The Battle of Make Believe

painting by Hannah Dansie

Now on display at Satellite Gallery, The Battle of Make Believe includes work by some of Asheville's finest.

Read a full review of the show: In The Battle of Make Believe, adult responsibility overrides juvenile impulse Mountain Xpress

This handsome exhibit will hang until September 29

Satellite Gallery is located at 55 Broadway
Open Tues-Sun. Call 505-2225 for more info.

Friend Me

I always love to see an artist respond to current social media trends, which is why I'm really looking forward to seeing Erin Fussell's exhibit, Friend Me at The Asheville Community Theater.

In this fast-paced era of social networking and text messaging, Fussell asks whether real relationships can be nurtured via digital technology. Using the old-school photographic devices of film and darkroom, Fussell's photographs are metaphors for the time spent developing human relationships.

To make the photos, Fussell contacted subjects via text messages and Facebook requests. Then she spent a substantial amount of time with each person documenting conversation and gestures.

Fussell writes: "Friend Me reminds viewers that communication tools of technology do not replace real time spent with people in one’s life."

OPENING RECEPTION: Friday, May 20, 5:30-7:30pm

Asheville Community Theatre
35 E Walnut Street (downtown)
Asheville, NC

Friend Me will be on display until June 3.

Check out Fussell's Friend Me book: http://www.blurb.com/books/2174783/pages/0

Current shows in Asheville you might want to see

Travis Medford at PUSH Gallery. Opening Friday April 8th
"The Third Other will be an opportunity for the community to view the first solo exhibition by Medford. Primarily a graphic designer and screen printer, Travis will be showing larger mixed media works on wood, supported by limited edition, silk screened art prints. Taking inspiration from pulp novels, comics, monster magazines, skateboard graphics, and punk flyers, Medford’s work offers the viewer a layered mash-up of image, color and texture."
pushtoyproject.com

Molly Sieburg Courcelle's painterly abstracts at Atelier 24 on Lexington Avenue in downtown Asheville.
Opening Reception Sat. April 9th. 6-9pm
mollycourcelle.com

Molly Rose Freeman's patterned ruminations at Eclipse Salon on Wall Street in downtown Asheville.
Show hangs thru April 18th.
mollyrosefreeman.com


Allen Leper Hampton at FLOOD Gallery in the Phil Mechanic Building in the River Arts District.

Show hangs thru April 28
allenhampton.net

An assortment of photos taken with disposable cameras at the Desoto Lounge in West Asheville.

Scotthubener.com is one of the photographers.

Patience: an installation

Patience, a new installation by Bridget Conn is now on display in the Pack Place Gallery in the Pack Square Building. The exhibit is open during business hours. Get there between 3:30 - 4:30 and find Conn seated in a cave of vellum scrolls, at work writing the word "patience" over and over.

"I enjoy repetition as a means of art-making, in the ways it relates to prayer, and in the ways it references methods of learning that I embraced as a child," she writes on her website, www.countingbirds.net.

Also exhibited are Conn's two-dimensional works that incorporate systematically arranged organic materials and textures -- grains of rice laid out painstakingly into rows, for example. It is clear that every creative choice has been made with intention and care. The effect is soothing- something like memories that happen in slow motion.

A closing reception for the installation is planned for Saturday November 13th, 2-4pm.

Spices, rice, tea, seeds and honey, are just some of the ingredients that go into Conn's mixed media works. "Food growing on trees is my inspiration. Reconnecting with such basics makes sense. It transforms my artwork into my own personal alchemy of creating order, understanding, and magic in the mundane."

"Ritual is a means of elevating the importance of simple gestures and observations. Every decision in ritual is imbued with an intent."

"I may not know the stories of my ancestors, but I know historically what the women of my family did in their daily lives. I question why the nature of their work became associated with inferiority."

See more of Bridget Conn's work at www.countingbirds.net

Haunted: Photography by Sebastian Collett

These images are ambassadors from my ever-growing ocean of images;

they form the tip of an iceberg of perceptions, thoughts and feelings about the world.

Emissaries from the unseen, they are cresting now for just a moment before their inevitable disappearance. ~ S. Collett.

It's been a few years since photographer Sebastian Collett has exhibited his photographs in Asheville. For the month of November his photos will once again be on display at The Chase Gallery located in the NC Stage Company lobby, 15 Stage Lane in downtown Asheville.

His show, Haunted is an installation of images he has taken across the country and in Europe.

Says Collett: "I am haunted by these photographs, as I am by the times they represent.They simultaneously reveal and conceal me. Some depict places literally haunted – by what's happened or by the anticipation of what's to come."

Opening Reception is Saturday October 30

6 - 7 pm

The show hangs thru November 30th.

To see more of Collett's work visit wellseen.com

Ladylike: art imitates life

"Exploring the dark side of female relationships" is the theme of Ladylike, a group art show currently on display at Satellite Gallery in downtown Asheville. Guest curator Alli Good came up with the idea when she found a box full of letters passed between her friends in high school, and realized that women's relationships with each other aren't as sugar and spice as they appear to be.

What I find most interesting about the Ladylike exhibit are the thoughtful collaborations that ensued between artists. Gallery owner, Bill Thompson really did a great job hanging the work by allowing each art piece to speak for itself and compliment neighboring pieces.

As a participant, I am honored to exhibit my paintings in conjunction with the amazing work of 10 other female Asheville artists. It was a pleasure -- and admittedly awkward at times -- to get together with this group for planning sessions. I would go to to the meetings with the theme of the show front and center in my mind -- amused and self conscious of my own behavior with these women. In this case life was imitating art that imitates life.

Ladylike will be on display until November 21st at Satellite Gallery located at 55 Broadway.

Read more about the show: Frenemies Like These, written by Alli Marshall for The Mountain Xpress.

Installation by Alli Good. Drawing by Kreh Mellick

Detail of note created by Alli Good

R. Brooke Priddy and Nicole McConville collaboration.

R. Brooke Priddy and Kreh Mellick collaboration

Ceramic figurines by Sarah Danforth. Paintings by Ursula Gullow

Video by Megan McKissack. Photography by Drea Jackson

Mixed media piece by Sarah Cavalieri

Collaborations by Nicole McConville, Julie Armbruster, Alli Good and R. Brooke Priddy

Detail of installation by Tara Jensen

Photograph by Meg Reilley

Fine art photography in Asheville

Photo by Danel Kariko

In spite of the bounty of Asheville-based photographers, there is a dearth of fine art photography galleries in Asheville. To deal with this, photographer Brie Castell has opened a gallery right off of Eagle Street in downtown Asheville. Refreshingly, the gallery is dedicated to featuring only photo-based media -- a departure from the galleries in town that exhibit mostly paintings and sculpture.

Much of the work in the gallery is of internationally based artists, and it's nice to get a whiff of the outside world here. At the moment Castell and Bridget Conn are the only local photographers exhibited.

Currently Castell Photography Salon & Gallery exhibits the photography of Daniel Kariko. Using a pinhole camera, Kariko documents the Louisiana wetlands post Katrina for his compelling Storm Series collection.

If you have a penchant for fine art photography and nifty off-the-beaten-path places, I would like to encourage you to check this gallery out.

2C Wilson Alley Asheville, NC

open Wed-Sat. 12-5

or by appointment

828.255.1188

www.castellphotography.com to see more of Castell's work and a look at the gallery
www.danielkariko.com to see more of Florida-based artist Daniel Kariko

www.countingbirds.net to see more of Asheville-based artist Bridget Conn

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

Mike Belleme at The Asheville Art Museum

Local Photographer Mike Belleme exhibits his photography at the Side Gallery in The Asheville Art Museum through June 18th.
His epic landscapes are compelling, as is his candid documentarian style which captures the sublime beauty and grit of the shared human experience.
Check out his website to see more. Be sure to click on the link to his blog!
www.mikebelleme.com

Joel Vannfuller at Satellite Gallery

Asheville-based photographer Joel Vannfuller has combined his fascination with African tribal masks, and figurative photography for his most recent installment at Satellite Gallery called Primal Faces Exposed. Nubile female forms wearing African masks appear in these black and white photos which are reminiscent of erotic photography from the early 1900's. Vannfuller's figures are statuesque and the dramatic staging of his subjects is penetrating. From a technical standpoint, Primal Faces Exposed is high-brow on every level.

According to the gallery's press release, Vannfuller was inspired to photograph nudes with African masks initially for aesthetic reasons. He believed juxtaposing primitive art against the female figure created an engaging image. But as he began to uncover the stories behind the masks a deeper relationship began to emerge. Africa’s history– our common ancestry– and the pervasive use of masks raised some intriguing questions.

Because of his interest in African Masks, Vannfuller includes lengthy explanations of each mask and it's cultural relevance. While this is interesting from a sociological standpoint, I find these sort of commentaries in art exhibits a bit tedious, and would prefer that Vannfuller let the work speak for itself.

I particularly like "Spirit at Peace" which depicts a blurry porcelain form wearing a Maiden Mask from Nigeria. This photo reminded me of collages I've seen by Hannah Höch, a German Dadist who created work during the mid 1900's. While there are visual similarities, conceptually the two artists are on opposite ends of the spectrum: Höch's photomontage art was a critique on feminine representations within mass media, whereas Vannfuller uses the form as a design element - contrasting it against it's setting, blurring out parts, or contorting it for aesthetic relevance.

Collage by Hannah Höch

Primal Faces Exposed is a regal photographic documentation of the human form, and a testament to Vannfuller's technical expertise. View images on The Satellite Gallery's website: www.thesatellitegallery.com

The show deserves to be seen in real life, however, because the large scale of the photos makes for a deluxe experience.

Read Vannfuller's blog about his 13 Stories at the Windsor Hotel series:

www.13stories13photos.blogspot.com

Satellite will hold a closing reception for Primal Faces Exposed on Sunday May 30th 6:00 pm.

TRIIIBE

This video is so great and needs no explanation. It was created by TRIIBE, a collective founded in 2006 by performance artists (and identical triplets), Alicia, Kelly and Sara Casilio along with photographer Cary Wolsinki. They create, present and document political and social commentary performance and tableau art
Check out more of their performances on their website: www.triiibe.com.

Photo shows

OLD WORK, NEW DAY
The fine art photography of Paul M. Jackson is currently on display at Studio Chavarria located on Walnut St. in downtown Asheville. Jackson writes: The show speaks of using existing resources to produce or create something new, reverting to labor over luxury to save energy and produce less waste, & choosing collaboration over competition.These are not my ideas nor are they new but I believe they are worth addressing now, creating an environment to discuss how to incorporate them in our everyday lives.
An artist reception will be held Saturday March 21 7-10pm

NOOK
A new little gallery called Nook is celebrating their opening tonight (Friday March 20) on the top floor of The Phil Mechanic Building in the River District. My painting studio is located on the same floor as Nook, and I've been watching the owners prepare the space over the last few weeks. They've hung new lights, added molding to the walls, sanded down plaster bumps and repainted everything with a fresh coat of white, so it's all looking very pro. The debut show "Three" is a collaborative exhibition of contemporary photographic works by Paul McDermott, David McDermott and Michael McDermott. Check out their website for more information thenookgallery.com

Maximum Sorrow

A Magical Place i.

A Magical Place ii.

My first reaction to Kevin Brewersdorf's photography and drawings was, What's so great about these? I kept clicking through the endless images posted on his site maximumsorrow.com and slowly began to get it. What makes this artist's work so compelling to me is his interest in everyday situations and people, and before long I was totally in love with his photos and his entire website. His work also got me thinking that in this cyber era a new type of folk artist is emerging.

Bright Green Workers

On further investigation I found out that Brewersdorf has outlined a spiritual practice of embracing mediocrity, which he calls Maximum Sorrow. For his show Monuments to the INFOSpirit he says: The Marketplace is empty of everything but products; you are the Product, and therefore contribute to the market; Info is the free-flowing energy generated by your production and consumption. The INFOspirit, which encompasses all of these concepts, is both the state between the knowable and unknown, and mediocrity in its purist form.

Kevin Brewersdorf has also constructed a philosophy of "corporate spiritualism." His brand Maximum Sorrow is an exaggeration of the internet artist - the person looking to do it all via the web. Whether a net artist brands them self with a sparse list of links on a humble white field or with loud layers of noise and color or with contrived logos in a bland grid, they are constructing their own web persona for all to see...I think these persona empires are the great artworks of our time, and they inspire me to keep building my own brand.
Check out this interview for more. I find it all very interesting and oddly validating.

Teun Hocks

Untitled (Moon) 2007 oil on toned gelatin silver print

Untitled (Man Sleeping in Boxes) 2008 oil on toned gelatin silver print

Dutch artist Teun Hocks’ photographs are cinematic in their process and mood. First he constructs scenes in his studio and takes a black and white photograph. He then hand colors the photographs with transparent oil paint, taking precise care in the coloring in order to create specific emotions and atmosphere. The accumulation of these elements makes the environments seem like surreal portals. His films and drawings additionally reveal and delve into these worlds and also give greater insight to his storytelling and creative process.
Read an interview with Tuen Hocks here to find out more about his "constructed imagery" method and the meaning of the narratives he creates.

Rene Treece

Check out the blog of local photographer, Rene Treece
where you will find her stop-motion videos and personal photography journal.
Rene Treece appears in "Sewing the Muse" as friend and collaborative partner to R. Brooke Priddy. Read another post I wrote about Rene here.

Michael Traister's Faces of Izzy's

I love looking at photographs of people I know. I love to stare at them -- like really stare into their eyes and examine the muscles of their face, frozen in time and wonder what they were thinking in that moment. Michael Traister's show Paying Customers Only: The Faces of Izzy's indulges that desire for me, and so much more.
It's such an intimate show; dozens and dozens of black and white photographic prints hang modestly by clips and cover the walls of Izzy's Coffee Den on Lexington St in downtown Asheville. Each photo is of a paying customer to Izzy's coffeeshop. I wonder if Traister had any plan in mind for the order in which the photographs are hung, but they appear to be randomly displayed and the association of each person to their neighbor was often very funny to me.
It was such a delight to scan the many familiar faces and read their names written in ink on the lower left corner of each photo. What a relief to put a name to a face in this small town where so many of the subjects of this show I've seen a million times. The way Traister captures the essence of each person is remarkable. For example, there's a photo of a guy who I think is the biggest turd in town, and he is captured giving the fuck you sign. (Now I've really enticed you haven't I? Bet you can't wait to see who I think the biggest turd in town is.)
I was so delighted by this show that I checked out Michael Traister's online portfolio. Turns out he has been shooting bands and sock monkeys professionally for several years...normally both of those things (bands and sock monkeys) don't entice me as photographic subjects, but Traister really does a great job with both! His sock monkeys aren't kitschy, but more like... badass. Like the black and white photo of rock icon impersonator, El Vez holding a sock monkey complete with sombrero.
See for yourself: www.traisterphoto.com
The exhibit at Izzy's will be up through the month of October.
It is not to be missed.

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

Stop animation and photography by Rene Treece

It's better in the water
Made by Asheville photographer Rene Treece using hundreds of still images.





www.renetreecephotography.com
Dresses by Brooke Priddy