Class 8 - Made and Manufactured:

Make no mistake...I heart Jed Perl!!!

Class 8 - Made and Manufactured:

1. Readymade Resistance, Josiah McElheny,ARTFORUM, 2007.
2. The Artisanal Urge, Jed Perl, The New Republic, 2008
3. Golden Bull, Leon Wieseltier, The New Republic, 2008.
4. Why Craft Never Was a Four-Letter Word, Smith, 2009
5. Murakami, Review by Gerard Brown, 2007.
6. Link to Murakami Show @ LAMoCa 
7. Hirst Globally Dotting His "I", Roberta Smith, 2012.
8. Art as Commodity or Art as Experience?, Donna Dodson, 2012.


Optional additional readings / video on the topic:

1. Postcards From Nowhere, Jed Perl, The New Republic, 2008
This video showcases 3 artists who make "by hand."
2. http://www.kqed.org/arts/programs/spark/episode.jsp?epid=113410
3. Takashi Murakami @ Gagosian Gallery London, June 27 - August 5, 2011
4. Review of Murakami/Gagosian, LA Weekly Blog
5. Peter Plagens critiques Jed Perl's book New Art City, 2006

REMINDER: Please be sure to post your Artist Statements and Bios in the appropriate section below this post. Due to my absence last week, presentations are as follows:
1. Diandra Oliva
2. Claire Malecot
3. Lucy Heurich
4. Melissa Robbins
5. Nora Spillane

"FRESH"
Sam Jinks

http://avatarsculptureworks.com/http://avatarsculptureworks.com/

Watch Systems on PBS. See more from ART:21.

">Allan McCollum

Something to ponder... 
When does the artist stop being an artist during a project?
WHO or WHAT manipulates the final product?
What is the purpose of a final product if the idea is already set in stone?
Is process important for you or for the person helping you?

Artist Statements and Bios

Hello All,

Be prepared to post your Artist Statement & BIO to the blog by class time, 10/18.

Please post your Artist Statements ans Bios in the comments below.

Please plan to travel to each other's studios for presentations.

Be sure to print copies for all.

Tomorrow's presentations are as follows:

Presentations: Art work, Artist Statement & Bio :: GROUP 1 

1. Diandra Oliva 

2. Claire Malecot 

3. Lucy Heurich

The Noble Amateur: Lewis Colburn @ NAPOLEON by Krista Schaefer

Image courtesy of Napoleon

Located in the same building as Vox Populi on the second floor is Tiger Strikes Asteroid. In this exhibit that opened October fourth there are many great artist, but the solo exhibition of the newest Napoleon member Lewis Colburn’s work; Titled The Noble Amateur, grabbed my immediate attention. He presents to us three installations, all of which recite an American monologue, and create the argument for authenticity.

It was a relief upon entering to see no pedestals in sight, his work owned the space, and has a narrative quality telling its own story. There was no feeling of immediacy to know these stories, but instead a time to observe the process making you could see the artist had preformed developing these pieces.

As someone who is involved in the theater world I quickly noticed Colburn’s space to have the same hand as a set or costume designer, which again was apart of the narration quality his pieces held.  

The first installation you encounter is Centennial (American Still Life).  This installation is furnished with small-scale sculptures of dripping paint can, wooden rifles, and a red military dress coat positioned on top of stacked shipping pallets.  

 It is depicting the furnishings of what one could see backstage at a historical reenactment. There was also a safeness insured with-in it, as it was not only child sized, but the muskets also half sized, were the reproductions used in a marching band or on drill squads, not military owned but made of wood and painted white.  

The second of his pieces is untitled( Bachelor Farmer Signal Tower).  It is made using aluminum to create a small scaled silo with klaxon horns atop, and casted pastel colored pumpkins inside the tower,  adjacent hangs denim overalls.  

There is an authenticity with the overalls, even within this semi-chaotic piece itself it still relays his same modest-living American dialogue. Without question these overalls appear to be just another found item, but after speaking with Colburn I was amazed that they were completely fabricated by him.  Again this idea that Colburn created this farmers costume again removes the piece from reality as in his first piece with the fact he distressed them himself making them a ‘prop’ to his work. This still leaves the viewer with the idea of a story, an American farm life. 

Overall this was a brilliant space put on with great craftsmanship, attention to detail, and then tied it into a tight American bundle, creating the argument for authenticity. Well worth the time spent to see the space.

THE MIDNIGHT SOCIETY @ Arch-Enemy Gallery

 

Arch-Enemy Gallery

109 & 111 Arch Street

Philadelphia, PA 19106

Tel: 215-717-7774

                                                THE MIDNIGHT SOCIETY

                                                               (October 4^th-31^st)

                                                    By: Kate Lomax Blankenship 

 Snuggly placed in a lurid side street alley way is the Arch – Enemy Gallery. Once you enter you are greeted by macabre and dark under toned pieces of art befitting to a moonlight night where a stranger is leading you into the woods to assemble at a secret meeting place to discuss important matters of business specifically dealing with ‘The Midnight Society.’

Images like Gina Martynova’a ‘Vasilisa the Beautiful’ encapsulates this feeling to its very core, depicting a lady in early European decorated garb enchanted by an illuminated skull in the darkness of the woods. This image forever burning within the viewer’s mind as curiosity swells within and questions arise of the girls safety and where the skull might take her and is she in any form of danger?

Gina Martynova "Vasilisa The Beautiful"(2013)watercolor with acrylic motif border22 x 30" plus frame

Or Sean Talimini ‘Bubuska Baba Yaga’ depicting an old gypsy woman in a house supported by bird legs traveling through the dark and dangerous forests. She is looking at the viewer, almost waiting for you to cry out to her for assistance but she already anticipated your arrival and welcomes you into her home.

Sean Talamini

"Bubuska Baba Yaga" (2013)
acrylic on wood
12 x 20"

Mary Teicher’s ‘The Second Reading’ shows a scene of a hand gently grasping fingertips and we gain insight into what the palm reader can see within their guest’s hands. A magnifying glass is available to read the individuals past, present and future giving the viewer a glimpse into the mystical and sometimes tragic fate, which is bestowed upon us all. Palm readings were also available to the public at the opening.

Maria Teicher

"The 2ndReading" (2013)graphite on mylar & antique magnifying glass18 x 24" in frame

You begin to remember when your parents told you never to talk to strangers, or apples laced with razor blades and the folklores/ fairy tales you would hear before going to bed reminding us to be cautious or we might just end up a tragic story ourselves. You tell your parents you are not afraid of those stories as they turn off the lights. But your nightmares depict decapitated limbs, occult scenes with bones scattered across the ground, candles dripping, paintings of skeletal shadowed ghost figures and children becoming deceased by the most innocent of acts. All these things can be found in your nightmares and also within ‘The Midnight Society.’

Just remember to pinch yourself awake every once in a while or you might never wake up…

The 19 artists who encapsulated these nightmares are:

Scott Kirschner

Sean Talamini

Peca

Terry Montimore

Caitlin McCormack

Sheri Debow

Katelyn Osborne

Gina Marynova

Maynerd

Dylan Garrett Smith

Maria Teicher

Leilani Bustamante

David Seidman

Courtney Blazon

Kat Toronto

Mike Bell

Anja Altenburg

Anthony Walsh

Image courtesy of the Mutter Museum

Blood, death, life, murder, caution tape, smell. Maybe it’s the fact that we’re so close to Halloween, or it’s just me, but these are all the words that ran through my mind when fellow student Didi Oliva told me about an exhibit at Mütter Museum located on 19 South 22^nd Street in Philadelphia, Pa. Her description of the exhibit intrigued me, sort of. Once we were at the museum we asked where we could locate the Jordan Eagles exhibition, which the guard replied, “Ew, the blood exhibit? It’s the door to the right.” As I approached the exhibit peeking from behind my hands, then gasped. The works were astonishing. Each piece told its own story that had nothing to do with life or death. I no longer could see the blood, all I could see were the many layers of colors, shapes, and movement. The translucency of each piece gave it a beautiful glow from behind, making it seem as if they were illuminated from the back of the frame. I fell in love with the larger pieces that were covered in gauze. There are three pieces, one with a white/clear backing with blood stained gauze, the other two were variations of deep hues of red with mixes of copper. This is a definite must see show. Jordan Eagles’ work is breath taking and it is definitely an exhibit you have to see in person. A photo does the works no justice at all.

By: Yvonne Clark

Lewis Colbern: The Noble Amateur

Lewis Colburn’s debut show with Napoleon gallery is a small but delightful show.  The Noble Amateur is a three part installation in adorably pocket sized Napoleon gallery is a fantastic use of the space.  The show references the artists’ pervious work as a set builder for the theater before exploring sculpture.  There are three interconnected pieces, a theater prop loft full of half finished works, a stage back door with costumes, and a siren tower with plastic pumpkins.   All works are about half size of what a theoretical real life counterpart would be.

 

All items are very curious and oddly functional looking, the siren looking tower structure seems like it should be sending some kind of beacon, the addition of pumpkins at the bottom would almost suggest it to be some sort of pumpkin spice beacon. 

 

The real showstopper of this show is the half sized stage door and half sized reproductions of colonial era uniforms.  All of the clothing in the show is costume made by Lewis Colburn.  The incredible detail and care that has clearly gone into these bity child size clothes.

 

The last piece is the miniature theater loft filled with all sorts of odds and ends, a bit of failed plastic molding here and a bob of half finished sculpture there all add up to a vibrant and eclectic bunch of objects. The interplay between the seemingly unrelated objects very realistically emulates the fascinating and wonderful experience of wandering through old props at a theater or looking through your grandmothers attic.

 

All in all Lewis Colburn’s The Noble Amateur is well worth your visit.  Nostalgic and somehow sweet the whole show (as small as it is) is satisfying.  Maybe it’s the genuine and down to earth lack of pretention in his work maybe it’s the fact that everything is cuter when it’s scaled down, ether way, take the time to take in this marvelous little world.

Walt Cassidy

Drawing Down the Moon Exhibition

2013

Reviewed by Nora Spillane

Walt Cassidy has six works currently on view at Vox Populi, one of Philadelphia's hottest galleries. The New York based artist is part of one of their current group exhibitions called Drawing Down the Moon open from October 4^th to the 27^th. This exhibition references mystical realms, occult, dream spaces, and spiritual exploration. Walt Cassidy's five photographs, “Alone and Empty”, “Wet”, “Bound”, “I've Been Thinkin' About You, Baby”, and “Hair, Copper, Frankincense, Candle and Vine” pull the viewer through these themes swiftly and quietly.

Vox Populi was stiflingly on the shows opening night. I stumbled around trying not to think about the crowded rooms and the temperature rising with every word spoken. I could spin around in each space and realize where all pieces were coming from within a moment, but Cassidy's work stopped me and had me forget about that heat. There's a pleasant stillness and cold that his photographs somehow create in the sad void longing between them. I think it is important for them to have been installed together, with a few on one wall, one on the left and one on the right wall. They yearn for each other. You find yourself asking what the objects in each still life could be used for and why they belong as part of the same story. The strange collections of objects are heavy in highlights and deep in color, all set in a dark space. These references to dutch still life paintings only further the elements of darkness, longing, and spirituality or ritual through object.

To catch this fever visit the work of Walt Cassidy. Vox Populi 319 North 11^th Street, 3^rd floor, Philadelphia. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 12 to 6pm.

Jordan Graw, I Wanted to, but I Forgot. 72"x32" 2012

Image credit: Lucy Heurich

Jordan Graw, a Philly based artist, is part of a group exhibition called Drawing Down the Moon at Vox Populi. They had their opening for October’s first Friday; the show is up from now until the 27^th of October. Vox is such an interesting place. When entering the building you immediately feel like an outsider. Am I aloud to be here? That’s the question that enters my mind followed by where is the work? Oh that’s right, you have to walk up these trendy narrow warehouse stairs. Then once you find the steps you have to wait for everyone else to come down. After making it up to the gallery you are greeted by a man sitting at a desk eating a hoagie having a side conversation. There was no posting of the title of the show anywhere and the work did not have any tags. The only thing that was available was the price list. It seems to be a very relaxed atmosphere.

 The work in the show is arbitrary. The Drawing Down the Moon concept is about mysticisms, and altered states of consciousness. Sadly, I do not see this in Graw’s painting, I wanted to, but I forgot. I cannot get past the straight from the tube color choices and the turpentine washed out skyline. There is no specificity in the work. The brush strokes are uniform through out the whole piece. I am not put into an altered state when I view them. Unfortunately, this show missed the mark. However, don't let my opinion stop you from seeing the exhibition! The gallery is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 12-6pm. 

El Toro ten-year retrospective at Ps & Qs Gallery

EL TORO
(image#1)

On October 6^th, I attended a private talk by graffiti and sticker artist, Frost215. Frost215 (or Jason Smith, his given name), along with a few other artists, are credited with single-handedly creating the Philadelphia Character Sticker Art Movement that started about 10 years ago. In 2003, Frost215 created EL TORO (image #1) as a way to set himself apart from the traditional Philadelphia style of graffiti.

He was tenacious and blindly ambitious in making EL TORO's presence known in Philadelphia and soon after, the rest of the globe [1]. Since then, he has had the opportunity to showcase in art shows and solo shows. Frost215 has created a movement in Philadelphia and has inspired others to follow in his footsteps. This type of art available to the public for FREE via stickers/tags on the street.

Why, you ask, is this important to talk about graffiti/sticker art when talking about fine art? How can stickers even begin to be called fine art? They aren’t curated in a gallery, they don’t hang in museums and sometimes people just consider them a nuisance.

Graffiti has a long history of being hated, but recently with the emergence of Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and MOST recently Shepard Fairey, this style of art is becoming more widely accepted and practiced. It is also one that should not be passed by.

Jason got his start by attending the Art Institute of Philadelphia, where he met people from New York who were into graffiti, especially tags which is just the artists name done in a certain font or style.

This opening was a ten-year retrospective of his work on his character EL TORO and how it evolved over the years. This work will hang until the end of the month. I got to also sit down with Frost215 and ask him a few questions after the talk:

1. If you could hand one of your stickers to any one person, who would it be?

Being able to hand a sticker to Obama would be dope. Get all dressed up and get to be able to be inside the White House. I'd have to give him more than one though so he can give some to his kids, too.

2. What was the last book you read?

The Wu-Tang Manual by Rza

3. Who are three artists your currently looking at?

Zachary Smithh (http://zacharysmithh.tumblr.com/)

Nychos (http://nychos.tumblr.com/)

Houseofmeggs (http://www.houseofmeggs.com/)

4.What are you currently doing now?

I'm a freelance graphic designer working out in LA.

I'm also trying to expand my brand MTDR Trading Co.  (http://mtdrtradingco.bigcartel.com/)

5. How does Frost 215 feel about El Toro taking over his identity?

It's always has been a Frankenstein complex. Frost215 will always be the creator and EL TORO will be my monster.

6. Last one, so you're pretty influential in (almost) single-handedly creating the

Philadelphia Character Sticker Art movement. How has it had an impact on your life and do you think that sticker art can become a fine art?

Stickers have provided me access to opportunities I normally wouldn't have as a regular civilian. It leads me to meet plenty of life long friends and even played a part of meeting my wife. I also think it could be fine art because it's a medium that provokes an emotion to the viewer.

El Toro's ten-year retrospective on view at Ps & Qs (820 South Street).

ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHT OF FROST215/EL TORO & Ps & Qs.

---

[1] Frost215, Jason. "FROST215 ILLUSTRATION & DESIGN." FROST215 ILLUSTRATION & DESIGN. FROST215, 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2013

Catching Thread

Catching Thread, Margo Wolowiec

by Mellisa Robbins

 image credit: www.grizzlygrizzly.com

image credit: mellisa robbins

Margo Wolowiec’s Catching Thread at Grizzly Grizzly is a testament to our throwaway culture of social media, and how we make sense of it all. Wolowiec’s woven pieces at first seem like densely layered abstracts, but upon closer inspection, the dark masses reveal themselves as sentences. These are status updates culled from Facebook, and together in the tapestry create an enigmatic sort of prose. The words are arbitrary, some referencing politics or locations, and their format reminds one of scrolling quickly through a Facebook news feed, sort of reading and vaguely processing the words, but not truly caring about what is being posted. The piece seems like a question of why we spend so much time nowadays scrolling through trivial information we don’t truly care about, with the dichotomy of impermanent data being forever woven into an art object bringing attention to the absurdity of the social network that has woven itself into our daily lives.

Catching Thread is a play upon Richard Serra’s 1971 film Catching Lead. While Serra’s video shows his hand trying and often failing to catch falling scraps of lead, Wolowiec’s video, 10 Tries at a Square, shows the artist attempting to draw a perfect square with a length of thread. Her outcomes are beautiful, quiet abstracts, nothing close to squares, but speaking for themselves as drawings. Wolowiec’s gesture of drawing with thread is a light and delicate process, and it is interesting to consider the piece in relation to Catching Lead. Serra’s work to me has always seemed to be about lightness conveyed through its absence in his steel sculpture, and Wolowiec, in titling the show Catching Thread, seems to have a conversation with Serra about lightness and weight, and typical femininity and masculinity. When she finishes a square drawing, she swipes away the thread with one hand, again reminding us of the impermanence of our time. We live in an age of undo buttons and the luxury of easily deleting our histories on the computer, and Wolowiec simply deletes her mistakes and begins again. While watching it, I was reminded of the ubiquitous iPad commercials in which the action of swiping to the next screen is repeated over and over.

Wolowiec gracefully ruminates upon our online-saturated culture in this exhibit, and leaves her viewers to consider their own relationship with social media. With the ability to say whatever we want in a public forum at any time, and the capability of erasing it later, it questions what we value as important and unimportant to share with others, and left this viewer wondering if there is even a distinction left between the two.

Catching Thread is on view now through October 26 at Grizzly Grizzly, located at 319 N. 11^th Street. 

Forever Sleepover for ArtBlog

Forever Sleepover at Practice Gallery

By Kathryn Sclavi

http://www.practicegallery.org/

photo’s and review by Leah Koontz

Practice Gallery is currently showcasing artist Kathryn Sclavi for her solo show Forever Sleepover which will be on view until October 26^th. This show features a large instillation, which creates a living space that is reminiscent of blanket forts and childhood. The instillation comes complete with candy, cookies, pillows, sleeping bags, a chandelier, a silent screening of titanic, and many shades of pink. The work is made from a wood structure and a variety of hand stitched feminine fabrics sewn together. The fabrics feature various patterns and embroideries. This material is stretched over the wooden supports creating Forever Sleepover.

The space encourages people to sit together and talk, the way we used to as children back when we had the time. This conversation helps us consider larger ideas about communication, human relationships, and growth. The environment has a slightly sinister “no boys/no adults” allowed feeling. This causes the viewer to feel a sense of unease and seduction at the same time. After experiencing the work I found myself reflecting on my past and current relationships and wondering where my values have differed.

Kathryn wanted to make a piece, which speaks specifically about women, and draws out the importance and intensity of female friendships. Her work is often about social engagement, and community.  This piece addresses equality and social justice at large because progress and education surrounding women is also progress for all groups. I believe this piece helps the progress of women because it asks us to talk, and reflect on critical issues, and think about our collective past. Forever Sleepover is confrontational; its appearance is grotesque and lovely at the same time. The color’s and tiny stitches are beautiful, but the craft is crude. The selection of fabric squares is overwhelming. This aesthetic and juxtaposition reinforces the way society views women. It also accounts for the struggle to cope with these complex ideas as women. The work is loud and open about its concept. This is important because social issues need to be accessible to everyone. These lessons are important and we all need to reflect on them.  

Be sure to come to one of the two women only “Cake and Gossip” sessions from 7-9 on the 17^th and the 24^th of October. If you cant make either of those dates stop by for the “Ladies Sleepover at Forever Sleepover” beginning at 8 pm.