Gasp! That’s exactly the sound I made in 2017 when I stood in front of the final piece above, titled “Colourfall”, installed at the Giardini during the Venice Biennale. It was ridiculously hot that day, and so I wasn’t completely sure if I was melting or if the art was! All of these “poured paintings” are the work of London based artist Ian Davenport {there he is sweating in the Venetian humidity while taking care of the finishing touches}. Here’s a description of Ian’s work:

Davenport’s artistic is an exploration of line and form in paint. Driven by an enduring fascination with the materiality of paint, his signature technique is to allow the fluid properties of the medium to form compositions of vibrant colours in defined lines across his support. The Artist’s intent is evident in the carefully composed series of colours that appear in his paintings, exploring colour relationships and guided by his intuition and decades of experience as a painter. Davenport often uses groups of colours from a historical painting as a reference point to initiate his own sequences. Inherent in his process is the question of how colour gives shape and structure to an image and how it produces rhythm and dynamism in abstract art. ~ via Jenna Burlingham Fine Art

Ah, what I wouldn’t give to be sweating beside that poured rainbow in Venice again. One day.

{Thanks to @taxcollection – and this insane video they just posted – for reminding me of Ian’s fabulous work}

Okay, I know you’re not supposed to touch art… but I WANT TO. This is the latest work by Brooklyn based artist Lauren Clay. I loved this soft – but not actually soft – work immediately, and then I remembered I’d written about Lauren YEARS ago… in 2011 to be exact. Her work has evolved so much, from cut paper pieces to THIS! Arches and marbling and curves, oh my! ps. the short list for most of the sculptures reads: oil, paper pulp, plaster on panel.

{Re-discovered via Create! Magazine}

 

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A post shared by Carmen Mcnall (@carmenmcnall)

 

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A post shared by Carmen Mcnall (@carmenmcnall)

Any post that starts and stops with an ‘in progress’ video, well, you know it’s gonna be good! Acrylic paint on hand-carved panel, murals that turn corners, and a new, large-scale piece in action. Sigh. This is the gorgeous work of Oakland based artist Carmen McNall, and this is her artist statement:

“My work tells the stories of female figures of strength, focusing on those who work with their hands; keeping alive the artifacts of humanity. I find great power in the passing down of trades from generation to generation, commanding a presence and pride as craft-makers and workers of dying traditions. Incorporating patterns I find in nature, I reflect on the relationship of people and their environments as times change and we change. 

Through my work, I try to recreate the emotional content of a time, place or face that I fear will be lost in the near future.  I am interested in capturing the odd experiences of the human condition. The simple, quiet moments between large events.  The impacting details that make up life that are easily forgotten.”

Beautiful. Happy Friday.

What began as an artist residency at Yellowstone National Park, is now a stunning installation in Las Vegas! What?! Yes… WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE {by Adolfo Bueno}. Colossal shared it the other day, and it’s fabulous. Ahhh, so many glass panels, layers and layers of hand-drawn animations, and light all working together to transport the viewer to an imaginary, macro/micro world. This is the work of Venezuelan born, US based artist Claudia Bueno… and this insanity, titled “Pulse”, is her latest installation. Here is part of Claudia’s artist statement:

Through her own intricate process of immersive suggestion Claudia creates large scale, multi-sensory light installations that communicate a profound sense of wonderment and awe. Designed to guide spectators on a contemplative journey these hypnotic worlds are populated by signatures of life from micro to macro, existing in communion and living as one interconnected cosmic web. Fluidly pulsating colors and ever evolving sounds make the creations come all the more alive.

Wonderment and awe, indeed! “Pulse” is installed at Meow Wolf, Las Vegas.

Bits of Mountain Dew bottles take over the landscape in “Invasives”, and hang like a glowing chandelier in “Floating Maize”. Oh my, yes, this is my kind of recycling program! These are just two of many installations by New York based artist Jean Shin. I happen to love these two works, but her materials certainly are not limited to green beverages! …

Jean Shin is nationally recognized for her monumental installations that transform everyday objects into elegant expressions of identity and community. For each project, she amasses vast collections of a particular object—prescription pill bottles, sports trophies, sweaters—which are often sourced through donations from individuals in a participating community. These intimate objects then become the materials for her conceptually rich sculptures, videos and site-specific installations. Distinguished by her meticulous, labor-intensive process, and her engagement of community, Shin’s arresting installations reflect individuals’ personal lives as well as collective issues that we face as a society.

Follow her on Instagram to see what she’s up to, in progress shots, how to make dumplings, etc. Note: Jean’s dog, Trevor, was not officially part of the work… but he is a very cute photo-bomber!

Gasp! Hanging from the ceiling, lying on the floor, mounted on the wall… these gorgeous cone-like blooms are everywhere! Now, what are we looking at here? I have no idea. Well, I have some idea. There’s paper handmade using recycled materials (like old clothes!?), porcelain – both fire and unfired, and handmade paper coated in porcelain… maybe? Okay, I’m not totally sure, so that’s why I’ve invited Massachusetts based artist and educator, Rebecca Hutchinson, to come on my podcast to us her story AND how she does what she does! Until then, I’ll leave you with her artist statement:

“In nature there are diverse states of existence; the structure of nature, interactions between forces of nature, the resilience and the complexity of engineering in nature. All these states are rooted in the motivation for the need to survive, providing endless visual influences and conceptual possibilities for art making; speaking to the depth and complexity of living with the hopes of revealing the human condition in sculptural form.

Using diverse processes, my interest is in quality of craft, connections, structure, and conceptually to all physical parts to the whole. I build site-responsive sculptural works made from clay and recycled materials, like old clothing or industrial surplus. I hand build, slip trail, dip, layer, cut and construct with the surplus and handmade materials. Works are influenced by growth patterns, but do not replicate nature. Like an animal that uses the vernacular from place, I too up-cycle humble materials into exquisite sculptural forms.”

Yes, this is going to be a very interesting episode… So. Many. Questions! Stay tuned.

Rope! … on the walls, on the floor, on the ceiling! This is the absolutely breathtaking work of Brazilian artist Janaina Mello Landini. Perhaps it takes my breath due the lung-like pathways? Either way, I’m in awe and feeling the need to take a deep, cleansing breath. With a background in both architecture and fine art, Janaina twists and ties twine into the most magical of artworks:

Her artistic output encompasses her knowledge of architecture, physics, and mathematic and her observations about time, to weave her worldview. Her work transits between different scales – from the object to public spaces.

Aaaand exhale.

“Encounters with Grief”, was shown at the Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center in the Fall of 2020. This is the emotional installation work of Canadian born, US based artist Myleka Bevans. I was already so moved by these gorgeous works constructed out of balloons, clouds, flowers and toys… but then I read her statement, and my heart dropped:

In 2016 Myleka lost her premature daughter Bridget at five days old. This experience informs much of Myleka’s most recent work. Her Art examines grief, her own and others, and its effects on individuals and communities. Myleka works in many mediums but views herself primarily as an installation artist. 

“Grief is a lonely time but you are being welcomed into a community, a club other people are waiting to comfort you and stand with you. Grief can bind communities together and it will enrich your life if you allow it to.” ~ Myleka Bevans

Beautiful work by a wonderful mother and artist. You can watch & listen to Mykela’s IGTV walkthrough of the exhibition. Bring a tissue.

 

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A post shared by Haegue Yang 양혜규 梁慧圭 (@yanghaegue)

Okay, I didn’t even know where to begin when it came to sharing the work of Berlin based, Korean artist Haegue Yang. She is so prolific, and has been since forever, therefore I just grabbed a bunch of my favorite pieces from over the years. One of the themes that ties them together, though, is movement… note the wheels, handles, and hit PLAY on that video above. Beautiful! So that’s already impressive enough, now allow me to share this … her work is currently showing at MoMA in New York, the AGO in Toronto, and the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design in Manila. All three of these exhibitions will be up until February 2021. She also has work showing at TATE St.Ives in Cornwall now until May 2021. I think that’s everything at the moment… but don’t quote me on that!

Yessssssss! This is the ceramic work of LA based artist Alex Anderson {and there he is, feeling full of gratitude at a show opening… with pink walls so you KNOW I love it!}. Speaking of shows, most of the work posted above is from his solo show earlier this year, titled “Little Black Boy Makes Imperial Porcelains” at GAVLAK Gallery, Los Angeles. Here’s part of the description:

“At the core of Anderson’s current body of work is a philosophical, existential examination of identity politics; based in Los Angeles, the 30-year old gay, Asian-African American sculptor is an artist working against stereotype and racialism rampant in today’s society. By working in an unexpected medium and channeling methodologies surrounding artistic production in ceramic arts, Anderson manages to create fantastic, multifaceted sculptures that are both subversive and whimsical at the same time. Alex Anderson uses the classical aesthetics of western power, which ironically share space with the aesthetics of queer camp cultural production, to translate the structures that govern his lived experience in society and others’ social perceptions of his identities into form. While his work engages with the ceramic canon and draws from the western art historical canon at large, it primarily operates at the core of Post-Blackness.”

Beautiful and powerful. Read the full statement right here.

{Alex’s work is available via GAVLAK Gallery, LA/Palm Beach}