Savannah, Atlanta and Asheville - Worth a look

Savannah
Teaming with SCAD influences the opening of contemporary art spaces in Savannah is quite refreshing. It's such a lovely place to walk about and stumble into things like to gardens, quaint shops and yummy eateries. It's an unexpected pleasure to find interesting and compelling contemporary art in history steeped Savannah.

2carGarage

During my visit in early Feb, an excellent show of Chris Kienke's work was up. His work covers a lot of territory, figures, animals, abstraction, fish, water and yet is all recognizable as Chris Kienke. I liked the variety in the scale of work as well,this variation provided unexpected delight from large diptychs to more personal, small work.

Color abounds, Kienke's visual language is evolving over each piece you see the strokes change, the palette changes, and the content. In his own words, "...I recognized the value in the unintended". Thanks for this show.

Up next at 2carGARAGE is Betsy Cain's strong and decisive mental landscape work. Stop by, you'll be glad you did.

Atlanta
Meeting fellow artists and reacquainting is sheer delight. I love how artist's minds work and how we look at the world. It was my great pleasure to me John Folsom.

John Folsom
Folsom has just received confirmation of a show at the Gibbes Museum in Charleston; well deserved I might add.

John's photo based work lends a dreamy quality to the bucolic settings he photographs; his work is visually arresting and expertly crafted. Folsom reminds us why our landscape is important. This is especially significant to me as I've just seen some of George Masa's, the Ansel Adams of Appalachia, remaining photos of the Blue Ridge (c. 1922-1933). Much of this landscape has been preserved in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Where it could have gone so terribly wrong, this beauty has been preserved.

We depend upon George Masa and John Folsom to help us remember what was.

Asheville
Asheville has more galleries than Charlotte, hmm. What does that say for this jewel of a town?

Gallery Minerva
Anna Parker-Barnett and Heidi Gruner--this is the gallery staff with whom I'd love to work. They do not hide behind computer screens and desks, they get up and greet you when you visit Gallery Minerva. Anna and Heidi speak with great authority about each artist in their gallery, I'm not talking art-speak either. It is so refreshing. Thank you both.

I'm happy to report the expansion of Gallery Minerva into a second space on Biltmore Ave. Anna is a great resource for starting or expanding your collection. If you are a first time art buyer and feel a bit intimidated, ask Anna, she will deftly guide you through the art purchase process. I urge you to support this downtown expansion and spend time and money in Asheville. This is a courageous move for Gallery Minerva and I applaud their grit and hope for their continued success.

Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts
Another Asheville treasure is Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts. I'm not sure how many artist work in this fine space, but let me say, it's a beehive of activity.

I attended a recent opening, "Ceramic Artists Members Show" and was thrilled to see the large crowd there. The show runs through March 6. Good food, great music and best of all excellent clay work. The show is beautifully curated by the resident artists. They are all versed in the complexities of ceramic art and willing to share this information with you.

Odyssey is one of those unique places that fosters artistic achievement; you'll find studio space with all the necessary equipment, classes, seminars, lectures and workshops.

Here I'll share the work of two Odyssey artists, Jillian Wolf and Kat McIver. Stop by Odyssey, see the show, be dazzled by the quality work made right here in Asheville.

Contemporary Art (and some Blues) in Charleston, SC

I can surely recommend a January/February visit to Charleston; during this time you will encounter few tourists and mild weather. In fact it was kind of “Seattle” like--moody, grey, foggy and breezy.

I began my gallery crawl and found some contemporary art treasures here: RLS, Rebekah Jacobs, Redux Contemporary Art Center, Eva Carter Gallery, City Gallery, and Cone 10 Studios.

Redux Contemporary Art Center
Dalek, Broke Beaten and Buried
Jan 23-Mar 7, 2009

Here at Redux Contemporary, James Marshall, aka Dalek, has moved away from his well-known individualized works on canvas. This new work explodes within the galleries of Redux. The main portion of the exhibition was created on-site, one and a half weeks before the opening. A team of 8 people came together under the direction of Dalek to install this exciting work.
There are great photographs from the exhibition on the Redux website
and Dalek's website that you should check out if you haven't already.

The galleries crackle with visual excitement. I heard Charleston turned out 1,000 people, at the opening, to see this eye grabbing installation. You'll experience geometry and color theory seamlessly combined; the artist’s hand is never visible.

RLS

Robert and Megan Lange are the most delightful, charming and knowledgeable art couple. Robert’s photorealism is featured in the gallery and he paints on site. Megan’s thoughtful landscapes are a subtle contrast to Robert's work. You can catch them on the gallery web cam.

Rebekah Jacob Gallery
Tim Hussey
March 1-31 (how’s that for a scoop?)

Hussey’s painterly work is executed with vigor and is not for timid art viewers. Figures and face are obscured, juicy items are collaged, and firm, confident strokes add layer upon layer of content. Hussey's figures are not shy; there’s humor and thoughtfulness going on here, take a serious look at this work.

Rebekah Jacobs Gallery is the only gallery in Charleston to run a contemporary program, photography program, a folk art program and an African-American program. Word has it Rebekah is force in the world of private art dealers. Be sure to follow her new bricks and mortar gallery.


Eva Carter
Karin Olah


Olah references the Amish quilts of her childhood in the work currently on exhibition at Eva Carter. She expertly collages fabric, cotton, silk, and linen, to emulate calligraphic brushstrokes. Paint, collage and fiber complete her work. Her palate is muted giving the fabric an opportunity to garner interest. Olah’s craft is exemplary.

City Gallery at Waterfront Park
Photography by Michelle Van Parys and Stuart Klipper
Mento Mori: Warnings from the American West and Antarctia

Warnings have been sounded, we know we are abusing our planet, Klipper and Van Parys have photographic evidence. You can see beauty and disgrace in the captivating show. Plus, the City Gallery is one of the great gifts of Charleston.

Mark Long, guest curator of Mento Mori, writes, “Be warned, then, of our power to disfigure even the most arresting landscapes.”

Lowcountry Blues Bash
Feb 6-16, 2009
All over Charleston

44 Acts that include Beverly “Guitar” Watson, Robert Paige & the Holy City Sinners, Dr. Pickup, Daddy Mack Blues Band, Liz Mandeville, and Tinsley Ellis.

Some more than half of the shows are free. What a great February get away. By mid-February I’m ready for winter to pass; hot guitar licks will surely help.

For more info: mail@bluesbash.com Have a great time.

Up at 16 Patton Fine Art

Margaret Dyer

Margaret Dyer master of pastel is also working in oil. One of my earliest art classes was Dyer’s pastel class. Oh was it ever delicious, discovering all those colors in skin tones and having the figure come alive on paper. She is truly inspiring and a deft painter. It has been so nice to reconnect with her work. To you, Margaret, great job!

Favorite Black Shoes

Raymond Chorneau
Chorneau’s work is dreamy and textural with brush strokes enlivened by oil and cold wax. You can see the Bay Area/Olivera influence in these constructions, where layers are added and layers are removed; snippets of each bring the surface to life. These figures are moody, strong, vague and present. The tension is palpable, we’re not sure what has transpired. Take a good long drink of Chorneau’s work.

Left: Pow, Right: Blue Morning

R. John Ichter
Talk about pure color! R. John Ichter’s work incorporates pure pigment in intense competing colors which create a rich, vibrant world. This work has a strong presence and a velvety feeling, I’m not talking Elvis velvet here. The pigment sparkles and crackles; they reach out and grab your attention. You will not be a passive viewer.

Sapphire Point

Suzy Schultz
Bathed in light and perched pensively in a chair “Expecting #2” is sheer anticipation. This large watercolor by Shultz is well executed, the paint fluid and spontaneous. We have happened upon a very private moment; this sitter is expectant.

Expecting #2

Changing Coasts Opening

Here are Photos from the opening of my Changing Coasts Show









Press Release:

Asheville Area Arts Council presents: Changing Coasts, new work by Mary Farmer

Changing Coasts encaustic work by new to Asheville artist, Mary Farmer, captures her impression of WNC. Says Farmer, "Working in wax, encaustic painting, is a very physical endeavor. You'll find heat guns, hot plates, large wooden panels, and gas torches in my studio. This physicality is very appealing to me as I layer and scrape, gouge and fill, heat and distress each work. When paired with my own visual vocabulary, I find myself deeply involved in the process; it is the perfect combination of process, abstraction, color, movement and composition."

Paintings rendered in encaustic have given collectors a new medium to contemplate and has attracted its very own following. The work is lush,
luminous and presents great depth.





A reception for Asheville artist Mary Farmer will be held in the Boardroom Gallery on Friday, January 9, 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Asheville Area Arts Council,11 Biltmore Avenue. Titled “Changing Coasts”, the exhibit remains on display through Feb 28.


Mary Farmer
828.712.3786
6 Lakeshore Lane
Asheville, NC 28804
www.maryfarmer.com

Winter Is Here

Brrrr, it's all I can muster, it is bloody cold in Asheville, NC this morning. No way I'm out tromping around looking at art and I cannot make art as my studio is currently the staging ground for the new heat/air system we are having installed.

New Work
In between holiday preparations, parties and completing work for my first show in Asheville, I’ve finished some new pieces in the Changing Coasts series. The first 3 are here. The remaining 8 or so will be ready soon.

Also, keep reading as I've got a few movie suggestions and information about my Jan/Feb show.


In This Moment I Am Free
40 x 40 x 2
Encaustic on Panel






This Light Took My Breath Away
40 x 40 x 2
Encaustic on Panel










Making Hay #2
48 x 40 x 2
Encaustic on Panel










Show Info
Asheville Area Arts Council presents: Changing Coasts, new work by Mary Farmer

Changing Coasts is made up of encaustic work by new to Asheville artist, Mary Farmer, she captures her impression of Western North Carolina. Says Farmer, "Working in wax, encaustic painting, is a very physical endeavor. You'll find heat guns, hot plates, large wooden panels, and gas torches in my studio. This physicality is very appealing to me as I layer and scrape, gouge and fill, heat and distress each work. When paired with my own visual vocabulary it, encaustic painting, is the perfect combination of process, abstraction, color, movement and composition."

Paintings rendered in encaustic have given collectors a new medium to contemplate and has attracted its very own following. The work is lush, luminous and presents great depth.

A reception for Asheville artist Mary Farmer will be held in the Boardroom Gallery on Friday, January 9, 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Asheville Area Arts Council,11 Biltmore Avenue. “Changing Coasts”, the exhibit remains on display through Feb 28.

Movie Suggestions
See these: Slumdog Millionaire, MILK, and Rachel Getting Married

Beyond the Surface: Life Works in Painting and Assemblage

Lewis Buck’s Beyond the Surface: Life Works in Painting and Assemblage at the Fine Art Museum, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee through Dec. 15.

To finally see the work of an unsung hero featured in his own retrospective is such a rich experience. You might recall my mention of Frank Lobdell and his retrospective in a previous post, well, right here in Western North Carolina, I find Lewis Buck being similarly celebrated for his dedication to art making.


“Little Known Bird of the Inner Aisle,” assemblage, Lewis Buck, 1978.

Buck has been painting, without pause, since the 1940s. Viewing this deeply thoughtful selection of Buck’s work gave me clear insight into recent art history, Buck’s sharply intelligent mind, and his curious soul.

Buck is a master of assemblage or the “glued and screwed” approach to painting. He uses anything at hand, old Adirondack chairs, roofing shingles, aprons, lace trim, burlap, saw blades, wood pieces, netting, etc. Nothing escapes his sharp eyes. I would suggest that Buck has taken inspiration from Picasso, Braque, Klee, Burri, Diebenkorn and Kenzo. Make no mistake, these are not homages to aforementioned artists; Buck’s work carries his own sophisticated vision.

Many artists find it difficult to title work, I hear it all the time. In fact, many times, I’ve done it too; artists have long and laborious discussion over a work’s title. Not so with Buck, this man loves word play. Could it be the echoes of that English Lit degree? I would love to hear him discuss his title choices.

Buck, now 83, and his wife, Porge, currently reside in Black Mountain (what is it about Black Mountain?). They moved to Asheville in 1983 and immediately began to shake things up in their Montford home. Since galleries were hard to find, they opened one, --in their own home. This gallery provided a place to showcase their work and the work of other local artists. The Buck’s worked for many years as fomenters of change; their neighborhood’s growing pains could find no relief.

See this show: Fall hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. The museum is closed during holidays included on WCU’s academic calendar. For more information, contact Martin DeWitt, founding director, at (828) 227-2553 or mdewitt@email.wcu.edu; or Hillary Brett, assistant curator, at (828) 227-3591 or hbrett@email.cwcu.edu.

Further reading on this enriching experience:
The Asheville Citizen Times

Mountain Xpress

Mary's First Report from Asheville, NC

My recent move to Asheville has been unexpectedly filled with fantastic finds. I wasn’t’ sure about blogging and art reporting; in fact, I was looking for an excuse to discontinue and now I find I am so very engaged by the work I’ve seen and the people I’ve met, it just feels right to pass this information along.

So, dear reader, I will dash here and there and not limit my reporting to Asheville Art Happenings. I’m sure as time goes on this blog will become more WNC-centric. Hey, just come along and let’s see what happens.

Frank Lobdell, Living Legends of the Bay Area
Marin MOCA, Novato CA

Frank has long been a hero of mine and I cannot begin to explain how thrilled I am that the home of my former studio, the complex that houses the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, is hosting a show of his work from 1980-2008.

Frank Lobdell has been painting for over half a century and still goes to his studio everyday. He is the consummate artist, respected by peers and admired by students and collectors. He continues to draw and draw and draw until the composition comes together and meets his approval.

Over the years, his imagery has become sparse and color has taken on the primary role. Lobdell has developed his own language and you see him use it to communicate his deeply held beliefs and feelings. His work imparts joy and is rich in the iconography invented by Frank Lobdell.


Gabriel Shaffer, If you Want Blood
The Satellite Gallery, Asheville NC

Imagine this—I attend my first opening in Asheville and find I can’t stop looking at the work and when I did tear my eyes away from this complex, deeply layered, engaging work, everyone else in the gallery seemed equally enthralled. It’s been a long, long time since I noticed people actually looking at artwork. It was an opening I intend to savor.

Shaffer twists biblical themes, unhinges a cityscape and sets all animals in the kingdom free. We are not always sure what lies beyond our first glance. Each time you look at a Shaffer work you will discover something new, the imagery is never fully apparent from your first look. You must consciously use your eyes and your brain to explore this work.

Of these paintings and constructions, says Gabriel, “I incorporate a lot of paperwork salvaged from various sources, such as abandoned buildings, hospitals, factories, houses, dumpsters, flea markets and any other means I might come upon them. I am fascinated by where I find these materials and I feel it gives them an extra power when I reincarnate them through the paintings.” I must add that his craft is finely honed; these works are exquisitely rendered.

Recently, Gabriel has joined the fine Atlanta Gallery, Mason Murer; you can expect a show early next year.

Pop on over to The Satellite and have a good, long look at this intriguing, mind stretching work.

Michael Hofman
Hofman Studios, Asheville NC

My first art purchase here in Asheville was spurred by a visit to Michael Hofman’s lovely studio. His hand-built porcelains are impossible to resist; the glazes are jewel like and stunning. Hofman’s signature use of antique lace sets apart this work and gives it a timeless appeal.

So, if you happen upon some fantastic lace, send it Michael’s way as he is always looking for that certain piece.


Lynn Boggess, New Paintings
The Haen Gallery, Asheville NC

I guess Boggess doesn’t even have time to name his shows as the work simply flies off the walls. I’m not kidding, the show was mostly sold one hour into the opening. A great testament to the following this great painter has developed here in art-smart Asheville.

If you love oil paint, go see this show. It’s rich, it’s luscious, it’s dreamy, it's masterful, it’s all the things you expect in a good painting. I am curious to know how long it takes them to dry as Boggess loads the paint on with a cement trowel. –really!

A look at this plein aire work feels like a refreshing walk in the woods where you can feel the cool stream and smell the evergreens. He has taken you there just as surely as he was there.



Mary Farmer, Mark Pomilio, and Donovan Widmer,
Life and the Machine
Yavapai College Art Gallery, Prescott AZ

If you find yourself near Prescott, AZ please stop in and see my show. My work accompanies the work of Mark Pomilio’s pictorial representations of geometric equations and Donovan Widmer’s small sculptures.


















Musical Picks
Music is always happening around here; it’s just wonderful. In the past few weeks I’ve heard Ruthe Foster, Chris Issak, and Lucinda Williams.

Do yourself a favor and listen to these selections: The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster her new album is due in 2009, also busy working on new songs, Chris Issak and his great band, (I hear they have a new television show in the works) and Lucinda Williams’ new album, Little Honey, has already garnered 4 stars. Don't miss out!