It is graceful and organic.

We are very pleased to include Stan Hunter’s work in Migration’s "Conscious Clay" exhibit. He shows us that pottery is not all about function, form and surface. Hunter redefines what clay can be. Through his magical creativity and imagery, he allows us to read clay. He reclaims the earth and makes it new again. It is beautiful art created out of an ancient medium.

Stan Hunter lives on the west coast, but exhibits regionally, nationally and internationally. He teaches ceramics and sculpture at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, and previously ran the ceramics program at Scripps College. His experience teaching, guest lecturing and educating himself in the fields of music, Psychology and Eastern thought contribute to the aesthetic design of his pieces.

Raku pottery by STEVE MITCHELL

The last 25 years or so has seen the Raku pottery technique become increasingly popular among professional and hobby potters alike. The drawing of red hot pots from a kiln, the subsequent smoking of pots (and potters) in sawdust, the tense excitement as the final results emerge when the pots are cooled and cleaned have proved irresistible, especially for potters with pyromaniac tendencies. Many a pottery course has ended with the obligatory raku firing on the last day - a lighthearted event conducted with a stick of wood in one hand and a glass of wine in the other! More recently, however, a growing number of potters have turned to this medium as a 'serious' expression of their work, finding new (or perhaps old) and varied techniques to explore. The famous Japanese potter Hamada said that he wanted to wait until the end of his life before making raku pots as it was the most difficult and important technique to master.(1)

Raku pottery is always a crowd pleaser. Trouble is, not every potter is good at Raku. The random and chance effects are difficult to master and often become an evil mistress turning otherwise beautifully thrown pots into charcoal covered, crackled shards.

At the heart of Migration’s summer exhibit, "Conscious Clay," is the nonfunctional and exquisite Raku pottery of Steve Mitchell. Steve is the rare potter who can lasso the randomness of differing Raku techniques and create pots whose surfaces are beautifully decorated with the subtleties that only the dance of fire and smoke can create. In Steve’s words:

I experiment with shapes/forms, glazes and firing techniques constantly. I like wood firing and Raku best because I feel more of a connection to this, the last phase of the creation of the vessel. I am altering the work to the last moment. I concentrate on orb shapes and larger forms as they are more of a challenge to throw and alter.

Beyond the traditional Raku reduction technique, Steve’s pots are created through a couple of differing Raku-styled techniques: Ferric Chloride and Sodium Silicate. The Ferric Chloride technique is a colorful effect similar to Raku. The pots are fired to 1800 degrees, cooled and coated with Ferric Chloride; leaves, string and other combustibles are added to the surface; then the pot is covered with foil and fire to 1200 degrees and cooled. The temperature differences on the surface of the pot create the color effects. Steve’s Sodium Silicate technique is new work for him. The pot is started as a tall narrow cylinder, then Sodium Silicate saturated with Red Iron Oxide, is painted on the wet clay. When the Sodium Silicate is hard the cylinder, while still wet, is stretched into the vase shape cracking the surface. After bisque firing, a translucent silver nitrate glaze is applied and the piece is then fired to 2200 degrees followed by the Raku reduction technique.

Steve’s exploration into the varying interactions between new materials and firing techniques as well as his combination of natural and chemical forces gives his work a fresh look and a clear expression of his personal love of pottery.

Steve is from Western Virginia and currently operates his studio in the Blue Ridge Mountains outside of Roanoke. In 1980, he began a stained glass studio in the old Roanoke Downtown Market in 1980 called "Studio 103" where he made stained glass windows for residential and commercial applications. He moved to Richmond to manage a claims operation for a large Insurance Company and stayed there till 1997 then moved back to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Steve worked on his ceramic art as a hobby until the spring of 2007 when he took early retirement and focused on pottery full-time. Since then, his work has been shown in Museums and Galleries in North Carolina and Virginia. Steve is a board member of the Blue Ridge Potter’s Guide, member of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, and an invited participant in the Artisan’s Center of Virginia. Among his many awards, he has won first place at the Blue Ridge Potter’s Guild Show Gallery twice in the last three years, and won "Best Raku Form" at the biennial Mid-Atlantic Clay Conference in 2007.

(1) This excerpt courtesy of "Raku a Review of Contemporary Work" written by Tim Andrews.

Tom Clarkson

Laura and I first met Tom Clarkson in Atlanta about 15 years ago. He was exhibiting his pottery at the annual American Craft Council Craft Fair there. Like the proverbial moth to a flame, both Laura and I were drawn to Tom’s artwork. We were taken by the grace, fluidity, beauty and consistency. We were then doubly pleased to discovery that all of Tom’s pots were entirely functional (white stoneware). We bought a wonderful casserole that has graced our kitchen ever since.

While still living in Atlanta, we ran into Tom at other ACC Craft Fairs and said our annual hellos. Over the years, a nice little relationship developed. So, shortly after we moved from Atlanta to Charlottesville in 2001, we thought how funny it would be to seek Tom out. Through his regular participation in the prestigious ACC Fairs, we were already keenly aware of Tom’s stature in the national pottery scene, but little did we know that he is a living breathing institution here in the Charlottesville art scene. Virtually every potter in this area has been influenced by Tom in one manner or another - usually through his roll as the head of the ceramics department at the Piedmont Virginia Community College, but often as a supportive friend and colleague. Over and over, we have heard people describe Tom as "one of the best, most generous teachers around." Yup. That sums it all up in our mind.

Needless to say, when we opened Migration, we contacted Tom for his advice… and for his pots. He gave freely.

As many of Migration’s clients and patrons know, Laura and I are focused on bringing the art work of artists living outside of Virginia to our gallery. We feel strongly that exposure to all the stimulating art beyond our little neck of the woods is important for the development of the art scene in central Virginia. With that in mind… while pulling together the final list of ceramic artists we wanted to exhibit in our summer show, "Conscious Clay," we curiously found ourselves focused on Tom’s pottery. The quality of his work is undeniable. His artistic grace and exquisite craftsmanship continually stood out among the many artists’ work we reviewed. Although we strive to exhibit the great art made by artists outside of Virginia, sometimes, the best art is found right here in Charlottesville.

What stands out most in Tom’s pottery is how he honors the many characteristics of the clay. For example, Tom often creates the look of wet clay on the surface of his finished pieces. To achieve this technique, he begins by throwing the clay, and then he manipulates its surface to include elements of the different textures it has had throughout the entire process. He finishes with wood-ash glazes that accentuate those details. The result is a functional piece of fine art. Tom modestly states that this technique shows "a harmony between form, surface and function."

Tom Clarkson's work expresses all that is artistic in functional pottery. Marrying form and function in vessels whose beauty needs no function is his strength.