More Exhibits/ Spring 2011

I've got some of my plywood people in "Mountain Visions", at the Reece Museum at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City. (The exhibit name doesn't fit the show-it's very progressive)

The exhibit was juried by Greg Shelnutt, who is a professor at the North Carolina School of Art in Winston-Salem.

http://www.etsu.edu/reece/default.asp

Exhibit overview

My plywood people, from my big installation"Quantum Confusion", enjoyed the reception.

Daniel Marinelli, and instructor at Penland, had quite a few pieces, and got the big award.

A Jackson Martin wall installation. We are both in the Tallahassee International at the Florida State University Fine Art Museum in Tallahassee later this summer.

Gorgeous fiber piece by Stacey Isenbarger.

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One of my Produce Portraits just got Best in Show at the "American Still Life: Yesterday and Today" at The Bascom, in Highlands, NC. http://www.thebascom.com/ They are mixing contemporary work with a selection of 18th and 19th century work, which should be really interesting.

"Observation" oil on linen. Commentary on human migration over political borders. Historically, Still Life was always way more than stuff on a table. It was always loaded with symbolism.

Its' a very cool teaching art center, similar to Arrowmont and Penland. They have 2 really nice galleries in the main building, and a series of walking trails outside. They regularly have exhibits with sculpters who do found object outside sculpture and installation art along the trails which I love. The exhibit was juried by Kevin Grogan, Director and Curator, Morris Museum of Art, Augusta, GA

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Both Alison Oakes and I have work going to Target Gallery's (Torpedo Factory, Alexandria, VA) "In the Flesh lll". 630 entries, 28 accepted, 2 from Knoxville, and this is the 2nd time Alison has been in it! I was hoping they'd take my nude paint-flesh ladies with the glitter, but they wanted the one that has been up at the Custom House Museum in Clarksville in their "Ladies First" exhibit (along with 3 Alison Oakes paintings) since March.

http://www.torpedofactory.org/galleries/target_calendar.htm

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More upcoming exhibits and stuff:

"Point Time", a group exhibit of Knoxville artists curated by Jean Hess, that has been at the William King Museum and Slocumb Gallery, goes to Association of Visual Artists Gallery (AVA) in Chattanooga, TN this May.

http://www.avarts.org/www

Knoxville Arts in Airport, reception 5:50 -7:30 May 5th. The work stays up 'till October. (group exhibit)

http://www.tys.org/arts-in-the-airport

I'm waiting for my copy of INPA 1 (International Painting Annual 1) to arrive from Manifest Gallery Press http://www.manifestgallery.com/ I believe they are being printed now. I will also be in INDA 6 (International Drawing Annual 6) along with a couple other Knoxville area artists, and other artists from around the country and world. That publication will go to press later this year. Manifest makes awesome publications, and the gallery has really great exhibits, most of them open juried with very cool themes. Being on their mailing list is critical, I think. If you get into an exhibit, delivery to Cincinatti is easy.

Solo exhibit at Appalachian Center for Craft at Tennessee Tech that opens in June.

http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/exhibitions-calendar/

Tallahassee International, starting in Sept.

http://www.mofa.fsu.edu/pages/explore/schedule.shtml

A two person exhibit at Yeiger Art Center in Paducah, KY with Christine Wuenschel in 2012

http://www.theyeiser.org/

http://www.christinewuenschel.com/ChristineWuenschel/Home.html

Nu Nudes

I haven't done any serious nudes for awhile except for fairly regular life drawing sessions, and keep missing opportunities to submit to figurative and nude shows. SO-I searched a whole pile of reference photos I had taken at the Notorious Fleshpainter exhibit I helped curate a few years ago. (Those who participated or attended definately remember this night with a smile. Yes, this did happen in Knoxville. Yes, the Naked Carpenter was there, too, and he did get painted. Yes, it was fun, and nobody got arrested. John, the Fleshpainter, has unfortunately gone back to Orlando, though.) Both drawings are both full scale, free standing, charcoal and pastel pencil on plywood. And glitter. I'm still undecided on a title. Paintskins? Paintskin Glitteratti?

Do You Think We're Naked?

The boots and shoes were real. They had to wear something on thier feet. We had this event in that place next to the old Blue Cats and it was a bit nasty. Used condoms behind the plastic couches nasty.

I mention Glitter because I used lots of it it. Lt. pink, hot pink, green, bronze. I soaked it in the varnish layers where the color is. It adds sparkle that is, of course, slightly lowbrow and ironic. And make-up/beauty industry appropriated. And made a hell of a mess in the garage where I spilled some. Now if I get lucky-they will be going somewhere. If not, they will wait around to go somewhere else. Hopefully. They really want to go out and have a good time.

"Ladies First", Custom House Museum, Clarksville, TN, March 3-May 1, 2011

Each March, Terri Jordan, curator at the Clarksville, Tennessee Custom House Museum, examines the work female artists are producing in the state of Tennessee. This is the second year I have been honored to have been included in it. Last year's "Modern Girls" was a massive installation in the huge, three story high Crouch Gallery.

This year's exhibit, "Ladies First", was a more intimate exhibit in the museum's Orgain Gallery.

Panoramic view of one wall, with Alison Oakes. The big yellow painting behind her is a Camille Engel

Alcove view. The museum has an extensive costume collection that was integrated with the art for a very cool effect.

Work, left to right: Jennifer Otto, Tammy Dohner, Edie Maney, Melinda Peavy

Each artist was asked to communicate where they were at this point as an artist and woman. The responses ranged from historically based feminist observations to deeply personal musing.

Alison Oakes works it with the mannequins. Her triptych from her "Repulsively Beautiful" series, is to her right. All are oil on porcelain.

My installation, "Domination Extinction" (charcoal and pencil on plywood), is a deconstruction and feminist updating of Manet's "Luncheon on the Grass", which I expounded on in an earlier blog.

A detail from Sher Fick's installation "You Made Your Bed". Fick takes her own empty perscription bottles and uses fabric and found objects to create comfort scenes from her childhood spent sleeping in the same room as her sister. Her adult perscriptions for anxiety and depression successfully make her live and thrive as an artist, mother , and wife.

A detail of Miranda Herrick's post-consumer recycled food container piece. Lots of Tostinos and Cherrios! Herrick directs Mir Gallery in Nashville's dowtown Arcade Building.

Terri Jordan's self-portrait with son and dog involves lots of symbolic objects used in portraiture since the Middle Ages. White tulips I believe are for purity, dogs symbolize loyalty. To the right is a Sandra Paynter Washburn, and a Claudia Balthrop.

Some people can't handle the wine at receptions.

Hats. Amazing hats. Mid twentieth century, I believe.

The old ladies at church used to wear these when I was a kid and creep me out. Who even came up with this? Truely one of the most bizarre fashion trends in recorded history.

Alison Oakes, Sher Fick, Terri Jordan, and photographer and playwright Mitzi Cross.

Other artists in the exhibit, which can be seen 'though May 1st, are Linda Kerlin, Diane Shaw, and Cyndi McGrail.