Lines and Lives of the Face

If you haven't yet been to Tryon, NC, there's at least a one good reason for you to visit this month. Tryon is located about an hour south of Asheville, near the border of South Carolina. It's a lovely little mountain town, slightly warmer in climate than Asheville, with a population of approximately 1,700. It happens to be the town where Nina Simone was born and it is also home of the impressive contemporary art center Upstairs Artspace.

Currently Upstairs Artspace is exhibiting Lines and Lives of the Face, a group show curated by Margaret Curtis and Nancy Holmes. Curtis is an amazing painter who recently took over the role of managing exhibitions at the Upstairs ArtSpace. This is exciting because her knowledge of contemporary art insures some quality exhibitions in the future. Holmes is an art enthusiast who recently supported a new exhibition at The Asheville Art Museum, Homage2.

For LALOTF Curtis initiated a collaboration between NYC artist James Esber and 24 regional artists, "non-artists" and children. For it, Esber provided a drawing of Osama bin Laden to be traced by each participant of the project. The different interpretations that occurred in spite of the standardized form, were astounding. Some artists chose to incorporate literal symbols in their work; others went a more formalized or intuitive route. (The video above does not include the drawings from Upstairs ArtSpace.)

"Pube Patch" and "Brillo Head" paintings by Alli Good

In addition to Esber's project, The gallery contains work by 14 artists -- each presenting their unique approach to the "portrait." There are realist paintings, and stylized interpretations in media ranging from sculpture, paintings, drawings and woodcuts.

"Chill" by Taiyo La Paix. I just love that DQ logo and those faux fur cuffs.

Kindergarten series by David Slone

Drawings by Phillip McGuire


My paintings

Exhibiting artists also include: Kevin Clinton, Mathew Curran, Paul Flint, Dawn Hunter, Francesco Lombardo, Brian Mashburn, Tim Speaker and Bob Trotman

Tuesday, November 1st a panel of artists from the show will discuss traditional vs. contemporary portraits and the appeal of the subject. 7pm

Friday, November 11 Regional writers will read their poetry and prose in the gallery. 7pm.

Line and Lives of the Face hangs until November 19th

Upstairs Artspace

49 South Tryon Street

828.859.2828

The gallery is open Tues - Sat. 11am - 5pm.

Heather Lewis: Drawing towards the light

Photograph by Matt Rose, courtesy of Verve Magazine

Since she was a little girl, Heather Lewis has been drawn to the light. Growing up in Trinidad next to an oil refinery, Lewis, now 49, recalls the long shadows cast upon her bedroom walls by the factory. It’s not the sort of thing most kids grow up with, but for Lewis, the glowing orange light and elongated shadows were staples of her childhood.

They’ve become staples in her artwork as well—installations and projections that Lewis categorizes as “nontraditional drawings.” A shadow, she explains, is much like a stencil that uses light as a medium—flat, the way a traditional drawing is, and totally accurate. But shadows can also be toyed with, and she’s made a career out of doing so. “I can take it outside and blow it up big on a building,” she says of a projected shadow. “It can be destroyed and created in an instant.”

Read the full article: Shadow Boxer; Verve Magazine, August 2011

Heather Lewis is part of the Green Shadow exhibit at The McColl Center in Charlotte through August 20. Her work will appear in a group exhibition, Waking up with Van Gogh, at the Hickory Museum of Art next year. For more, check out www.heatherlewis.net.

Ladies of a Certain Age

Kreh Mellick is sitting in her studio leafing through a book about crinolines from the 1800s. "It sounds so cliché to say this, but I really love that whole Victorian-era thing," she says, pointing to a black-and-white photograph of a woman clad in a corseted dress of dark satin and stripes. "It's all just so spooky to me."

It's easy to see why the antique images would fascinate Mellick. Her own gouache paintings on paper call up various gloomy eras — folklore about New England Puritans, sea captains, witch trials, homesteaders, provincial mistresses and the lovesick wives of sailors lost at sea. They are, as Mellick says, "stories appropriated from memory, folktales, traditions and nostalgia."

Read more: Ladies of a Certain Age by Ursula Gullow Boldlife Magazine Dec. 2010

Cher Shaffer

“All I have to do is be quiet for a few moments, and the images come to me. Whatever that image is, it has a life before it ever arrived on a piece of paper, or a canvas, or a piece of clay by my hand.” -Cher Shaffer

Many of Shaffer’s newest pieces, both drawings and dolls, were created as a response to the Gulf Coast oil spill, and she sees them as a way to heal the environmental devastation there. Several drawings appear buoyant, but they came from a deep place within Shaffer. “I started to dream that I was in the ocean with the animals, watching the oil bubble up,” she says.

Shaffer, 63, has been making art since she was five. Back then, she made dolls out of clay dug from the banks of the Georgia River. Today she still creates her “spirit dolls” from regional clay and stains them with earth pigments just after they leave the kiln to give them an aged appearance. The dots and lines that ornament their bodies are spirit lines, she says, places for energy to enter and exit the body. Shaffer is a self-taught artist, and she says her Cherokee and Melungeon ancestors inspire many images and forms in her work. “It’s as if they are standing right beside me,” she says of her Cherokee forebears.

--Excerpted from "What Lies Beneath: The Gulf oil spill haunts a folk artist’s dreams." Verve Magazine, August 2010
Read the full article here

Cher Shaffer will be exhibiting her drawings at the Greehill Center for NC art in Greensboro
September 10th - October 31st

www.chershaffer.com
www.greenhillcenter.org

Leila Amiri at Harvest Records

Harvest Records in West Asheville is currently exhibiting the photography and mixed media artwork of Leila Amiri. The variety of media Amiri uses runs the risk of appearing discordant, but her strong aesthetic point of view makes for a handsome and cohesive show. In one, a geometric line drawing meanders over a series of washed out monochromatic photos. In another, elaborate ink doodles that appear as embroidery, are rendered onto old linens. There are framed composites of twisted and braided hair, and small photographs (daguerreotypes?) that capture ghostly movements. Everything looks like it could have been found in an old attic, if it wasn't for the the contemporary details Amiri deftly applies to it all.

You can visit some of Amiri's work online at http://leilaamiri.tumblr.com/

but you must visit Harvest Records to see this exhibit.

located at 415 Haywood Road (828) 258-2999

Three fun events this Saturday!

Marble sculptor Alexei Kazantsev will be working on a piece at 85 Patton Ave all day May 15th

May 15th promises to be a hearty day for art aficionados attracted to unusual art happenings.

One of them is Fanaticon at The Asheville Art Museum which will feature local comic book vendors, artists, panel discussions and special guests. Among the notable artists exhibiting work: Jessica C. White, Hope Larson, Gabe Shaffer, Brent Giles and a ton more.

Here's a great article about Fanaticon written by Miles Britton for the Mountain Xpress.

Another event is the Bountiful Cities Bird House Auction at the Arts Council on Saturday evening where birdhouses created by local artists will be auctioned off 4-7:30 pm. One of the artists is Melissa Weiss of the Clayspace Co-op who created a ceramic house especially for the event.

The third event I found out about randomly while strolling through downtown Asheville today. A handwritten sign taped to a new shop at 85 Patton Aveue called Rugs-n-More alerted me that marble sculptor Alexei Kazantsev will be in the shop all day Saturday working on one of his marble sculptures. This is a one-time event, and if you are interested in that sort of thing, it seems like a great opportunity to watch it in action.
Kazantsev does not live in Asheville, but according to the shop owner's wife, Sundae More (her real name) the artist found the shop appealing and asked if he could work on his sculptures in there. Sounds intriguing!
To see Kazantsev's work visit his website: www.aksculptstudios.com

The True Cost of Coal

Zeph Fishlyn of The Beehive Collective

Beatriz Mendoza of The Beehive Collective

The incident that killed 25 miners (and most likely 4 others who have yet to be accounted for) is a tragedy that has weighed heavily on me this week. I'd like to highlight local people who have been creatively involved in bringing to light the pitfalls of coal mining -- a practise which is responsible for environmental devastations like mountain top removal, sludge waste and C02 emissions. It also damages Appalachian communities by employing non union workers, and causing work-related injuries and illnesses. Miners’ Families Grapple With the News, and the Pain; NY Times 04/06/10

Last year I had the opportunity of seeing Jeff Biggers, author of The United States of Appalachia, speak about the importance of preserving the crafting traditions of Appalachia as a way of preserving Appalachian culture. “The use of craft is part of the art of our lives,” he said and pointed out how the craft and story-making traditions of Appalachia are currently being threatened by coal mining practices that displace people and local resources. Crafting a tradition: by Ursula Gullow in Vol. 15 / Iss. 45 on 06/03/2009 of Mountain Xpress

Biggers was recently interviewed by CNN's Kiran Chetry and asserted the need to hold Massey Energy accountable for it's abuses. He called for "immediate action from the Obama administration" and from regulators. "I think we have to get beyond this mentality that a crisis is never a crisis until we validate it with some sort of disaster."
Read the full article and watch the video: www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/08/jeff-biggers-hold-mining_n_530301.html

On a local level, filmmakers Francine Cavanaugh and Adams Wood have been producing On Coal River, a film that explores a grassroots movement to relocate an elementary school that sits directly beneath a 2.8 billion gallon sludge pond. A campaign to get clean water pumped into the community, since the local water supplies are contaminated with run-off, is also featured. The film is powerful in that it shows how much red tape the activists must endure to get their voices heard. Empty promises made by officials including Governor Joe Manchin III, Senator Robert Byrd, governmental health and safety departments, illustrates the relationship between corporate entities and government without being overly didactic. The film also effectively demonstrates how "clean coal" technology is anything but clean since it employs hazardous chemicals and leaves toxic byproducts. On Coal River is in it's final stages of production but you can watch the trailer at www.oncoalriver.com

The Beehive Collective is also on a campaign to raise awareness of hazardous coal mining practices through it's artful renderings of the industry's effects on the environment and communities. The collective is currently established in Asheville as it researches and develops The True Cost of Coal, a collection of graphic images meant to be distributed freely for public educational efforts.
Please visit their website for a great deal more information about this talented bunch. www.beehivecollective.org

At least 60% of energy expended in North Carolina is from coal. Please turn off your lights and appliances when you're not using them, and encourage the development of alternative energy sources like solar and wind power. www.sourcewatch.org

Real and imagined lives

The real and imagined life of dell barnhart is the title of Becca Johnson's current exhibition of paintings, drawings and photographs at BoBo Gallery, and was created through Johnson's second self. There is no single representation of Johnson or her alter ego that actually exists in the exhibit, but they are present in the faces of women and animal forms like whales, foxes and minx. "They are a portrait of my emotional state more than my figurative state," says Johnson.

What's most notable about the work is Johnson's expressive use of materials. "I feel boxed in if I think there's only one medium I can work in," she says. Drips of paint and dramatic pencil marks appear from beneath layers of paint, laying bare the history of the painting. Some areas of her works are loose in their marks, while other areas are rendered with more clarity. Varying textures of paper are collaged together, and thick applications of paint appear above thin washes, producing a gratifying visual surface.
From Artillery:Exhibit by Becca Johnson expressively manifests the real and the imagined
by Ursula Gullow in Vol. 16 / Iss. 36 on 03/31/2010

I think Johnson's work would be better off displayed in an actual gallery; it seems like she had to hold back on some of her vision for the sake of the venue. This is a good example of why Asheville could stand to gain a decent exhibition space for contemporary artwork and installations.

The real and imagined lives of dell barnhart will be on display at Bobo Gallery on Lexington Ave until May, and should be seen.

www.beccajohnsonart.com

Emily Crabtree

Unraveled Space approx. 4ft x 4ft.

Asheville artist Emily Crabtree creates abstract two-dimensional work about memories and the passage of time.

Check out this time lapse video of the making of Crabtree's cut paper installation, "Fibers of Recollection" made by her husband, Jason Treadway. It is quite lovely.

Here is a a link to an article I wrote for the Mountain XPress about her recent show at UNCA.

And this great write-up by Connie Bostic.

Two shows to go see in Asheville

The artwork of Nathanael Roney is currently on display at Harvest Records in West Asheville.

Ted Harper has drawings at Bobo Gallery on Lexington Ave. And a dazzling mural in the alley.

Read more about the work of these two artists in this article I wrote for the Mountain XPress

Kreh Mellick's sublime simplicity

Local artist Kreh Mellick currently has her drawings on display at Tod's Tasties on Montford Avenue near downtown Asheville. Her haunted folklore is rendered in sinewy forms interacting with pattern and confident details -- such as in the beard of "The Sea Captain" and the hair of "The Sea Captain's wife."

What fascinates me about Mellick's work is all of the the empty space surrounding each form --while it contributes to the visual lightness of the work, it also provides an emotional weight. In a sense the empty space becomes it's own character -- every bit as important as the ones she has rendered.

Visit Melick's blog to see more work: krehstorrs.blogspot.com

Tara Jensen and Lucky Fruit!

Asheville artist Tara Jensen will be traveling to Tokyo and Osaka, Japan next month to install her latest collection of multi media work entitled Lucky Fruit! Paper cuts, stuffed fruit dolls, paper mache and drawings are just some of the many elements comprising this visually exuberant installation.

Using bright colors and tribal-influenced designs she defines her work as "folkpop." Says Jensen, "I love the vibrant work of Paper Rad and can also get lost in the installation work of Louise Bourgeois. Much of my art depicts colorful fantasy worlds where I find the strength and positivity to work towards a real world that is just, lively and free from suffering."

This Friday, October 23rd Jensen will be having a going away party for all the artwork that she will be shipping to Tokyo and Osaka. Come and see her creations, learn how they were made, and celebrate the completion of Lucky Fruit!

The viewing party is located in Jensen's studio at Handcranked on Tingle Alley, and runs from 6-9PM. She will have art for sale priced at five and ten dollars.

Visit Tara Jensen's blog: www.frenemieglan.blogspot.com for more pics, and to read more about her process and creative insights.

Beatriz Mendoza

The precisely rendered drawings of Beatriz Mendoza are currently on display in the newly renovated showroom of Bobo Gallery on Lexington Avenue.
Read more about Mendoza, her art, and her experience as a scientific illustrator, in this Mountain Xpress article I wrote about her.

Rose Candela

miss/salvage/internalize mixed media on paper 2009

One easily gets lost following the maze of obsessively rendered patterns found within each drawing by Asheville artist, Rose Candela. The eye happily settles on a little creature from time to time or teeny messages/codes written by the artist, obscured so that only the most committed viewer will be able to decipher them.

miss/salvage/internalize (pictured above) reveals an aerial view of a place upon which the artist has rendered a gossamer landscape. Appealing to my metaphysical sensibilities, the sentiment here seems to be: There is the material world, and then everything else which is reality.

Rose Candela is exhibiting her celestial drawings at the PUMP Gallery thru September 30 in her solo show "He Used to Profess."
Read more about her art and the use of text in this article written by Carol Motsinger for the Asheville Citizen Times

www.rosecandelastudio.com to see more of Candela's work.

Daniel Avazpour at FLOOD Gallery

Bad Luck You Are My Mirror

There is still time to check out the larger than life sized drawings by Daniel Avazpour on display at The FLOOD Gallery in the Phil Mechanic Building. The show will be hanging until May 29th.
The Phil Mechanic Building is located at 109 Roberts Street.
FLOOD is open Tues-Sat 10-4
This is Avazpour's first solo show in Asheville since he moved here last August. It is a must-see.

Becca Johnson

"Heart Stain" oil on canvas 2008

"Barnyard Freakshow" graphite on paper 2008

A graduate from the BFA program at Western Carolina University, Becca Johnson is an oil painter, drawer, book binder, sculptor and installation artist. Memories, found objects, stories and gestures imbibe her energetic work which appear to be born of a deeply personal and honored place.

"Sleeperhold's Cleft Lip"

i think that the common thread in all of my work embodies this contradiction: the heavy sweetness of living. the inability to ever find something entirely wonderful, or entirely terrible. there is always weight, and there is always buoyancy.

Johnson occasionally curates artist shows in downtown Asheville. You can see more of her work at www.beccajohnsonart.com
Visit her Etsy shop to see samples of her hand bound books.
She will be exhibiting work at Bobo Gallery in the upcoming year.

Newsworthy: A year in Pictures

On Friday, January 2nd at Bobo Gallery, the S.S. Drawing Club will debut their handbound and illustrated book, Newsworthy. These limited edition books are collected illustrations loosely based upon factual news reports gathered from various sources throughout the year of 2008. The show is a retrospective of the most macabre and strange events from around the world during the year as we come to its close.
The S.S. Drawing Club (formerly known as Segment 16) is currently comprised of Julie Armbruster and R. Brooke Priddy - both accomplished artists in their own right.

William Kentridge

The animated films of William Kentridge are constructed by filming a drawing, making erasures and changes, and filming it again. He continues this process meticulously, giving each change to the drawing a quarter of a second to two seconds' screen time. A single drawing will be altered and filmed this way until the end of a scene.



A theme running through all of Kentridge's work is his particular way of representing his birthplace of Johannesburg, South Africa as metaphor for the duality of man. I am particularly drawn to the expressive and raw quality of his drawings, and his courage to represent the lonely and dissociated state of the ruling class.

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.

Steve Brown's Drawings

This drawing was made by Steve Brown, an artist who has a studio in the Phil Mechanic Building of the River Arts District. Apparently he was undergoing an obsession with cowl necked sweaters when he made it.



This charcoal drawing of plastic kudzu was included in the Asheville Art Museum's Make It New show.



I really like how he used it as a background for this photo.



Here is another example of the same idea.



Steve Brown