LOOK INTO MY OWL

“Liberty Chomp,” an exhibition of thirteen new reverse-painted acrylic polymer peel paintings by Aaron Johnson is set to open tomorrow at Gallery Poulsen in Copenhagen.

Aaron Johnson, Rabid Fox, acrylic on polyester knit mesh, 2012.

Days before the paintings were set to leave for Denmark, Aaron threw a very well attended studio party for his friends to see them before crating. I got in real close and took the following detail photographs from his densely layered compositions. Head over to the Poulsen Gallery website to get the big picture.

Aaron Johnson
Liberty Chomp
11 May – 9 June 2012
Gallery Poulsen
Copenhagen

Photographs: Scott Lickstein.

Recently, we had a chance to visit the Manhattan studio of accomplished artist and writer, DM Simons. Since our meeting, it was announced that Simons has been granted a studio as part of the Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation “Space Program.”

We spent more than five hours getting to know DM the person and the artist. It was delightful to realize that they are one in the same. Simons, as man and creator exists in a flow of thought and emotion. It’s as though he feels the oneness of the universe in an instinctive yet carefully conscious way.

The sheer size of the pastel drawings require an adjustment of the viewer to the scale. Heavily saturated areas edge against wispy details with a confidence that stems from a comfort with the material and a sure sense of purpose. These works aspire to evoke an array of promising conclusions and this is the source of their potency.

DM Simons gleans his ideas from his voracious journal keeping in connection with imagery he collects from print media. These elements homogenize on the surface with stunning continuity. Efforts to solve the riddle lead directly to metaphor. DM is not interested in segregating apples from oranges, he just wants to enjoy the fruit.

DM Simons in his Manhattan studio, 2012.

Photos: Scott Lickstein

To learn more about DM Simons please see this recent interview.

The third year of the Winter Workspace residency at Wave Hill is drawing to a close for 2012. The highly successful program is overseen by Director of Arts & Senior Curator Jennifer McGregor, Assistant Curator Gabriel de Guzman and Curatorial Fellow John Minieri.

Annually, the Glyndor Gallery is converted into five studio spaces for ten artists to utilize over two six week sessions. The artists are encouraged to seek inspiration from the public gardens and the many wonderful spaces that Wave Hill has to offer. Meaningful interactions with visitors occur through a series of artist led workshops that provide access to a variety of technical and conceptual concerns.

The studios will be open to Wave Hill visitors on Sunday, March 25th. The event is free with admission so stop in and see works in progress by Gabriela Albergaria, Matthew Burcaw, Matthew Jensen as well as Van Lier Visual Artist Fellows Nova Jiang and Cameron Rowland.

We have looked in on the studios twice during this second session and were very impressed by the focus of the artists and the wide variety of visual pursuits that are occurring. Please scroll down to see some of the progress made by each artist.

MATTHEW JENSEN

Matthew Jensen, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

Matthew Jensen, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

Matthew Jensen, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

Matthew Jensen, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

NOVA JIANG

Nova Jiang, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

Nova Jiang, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

Nova Jiang, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

Nova Jiang, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

CAMERON ROWLAND

Cameron Rowland, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

Cameron Rowland, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

Cameron Rowland, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

Cameron Rowland, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

GABRIELA ALBERGARIA

Gabriela Albergaria, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

Gabriela Albergaria, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

Gabriela Albergaria, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

Gabriela Albergaria, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

MATTHEW BURCAW

Matthew Burcaw, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

Matthew Burcaw, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

Matthew Burcaw, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

Matthew Burcaw, Wave Hill Winter Workspace, 2012.

Winter Workspace
14 February – 25 March 2012
Wave Hill
NYC

Photographs: Scott Lickstein.

The past few months I have been laying low in Western Massachusetts. During this stay, I had the opportunity to visit the studio of a very talented artist who lives in the area. Huge thanks to Lisa Foster for her hospitality and for letting me run around her awesome studio space with a camera.

Lisa has been making fantastic paintings for years but has only recently began to actively share her creations outside of her close circle. Showing work through her website and social media outlets has flourished in immediate and growing attention for more.

Her life sized, mixed media, self portraits known as “Lisa Shapes” command complete attention when encountered. It is a sensation that could be likened to a meeting as much as a viewing. Foster has been through a lot in her life. Some traumatic experiences had left her “in pieces.” Her work, the process and product, have been helping her to feel whole again. The genuine nature of this approach has been manifesting very powerful results.

The large canvases are accomplished with acrylic paint, medium and reproduction quilting fabrics. It’s easy to keep up with the production of her new work online. In addition to that, I encourage you to see the pieces in person. It is a real treat that offers new insight. I hope that you enjoy this studio visit as much as I did.

To learn more about Lisa Foster, please visit her website at: www.lisaafoster.com

Recently, we stopped in on Aaron Johnson’s new studio space in Bushwick. We were there so that he could sign the new print edition, available here, through our gallery.

It was great to see how much painting was going on in the studio. Aaron was preparing for a solo show, “Scars and Stripes” opening this Friday at Gallery Poulsen in Copenhagen, Denmark and let us take some photographs of the work in progress. He’s been instituting exciting new techniques that have brought the concentration of textural detail to new levels.

Johnson continues to explore a vibrant mythology that is a mash-up of history, biology and individual investigation. His compositions seem to grow in an organic manner with division and replication playing large roles in the layers of color that build into surface. Two depictions of God were nearing completion in the space. These pieces were clear indications that although the works explode before the viewer’s eyes they still manage to keep sight of a larger ideal.

More photos after the break.
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Last week, we had the opportunity to look around at the Starn studio in beautiful Beacon, NY. It was one of those experiences that is not easily forgotten. The building is approximately the same square footage as an American football field and filled with work in various stages of development. The director of the studio, Gaudéricq Robiliard, showed us around and explained the various experimental processes that are currently being used in the two and three dimensional artworks.

A piece of Big Bambú engaged a large part of the studio. The huge sculpture is comprised of more than 2500 strips of bamboo lashed together with nylon mountain climbing rope. The piece changes often as lengths are unattached and reattached elsewhere moving the behemoth structure in a slow, cascading manner. The rest of Big Bambú is currently occupying the roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art overlooking New York City’s Central Park through October 31st. This is one artwork that you must see.

There is a constant buzz of activity that envelops visitors to this place. The inherited space has a raw, industrial feel that is completely overshadowed by the warmth of creativity and workspace ingenuity. The harsh warehouse lighting has been dispersed by hanging large white semitransparent textiles. This sort of handmade feel to the functional furnishings pervade the interior design and predicate a sense of the practical genius that is at work. We took tons of pictures so that you may share in the amazing experience.

Be sure to click through for many more photographs.

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One week before her latest solo show, “Boom & Bust” at Winkleman Gallery, Joy Garnett gave us the lowdown on her new work and let us take some photos around her SoHo studio. We had a look at some paintings, including several slated for her exhibition, before being packed for delivery to the gallery. Joy also gave us a preview of some new prints and the work that went into the color separations.

The most notable change in this recent work is the dissolution of horizon. Literal detachment from the natural world has pushed her efforts further toward abstraction. The energetic action paintings display a refreshing confidence in tools, composition and color. Some of her source material, declassified photographs of massive man made and natural explosions were on hand. It was particularly interesting to learn that her reference for a painting does not stem exclusively from a specific image. Her gestures and color selections initiate from living with large amounts of source imagery and are represented on canvas as a culmination of this visual knowledge.

We left Joy Garnett’s studio feeling frisky and craving to see more paintings. Luckily, the opening reception for “Boom & Bust” is rapidly approaching. Friday, October 15th from 6-8PM, we’ll see you there.

Joy Garnett
Boom & Bust
15 October – 13 November 2010
Winkleman Gallery
NYC