LOOK INTO MY OWL

Claire Oliver Gallery is currently filled with the latest mixed media paintings from Gino Rubert. It is his first solo show in the United States since 2003. I strongly urge you, if geographically possible, to see these works in person.

Gino Rubert, The Pianist, mixed media on canvas, 2012.

There is a visual hum that resonates through each of these intriguing depictions. The shifting frequencies arise from the mind trying to categorize the media in the compositions. The keen viewer, upon close inspection begins to break down the structural points. As the eye roams, a list is populated from discoveries of magnificent painting next to seamless photographic collage and yes, even that lenticular tiger bikini.

Gino Rubert, Ma Feline, mixed media on canvas, 2012.

The show has been titled, “True Love,” referring to the three points of balance that are achieved between the artist, his passion and our perception. There is truth here but it is not always decidedly pretty. In each tableau there is the comfort of a familiar face but the amenities remain delightfully out of reach.

Gino Rubert, The Inheritor, mixed media on canvas, 2012.

Gino Rubert
True Love
29 March – 28 April 2012
Claire Oliver Gallery
NYC

Images courtesy of Claire Oliver Gallery.

David Lynch last had a solo show of his artwork in New York City at the Leo Castelli Gallery in 1989. He’s back, this time at the Tilton Gallery with a lot of new mixed media pieces, some photographic manipulations, a sculpture and a short video loop.

David Lynch, Boy Lights Fire, 2012.

The large mixed media works still ring in the same tone as his previous show in California from 2009. They begin as simple stories that unfold through brilliant consideration of materials and quality craftsmanship. I was nowhere near the Pacific Coast for his last show but viewed the works as you are now, online. Examining the pieces directly in New York exponentially increased the respect that I already had for his fine art. David Lynch is not a film guy pretending to be an artist. There may be room in this world for that sort of thing but that is not what is going on here.

David Lynch, Distorted Nude 20, 2012.

There are few descriptors used to convey the attitude of his art in its many forms. Darkness, anger and pain are all simplifications that do not offer any real understanding. We meet David Lynch on the surface but the man and boy remain behind the curtain, wizarding their own Oz.

David Lynch, I See My Love, 2012.

The secret to his success as an artist lies in a fantastic misunderstanding that occurs between his intent and the perception of the viewer. The screen that connects us shimmers with context. Behind the black paint and bold distortions there is light. If you trust that it is there you see it with every blink.

David Lynch, New York City, 2012. (photo: Scott Lickstein)

David Lynch
6 March – 14 April 2012
Tilton Gallery
NYC

Images of artwork courtesy David Lynch.

My good friend and collaborator Ian Gamache is enjoying the prestige of his first solo exhibition. An impressive array of work has been thoughtfully installed at Galerie D in Montréal.

Ian Gamache at Galerie D, Montréal, 2012. (Photo: Pierre Blackburn)

The frowning characterizations of the everyman depicted in the drawings of Ian Gamache consistently engage our sense of malaise and general discontent. The shared hopelessness that resides in the debility displayed draws on the complete range of empathy from humorous to heart wrenching. The artist’s memory archives maintain a strong sense of style derived from years of steady study and obsessive practice.

Ian Gamache, Drought, mixed media, 2011.

Gamache meditates on the poetry of the searching line. The repetition of gesture serves as a reminder that real life is not made up of entirely smooth surfaces. Our journey as humans is primed with overlapping experiences that we hope to bind together into something that floats.

2011 was the year of Gamache. Ian has begun to receive recognition beyond the normal expectations of a visual artist. Follow his heavily attended Facebook fan page to get a clear picture of the phenomena. It’s been exciting to watch his well deserved fan base build so rapidly. In many ways, 2012 serves as a new beginning for Ian Gamache. He’s holding a bright torch and this solo exhibit feels like the first step in a very long run.

Ian Gamache, Early Days (detail), mixed media, 2011.

Ian Gamache
26 January – 22 February 2012
Galerie D
Montréal

Traditionally, the art world “shuts down” for the Summer. It is a broad market perspective that sends the art collector for a well deserved ocean respite. It’s also a good time for art world transitions.

I’ve been involved in several off-season moves that will intensify my career as artist, dealer and art writer. New York City is on the very near horizon and I should be in position soon to conduct more studio visits, museum previews and exhibition reviews.

The Summer has also brought about the founding of my personal artist website. I’m offering up a new signed and numbered, archival, limited edition pigment print seven days a week. All of my artistic pursuits are updated daily on the site. Check in regularly to examine progress on my portfolio, ongoing projects and store. Please sign up here to receive a weekly digest via email highlighting all of the action.

Scroll down for a small selection of my work from this year. Two prints, a pair of photographs, a couple of projects, some paintings and now, yes, I have been branded with my own logo.

Scott Lickstein, Spectrum Sipper, archival pigment print on 300 gsm, 100% cotton, acid & lignin free paper, 20.25 x 17 inches, 2011.

Scott Lickstein, The Hawk, archival pigment print on 300 gsm, 100% cotton, acid & lignin free paper, 17 x 17 inches, 2011.

Scott Lickstein, Life and Death in the Forest, c-print, 2011.

Scott Lickstein, Mystics and Tides 014, c-print, 2011.

Scott Lickstein, When I’m Gone 036, 2011.

Scott Lickstein, When I’m Gone 044, 2011.

Scott Lickstein with Ian Gamache, Let’s Play Hostage, 2011.

Scott Lickstein with Ian Gamache, Boring Summer Movie, 2011.

Scott Lickstein, Speechless, 2011.

Scott Lickstein, Moonwolf, 2011.

“Remarks on Colour” is Julião Sarmento’s first solo exhibition with Pilar Corrias in London. The work is on display now and runs through March 19th. Sarmento has studied both painting and architecture and for nearly four decades he has been exploring points where the two disciplines collide.

Julião Sarmento, Silver Lake Yellow Boob, polyvinyl acetate, pigments, acrylic, acrylic gesso, ink, graphite and silkscreen print on unprimed cotton canvas, 2010-11.

The title of this show is a direct reference to Ludwig Wittgenstein’s fractured reaction to Goethe’s statements concerning the origin of color itself. The canvasses are mostly white with occasional shocks of screen printed primary color. The color reacts with the white surface to initiate the perception of a spectrum beginning with the primary and fading away into the plane.

Julião Sarmento, Silver Lake Blue Hands, polyvinyl acetate, pigments, acrylic, acrylic gesso, ink, graphite and silkscreen print on unprimed cotton canvas, 2010-11.

The architectural leanings of the artist are evident in compositions that mimic the modernist structures depicted in the printed areas. Suggestions of living tissue, both human and plant often remark on direct sensitivities of the viewer. Sarmento calls on our susceptibilities to nature through the revealing of delicate areas and shared nervous sensation.

Julião Sarmento, White Exit, mixed media installation, 2010-11.

Julião Sarmento
Remarks on Colour
15 February – 19 March 2011
Pilar Corrias
London

“O Babalon,” a show of new collage work from Javier Piñón is currently on display at ZieherSmith in NYC.

Javier Piñón, The Scarlet Woman, collage, 2010.

On the night this opened, we were wandering around Chelsea in the rain and came across a good friend and excellent painter. Without hesitating, he told us to make our way to see this exhibit. It became our next stop and we couldn’t have been more delighted at the suggestion.

Javier Piñón, Sibyl, collage, 2010.

The collages have a seamless quality and that spell is rarely broken. The exceptions, the areas that don’t quite work, serve as occasional reminders that the surface is not whole. This brand of tight technique stirs wonderfully with the mystic naughtiness of the content. The subjects are lost in ritual not entirely meant for our understanding but still manage to keep stride with the real world.

Javier Piñón, The Cave of Knowledge, collage, 2010.

Javier Piñón
O Babalon
14 October – 13 November 2010
ZieherSmith
NYC

A “mid-career”exhibition surveying the work of Fred Tomaselli opens today at the Brooklyn Museum. Yesterday afternoon we had an opportunity to preview the exhibit and grabbed some photos to share. It had been nearly a year since L.I.M.O. had a chance to catch up with Fred and it was no surprise to find him in good spirits on the eve of this hometown honor.

The exhibit is a staggering affair. When encountering one of these mixed media masterpieces in the context of a group show, the Tomaselli stands out. His work often alienates itself in this manner. Moving through four rooms of his oeuvre, however, is an experience that one doesn’t question. It’s a larger than human experience not unlike the Great Pyramid or a hurricane. There is no temptation to insinuate and no need for review. Get to the Brooklyn Museum pronto!

Fred Tomaselli with Night Music for Raptors, Brooklyn Museum, 2010.

Fred Tomaselli, Field Guides, photo collage, gouache, acrylic, and resin on wood panel, 2003.

Fred Tomaselli, Red Butte, hemp leaves, acrylic and resin on wood panel, 1994.

Fred Tomaselli, Red Butte (detail), hemp leaves, acrylic and resin on wood panel, 1994.

Fred Tomaselli, Big Raven, acrylic, photocollage and resin on wood panel, 2008.

Fred Tomaselli, Fungi and Flowers, leaves, photo collage, acrylic, and resin on wood panel, 2002.

Fred Tomaselli, Fungi and Flowers (detail), leaves, photo collage, acrylic, and resin on wood panel, 2002.

Fred Tomaselli, Echo, Wow and Flutter, leaves, pills, photo collage, acrylic, and resin on wood panel, 2000.

Fred Tomaselli, Feb. 24, 2009 (detail), gouache and collage on printed watercolor paper, 2009.

Fred Tomaselli, Multiple Landscape, saccharin, acrylic, and resin on wood panel, 1995.

Fred Tomaselli, Multiple Landscape (detail), saccharin, acrylic, and resin on wood panel, 1995.

Fred Tomaselli, Toytopia (detail), photocollage, gouache, acrylic, and resin on wood panel, 1995.

Fred Tomaselli
8 October 2010 – 2 January 2011
Brooklyn Museum