Gasp! Absolutely stunning oil paintings, overflowing with flora and fauna. This is the work of Brooklyn based painter Marc Dennis, who creates “alternate reality rich with hype, narrative and humor where art, history, nature and pop culture intersect.” I included the close-ups so you could see the gorgeous detail in each of these large-scale beauties, BUT, if you happen to be in New York all of these paintings will be hanging in a fabulous group show at a new gallery that opens on February 2:
“FACTION Art Projects presents their inaugural exhibition, “All That You Have Is Your Soul”, a group show of 17 artists, all of whom are tied together by their responses to building identity within a foreign land. The exhibition uses the link of heritage between the artists to present artworks that celebrate difference in identity.”
Go! ps. FACTION is a new flexible collective, from the team behind the hugely successful Gallery 8 and Coates & Scarry in London, who in this, their foray into the US, are adapting a unique model for artists and gallerists to work together. It sounds fantastic!
Gorgeous … but lonely. This is the work of American artist Jared Small. All of these dark ‘n stormy oil paintings are part of his latest show, titled ‘Dimension’. If you happen to be in or near Memphis. you can see this work and meet Jared… tomorrow, Saturday January 20th at 11am, Jared will be doing a talk at the David Lusk Gallery in Memphis{97 Tillman St.}. Pop by if you can!
Oh my word. This is the dreamy abstract work of Toronto based painter Janna Watson, and if you happen to be in Vancouver, you can see it in person. Her new show, titled “Light is Heavy” opens this weekend at Bau-Xi Gallery in Vancouver. The opening reception is on Saturday January 13th from 2-4pm… go if you can! I’ve been lucky enough to stand in front of Janna’s large-scale beauties, and they are absolutely breathtaking.
Ok, I was already experiencing some serious FOMO about not being at Art Basel Miami this weekend… and then I found about this interactive piece showing at The Temple House.“New Spring”, by Studio SWINE(Super Wide Interdisciplinary New Explorers : a collaboration between Japanese Architect Azusa Murakami and British Artist Alexander Groves). Delicate blossom bubbles, filled with floral-scented mist, fall gently from a white, chandelier-like tree. The bubbles pop on contact… unless of course you’re wearing the special gloves provided. Seriously, watch this video and tell me you’re not knee-deep in FOMO too:
Oh my word. This stunning fiber based installation was one of my favorite things at the Venice Biennale this past summer, and yes, it probably has something to do with my current obsession with pom poms. Granted, these are not pom poms at all. They are “pigmented acrylic fibre” wrangled into large soft orbs with some kind of synthetic netting! This gorgeous piece {that you were NOT allowed to jump on even if you really wanted to} was part of the “Color Pavilion” at the Arsenale, and is the work of American-born, Paris based artist Sheila Hicks. Watch the video above to see Sheila talking about this piece… so beautiful on so many levels.
ps. a bit of proof, basically to remind myself that I really was there – because sometimes it feels more like a crazy dream.
Paint-By-Number-ish work mixed with vintage neon signs!? Oh my word, I have just fallen madly in love with the work of LA based painter Melissa Sims. These pieces are currently hanging in a two-person show at Zinc Contemporary in Seattle. The show is titled, quite appropriately, “Sign of the Times” and will be up until November 18th, 2017. Happy Friday!
ps. The other artist in this show is Chelsea Wong.
Oil pastel on paper. Ah-mazing. The work of Minneapolis based artist Terrence Payne always blows my mind, and this new body of work, titled “Family Fremds”, is no exception. Here’s what it’s all about:
“Family Fremds examines the ways in which communities of faith can be turned against one another by exploiting their differences and diminishing their common values.”
Sad, true, powerful, and beautiful. Some of his work is currently hanging at Rosalux Gallery{Minneapolis} in a two-person show titled “Feral Fables”. It will be up until the end of this month.
ps. There won’t be a podcast episode this coming weekend as I’m knee-deep in my very exciting “visiting professor” role at the University of Wisconsin, BUT may I suggest you listen to the episode I did with Terrence awhile back. It’s hilarious and one of my favorites. The episode is titled “Pastels, Perfection, and Prince”, which pretty much sums it up!
Super beautiful / bizarre porcelain? Nope, even better… oil paintings of super beautiful / bizarre porcelain. This is the weirdly wonderful work of Canadian painter Ambera Wellmann. She also happens to be the 2017 winner of the RBC Painting Competition, a prestigious {and lucrative} award given to one Canadian painter each year. Excellent choice jurors, excellent choice!
Ok, let me begin by saying that photos do not do the work of American artist Lindsay Jones justice. I held some of her tissue paper pieces in my carefully gloved hands the last time I was in LA, and they’re so, so lovely! Speaking of which, her latest show, titled “Pattern Recognition” was just showing at Carbondale Arts in Colorado. It came down a couple of weeks ago, but I’ve done my best to give you a glimpse into the world she created. Here is a description of the show, found on the gallery’s site:
“Abstracting images from architecture and landscape, Lindsay Jones creates drawings, small sculptures, and installations out of materials such as paper, collage, and balsa wood. Her work is the result of her observations of the landscape; the rural, the urban, the exquisite, the boring, the natural, the unnatural, etc. Lindsay says she finds herself both in awe of, as well as disturbed by, the way that we build, and transform our environments, and believes that humanity will always be trying to figure out how to negotiate our life in this shared environment … This collection of drawings by Lindsay uses imagery from the Western Colorado and Utah deserts, whose environments she finds to be valuable because of their lack of human development.”
Sigh…. I want to go camping in there, and I never want to go camping! This is brand new work by Canadian painter Meghan Hildebrand. Her latest solo show, titled “Lorafauna”:
“Lorafauna pays tribute to the marvels and mysteries of the coast and forest. Using animal and mythical motifs, symbolic landscape elements, and a highly tuned colour palette, these paintings portray the stories of dark and light just under the surface of familiar places.”
The show just opened at Madrona Gallery (Victoria BC) over the weekend. Don’t worry though, it will be up until October 28th. Pop in if you can because seeing her work in person is an entirely different experience than seeing it online.
