When I say Armory, I mean it's been too long...

 The largest Works Public Administration (WPA) property in the State of Minnesota, the Armory is an amazing building despite its present level of decrepitude. Built in 1935, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, forcing Hennepin County to change their plan to demolish the landmark in order to build a new jail. So the once-glorious moderne style event center remains, presently housing an underwhelming parking operation. What was once the site of National Guard equipment, training, the Minnesota Lakers, a Prince music video and tons of other special occasions, occupies a lonely stretch of Sixth Street that stares at the backside of the Thrivent Financial building.

The sculptured lettering and forms above the entrances are thick, yet well-done and I can't resist the eagles up top. Brave the puddle at the entrance, the peeling paint and the spray painted X's and stop in the place that has hosted everything from Hadassah's Funtennial to The Dead Kennedys and give it some respect.

Besides, there are two murals inside the Armory's trophy room that bear witness to the unkindness of the intervening years. Lucia Wiley's History of the National Guard and Elsa Jemne's Early Minnesota were part of the Federal Art Program (FAP), which was founded by the WPA to document American life. This building was truly a local endeavor, made of brick from Twin Cities Brick, limestone from Mankato, granite from St. Cloud and metalwork by Minneapolis-Moline and Gilette-Herzog (according to Placeography.com).

James Lilek's tour of the building, is a great start to finding out more about this storied structure. Or take a stroll during business hours and pretend your car is parked inside to take a gander. Get up close to the buttery-hued exterior and imagine all those hometown men who once worked to create it.

P.S. Sorry that I have been remiss in posting. It was extremely hot when I took these pics of the Minneapolis Armory. Nonetheless, it felt good to be back in action, even on a 100 degree day. The dirty water I stepped in at the entrance of the Armory was disgusting and cooling all at the same time.

Six-tenths of the Burnett Gallery's "Fresh"-est answer three questions

Angela Strassheim - Breaking Up

Opening Saturday, March 12, from 6-9 p.m., "Fresh" displays an assemblage of new works by an array of former solo exhibitors returning to the Burnet Gallery. On the eve of the show, which celebrates the venue's first five years, it seemed appropriate (judicious?) to try to communicate with all of the ten artists featured.

In an attempt to be minorly objective, I asked the same three questions of them all plus an optional fourth about how their work has evolved since their initial Burnet outing. The six who answered my homogenous queries are presented here, in no particular order, for your reading pleasure with a few photos of the work, as well. Glean what you can here and then stop by the gallery for the real deal.

***

 The Questions:

1. When and why did you being to call yourself an artist?

2. How does Minnesota play a part in your work?

3. Who or what is influencing you right now?
*4. How do you see your work having changed or evolved since your original Burnet Gallery show?

***

Andréa Stanislav - Purple Andy, 2010

1. When I was 24 and I had my first NYC solo show.

2. My subject matter is not related to Minnesota.

3. Eve Democracy...

Chris Larson

1. I still have a hard time telling people that I am an artist.

2. I tend to get more work done in the darkest months of the year. The sun can be a distraction.

3. I have been taking weekend road trips down south. I love the way people organize their lives on their front lawns. Everything is visible.

Megan Rye - Pig 37

1. I started taking art lessons when I was five — it is the only thing I have done my entire life. I have always felt like an artist.

2. I am from MN and my whole family is here. Minnesota has been incredibly supportive of my work. I have received institutional support from the Bush, McKnight and Jerome Foundations, as well as the MN State Arts Board. In MN, I rely on my artist friends, am grateful for the art collectors that make what I do possible, and am really excited to be able to exhibit in places like Chambers Hotel and the MIA. 

3. I just watched a documentary on Alice Neel, watching her move her brush across the canvas took my breath away. It was like watching Federer play tennis — a natural.

4. My solo exhibit in 2008 at the Burnet Gallery was an amazing experience. Since my work is a reflection on the Iraq War, it was truly gratifying to find a place for the project to exist while our country was involved in this ongoing conflict. So often an artist's work is never shown, or traditionally hasn't been shown during their lifetime. To have the work installed in the heart of Hennepin Ave, and speak to the city in real time, was incredibly meaningful to me.

Sonja Peterson

 1. I think in high school, I was making a commitment to considering myself an artist. Although I grew up surrounded by the art of my mother. As a child I think she would try to keep me out of her hair by requiring me to practice specific brush strokes over and over again. From that time there was always a need to express oneself through production.

2. Minnesota's landscape seeps into my work, at times consciously -- at other times unconsciously. I am walking every day and absorbing the changing seasons, but I am struck by the starkness of the winter lines. Minnesota quiet cold winters offer a time for introspective production. Lately I find a fire's flame a constant background as I make my work. The fire and the work almost become meditative.

3. How can one not be influenced by what is happening with the folks in the Middle East? It is truly amazing how these uprisings are happening. Information spread through Twitter and Facebook — these invisible networks yield so much power to the individual to organize and become a peerless force. Also I am enjoying some readings on the Age of Romanticism and going back further to some Jacobean plays. 

David Bartley

1. 1987. I discovered then, that was who I was.

2. I live here.

3. Gravity, the Stones, my stomach and Hari Sreenivasan.

Angela Strassheim - Self portrait

1. In 2000. It had to do with taxes and insurance and I had to call myself something and artist was most fitting as I had just left a forensic photography full-time position and I was freelance. I never called myself photographer because I have always seen myself as using whatever tools and or expressing art in my facets even though I am mostly known for photography. I think of myself as an artist that uses photography for expression.

2. I grew up in Minnesota. My family moved to Minnetonka when I was 16. After high school I went to a community college for several years and then spent four years at MCAD. Ten years later after my forensic career and graduate school I returned to teach at MCAD for three years. Minneapolis is where I call home even though my parents moved away when I was in undergrad. Minnesota is the place where my friends and colleagues are my family and I will always feel deeply connected to Minneapolis.

3. Judaism and Yeshiva studies.

4. My work took a huge turn in 2008 when I began photographing original origins of domestic homicide. I researched on-line, at libraries, and with neighbors at the end of 2008 when the rise in these crimes due to the economic stress escalated and I traveled all over the U.S. engaging with new residents of the homes and apartments that these crimes had taken place. I let go of photographing people for awhile and starting working in b&w. A solo exhibition of this work opens on March 17th at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

***
Don't miss the equally "fresh" work of Matthew Bakkom, Allen Brewer, Janet Lobberecht and S. Catrin Magnusson, who are also a part of this art extravaganza.

"Fresh" @ the Burnet Gallery - 901 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis
Opening: Saturday, March 12, 2011, 6-9 p.m.
Gallery Hours: Daily, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Closing: May 1, 2011
Free and open to the public

Top 5 Skyway Art Picks in Honor of the Vita.mn Mention

Well, of course I haven't been skulking around the skyway as much as I'd like to lately, but I'm flattered that Leif Petterson gave SOL a mention in his article about staying in the skyway for two weeks. To that end, I want to give a rundown of my Top 5 Art Picks in the "Habitrail."

1. Macchia Forms by Dale Chihuly - Capella Tower

2. The Reformation Window by Conrad Pickel - Thrivent Financial Building

3. Curvilinear 1 and Curvilinear 2 by Deanna Sirlin - U.S. Bancorp Building

4. Home of the Silver Butter Knife Steak Painting/Sign - Murray's

5. 510 Marquette Building - would love more info on this one....

Check back soon. I'll be featuring some photography and there's a new Chambers show coming in the not-too-distant future.

Interview: Betsy Byers talks bodies in space and memories of night swimming up north

 

Betsy Byers's work is oil on canvas.

Betsy Byers' show entitled, "Elsewhere" is now open at the Burnet Gallery in Le Meridian Chambers Hotel and the reception for the artist is this Friday, Jan. 21. The pieces are mostly large, with two sets of smaller groupings and many blue tones that suggest depth and the experience of water, sky and earth. She speaks of "bodies in space" and seeing the works in person helped me to understand that inspiration -- the paintings definitely evoke a sense of being between landings or firm footings. When she told me that she has memories of night swimming up north, I could see and feel what she was talking about.

In addition to meeting me for a little preview, Byers kindly answered a few of my burning questions. While all of this makes for a good peek and read, it should simply be a teaser before your visit to the gallery. For my money (and it's free), this show best fits the Burnet space of all the ones I've seen. And don't forget to do a drive/walk by to see the two pieces facing Hennepin Avenue, as well.

Here are her answers and the show's details -- and she'll be at the opening on Friday if you want to meet her and quiz her yourself.

As you walk in, this is what stares back at you.

 ***

Skyway of Love: There's very much the feeling of objects in space in your pieces -- almost as if there are pathways that drop off. Is there a sense of transitory nests there?

Betsy Byers: I am intrigued that you described the work as "transitory nests"... I think that is a wonderful way to describe spaces I am interested in painting. My work is concerned with how the body remembers and explores place. I purposely played with both transparency and opacity because I wanted the viewer to experience expansive voids/pathways, as well as visual structures that anchored them in space. Thinking of these anchors as "nests," is a lovely comparison, as I want the opaque forms to feel safe and reassuring.

SOL: Many of your works have blue as a major component. Is it representative of water and sky and other natural spaces?

BB: The blue in my work is representative of both water and sky. The value and saturation of the blue helps to describe time and light in my paintings. 

SOL: Were you born and raised in Minnesota? How do you feel your art is inspired by Minnesota -- is it the natural environment, the people, the light...?

BB: I was born and raised in Minnesota, just south of the Twin Cities. However, growing up, I spent most of my summers at our family cabin and my grandma's farm up north. The experiences of my youth influenced my aesthetic and also serve as a point of inspiration for the majority of the places I dwell in while I am painting.

In particular, the work in "Elsewhere" draws imagery and color choices from my experiences night swimming at my cabin in Northern Minnesota as a child. My mom would wake us up in the middle of the night and we would tiptoe down to the lake, out onto the worn wood of the dock and quietly slide into the cool blackness of the water. The memories of moving through the expansive darkness and gazing up at the innumerable stars continue to remain with me. While swimming, I could not distinguish where my skin ended and the water began. The world changed for me in those moments. Those memories have drawn me deeper into trying to understand the relationship between space and place, and how they in turn affect our own formation of self.

SOL: How do you come up with the titles of your pieces? Do you know the name when you start or does it come to you during or after the paintings are finished?

BB: It depends on the work, but I usually title the pieces after they are finished. My paintings tend to change slightly (sometimes radically) from my initial intention while I am working on them. I like to honor the possibilities that the paint offers while in process. In rare instances I title the work beforehand. In the current show, "Descend II" is one work I knew the title of from the beginning. For this piece, I was working to describe the sensation of moving down the series of steps to the lake. 

SOL: I know you are working in oils. Can you tell us a little bit about the medium and why you are using it for these works?

BB: With oil, I am able to work both directly and indirectly. I prefer utilizing a combination of both methods. Direct painting offers me an immediacy of mark. Working indirectly, by adding other media to the paint, I can slowly build transparent layers. In other words, oil is versatile and malleable since it stays wet for so long. It takes my work at least 4 weeks to dry. If the oil paint is substantially thick in can take a few months to dry. 

SOL: And is there anything you want us to know?

BB: I hope you come and experience the work in "Elsewhere." I find that in spending time with visual art, learning always takes place. Art has the ability to communicate in different ways than words, and to me, that is a very powerful thing. 

***

The Details:

"Elsewhere" at the Burnet Gallery

Le Meridian Chambers Minneapolis
901 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis

Opening: Friday, Jan. 21, 6-9 p.m. (free to the public)
Show: Jan. 14, 2010 - Mar. 6, 2011,

Hours: Daily, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

In the right window

Clinton Rost: Barnes & Thornburg LLP, then Gallery 360 (law office to art gallery?)

Will You Be Here For a Minute? - 2010, oil on canvas

Clinton Rost has a show at Gallery 360 this weekend, so I thought I'd search out his work. And, while the opening is way down on West 50th Street, I found he had some art hidden in the land of the skyway as well. There is, however, a bit of a hitch on this one. You've got to be tenacious to see them -- or in need of legal counsel.

Pixels and Print - 2010, oil on canvas

Three of Rost's oil paintings hang at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, a law firm in the Capella Building. His contribution to the lawyers' downstairs conference room is part of a program with the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) called The Art of Teamwork. In fact, the offices are full of amazing works of art -- and they've even purchased two pieces as a result of this partnership.

 

Queue of Two - 2010, oil on canvas

These are close ups of his paintings -- oils with bold brush strokes that use the texture of the paint as part of the composition. They are of folks in public, although he seems to make clear that they are immersed in their own private spheres within that public space.

Check out Rost's show at Gallery 360. Here are the details:

What: Spy House - Paintings by Clinton Rost

Where: Gallery 360, 3011 W. 50th St., Minneapolis

Opening: Sat., Jan. 15, 2011, 7-10 p.m.

Run of Show: Jan. 15 - Feb. 28, 2011

Head and hat in the skyway... any info out there on this art?

This amazing suspended bit of artistry hangs outside what is now Palomino but is becoming Crave. If you have info on it, please comment. I've long admired it, but did not want to bother the Palomino-ites for info about it in their time of farewell.

Interview: Leslie Holt discusses Hello Kitty and the responses she inspires

 Hello Rothko 2009 oil on canvas 8x10 inches

Leslie Holt is bringing her deceptively complex show "Hello Masterpiece" to the Burnet Gallery, where it opens tomorrow, Nov. 12. The party goes from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and should boast an audience of both seasoned patrons and eager neophytes as these paintings feature popular commercial character Hello Kitty dwelling within some of the most famous artworks of all time. Kitty takes on the mood of each piece, dressing appropriately to its style, whether inspired by Caravaggio, Matisse, Picasso or Klimt (just to name a few of the artists she has paid homage to). Most of Holt's creations are postcard sized to reflect how most of this internationally known art is consumed -- as items for sale in a museum shop. Holt wants us to see that these celebrated images are bought and sold in much the same way that our friend and tour guide, Hello Kitty is.

Leslie took a moment to chat with me about her work and inspiration before coming to Minnesota. Hope you enjoy the conversation -- I found her to be amusing and personable, and she admits that old Kitty has lightened her art up quite a bit (though it is no less compelling).

***

Hello Magritte (eye) 2010 oil on canvas 4x6 inches

Skyway of Love: "Hello Masterpiece" is a sly and smart show, but also shows your skills as an artist.  What led you to use Hello Kitty as your way in?

Leslie Holt: People always ask me that. It came to me not in the shower exactly, but Hello Kitty has always been a force in my life. She came up in the seventies when I was a kid, but then I wasn't that into her. Too Girly. It seemed like she resurfaced about eight years ago, showing up all over the place. I just started thinking about her sort of sub-consciously as a pop icon, but it wasn't even that deep. Basically I started teaching art appreciation and I had been working with Hello Kitty in another art series that I was doing. I had two hundred figurines of her and one day I actually put one of the figurines on a painting. That's how it began. And when I first did these I used to stage her on photographs of the works -- a still life set up. It's funny -- people sort of just started to responding to her and the work. And I have to say it's been so much fun as a painter. I've learned a lot as an artist from doing these paintings -- working in all those different styles. 

SOL: It seems your mixture of commercial elements with a fine art style has been in play for awhile. The "Hello Pills" and "Pills and Spills" series from years past show that. Was that your first foray into that theme?

LH: I think the pills were the beginning of that and it has extended into "Hello Masterpiece." It‘s always been about juxtaposition for me, which, I know, is an overused word. But in those older collections I wanted to show the tension between what is handmade and what is mass produced.

SOL: I know that you’ve been very candid about having a family member with mental illness. Did that inform those earlier works?

LH: Absolutely. Both pill series and the "Unholy Ghost" works were about dealing with my mom who is pretty seriously ill. Those works are all about how that can very much skew your vision of the world. The Hello Kitty paintings are definitely lighter in theme.

SOL: You're from back east, correct and now you live in St.Louis?

LH: Yes, I'm from Delaware originally and honestly I didn’t really know where Missouri was until I moved here to go to college at Washington University. But now, I’ve lived here for 20 years.

SOL: What’s the art scene like in St. Louis?

LH: It's great and growing. We have a nice mix of established galleries and museums as well as new non-profit spaces popping up each year. It's a burgeoning and youthful art scene with a lot of experimental stuff happening. With all of the university students in town, it is fresh and vibrant -- plus it's affordable to live here. You can be starving artist in St. Louis, or even a chubby artist. People here have the opportunity to do their own thing because, it's cheap enough that they can find time to make art. They don't have to work at paid jobs all the time.

SOL: Has the "Hello Masterpiece" show extended? I see that you have two other sets of works on your website -- "More Hello Masterpiece" and "Hello Modern Art."

LH: They are all part of the same concept. In St. Louis I did do a "Hello Modern Art" show, which is on the website. Those extras happened because the challenge has been to create enough work for each new show. The pieces sell so well, that for every show I often have to make several new paintings to fill in the spaces. The Burnet show includes a range of some pieces I've done in the past but, about half the work was made specifically for the Minnesota show. I definitely favor some artists -- like Matisse. I think there are a million Matisse's that I've made. And, for Burnet, I tried to get to 50 paintings, but I think I only have 47 or 48. Because they are so tiny, I have to make many of them to fill a gallery. 

SOL: Are the works all postcard size?

LH: Some of the modern stuff is 8" x 10" or 6" x 12". Previous to last year I only made the actual museum postcard size, to help make clear the conceptual connection to museum postcards. But I’ve loosened up on that as I felt that some pieces would be better in a larger size. For example, I feel that Jackson Pollock deserves at least an 8" x 10" size for his work. And, some of my newest work is Matisse cutouts. At the end of his life, Matisse was quite sick and could not paint so he did colored paper cutouts. I believe my cutouts will be placed in the windows of the Burnet Gallery

SOL: Did the idea for "Hello Masterpiece" come from your teaching? (I think it’s great that you teach both art technique and art history).

LH: Honestly, I never really think of the art work and my teaching as being connected. I teach art appreciation, which gets a bad wrap as a class in general. I guess in a way I was making fun of it of with "Hello Masterpiece", although I don't really think it is a bad class to take.

SOL: What have been some of the more interesting responses to your "Hello" shows?

LH: People are very responsive to them. It’s interesting to meet people while showing at an art gallery and find that several folks are not art lovers. For a lot of people the entry point is Hello Kitty. It's interesting to see what compels someone to look at the art. But whatever brings them through the door is fine with me.

Hello Venus of Willendorf 2009 oil on canvas 4x6 inches

At the David Lusk gallery in Memphis, an upper middle class woman responded to Hello Venus of Willendorf, inspired by the 60,000 year old fetish piece. It has a huge belly and breasts. The woman told me that she just loved it because it reminded her so much of herself. I asked her, “Do you know who that is?” and she had no idea. So she missed the point, but came away with something anyhow.

Another set of women at a show -- it’s happened to me a few times and I find it sort of troubling – said, “This series is just beautiful but can I give you some advice? The paintings are lovely but we highly suggest that you take the little cat thing out of it.” Also I've received a lot of advice about what paintings to do next and how to do them. Someone wanted Kitty in the Dali piece to be dripping, just like the clocks.

SOL: What else are you up to?

LH: I’ve got a new job as the Executive Director of VSA Missouri, which promotes access to the arts for people with disabilities. I’m all about bringing art to larger audiences, so in a loose way it is connected to the "Hello Masterpiece" work I've been doing. This series is about accessibility - even if you don’t get what I was going for, you can enjoy the show in your own way.

SOL: Have you ever been to Minnesota before? Anything on your must-see list?

LH: I have an old friend in St. Paul who I'm going to see, but basically no. Once I drove across country and I did see St. Paul, but only for a little while, and in the dark. I'm coming in Thursday and leaving Sunday night and my friend is going to take me around. I've requested visits to the Walker Art Center and the Soap Factory, which looks really cool.

SOL: Good choices!
***
The Details:
"Hello Masterpiece" at the Burnet Gallery
Le Meridian Chambers Minneapolis
901 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis
Opening: Friday, Nov. 12 6-9 p.m. (free to the public)
Show: Nov. 12, 2010 - Jan. 9, 2011

James Victore: Coming to school us in Minneapolis

From Victore or, Who Died and Made You Boss?

By James Victore; Introduction by Michael Bierut

Published by Abrams

The landscape of design has its heartthrobs, clean freaks and iconoclasts and James Victore is clearly in the latter category. A School of Visual Arts dropout, he stormed the trade, making poster art and doing design on his own terms with help from some compelling mentors and a singular style. Now, the world is his oyster, as Victore is on the faculty at SVA, designing for the likes of Moët and Chandon, The Lower East Side Tenement Museum and Target (yes MSP'ers), and just published a book of his greatest hits called "Victore, or Who Died and Made You Boss?"  He's coming to W Minneapolis - The Foshay on Nov. 3 for the latest installment of AIGA Minnesota's Design Conversations series, produced by Rocket Design Resources to benefit The Brand Lab. With the national AIGA president, Debbie Millman on hand to stimulate the conversation, Victore will present his new tome. Known for his raucous style, the night should prove to be a blast -- a learning experience hidden within the best kick in the pants you've ever experienced.

Want to get a line on his sensibility before attending the festivities? Victore shared a few words of wisdom with Skyway of Love which should whet your appetites.

36.2 Milton, Plates, Self-authored 10" diameter © James Victore

***

Skyway of Love: What makes you want to wake up every day and be a designer? Are you happy with that moniker, as opposed to "artist" or some other term?

James Victore: The driving force of my day is the opportunity to try something that scares me, to put myself out on a limb and saw the end closest to the tree. Just to see what happens. Only sometimes do I fall. "Artist" is fine -- "Designer" is groovy, too.  Neither work really well. I tend to believe by naming things (or people) we kill them.

SOL: Where are you from originally? How do you think it informs your work?

JV: I am what is commonly called a "Military Brat" which means I do not come from one place. It also means I come from the military. This shapes my work completely. I find myself in love with my country, but at odds with the system the drives it. As a commercial artist, this makes things a bit confusing at times and forces me to think and question my actions.


SOL: Where would you say you got your training, assuming it was NOT at the School of Visual Arts?




JV: I learned to design the same way one learns to swear -- I had to pick it up in the street. Plus, I’ve had the good fortune to find quality mentors and examples of excellence to guide me. A short list would include the book cover designer Paul Bacon, the Polish poster artist, Henryk Tomaszewski and the French designer, Pierre Bernard.

SOL: Can you describe your studio? What would a visitor see happening there on any given day – not a lot of working on computers, I assume…

JV: We have three computers and all the necessary printers, scanners, bare wires and accoutrements that go along with them. But the centerpiece of our environment is a large wooden table where I sit and stare at a piece of blank paper, waiting for something to happen.

SOL: What exhibit or work has been most satisfying for you? Or is teaching most gratifying?

JV: Teaching is the most satisfying--and difficult part of my work. This new book of mine is essentially a "teaching book" and not a "picture book"-- or it is if you actually read it.

SOL: What made you interested in compiling “Victore or, Who Died and Made You Boss?” at this point in your career?  It’s essentially a greatest hits album of sorts and you seem to have a lot more art to create. Is it a mid-career milestone?

JV: This book is a tombstone for a body of work created in what essentially is the "early" part of my career. I am off and running creating new work and starting new projects and fires. The new exciting projects include more ceramics and possibly another book.

SOL: What advice would you give young people who are interested in becoming designers?

JV: To make sure that this is what they love. If so, they will be committed to it, have fun and make work an audience can appreciate.

SOL: Debbie Millman will be your partner in crime at this event. Will she be a good foil for you?  Or a compatriot?

JV: I think Debbie has been training hard for this. She hasn't lost a match yet. I can only say that I'm going to come out swinging, and hope it's a fair fight.

SOL: Have you been to Minnesota before? Any thoughts on the arts scene here, or the Twin Cities in general?

JV: I visited Minnesota years ago. I was invited by the Walker Arts Center to speak. I have fond memories including cold weather, great beer and beautiful women.

***

5: Racism, Social poster, Self-authored, Silkscreen, 26 x 40", 1993 © James Victore

Check out Victore's appearance in Minneapolis where he'll discuss his new book with Debbie Millman. It features his in-your-face designs and how they were made. He'll warm the belly of your creativity and give it a (much-needed?) shot in the arm. And, you can see if he'll accept a fine Minnesota craft beer from you as well.

Design Conversations - Victore + Millman, Nov. 3, 2010

W Minneapolis - The Foshay, 821 Marquette Ave., Mpls.

5 p.m. cocktails, 6-8 p.m. V+M, 8 p.m. book signing/chatting

Tickets: $25 for AIGA members, $35 for nonmembers, $20 for students

24:

Moët & Chandon

Advertising Poster

Moët & Chandon

CD: Alain Weill, Offset

39.5 x 27.5", 2000

© James Victore

Cut paper art injection - Stephanie Beck at PHL

Returning from a victorious Bucks Fever Film Festival to the Twin Cities, I hit the Philadelphia airport in search of a cheesesteak hoagie. While I knew it would not be nearly as good as the one I had in Richlandtown that weekend, it would allow me to live without for another six months or so. Rushing to the bar near my gate, I ran smack into a great exhibit of Stephanie Beck's Cut Paper Sculpture.

 

Three clear plastic cases are lined up at the end of walkway, causing traffic to disperse into many separate gates. The centerpiece is called "Aviary" (2010) and suits its Terminal D location to a tee. All are made of paper, found objects, thread and glue, and sit largely ignored by Delta travelers. The odd person leans against the boxes to chat on their cell phone, but otherwise, not many folks give the display a second look.

A kind of partially constructed, yet empty city, only shadows of birds live in its intricate structures. The feel of Philadelphia is in this piece, reflecting its ongoing construction, cranes and varying types of buildings. The use of white is striking, because it is somehow lonely, but clean. I believe it is what gives these pieces a sense of being a snap shot in time, as if humans were once here but left in a hurry.

This one, called "Neighborhood Arrangement #1 Circle" (2009), is to the right of "Aviary" and is a more orderly arrangement of edifices. Perhaps it recalls more of a suburban landscape? Beck resides in Philadelphia but surely she has experienced at least some of the expanse of suburbs that stretches out in all directions from the City of Brotherly Love.

While the photos of these at Beck's website and flickr account have the benefit of no reflections, I do love the working airport as a backdrop. The stillness of these paper cuts as juxtaposed against the hustle and bustle of PHL gives the pieces an oddly appropriate temporary home (until January 2011).

"Neighborhood Arrangement #2 Maze" (2009) is to the left as you approach. I'm lifting Beck's words directly from her website, because they sum up the exhibit so well:

I enjoy seeing the bones of these structures, on top of which strong skin is hung, yet which is so easily torn down again. I see these buildings as surrogates for ourselves, revealing our attempts at order and stability despite, or because of, our very human frailties. But secretly, I am most driven by a sense of wonder and play.

I am a new fan of Beck's as these works are both accessible -- made of cut paper -- and skillfully executed, a simple set of communities in white that are rife with contrasts. See Stephanie Beck's flickr page for more shots, as well as the Skyway of Love Facebook page. And, I'm proud to say that I discovered her by keeping my eyes open at the airport. I had that cheesesteak hoagie too. Ahhh, Cheez Whiz and public art can surely sate this wayward traveler.

Interview: James Chronister on "Ceremony" at the Burnet Gallery

"Ceremony"/James Chronister
Burnet Gallery/Le Meridian Chambers Hotel
Opening: Friday, September 24, 2010, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Gallery run: September 24 - November 7, 2010, FREE

James Chronister's six paintings at the Burnet Gallery reveal his process as well as an astonishing finished product. Opening Friday, the show combines seemingly unrelated subject matter with a very specific technique giving the entire presentation literal and figurative depth. The native Montanan's four treescapes and two rocker portraits, of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, reflect shards of his youth but also speak to the construction of the art. This set of works were made by covering the canvas entirely with black and then adding a lighter color like white or tan to create the ground. From there, a grid is applied to the ground, and Chronister fills in the image square by square. The effect makes for small disconnects in the full painting, that become apparent at close range. In that way, there are layers of oil paint on the canvas that hint at the process, in addition to creating a whole image.

Usually, I stick to the visuals on this site, but I got the chance to interview James, who now lives in San Francisco. His responses are smart and accessible and truly shed light on the show. One caveat though -- this is by no means a substitute for seeing James's art in person.

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Skyway of Love: Where did the title “Ceremony” come from?

James Chronister: Wikipedia says: "Ceremony" is a song by Joy Division, released as New Order's debut single in 1981. The song, as well as the B-side, "In a Lonely Place", were created by the band prior to the death of Ian Curtis. Both tracks were carried over to the band's re-incarnation as New Order, after Curtis' death.

So, the show is named after the New Order song “Ceremony.” I wanted the title to tie back into music in some way because music is a partial theme of the show. My show at Eleanor Harwood Gallery in 2009 was titled “All We Ever Wanted Was Anything” which was a riff on the Bauhaus song “All We Ever Wanted Was Everything.” I wanted to keep that tradition going. “Ceremony” by New Order, is not only a classic song from a fantastic band, but it embodies a kind of longing that I find interesting. If I ever need to get my brain into a certain place, I can always listen to early New Order.

On a literal level, a ceremony can relate to the act of making art, presenting it and celebrating it at an opening. Plus I like the way the letters look together. Kind of like when the founders of Kodak came up with that name. They just liked how the K’s and D look together.

SOL: What led to your interest in revealing the process in the presentation of the art?

JC: In about 2004 my friend Ryan Thayer and I were talking about my new paintings and he mentioned that he enjoyed the notion that the process was evident in their making. He was referring to the fact that I use a grid in my process and the delineation between squares was apparent. This was something I hadn’t thought about before and I enjoyed the idea that the ‘wizard behind the curtain’ could be revealed, at least to a certain extent. Having said that, I’ve worked pretty hard to conceal that wizard in the last few years. Ideally there would be a tension between what the paintings look like and how they are actually constructed. I try to divulge clues but not the entire story. To me both complete opacity and absolute openness are less interesting than a tango of both.

SOL: You've said that the paintings reflect times in your youth walking in the woods listening to rock and roll (in the most obvious connection). What are you listening to now?

JC: Yes, that is a very tidy explanation that I offered for the inclusion of both rock imagery and landscapes. Perhaps it is a little too literal. Behind the surface of the paintings and what they overtly depict, I try to imbue a sense of the past. I’m not interested in a particular rock star or patch of forest, but rather what they might connote. I try to combine source imagery with my process of painting in order to point to the past. A memory that I always conjure is looking out of my little bedroom window towards the forests and mountains and listening to my father’s vinyl copy of ‘Hot Rocks’ by the Rolling Stones. On the other hand, I would not paint the guys from Rush because I never listened to Rush growing up.

I listen to a wide variety of music now. I enjoy new music like Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti and Holy Shit as well as older bands such as The Moody Blues and Neil Young. I’m also in a band named NeoLance based here in San Francisco.

SOL: Is music influencing you the same way as it used to?

JC: It is influential in a different way. When I was 12 and listening to my father’s old records and walking around in the forest, I was not making art. Back then I was more interested in Dungeons and Dragons and playing guitar. Now that I am older (32), I try to channel those memories into the studio. The music and art that I am interested in creates a unique mental space. The best musicians and artists are able to surmount the materials they employ and create a place that is entirely new. I am interested in worlds, not just notes and colors of paint.

SOL: Any particular visual artists that have influenced you?

JC: Like many painters in my generation I enjoy museum favorites Luc Tuymans, Gerhard Richter and Victor Man. These guys really take painting seriously and make work that accomplishes a lot. It is interesting what they can say with a tube of paint. Of course there are also a lot of bad asses who are more my generation. Allison Schulnik and her boyfriend Eric Yahnker are some pretty great LA artists. Kathy Grayson’s gallery The Hole in NYC is full of artists with new visions like Evan Gruzis, for example. Eleanor Harwood Gallery in San Francisco has a lot of energy right now, too. On a musical level, look for Ariel Pink’s song “Jagged Carnival Tours" on YouTube. It’s an unofficial music video for the song filmed by Jon Leone. The marriage of the audio track and the visual film is flawless.

SOL: Any other random things that inspire you? You know, architecture, TV shows, pets...

JC: While this is not inspiration per se, at the end of the day, I am a person who likes to spend eight hours a day in a shitty room, by myself, making dot after dot on a canvas for months on end. I have no idea why I can do this. My father, who is a law clerk in Montana, has made amazing, intricate reproductions of Native American bead works for most of his life. He has even had pieces in movies; Dances with Wolves, for example. I must of gotten the knack for detail from him. Support from those around me never hurts either. And, our cat Izzy Wu has always been a BIG influence.

SOL: Have you ever been to Minnesota before? We respect Montanans because we know they understand what winter is.

JC: I have never been to Minnesota before, although my wife’s side of the family hails from the Twin Cities. Regarding the weather, I’m really glad the show is in September and not February!

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Word on the street is that curator Jennifer Phelps is dazzled by these paintings. Can't make the opening? You'll miss the artist, but will still be able to see the show which runs through November 7.

Know More Funny Business until the end of August

No, no it's not that a whole lotta funny business will start at month's end, but rather that Peter Geyen's artwork will no longer grace the ersatz living room of the Fifth Street Towers come September. On display are a few of his mixed media 3D works from 2008 - 2009. Barrel in the Mouth (as captioned on his website) above, is 4 feet x 6 feet and made of steel and bronze.

Getting Away With It?! is comprised of steel, bronze, ceramic and glass. Here are some detail shots of the two glass figures in it.

One tiny headless figure lies in the bottom left quadrant, while the other, also in a pink glass dress, looks to be running off the top right corner of the piece. The art has a dystopian feel, and its stark modernity matches the high gloss corporate lines of its present home, the Fifth Street Towers, a set of two buildings completed in 1988.

This 2 x 6 lovely shows a face spitting out a tooth up top, with a hand balancing a tower of teeth underneath it. But don't be fooled, Geyen is not simply an artist, or even just a U of M grad with a double degree in chemistry/biology and art. He is using his talents for good as well.

In addition to being an arresting and thought-provoking mini-show, a portion of the proceeds received from the lease or purchase of this art goes to Geyen's choice charity, Children's Heartlink. He'll continue his promotion of the non-profit when he reveals ten new pieces at the IDS/City Center at the end of October.

For all of these reasons, I recommend you head over to the Fifth Street Towers to see Peter Geyen's work.  Maybe even consider picking up some multi-media art for your collection in the name of helping a 501(c)3 that serves needy children in the developing world with heart trouble. Use this link from the Skyway My Way guys to find the Caribou that's next door. Then, enjoy the comfy and hip seating area replete with fireplace (probably unnecessary, but keep it in mind for the winter) while sipping coffee and taking in the visuals.

Later at your desk/cubicle, check out a few more photos of the Geyen art nook at the Skyway of Love Facebook page. And of course, stay up to date with Geyen's plans and see great photos of how he created some recent works by following his Facebook page.

Main Street on Marquette - Michael Birawer in the window

On a mundane mission to find an ATM, I was confronted with First Avenue in the window of the Main Street Gallery & Gifts in the skyway. This art perfectly suits its location, reminding the good people rushing from Caribou back to their cubicles that there are not simply clean silhouettes and straight modern lines in downtown Minneapolis. Sure, Target has taught us the power of the graphic symbol on white, but there are curves and a variety of colors in this metropolis as well. St. Paul native Michael Birawer understands his Twin Cities subjects, and has carved out an individual style that is both compelling and commercial. 

This painting entitled 35W Into Downtown encapsulates the feel of demarcation between downtown and the rest of Minneapolis. In addition to this, Birawer has captured the important places of this burgh: Nye's, the Gay 90's, Matt's, the dearly departed Uptown Bar, Murray's steakhouse and even Target Field (a commission). His style is a kind of contemporary urban, with roots in graffiti and comic book art, and he plays with depth perception by adding "plains of dimension" as can be seen in this video posted on his website. It shows stills taken as he creates a painting of downtown St. Paul.

If you'd like to purchase First Avenue, I'm sure that the Gallery will fill its easel with another of Birawer's works so that I can re-experience the coaction of time, place and art in my every day life again. So go for it.

Natural and Public - Arty bits in Portland

I've been neglecting my webby duties lately in order to help my mom find an apartment in Portland, Oregon. This photo taken with my beleaguered 3G Iphone serves as proof of my travels. To me, it looks similar to the Paramount Pictures logos of old, although this shows two mountains. Taken en route from Seattle to Portland (ah the glory of the layover), famed volcano Mt. St. Helens is in the forefront, with majestic Mt. Adams in the back.

The Willamette is no Mississippi, but it has its charms. The city has industrial elements on the river and the downtown area is ringed by freeways. The office towers are small by Twin Cities' standards, yet the walkability index here is nearly perfect.

Our favorite restaurant to date is Kin in the Pearl District downtown. Local ingredients, on-site preparation of all elements, delicious and innovative cocktails, plus art, art everywhere, make this two month old newbie a keeper. The hamachi ceviche and duck ramen plus a cocktail echoing the latest trend of fresh herbs plus a bit of spice, made us glad to be on the left coast.

And just one morsel of downtown Portland public art. Visitors to the Pearl District should seek out the Tikitotemoniki totem poles by Kenny Scharf. Each one is 30 feet high and weighs 2,500 pounds. It was the first project commissioned by the now defunct Pearl Arts Foundation in 2000, which later had William Wegman make them a large dog bowl. Paige Powell, a friend of Andy Warhol's ran the foundation until its demise on the heels of Maya Lin pulling out of a proposed work.

More info about Kin (the restaurant and bar) will be at the Skyway of Love Facebook page along with a pic of the one skyway I found in the city. And I'll be back in the 612 in just a few days...