Some art images

Friday, I went to Red Dot, Pulse and then Chelsea. There was plenty of art worth seeing but these three stayed with me.

David Smith at Gagosian Gallery








Ron Klein at Howard Scott Gallery

Squared Diamond (front view) 2008 Appropriated Objects,
42.0 x 36.0 x 5.0 in.


Mix Master 2009 Appropriated Objects,
108.0 x 84.0 x 24.0 in.


Bill Jensen at Cheim & Read Gallery

Bill Jensen
PASSARE DA BERNARDO XXIV 2009
Ink on antique paper
17 x 11 1/2 inches


Bill Jensen
PASSARE DA BERNARDO XXXVI 2009
Ink on antique paper
22 x 14 3/4 inches

Collector Pat Bell's Favorite NJ Artists to Watch

here excerpt from Park Place Magazine written by Susan Brierly

“I love new things, and always find a spot for the pieces I love,” says Pat Bell. “When I’m surrounded by all this wonderful work, it’s like living with the souls of the artists.”

Each month, as fresh—and sometimes massively large artwork—arrives at her home, Gabrielle Pulls, Bell’s housekeeper of 17 years, equips herself with an electric drill, a level, and a keen eye. As pieces leave the home, they often are loaned or contributed to non-profit organizations, such as the South Orange Performing Arts Center.

“I’m fortunate to live in this state because we have so many wonderful artists,” says Bell. “I like what’s in my backyard.” To keep au courant with the local art scene, get acquainted with some of her favorites:

Willie Cole, Mine Hill, multi-dimensional
(williecole.com)

Tom Nussbaum, Montclair, sculptor
(tomnussbaum.com)—profiled on page 46

.
Claire Rosen, Montclair, photographer
(clairerosenphotography.com)

Margaret Murphy, Jersey City, painter (margaret-murphy.com)

Lisa Pressman, West Orange, painter
(lisapressman.net)

Marcia Kure, Princeton, painter/collage artist
(marciakure.com)

Wayne Roth, Mountain Lakes, digital artist/photographer (2face.com)

Nancy Tobin, Maplewood, collage painter ((nancytobin.com)

Dan Fenelon, Madison, painter
(wavedog.com)

Jordan Eagles, Short Hills, painter/installationist (jordaneagles.com)

Brenda Goodman's Art Influences

"Burial" oil on wood 52x56 2010



"Hard Choice" oil on wood 60x64 2010

The other day these images appeared on facebook. They are artist, Brenda Goodman's most recent paintings. She has posted them on her new blog. These paintings are the gutsiest, most heart felt paintings I have seen in a long, long time.



"Crossing Over" oil on wood 60x64 2009

She says,
"these are the influences that first come to mind."

Rembrandt Soutine Dekooning
Dubuffet
Vuilliard
Gorky
Ensor
GustonBaconTerry Winters
Morandi
Hans Josephsohn


"Escape" oil on wood 52x56 2010

DB: A lot of people talk about Guston being important for their work, especially people of my generation, but you had an actual relationship with him.

BG: He really liked my work and we exchanged a few letters. But the thing about Guston, as with de Kooning, and as with Gorky, Soutine, and Dubuffet, which were the big ones in my life––then Morandi later on––you have a connection to them. You’re on the same wavelength, or whatever you want to call it. You have this affinity with certain artists and there’s a reason why you’re influenced by them, because there’s something of them already inside you.

From AN INTERVIEW WITH BRENDA GOODMAN; INTRODUCTION BY DAVID BRODY

The Etiquette of a Studio Visit

Laura Moriarty holding a chunk of wax

Laura Moriarty's new work

Last January (09) I had on my agenda to get myself out of my studio and into other artist's studios. So I slowly began to do some local studio visits. Now, a year later, I am working on a presentation for the Fourth Annual Encaustic Painting Conference in June at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, Mass.
It is called the:

Encaustic Studio
A digital look into artists' studios from around the country. We will be “visiting” artists in their studios and viewing their set up, ventilation, tools, storage, shipping, their creative process and, of course, their work. The next best thing to an actual studio visit!

I have done several studio visits so far with more to come.
In the process, I am learning the etiquette of a studio visit.
It is an interesting dance.


Marybeth Rothman at her thinking desk




MaryBeth Rothman's work on the wall: encaustic /mixed media




My "working" list of Do's and Don'ts:

Don't

Talk about yourself, your work,etc. (at least not too much)
If you don't know what to say, be honest and say you will think about the work and respond later.
If you are not in the mood, don't appreciate the person's work, or aren't interested. Don't go in!!
When you walk in to a person's space filled with their art and say nothing; that says everything and it's not pretty.
Do
plan to look and listen.
spend time.
drink tea (or something).
ask questions.
look at everything, the walls, the drawers, the floor, the work: all are clues to the artist's world.
leave yourself at the door and step into the artist's shoes.

Be sure to check out Joanne Mattera's blog for a great studio visit post.


Pam Farrell's studio wall and floor



Pam Farrell new work : oil on canvas

Steven Baris

Steven Baris is an artist working in Philadelphia.The paintings are oil and acrylic. I suggest going to his website and looking at each series. Each one shows an intense and focused exploration of ideas and attributes. I am attracted to the wonderful use of color, space and use of transparency and opaqueness.




Statement:

I characterize my paintings as spatial images. Space is the lens through which I best visualize the contemporary moment. Even more, it is how I make sense of my own biography, having grown up in decidedly non-urban spaces of Indian reservations throughout the West. Having since migrated to the most extensively built-up region of the continent, I have become interested in the derivative spaces of thoroughly constructed environments. My paintings attend to the spatial consequences of the countless structures that we routinely pass by and occasionally enter.


My influences are many and extend into the early 20th century, including works by El Lissitzky, Moholy Nagy, and Stuart Davis. I am interested in how these and other more recent artists have registered their own contemporary moment and the unprecedented transformations of interior and exterior space.

New Work

Whisper 2 10 x10 encaustic


Archway 12 x 12 encaustic



The Element of Air 24 x 24 encaustic and oil




Transparent Thinking 24 x 24 encaustic and oil



The Other Side 24 x 24 encaustic and oil




Whirlwind 24 x 24 encaustic and oil


Below the Surface 24 x 24 encaustic and oil



Whirlwind 2 24 x 24 encaustic and oil

Point of Departure

Point of Departure 48 x 48 oil and wax LPressman


My favorite time of the exhibition process is after the show is hung and before the official opening. The stress, worry, and obsessive nit picking is (mostly) over. I can spend some time with the work as it lives outside of the studio.

And, the studio is almost empty!!



Point of Departure
Visual Arts Center of New Jersey
January 15 – March 19, 2010
Opening Reception: Friday January 15th, 2010

Installation photos: