Chris Sedgwick

Influenced by Odd Nerdrum and Carravagio , Chris Sedgwick creates mystical realist oil paintings based off of photographs he's taken of himself and friends.

There is a sublime timeless quality to the work -- the wardrobe of the characters being particularly fascinating as it appears both futuristic and medieval. The same can be said for the stories that are occurring in the paintings.

A native of Florida, Sedgwick holds a BFA from Florida State University and currently lives in West Asheville.

You can view Sedgwick's work in person at Gallery Minerva in downtown Asheville.
or online at www.crsedgwick.com

Nava Lubelski meets Dexter

Day Dreams by Nava Lubelski 46" x 42" thread on stained canvas

Asheville artist Nava Lubelski's work explores themes of stains, spoilage, mending and repair. This year she was approached by interior designer Amy Lau to create a piece for Metropolitan Homes Showtime House in New York City for a dining room inspired by the television show Dexter which is about a serial killer/blood splatter analyst.

Dexter dining room designed by Amy Lau

In addition to Dexter The Metropolitan Showtime Home is showcasing rooms inspired by Weeds, The L Word, Californication, The Tudors, and The United States of Tara.
The rooms will be on display until October 26.
www.navalubelski.com

we're living in a post American apocalypse

Post American Apocalypse oil on canvas Ursula Gullow 2008

Last night after walking past the endless drivel of automobiles idling their engines awaiting a pick-me-up of gasoline, I thought wow, we really are running on empty here. pun intended.

Ari Richter

Mr. Precious cat hair on a cast concrete statue

The Cheekbiter the artist's cheek skin cast over a resin toy figurine

Pork Grind ground spicy and original flavored pork rinds

Beef Chart sewn leather

The play between material and subject is similar to the language in a pun; something can be at-once recognizable and unfamiliar. -Ari Richter
www.aririchter.com

Smoking Plus Art Equals True Love Always

I was out of town for two weeks and in that time I smoked a total of 20 cigarettes - which equals 1.48 cigarettes a day. Now that I'm back in the studio that is exactly how many cigs I want to puff each hour. So there is obviously a direct correlation between me, painting and cig smoking. I'm a little embarrassed to be such a cliche. I have done minutes of tireless Internet research on this topic and here's what I've found to explain the artist-cigarette phenomenon:

Nicotine Improves Memory and Brain Repair.
Don't believe me? Scienceagogo.com says: One recent study has found that one of nicotine's metabolites, cotinine, may improve memory and protect brain cells from diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Find out morehere
I've heard this before and discussed it with a musician friend of mine who thinks that in the swirl of creative activity the artist is apt to reach for a cigarette because we instinctively understand that it will enable us to tap into our short term memory which will thereby enhance our creative expression.




It's About Knowing You'll Die
Jonathon Jones of the Guardian speculates that artists understand that smoking represents death and that's why we love it so much. He goes on to say, "Puritans and do-gooders have never been associated with creativity. It is no coincidence that one of the most prominent pro-smokers in Britain is David Hockney; and he is just one of many artists who can't do without nicotine. Some, such as Sarah Lucas, have made a virtue of it, using cigarettes almost like a signature."
Read more about this fascinating theory here

My Theory
According to Chinese medicine the lungs are associated with feelings of sadness and grief. I personally believe that when people smoke they are attempting to suffocate those rough feelings. The creative process opens up some of those emotions and the best way to keep them at bay is to light up.
It's just a thought.

Does anyone have a light?

Graphite Drawings by Jeremy Lawson

The drawings explore the premise that memories are little more that an ever-shifting collage of myth and corrupted recollection.

It’s said that who "you" are is simply a collection of memories that have made up your internal story. But memories don’t exist in a concrete way, they're an evolving act of creation, where the farther away from an "event" you are the more that event is subject to imagination. - Jeremy Lawson

Influenced by historical etchings and 19th century newspaper illustrations, the aesthetic of Lawson's work underscores his attempt to grapple with the idea of memory.
His first solo show Pangea Before The Sky Fell is currently on display at 33Bond Gallery
in New York City.

Photos by Casey Kelbaugh

New York City based photographer Casey Kelbaugh has been hosting a phenomenon known as Slideluck Potshow for over 8 years. What began as a modest low-fi operation in Seattle, has turned into an international multi media spectacle of photography, food and fun.
To see what the fuss is about, visit www.slideluckpotshow.com
Or read his blog here
www.caseykelbaugh.com

Kim Dorland

I'm going out of town for 2 weeks and I don't know when I'll be blogging again.
So I'll leave you all with images by one of my favorite painters, Kim Dorland, who hails from Canada.

I like how expressive he gets with such ordinary subject matter.

And his color palette seems all wrong but is just totally right on.

The problem with looking at art like this on the internet is that it really is so much better in real life.

There are so many textures and applications of paint in a single painting - the actual styles of painting are as juxtapozed as the subjects are.