Gasp! … and another one for good measure… GASP! Canadian sculptor Susannah Montague just turned the tables on this virus, and transformed it into the most gorgeous piece of art! I give you, “Saint Corona” {ceramic, glaze, 22k gold lustre, vintage decals}. I am always in absolute awe of the detail Susannah puts into each and every piece she creates, and this is no exception. Look at all that stuff … tattoos, a virus covered crown, and that golden phone? LOVE. {ps. I have to share this little tidbit… when this piece was in progress, Susannah posted a shot on her Instagram feed and said, “The golden phone is an homage to @thejealouscurator, who can truly flex a gold, glitter iPhone.” HA! Yep, I do have a gold glitter phone and I’m beyond honored that it made it into this latest masterpiece!} “Saint Corona” is currently in San Francisco as part of a group show at Modern Eden Gallery until November 13, 2020. Here’s their description:

Modern Eden Gallery proudly presents ‘Midnight Garden’, our fourth major group exhibition curated by Beautiful Bizarre Magazine. Over 90 artists from across the globe… working with the themes of nighttime, growth, darkness, and lush flora.

Yep, Susannah nailed it… again. Happy Monday. Wash your hands. Wear a mask.

Well, THIS is terrifying… perfect for Halloween Eve! This is the wonderfully weird work of Israeli artist Ronit Baranga. She describes her work as “figurative art on the border between living and still life.” Oh, I think it might be a little past the still life border… shudder. All of these pieces are part of Ronit’s current show, “All Things Sweet and Painful”, at Beinart Gallery in Melbourne, Australia {Oct 17 – Nov 8, 2020}. Here’s the description of the show:

“Life-like sculptures take a twisted turn into the world of food and more specifically, sweets and desserts. But the treats have their own mouths, awaiting their chance to bite. Who eats whom?”

Gasp! I love absolutely everything about this work by Seoul based artist June Lee. Beautiful broken shards, hand-painted patterns, and tufts of colorful yarn (!!!) working together to tell an entirely new story. All of these pieces are part of a much larger series titled “Today as History of Tomorrow”. Here is the full story behind this work, in June’s words:

“I was on a residency program in a remote rural town in the US, 16 hours away from Korea by plane, where I discovered a miniature pottery shaped like an old Korean artifact of Goryeo celadon. I was both blown away to find this small, palm-sized pottery shaped like a relic of the Goryeo Dynasty in such an unexpected place, as well as curious as to how this piece of pottery could have made its way to such a far distance as a countryside in the United States. Thinking that it’s probably a gift from someone or a souvenir, I also began to wonder if such an idea as an indigenous culture of a country actually exists.

I regard pottery as an indicator of history. The first art history class in university begins with the Altamira cave wall painting. The beginning of Korean history class begins with the Paleolithic period where pottery begins, which continues to the comb-patterned pottery in the Neolithic Era. As such, pottery is an indicator of history, and we learn about history based on the pottery discovered, because we can assume what region, cultural sphere and period it comes from just by looking at its shape, pattern and color.

However, would people living 100 years from today in year 2019, be able to assume the region, cultural sphere and period of the pottery of today? Would they be able to say that something that’s unique and indigenous to a certain area exists like it did in the past? In the present age, we can fly anywhere in the world, and live through various cultures we have never physically been to, vicariously through the internet, books and media. Elements indigenous to particular cultural spheres or specific regions are gradually becoming blurred, and slowly mixing with the present culture.

Through this project, I propose to produce pottery works that can function as indicators of the past in the future, when today becomes the history of tomorrow. My work involves researching indigenous patterns of cultures of different countries in the past, and applying it to contemporary shapes, patterns and images of contemporary art widely used today by searching on the internet. Such patterns and images are individually drawn by hand on fragmented pieces of pottery using thread and under glaze. Finally, these broken fragments are put together into the final outcome of a pottery (Korean crock), which will signify today as a history of tomorrow.

So beautiful. Happy Monday.

Gasp! This is the latest work from French sculptor Juliette Clovis. I wrote about her nature-covered busts in 2017, but these never-ending, scaly wonders took my breath away. I should say, I have a major snake phobia, but luckily, these aren’t snakes. I’ll let Juliette explain… poetically:

“Manis Tetradactyla is a species of pangolin: a small long-tailed mammal living in West and Central Africa. Like the animal, thousands of porcelain scales interlock into each other and form a carapace which covers entirely the surface of the sculpture. The final shape draws an abstract line, invasive and sinuous, almost looking like snake curves. Like a gigantic Gordian knot, Manis Tetradactyla has neither beginning nor end. An hybrid and reptilian creature with an immaculate beauty born from Intertwined and sprawling forms.

The course of events seems then reversed. The cycle of life takes another turn and instead of disappearing, a new living being emerges from the pangolin’s scales. A powerful form springs out fragile porcelain shards. The spectator is faced with an unknown animal. Is it one of a kind? Are they several? Is it a threat? The impression of strength and invasion is palpable. But the delicacy and fragility of porcelain soften this tension making the animal less disturbing than intriguing. Strength and fragility are balanced to give life to a new form of harmony. 

​Manis Tetradactyla scrambles the tracks and plays the spectator who no longer knows if he is in front of a prehistoric animal resurfaces from the past or a metamorphic and futuristic creature announcing the birth of a new era.”

Ahhh, a new era. That sounds great.

Nothing says IT’S FRIDAY like a porcelain eyeball floating in an Old Fashion! This is the most recent work of Brooklyn based artist Genesis Belanger. I wrote about her in late 2019, but when I realized her first major solo museum exhibition opens this weekend, clearly I had to write again. ‘Through the Eye of a Needle’  will be installed at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Connecticut. Here’s their description:

“Anthropomorphizing common household objects–lipsticks with wagging tongues, lamps with ladies’ pearls, and tins with doey-eyed sardines–Belanger’s methodology blends Surrealism and Pop art with a self-possessed feminism informed by a career inside the fashion and advertising industries. Debuting an entirely new body of work specially conceived for The Aldrich, Belanger will create her largest and most elaborate mise-en-scène to date: dozens of animated objects arranged on ghostly furnishings that suggest narratives about our anxiety afflicted present. The artist’s first museum publication, featuring an essay by the exhibition’s curator, Amy Smith-Stewart, will accompany the show.

The show will be open for a Members-Only Preview Day on Saturday, September 19 and there will be a private opening on Sunday, September 20. The first day the exhibition will be open to the general public is Monday, September 21. To book your timed-ticket for September 21 onwards, click here. To register for the Members-Only Preview Day, click here. Not a member? No problem, you can join today and see the exhibition early!

Okay, hold the phone… a ceramic mural?! YEP! The hands, the fruit, the color palette… all of it!!! This beauty is the work of Seattle based artist Emily Counts, and is installed at Facebook HQ in Redmond, Washington. I seriously could have posted everything in her entire portfolio… like this piece, or this one, or even this one. Here is part of Emily’s artist statement, explaining why she does what she does:

“My ceramic and mixed media sculptures begin with an interest in connectivity, whether physical, social, or conceptual. Many pieces are comprised of objects attached to one another via tethers or chains while other works connect vertically, consisting of shapes stacked high on top of each other. Each element is paired, sequenced, grouped or assembled. With all of these physical couplings I am considering how associations are formed in our minds, and also how similar connections occur within our bodies, in nature, and through technology. Chain reactions, associative memories, and social networks are all examples of the types of connections that influence my work. I especially look for pathways and relationships between things that may seem unrelated on the surface.”

Beautiful. Emily is currently part of a two-person show, with Ko Kirk Yamahira, at Studio e in Seattle. The show runs until Sept 12, 2020. ps. I’ll be writing about Kirk tomorrow, because his work is gorgeous too!

Oh my word, I love these weird ‘n wonderful things so much! These sculptures are by American artist Joe Davidson, and yes, that final piece is sitting beside a painting by one of my favorite artists (and people!), Samantha Fields. You’ll see why in a minute… So, I asked Joe what these squishy but not squishy at all, pastel-hued, plaster balloon/sausages were all about, and this is what he told me:

“I love the fact that these have obvious references to Koons (for the acidic celebratory balloon sculptures) and Bourgeois (for the anthropomorphic nature of the forms). My forms are obviously quite phallic, and it makes me think about our notions of masculinity, emasculation, age, etc. As I recently hit my 50’s, these things are creeping in to my mind. What I like about pairing my work with Sam is it puts these works in a larger, less personal conversation about the idea of the male ‘take-the-land’ attitude under which we live, and our collective questioning of that principle.”

You can see this group show, titled “Personal Contacts #3″, until September 5th at Durdan and Ray in Los Angeles… and TONIGHT, Monday August 31, Joe will be talking to Samantha via a live Zoom talk, about this six-part series titled ‘that explores novel approaches to community curation.’ It starts at 7pm, Joe & Sam will be on around 7:45pm. Here’s the Zoom link.

Gasp! These porcelain pieces are the gorgeous work of Miami based artist Morel Doucet. I could go on and on and ON describing what I love about these pieces … like the children with safety pin heads, Nefertiti covered in delicate leaves, or those tiny hands and feet popping out of seashells, but I’ll hand it over to Morel because his artist statement says it all:

“My work explores the cultural disparity of self- realization, assimilation, and transnational identity as a Haitian immigrant. Using direct or implied human figures, I explore narratives of vulnerability, isolation, and alienation within various cultures across the globe. Within the vocabulary of indigenous art and my dreams, I create whimsical forms resulting in a diary of self-mythology.

These exchanges allude to a larger conversation about sea-level rise, environmental pollution, and the displacement between descendants of the African diaspora, and their physical environments. Through intensive detailed labor, my work mimics the current state of Black fragility. I employ ceramics, illustrations, and prints to examine the realities of climate- gentrification, migration, and displacement within the Black diaspora communities. In addressing these issues, I merge my Afro-Caribbean culture with flora and fauna and draw from the concerns of the collective consciousness of my community.

In my quest to illustrate the impact of climate-gentrification, I present work with visual impact and sensitivity —and draw inspiration from the indigenous cultures of the Amazon, Aboriginal people of Australia, and the Yoruba tribe of West Africa.”

Beautiful.

This is just a teeny, tiny peek at the work of 92 year old Canadian artist Gathie Falk. I have loved her work since my days as an art student. She was a successful, female, Canadian artist… which was exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. The first time I actually saw Gathie’s work in person – at the National Gallery of Canada in 1999 – I cried. She does everything from painting to installation, but it’s this series of life-size, papier maché dresses that gets me every time. Feminine portraits, each with their own story told only with a few objects… no faces required. The photos above are Gathie with her mother in 1942, followed by a much more recent shot of Gathie in action. Here is a description of her work from Equinox Gallery, her representation in Vancouver:

“Gathie Falk’s practice meticulously transforms objects of everyday experience into extraordinary things. Working in a variety of media that includes performance art, sculpture, ceramics, painting and drawing, Falk has produced works that feel surreal and dreamlike, reinventing clothing, fruit, plants, shoes, or baseball caps into objects of much greater significance. Although these objects are relatable in their familiarity, it is the personal symbols they carry – not the universal – that are of interest to Falk. Her practice has been aligned with the traditions of Surrealism, Funk, Fluxus, and Pop Art, but the influences are rarely direct. Indeed, Falk is most comfortable when poised on the edge of contradictions.”

Sigh. Love.

Today, FRIDAY MAY 22nd at NOON {et} I’ll be hosting a LIVE ART SALE on Showfields.com! I curated a grouping of the 8 fabulous artists above {and ok yes, I curated myself into the lineup!}. Please tune in because A. it’ll be fun, and B. for every person that hops on to watch, Showfields will be donating $1 to the charity of my choice… I chose Doctors Without Borders ♥  Soooo, come on over, invite a friend… or ten! This post gives you a peek at half of the available work, and here’s the description I wrote for this curation:

“While the various pieces are quite different – from ceramic eye masks and quiet landscapes, to self portraits and embroidered bits of nature – for me, the element that connects this collection is the feeling of intimacy. Each piece gives us a peek into the artist herself, creating a cocktail of beauty, humor, and vulnerability … and yes, that’s my favorite kind of cocktail!”

…….

Aaaaand that’s a wrap! That was FUN! A bunch of the work sold during the LIVE event, but you can still pop over to Showfields to see my curation and buy some gorgeous work from some very talented artists.