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artscope magazine
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Don't Be Fooled.
January 5, 2012
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Greetings!
Sure, these exhibitions look vibrant and inviting--entertainment at its best. But don't be fooled by the simplicity of their titles or charming surfaces because all three of these shows offer deeper, more conceptual perspectives that you will have to see for yourself. I can't think of a better way to start 2012 than with some mindful exercise and interpretation. Also, don't forget to check out our new blog on the artscope website. It is equipped with updated headlines and rotating featured content -- a great way to stay connected to art and culture news in between artscope issues and email blasts! Online advertising is now also available on the blog as well.
As
always, you
can
send
information on upcoming exhibitions
and
performance events for both the
magazine and
these e-mail blasts to
[email protected]; reach us
to advertise.
To
forward this
blast, please use the link provided
at the
end of this email - Lacey Daley
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Around the House at the Portland Public Library
in Portland, Maine January 6th through 28th
Living Room by Thomas Birtwistle, 1990, pigment print.
It is something of a full house at the Portland Public Library, which has opened its doors to the work of seventeen contemporary Maine photographers for the month of January. The Center for Maine Contemporary Art ( CMCA) presents Around the House, an exhibition comprised of nearly sixty images that touch on the aspects of home life. The show features home furnishing layouts, habitual domestic tasks and occurrences, architectural details, familial interactions, and interior life. "An exhibition of photographs about homes seemed a perfect fit for a public venue like the Portland Library because everyone has a personal history of home life. It's a subject we all can relate to," said Bruce Brown, CMCA curator emeritus who organized the exhibition. So, pots, pans, couches, and discussion, simple enough, right? Wrong. We won't deny the inviting familiarity depicted in these photographs, however, we cannot be fooled by this surface layer. The photographers of Around the House show us scenes of home life, but they speak with heavy undertones, letting us see into the holes and intimacy that reside within the frames.
The participating photographers represent a dozen communities throughout Maine. From the greater Portland area are Melonie Bennett, Rene Braun, Daniel E. Davis, Luc Demers, Ben DeHaan, Jon Edwards, Noah Krell, and Kate Philbrick. They join with Ilya Askinazi of Bangor, Rebecca Baumann of South Thomaston, Jeffery Becton of Deer Isle, Thomas Birtwistle of Harmony, Elizabeth Greenberg of Thomaston, Cig Harvey of Rockport, Claire Seidl of Rangeley, Sarah Szwajkos of Rockland and Todd Watts of Blanchard. The exhibition opens with a public reception from 5-8pm during Portland's First Friday Art Walk on Friday, January 6th. It will remain on view during regular library hours through Saturday, January 28th.
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Sponsored by: The Art Connection, Sprinkler Factory Gallery, and SoCA Boston
The Art Connection
To encourage art collecting, Art Connection plans fundraiser, Art BINGO,
where participants can win artwork.
Jurors Michele Cohen (NYC Public Art for
Public Schools) and
Steven Zevitas (New American Paintings) seek 2D artwork,
will select 12.
Donations support Art Connection,
placing original artwork
in Boston's social service agencies since
1995.
Deadline 1/15/12.
www.theartconnection.org
Sprinkler Factory Gallery
the Eye is not a Camera
February 4-26, 2012
Sprinkler Factory Gallery
38 Harlow Street
Worcester, MA
Featuring video, sculpture and painting by:
Christine Croteau, Joanne Holtje,
Ted Lilley, Philip Marshall,
Lynn Simmons and Mark Spencer
Opening Reception Sat. Feb. 4, 6-9pm
Artist Talks Sun. Feb. 19, 2-3:30
Gallery Hours
Thurs. 4-8pm / Sat. & Sun. 12-5pm
www.sprinklerfactory.com
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Dave Martsolf at Galatea Fine Art
in Boston, Massachusetts now through January 29th
Calypso by Dave Martsolf, 1982, oil on canvas.
When realism and surrealism collide, you get Dave Martsolf. He has the skills and trained hand to make his paintings graphic and true to life, which he pairs with his theoretical, conceptual imagination. It is not very often that we come across an artist so grounded yet so fanciful, all in the same instance. The rawness of Martsolf's oils, pencils, and watercolors add to the dimension of reality portrayed, whether or not the scene is entirely plausible. His artwork also carries slight influences of architecture, exposure most likely experienced during childhood under his architect father and architect grandfather. His background in computer-based art can also be sensed in some of his pieces, which is quite fitting for the former owner and artistic director of Damsel Software Group. At first, second, and third glance, Martsolf's work is fresh and original. He takes the everyday and ventures with it into the unknown, a journey that results in his astonishing art. Even some of his most far-fetched pieces posses an aura of sanity and organization, dispelling any notion of the irrational or unconscious typically associated with surrealism. Today, Martsolf has returned to handmade art. He continues to believe, "that art can be a vehicle to communicate visceral yet at the same time cerebral thoughts and feelings in a single still image that can transport the observer to a dream reality that can be totally absorbing and alive with all manner of doorways to emotions and experiences never before realized." David Martsolf, an exhibition of the artist's major realist and surrealist oil paintings, is showing at Galatea Fine Art now through Sunday, January 29th. A reception is set to be held on Friday, January 6th from 6-8pm.
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Syntactic Structure at Hallspace
in Boston, Massachusetts now through January 21st
Jubilee (Still Life with 4 Toys) by Gerry Perrino, 2010, oil on panel.
Don't be fooled by the commercial appeal of the toys and figurines depicted in this exhibition--they have something much more important to say. With his most recent collection of still lifes, artist Gerry Perrino attempts to engage his audience in metaphoric symbolism and collaborative interpretation. The works in Syntactic Structures, Perrino's solo show comprised of fifty-one paintings, speak to the importance of context and syntax in every situation. To explain, the artist himself uses the following examples: "For instance, given the right conditions concerning context and syntax, a broken hammer could reflect a maimed warrior; a mallet and chisel could be used to imply the Creator; or a running figure might be seen as either heroic or cowardly. The environment in which such objects are placed is the key to establishing metaphoric symbolism within them." These figurines are more than just psychedelic plastics; they are pieces to a larger narrative reflecting on history, current events, life, and society's habits. The most remarkable part of this process for Perrino has been the ability of the figurines to transform each painting, soon enough becoming dominant and necessary parts in the series. "I came to find that the inclusion of figures greatly amplified the expressive potential of the paintings. Inclusion of these elements seems to concentrate the work's thematic focus directly into the area of human relationships," said Perrino. Syntactic Structure is on view now at Hallspace. If you have not had the chance to make a trip into the city, you are in luck. The Gerry Perrino final exhibition day has been extended to Saturday, January 21st. You know the saying about second chances; don't let this one get away. Come give the artist your discussion and personal interpretations--he welcomes it with open arms.
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SoCA Boston
SoCA (South of Canal Street) is holding a celebration of film
through our first annual SoCA Boston Winter Film Festival.
The Festival, to be held in
Boston's West End February 17th, 18th, and 19th, 2012, is calling all
independent film makers to submit a film.We are accepting short films, art
house, feature films, but are open to accepting other genres.
Please inquire
by emailing [email protected]
or go to
www.socaboston.com
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Lacey Daley
artscope
phone:
617-639-5771
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