- After receiving a Facebook invite to the entitled 'Showdown', (a competition) exhibition of varied artists at Hart Witzen Gallery event I couldn't pass up the opportunity to not only attend a surprisingly unknown to my knowledge gallery in the area but also artists whose names were new to my ears and work to my eyes.
So there I am, confronted with a card at the door with a list of the artists names featured in the showing with empty boxes beside each name to puncher after viewing to cast your vote of choice for favorite artist to be inserted in a raffle box. But little did I know walking in, that the first viewed collection that looked to be inspired by the Rorschach test used to subject perceptions of inkblots for psychoanalysis would be my vote right away without any further consideration or curiosity of other works. After submitting my ballot I visited other mediums and concepts and fortunately I remained without regret - l know what I like.
Penland's mixed media abstract almost existential analysis on nature combined with sophicated composition and intelligence swooned me. Especially, the work on light boxes in particular. It's the kind of pieces you would even want to see in the dark and thanks to modern contemporary design being three of her canvases you can. The fascination of the human mind/nature with the play of the inkblot like forms give not only the eye constant evolution through shape from angle to angle but a perspective interactive.
Lori Love Penland's collection was featured at Hart Witzen Gallery from February 4th-18th.
Q&A
Q - Out of curiously and not to 'kill the cat' but do you have a background in psychology?
A- I like to say that I have a background in the human animal. My first two years as an undergraduate student were spent in a premed program. I was infatuated by the human body at a cellular level, the level the human eye cannot see without the aid of microscope. However, that infatuation waned somewhat as I began to pursue interest in philosophy, psychology, sociology and the social sciences. I actually did a fellowship at a University in England studying the writings of Marx and Lenin.
Q - I read a bit of info on your site and it quotes "My work as an artist is one of continual struggle whereby I attempt to narrow the chasm between vision and reality." and "Many of the paintings in the Human Touch series are based on images from photographs, newspapers and magazines documenting the state of society and the often overlooked emotions of shame, grief and despair as exhibited by addicts, the homeless, the institutionalized, and other more vulnerable elements of modern society."Would you then say that your work is conceptual in a way being that your last collections medium differentiates from your most recent? Does subject matter evoke what to do/use next?
A- Let me just say that I see my art as a journey and like every journey, there's the actual physical, that which can be measured whether it be space, time, shape, color, etc..and then there is the metaphysical or the nature of the mind in relation to the physical.
My latest series is really an attempt to marry these two worlds together. I think that the medium used in this body of work has taken me one step further in that journey in that I am attempting to bring others along on their own journey, realizing that while the physical may be common to all, the experience is unique to the individual.
For me as an artist, these pieces convey a certain conceptual completeness in my vision. They are organic, yet structured, a certain yin and yang, which again is very much a part of the human experience and particularly the human psyche.
Q - When/Where will your work be featured next?
A- Currently, I have a duel exhibition scheduled to open in August of this year at a gallery in Gastonia. All the details have not yet been finalized. "In the Beginning" has also been juried by Nathan Trotman, Curator for the Guggenheim, as a semi finalist for a show in NY in late March.
-Amanda Medina
http://www.lorislove.com/
Showing posts with label aritsts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aritsts. Show all posts
Monday, February 21, 2011
Abstracting With Lori Love Penland
Sunday, February 20, 2011
More Heaven Than Earth
"Whenever I am on East Boulevard in Charlotte, I always make it a point to stop in to Red Sky Gallery. The artwork here never disappoints, and the space that houses it serves as the perfect canvas. Some galleries are meant to have soaring ceilings, large open spaces, and blank, white walls - this is not Red Sky. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Although Red Sky chooses art work to fill its walls, there is a strange feeling that the art here, even the rotating exhibits, seek out the gallery on their own and call it home. And home is exactly what it feels like.
The Red Sky building is a house, with separate rooms, staircases and landings - even a kitchen. Behind every corner, around every turn, up every step is another surprise to greet you and engage your senses. The current exhibit here features new works by Devon Burgess and Paul Hastings. Burgess is a glass artist, and Hastings, a painter. Upon first glance of the exhibit I can't help but wonder if these two have met. If their personalities mesh as well as their works, I think they would get along famously. Burgess's glass works are sleek and mysterious, and their shapes seem as if they are fluid and natural, and freshly poured. His vases are so striking and gorgeous all on their own that you wouldn’t even want to interrupt them with a flower.
Upon walking up a flight of stairs I was greeted by a gorgeous canvas, fittingly titled "More Heaven than Earth." The detail of the piece appears to only take up the very bottom of the canvas - about one quarter of the piece. The top three quarters is filled with nothing other than a blue sky. A gorgeous blue, but really, that's it - just a wide open blue sky, not even graced with a single cloud.
Hastings' paintings got me thinking about how we limit ourselves, box ourselves. They gently remind us to look up once in a while, to jump into that space and make something happen. It's very easy to become wrapped up in our "worlds", and when we forget how small we really are, we lost perspective on how big the world is: what really matters, how to be happy, how certain instances just aren't important in the grand scheme of things. Appreciate the beauty in the little things, and make sure you are grounded. But every once in a while, don't forget to look up. After all, there's more heaven than earth.
The Red Sky building is a house, with separate rooms, staircases and landings - even a kitchen. Behind every corner, around every turn, up every step is another surprise to greet you and engage your senses. The current exhibit here features new works by Devon Burgess and Paul Hastings. Burgess is a glass artist, and Hastings, a painter. Upon first glance of the exhibit I can't help but wonder if these two have met. If their personalities mesh as well as their works, I think they would get along famously. Burgess's glass works are sleek and mysterious, and their shapes seem as if they are fluid and natural, and freshly poured. His vases are so striking and gorgeous all on their own that you wouldn’t even want to interrupt them with a flower.
Upon walking up a flight of stairs I was greeted by a gorgeous canvas, fittingly titled "More Heaven than Earth." The detail of the piece appears to only take up the very bottom of the canvas - about one quarter of the piece. The top three quarters is filled with nothing other than a blue sky. A gorgeous blue, but really, that's it - just a wide open blue sky, not even graced with a single cloud.
Hastings' paintings got me thinking about how we limit ourselves, box ourselves. They gently remind us to look up once in a while, to jump into that space and make something happen. It's very easy to become wrapped up in our "worlds", and when we forget how small we really are, we lost perspective on how big the world is: what really matters, how to be happy, how certain instances just aren't important in the grand scheme of things. Appreciate the beauty in the little things, and make sure you are grounded. But every once in a while, don't forget to look up. After all, there's more heaven than earth.
-Ali Macaluso
Sunday, August 29, 2010
More Art, Please!
I was listening to a broadcast of Tom Ashbrook’s radio show “On Point” on August 18, 2010, and noted several takeaways. It’s quite clear that American consumerism is shifting into a new phase known as calculated consumerism. While the times have forced some consumers (an estimated 15-20%) to slam the brakes on spending due to unemployment, others have taken some hits, maybe lost investment, and have become more vigilant where their funds are concerned. Some have even cut back on spending out of sympathy and respect for friends and neighbors who have lost money. It is largely the “well-off” that constituted this latter category. Experts seem to agree the current frugal phase can’t last long for these folks - they will soon be buying new toys again.
The trends also seem to indicate that people are becoming more responsible spenders. They are buying things they can use right now, rather than a bunch of stuff they might use later. The drop in back-to-school purchases demonstrates this. Of course, we must keep buying consumables (such as coffee and toothpaste), but durables (cars or refrigerators) we will hang onto, rather than trading for a new model every two years or so. Families are also becoming more environmentally aware and value seems to be at the forefront of every one's mind. Case in point: Starbucks is now offering instant coffee. It’s cheaper than usual café served coffee -- about $9 for ten servings. The national savings rate has gone from negative to 8%.
The question now is, will Americans actually spend for art? I think so. I actually foresee increased spending on creative goods. With people saving more, they will have more to spend on items with value.
Art has great value and many more people are beginning to appreciate that value, especially for their children. And the folks who have money to spend, the ones who haven’t really been hurt by the economic times, will spend money on art. I predict that people will begin to regard art less as a luxury, more as a necessity. Having cut back on their expenses, especially frivolous ones, they will notice the extra cash on hand. Combined with the concept of value on the front burner, they will realize they have too little art in their lives and will begin to seek it out. They will start attending more art shows, actor’s theaters, etc. They will expose their children to a plethora of art venues and increasingly involve them with opportunities for artistic creation. And they will invest in more pieces of creative art. We will see the rise among the artwork with lower price points.
Although purchases of higher-priced art may have fallen recently, these should increase as well. One reason for the fall may be the sympathetic frugality that the more well-off consumers have lately been demonstrating. Another explanation might be a fear of income-loss. However, as the economy move along, the purchasing of the more expensive art should resume.
Where the most expensive art is concerned, the recession should cause negligible change. If you have oceans for pockets, a low tide on one continent is probably offset by a high tide on another continent.
I have a general positive outlook for the arts market, that artists face renewed appreciation for their creativity. In the next post, I’ll take a look at evidence for/against the claim that people buy more art after a recession. As of the last Google search, all signs are positive.
The trends also seem to indicate that people are becoming more responsible spenders. They are buying things they can use right now, rather than a bunch of stuff they might use later. The drop in back-to-school purchases demonstrates this. Of course, we must keep buying consumables (such as coffee and toothpaste), but durables (cars or refrigerators) we will hang onto, rather than trading for a new model every two years or so. Families are also becoming more environmentally aware and value seems to be at the forefront of every one's mind. Case in point: Starbucks is now offering instant coffee. It’s cheaper than usual café served coffee -- about $9 for ten servings. The national savings rate has gone from negative to 8%.
The question now is, will Americans actually spend for art? I think so. I actually foresee increased spending on creative goods. With people saving more, they will have more to spend on items with value.
Art has great value and many more people are beginning to appreciate that value, especially for their children. And the folks who have money to spend, the ones who haven’t really been hurt by the economic times, will spend money on art. I predict that people will begin to regard art less as a luxury, more as a necessity. Having cut back on their expenses, especially frivolous ones, they will notice the extra cash on hand. Combined with the concept of value on the front burner, they will realize they have too little art in their lives and will begin to seek it out. They will start attending more art shows, actor’s theaters, etc. They will expose their children to a plethora of art venues and increasingly involve them with opportunities for artistic creation. And they will invest in more pieces of creative art. We will see the rise among the artwork with lower price points.
Although purchases of higher-priced art may have fallen recently, these should increase as well. One reason for the fall may be the sympathetic frugality that the more well-off consumers have lately been demonstrating. Another explanation might be a fear of income-loss. However, as the economy move along, the purchasing of the more expensive art should resume.
Where the most expensive art is concerned, the recession should cause negligible change. If you have oceans for pockets, a low tide on one continent is probably offset by a high tide on another continent.
I have a general positive outlook for the arts market, that artists face renewed appreciation for their creativity. In the next post, I’ll take a look at evidence for/against the claim that people buy more art after a recession. As of the last Google search, all signs are positive.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Tour of Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
I just completed a tour of Charlotte's new Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.
Thank you to the Arts and Science Council for this treat! And as an arts agent, I also have to give recognition to the Bechtler family for their enthusiastic patronage of artists.
The collection, which includes about 1,400 pieces, includes many of the big names in Modern Art. Only a small part of that large collection is on display at any given time on a 9-month rotation basis. An intimate detail about each piece of art that draws you in even closer and helps to dissipate a foreboding sense formality about the art is where in their living room the Bechtlers displayed the artwork for their own enjoyment. In fact, the set of furniture that the Bechtlers actually owned and used in their home is also on display. It's very easy to imagine the family eating dinner in a pseudo-museum that was their home and the Bechtler Cherubs climbing on top of a large statue of one kind or another.
To see the care an attention that this collection of art receives should be comforting and reassuring to any artist who is in a quagmire of self-doubt. Go to the Bechtler Museum and be inspired. Go to the Bechtler Museum and be energized. Go to the Bechtler Museum and be motivated. Then go straight to your studio and paint your heart out, sculpt your heart out, mold/print/photograph/design/CREATE your heart out.
Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
Arts and Science Council
Thank you to the Arts and Science Council for this treat! And as an arts agent, I also have to give recognition to the Bechtler family for their enthusiastic patronage of artists.
The collection, which includes about 1,400 pieces, includes many of the big names in Modern Art. Only a small part of that large collection is on display at any given time on a 9-month rotation basis. An intimate detail about each piece of art that draws you in even closer and helps to dissipate a foreboding sense formality about the art is where in their living room the Bechtlers displayed the artwork for their own enjoyment. In fact, the set of furniture that the Bechtlers actually owned and used in their home is also on display. It's very easy to imagine the family eating dinner in a pseudo-museum that was their home and the Bechtler Cherubs climbing on top of a large statue of one kind or another.
To see the care an attention that this collection of art receives should be comforting and reassuring to any artist who is in a quagmire of self-doubt. Go to the Bechtler Museum and be inspired. Go to the Bechtler Museum and be energized. Go to the Bechtler Museum and be motivated. Then go straight to your studio and paint your heart out, sculpt your heart out, mold/print/photograph/design/CREATE your heart out.
Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
Arts and Science Council
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