Call to all artists! $400 Reward!

I've been asked by Chait to share this:

Call for Artists!
Benjamin's Buttons...Faces of Intensity
Juried Art Show
Hosted by:
Chait Galleries Downtown
218 E Washington St
Iowa City, IA 52240
(319)338-4442
www.chaitgalleries.com

How do you judge intensity?  What experience can you portray through portraiture
that captures the spirit and invites viewers to share emotion and understanding?
 What do you envision when someone's buttons are pushed to or beyond their
limits?  We are interested in entries of original portraiture and the emotion,
drama and light underlying intense and distinctive imagery.  The challenge is
simple- grab us in no uncertain terms.

Deadline to enter in Jan 23, 2015 postmarked by midnight.  $400 award for
Best-in- Show and $250 for Honorable Mention. Complete application and
prospectus available for download at www.chaitgalleries.com, click on upcoming
exhibits.

Thanks!

Current Moberg Exhibition: Exploring Opposites and How They Attract

The current exhibition at the Moberg Gallery highlights paradoxes in nature on a colorless stage where the shadows, shapes, and materials hold suspense for the viewer.

Front of gallery view.  Kathranne Kinght's drawings in the background and Jessica Teckemeyer's animals in the foreground. 



I visited the exhibition last Saturday and was pleasantly surprised that I was the only one in the gallery.  I felt like I was on a black and white movie set that was about to shoot a dream like sequence in a haunted forest (I have a great imagination J ).  Immediately greeting me at the door was an all-white panther hanging vertically in the air with its teeth clenched to a knotted rope.  Artist Jessica Teckemeyer writes in her artist statement that this specific piece represents the human emotion “struggle” .  The emotion of the panther is pretty impressive; clenched muscles, strained limbs, “struggle” is written all over this guy’s body.   

Navigating through the gallery, I wasn’t particularly drawn to Guy Loraine or Kathranne Knight’s works (trees and acorns)  but viewed them more as a back drop to the real action that was happening in both Teckemeyer's and Larassa Kabel’s works.  This is not to say that these works are unimportant but I just found them to be complimentary instead of having a significant role in the show.   



Teckemeyer's fawn with panther mask close up

Teckemeyer's fawn with panther mask

Continuing my trek through the creepy colorless forest, I was greeted by more panthers, confused animals, and beautiful horses.  I was really impressed by Teckemeyer’s fawn with a panther mask.  I learned from the gentleman working at the gallery that she uses taxidermy molds and poly urethane to create the sculpture, then sands it down and paints with exterior car paint to achieve the soft matte finish.  The outcome is outstanding.  It really works to achieve the polarity in soft and sweet vs rough and dangerous found in both the animal and the composition. Smooth surfaces with jagged, dramatic, expressions and movements are executed precisely.  Because the animals have taxidermy eyes, a reflection of one’s self on the sculpted animals is strongly proposed.  

I think I could go on forever about all the opposites touched on in this show, such as: light vs dark, good vs evil, hard vs soft, tame vs wild, but I won’t in this blog because it would bore you.

 East wall of the gallery highlighting Larassa Kabel's horses.

Kabel close up

"The Brave One' Colored pencil on paper by Larassa Kabel

Rounding out my walk around the gallery, I almost passed up on the horse drawings by Kabel.  Boy am I glad I didn’t.  These are amazingly beautiful.  The craftsmanship and detail that has gone into these drawings are amazing!  My shitty camera phone cannot give justice to the high quality of her work so please do me a favor and view her website http://larassakabel.com/and go see these works in person.  I find the pose of the horses breathtaking.  I learned from a friend who has worked with the artist that some of the subjects are diving horses, others are mustangs bucking wildly.  The drama captured in these moments is stunning and brilliant.  I absolutely adore and cherish any artist that puts so much detail and work into a single piece, the end product speaks volumes to their skill level and patience.

Front:  Teckemeyer's fawn casting a wolf shadow.  Again working with light and shadows to create drama and show paradoxes in nature.
Back: One of Kabel's larger works.

This show ends mid-October so get in while you can.  http://moberggallery.com/exhibits.shtml

Celebrating Claes Oldenburg

In celebration of Claes Oldenburg’s dual exhibitions currently at MOMA in NY, I’ve decided to highlight one of his most beloved works here in Des Moines.  Maybe you've driven by it on your way through downtown, perhaps you walk by it every day on your way to work, but have you ever stopped to ponder what that thing is?

Claes Oldenburg, Crusoe Umbrella, Cor-Ten steel painted with polyurethane enamel, 37 x 37 x 58 ft. , 1979

Nollen Plaza, across from the Des Moines Civic Center

That thing, is Crusoe Umbrella.  And I can't tell you how lucky "little old Des Moines, Iowa"  is to have it.  Oldenburg is a big deal and it says a lot about our city that he accepted this commission and gifted us with such a prolific work of art. 

The idea for Crusoe Umbrella came after a visit to the Netherlands where Oldenburg discussed Crusoe’s umbrella with his father in law. The work is an oversized replica of the handmade umbrella from Daniel Defoe’s historic novel: Robison Crusoe in which the main character, Crusoe, makes by hand an umbrella while castaway on an island.  The umbrella became one of the few items he took with him off the island once he was rescued.

The work was commissioned by the Des Moines Civic Center in 1978 and was installed Thanksgiving week of 1979.  In regards to the placement and site specific work Oldenburg said the following:

“We wanted to place an exotic element in the midst of prosaic circumstances and turn the center of the continent paradoxically into an island in the sea.”

Keeping Oldenburg’s inspiration in mind, viewers can see just how precisely he has executed his plan.  Crusoe’s umbrella has been carried through the wind from far away seas and fallen in Nollen plaza. It’s rough and rugged angles combined with its enormous size, emphasize the significance of the simple every day object.  One should also notice that the Traveler's umbrella which lights up the Insurance Exchange building at 5th and Grand speaks to Oldenburg's umbrella in a way that allows the object to give Des Moines a downtown symbol.  Going along with Oldenburg’s theme of monumentalizing the ever day object, he has glorified the umbrella like no other artist could for Des Moines. 



View of the Insurance Exchange Building in Downtown Des Moines

Here's a link to MOMA outlining Oldenburg's current show.  I'm so jealous of anyone that gets to see this, as I'm a huge Oldenburg fan.  Make sure to share this blog with your NY friends and tell them about the show!

http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/1320

 

Des Moines also hosts Oldenburg's Plantoir, across from the Meredith building, publisher to Better Homes and Gardens.  Kinda cheeky huh?  Here's a link to the Des Moines Public Art Foundations' website for more information on that piece:

http://dsmpublicartfoundation.org/public-art/plantoir/

 

The Des Moines Art Center is home to Oldenburg's Plug.  Although the piece is currently at conservation, it usually displayed in the lower contemporary gallery and in my opinion, is one of Oldenburg's best works.  Here's a link the the piece through the Art Center's website:

http://emuseum.desmoinesartcenter.org/

 

 

Lindsay Burke: Emerging Artist

Among the emerging artists at this year's Des Moines Art Festival was Lindsay Burke.  An Iowa native and University of Iowa  BFA student, Lindsay's multimedia works show dynamic use of paper and paint.  Her use of small nonchalantly placed paper cut outs give her paintings depth and uniform.  The works I found most striking were her landscapes and figures. This winter scene was my favorite.

I was pleased to see that Lindsay's booth was busy with activity and that people were showing a lot of interest in her work.  Lindsay was extremely humble and a delightful artist to chat with for 5 minutes.  I encourage you to support her work and know that your money is going to a cool Iowa native.

Check out her profile online to explore all of her well accomplished genres (don't pass up the "Tradition" section) :   Lindsaymburke.com

We hope to have works by Burke up at HOQ restaurant later this year.

Tracy Duran-Torres of the Des Moines Art Center

If you have read the paper today, please check out this online link.  My coworker Tracy Duran- Torres is one amazing gal.


http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20130701/LIFE/307020013/1039?nclick_check=1

Phyllida Barlow: Scree

Over the past year I have been wanting to review several shows at the Des Moines Art Center but because I am an employee I have found my opinions and reviews to be a conflict of interest for by blog.  I have decided to express my thoughts through poem and hope this to be a continued form of review on my blog.  Please give me some feedback - I'm new to this avenue of expression. 

 

Photo Credit: Des Moines Art Center Facebook
Check out their facebook page for more awesome pics of the installation!
 

 

 

 

Phyllida Barlow: Scree

 

The Strong is Rigid

Through a Rough Solid path

An Unyielding Boulder

Colliding a climb

Twine Ledge

Covers a crowded Spine

Powerfully Minimizing

Performing on Stilts

To a kind Web

 

 

The show is happening NOW at the Des Moines Art Center and closes September 22nd. 

Admission is FREE - so no excuses!

 

 

Phyllida Barlow and Gilbert Vicario Lecture

I am a big fan of Phyllida Barlow so I wanted to share this with you all:

http://www.desmoinesartcenter.org/aspx/events/event-detail.aspx?eventID=11505


Her show "Scree" is opening this Thursday evening at the Des Moines Art Center.  I had the pleasure of meeting the artist last week and was completely taken back by how kind and down to earth she is.  I think this is going to be a really great lecture.  Come!

Tuesday, June 16th @ 6:30 pm in the Levitt Auditorium of the Des Moines Art Center  FREE